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Linfox welcomes inland rail

‘Nation building’ the key theme as Linfox, ALC, port sing praises

 

Linfox, set to be one of the beneficiaries of Inland Rail, led the chorus from freight and logistics parties welcoming the project’s commencement.

Having recently completed the purchase of Aurizon’s Queensland intermodal business, giving it access to the Acacia Ridge terminal, the transport and logistics giant recently spoke of the capacity and economies of scale advantages of rail and its projected growth with investment in Australia’s inland rail network.

“The benefits will flow to the transport of grain, sugar, livestock, meat, minerals and concentrates as they are moved from production, processing and storage facilities and bulk handling ports for export along the Eastern seaboard.”

With federal transport minister Michael McCormack turning the symbolic first sod on the project, Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox welcomed the government’s involvement.

“Linfox welcomes the Government’s commitment to Inland Rail, which will help ensure that Australia’s growing freight task, particularly on the East Coast, is underpinned by fit-for-purpose infrastructure,” Fox says.

“We also welcome the opportunities that Inland Rail will deliver for regional Australia, helping to enhance access to domestic and overseas markets through improved intermodal connections to our major cities and ports.

“Linfox is proud to meet our customers’ transport needs through timely, cost-effective, safe and sustainable methods, be they road or rail – that’s what’s driven our recent significant investment in Queensland through the acquisition of Aurizon’s Queensland Intermodal business.”

As a significant rail user, Linfox says it looks forward to delivering the benefits of Inland Rail to its customers.

“Our commitment to our customers is to get their product where it needs to go safely, promptly, and cost-effectively,” Linfox CEO Mark Mazurek says.

“Inland Rail will help us and our sector meet the needs of our customers as the nation’s freight task – particularly the rail freight task – continues to grow.

“We’re excited by the opportunities that Inland Rail will present for our customers and look forward to working with them on the opportunities these nation-building investments will help unlock.”

The Australian Logistics Council (ALC) highlighted the importance of Inland Rail in helping Australia meet its growing national freight task.

“After decades of discussion, it is enormously positive to see the first sod turned on this vital national project today,” ALC interim CEO Lachlan Benson.

“By 2030, we will need to move more than 32 million tonnes of freight along Australia’s east coast. Inland Rail will play a vital role in meeting that challenge.

“With the first trains expected to run in 2025, Inland Rail will permit 1,800 metre long double-stacked trains to carry freight on rail from Melbourne to Brisbane in less than 24 hours. This will make freight rail more attractive, while helping to reduce Australia’s carbon emissions.

“Reducing freight transit times will have significant flow-on benefits across the whole economy – not least of which will be efficiency gains for domestic and international shippers and cheaper consumer prices for Australians, whether they live in cities or the regions.

The ALC reinforced projected figures that Inland Rail could boost Australia’s GDP by $16 billion over its 10-year delivery period and during the first 50 years of its operation, creating 16,000 jobs at the peak of its construction, and around 700 ongoing jobs once operational.

 

“With Infrastructure Australia having positively assessed the Inland Rail project and the Federal Government having committed a total of $9.3 billion for the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to develop and construct Inland Rail, it is especially pleasing to note that the private sector is also getting involved,” Benson says.

In a short statement on social media, Port of Melbourne also lauded the efficiency benefits from a shipping perspective.

“Port of Melbourne welcomes construction on the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project that will reduce transit times for freight movements between Melbourne and Brisbane by rail to less than 24 hours.”

 

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