{"id":26763,"date":"2024-04-11T15:41:00","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T05:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=26763"},"modified":"2024-04-11T14:44:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T04:44:50","slug":"new-stations-trains-and-tech-for-inland-rail-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=26763","title":{"rendered":"New Stations, Trains and Tech for Inland Rail Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Australia\u2019s first&nbsp; independent metropolitan interstate terminal has opened as part of the Inland Rail project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Interstate Terminal, part of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct, Australia\u2019s largest logistics hub and the Inland Rail project, was launched on April 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is a joint venture between the Federal Government\u2019s National Intermodal Corporation, Qube Holdings and developer LOGOS. The government\u00a0 tipped $570 million into the project.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federal infrastructure, transport, regional development and local government minister Catherine King said that the project was a key part of the Inland Rail project to connect freight lines across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe new Interstate Terminal connects the Precinct to the interstate rail and road network\u2014including the future Inland Rail project\u2014enabling movement of vital consumer goods between Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth,\u201d King said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The terminal is operating under an agreement for open access with no single rail operator in charge, according to National Intermodal Corporation chief executive James Baulderstone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Interstate Terminal has an open access arrangement that allows multiple rail operators to use the terminal, driving competition and delivering further cost savings to end users,\u201d Baulderstone said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe precinct\u2019s scale also provides the platform and location for major renewable energy generation, enabling warehouse owners and last-mile delivery transport companies to reach their net zero ambitions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=wxkOs20XzdA%3Fsi%3Dwp8wGKf7hWpfk_tM\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>According to the government each of the 1800-metre-long trains that can use the terminal is equivalent to 100 B-double trucks. Each train will be able to move 500,000 6m (20ft) containers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The project is aimed at easing congestion and help with efficiency and competition across the country\u2019s freight network, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe new terminal will play an important role in improving travel for Sydneysiders, taking more than 3000 heavy trucks off Sydney roads daily,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There will be more than 850,000sq m of industrial warehouse space and more than 6,800 jobs created as part of the precinct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will also house Australia\u2019s largest rooftop solar panel installation, capable of generating more than 100MW of renewable energy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Federal finance minister Katy Gallagher said the terminal\u2019s location at the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct was key to boosting jobs and the economy by making logistics easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTogether with the terminal\u2019s strategic location, with direct connections to Port Botany, the M5 and M7 motorways, it offers unrivalled logistics benefits for industrial customers and consumers,\u201d Gallagher said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMoorebank Intermodal Precinct is Australia\u2019s largest logistics hub.\u201d<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/8pr762qjocl3\/3CzWKsQWlGrdZgnAYLbuHO\/1b7754956d672ea5e255898adec18c3f\/moorebank_intermodal_precinct.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct where the Interstate Terminal connecting the precinct to the Inland Rail freight network has been opened.\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25b2 An aerial view of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct where the Interstate Terminal has opened.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Qube Holdings managing director Paul Digney said there were other benefits apart from boosting the share of freight that travels&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theurbandeveloper.com\/articles\/construction-begins-on-crucial-nsw-inland-rail-section\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">via rail along the eastern seaboard&nbsp;<\/a>from its current level of 11 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGetting more freight off the road and onto rail will be key to achieving Australia\u2019s emissions reduction targets, especially given rail freight generates 16 times less carbon pollution than road, and this new Interstate Rail Terminal at Moorebank will be a key enabler in that transition,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Work is continuing on other aspects of the Inland Rail project with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theurbandeveloper.com\/articles\/inland-rail-beveridge-albury-victoria-upgrades-plans-filed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tracks lowered and bridges raised&nbsp;<\/a>at 12 locations in Victoria to allow double-stacked freight trains to pass safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Australian Rail Track Corporation Inland Rail (ARTC Inland Rail) has chosen McConnell Dowell to build the first four projects of Tranche 1 at Barnawartha North, Glenrowan, Wangaratta and Seymour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Construction contracts will be awarded for the other eight sites in mid-2024 with construction scheduled to begin in early 2025.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Victoria, $45.1 million has been spent on the project with 196 local businesses and 662 jobs created.&nbsp;<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/8pr762qjocl3\/75eIchHZWOZR3Kt0RyuXHZ\/5ff98b8be0675141f2bfef538a536a0b\/inland_rail.jpeg\" alt=\"The Inland Rail Freight Corridor along with Snowy 2.0 top the nation\u2019s largest infrastructure projects.\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u25b2 The Inland Rail Freight Corridor, along with Snowy 2.0, top the nation\u2019s largest infrastructure projects.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, the Federal Government is investing in a trial to retrofit a diesel-electric freight train with batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aurizon, Australia\u2019s largest rail freight hauler, is developing a 1.8 MWh battery-electric tender (BET) for a diesel-electric locomotive with $9.4 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The aim is to test if heavy haulage and general freight routes can be used with a train utilising battery technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aurizon has partnered with Alta Battery Technology, who will design and build the BET at Aurizon\u2019s Townsville facility before being trialled on an Aurizon customer haulage route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is estimated that the BET, if successful, could provide up to 50 per cent of the required power on certain commercial haulage routes, helping to decarbonise the routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The BET will be charged with renewable energy to further help with decarbonisation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A battery-electric locomotive would then be the next step to replacing diesel on haulage routes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With projects such as the Inland Rail under way, decarbonising the routes will be vital as more freight is delivered via rail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Federal Government has drawn up a sector-wide plan to reduce emissions and use out-of-the-box solutions for cleaner transport\u2014the Transport and Infrastructure Net Zero Roadmap.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMost of the emissions from railway freight come from the consumption of diesel, so this trial is an important first step to decarbonise our freight rail system and shows the importance of government and industry working together to find the best ways to meet our net zero target,\u201d King said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDecarbonisation of the transport sector is a priority for the government and innovative solutions such as the one being trialled by Aurizon will help deliver cleaner transport in Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aurizon currently runs more than 600 trains, transporting 250 million tonnes of goods across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Source: The Urban Developer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australia\u2019s first&nbsp; independent metropolitan interstate terminal has opened as part of the Inland Rail project. The Interstate Terminal, part of the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct, Australia\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":26765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[273,326,163],"tags":[472,2139,7,8],"class_list":["post-26763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-australia","category-inland-rail","category-rail-industry-news-australia-new-zealand","tag-australian","tag-sydney","tag-transport","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26763"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26766,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26763\/revisions\/26766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}