Freight railways in Melbourne
Encyclopedia
| Freight railways in Melbourne | |
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| Tracks | Both broad Victorian broad gauge Rail gauge in Australia displays significant variation, which has been an ongoing problem for transportation on the Australian continent, for over a hundred years.-Track gauges and route km:The most used gauges are Main gauges:... , standard Standard gauge The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge... and dual gauge Dual gauge A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail... |
| List of stations Freight railways Closed railways Proposed railways |
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The city of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
has an extensive network of railway lines and yards to serve freight traffic. The lines are of two gauges - broad gauge
Victorian broad gauge
Rail gauge in Australia displays significant variation, which has been an ongoing problem for transportation on the Australian continent, for over a hundred years.-Track gauges and route km:The most used gauges are Main gauges:...
and standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, and are unelectrified. In the inner western suburbs of the city, freight trains have their own lines to operate upon, but in other areas trains are required to share the tracks with Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
and V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
passenger services.
Ownership and operators
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, and intrastate freight on broad gauge
Victorian broad gauge
Rail gauge in Australia displays significant variation, which has been an ongoing problem for transportation on the Australian continent, for over a hundred years.-Track gauges and route km:The most used gauges are Main gauges:...
.
All track is owned by VicTrack
VicTrack
VicTrack is the Victorian Government agency which owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other related rail-related infrastructure in the state of Victoria, Australia....
, but is managed by differing organisations. The broad gauge lines were leased to Freight Victoria in 1999 as part of the privatisation of the rail network, but are now managed by V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
. The standard gauge lines are managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
.
Freight terminals are mainly leased from VicTrack or owned outright by private operators. There are also a number of 'common user' terminals managed by VicTrack, which are open to any freight operator.
On the broad gauge the main freight operator is Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
, who purchased Freight Victoria in 2004. El Zorro
El Zorro (railway)
El Zorro is a railway operator based in Victoria, Australia. It is a private company that was founded in 1999, based in Spotswood, and named by director Ray Evans who has a taste for things Spanish. . The company has three shareholders: director Ray Evans, business manager Geoff Tighe, and Lisa...
is a minor operator of works in infrastructure trains. On the standard gauge operations are more varied, with trains run by Pacific National, QRNational, Australian Railroad Group
Australian Railroad Group
Australian Railroad Group was one of Australia's largest private rail operators, operating across almost 10,000 kilometres of track and began operating in Western Australia on 17 December 2000 following its purchase of the Westrail freight business. It was acquired by QR National...
and Specialised Container Transport
Specialised Container Transport
SCT Logistics is an interstate transport company in Australia, with facilities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Parkes, and Perth. The company was founded in 1974.- History :...
.
Standard gauge
The heaviest freight traffic is intermodalIntermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
services carrying shipping containers
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
to Sydney and Adelaide, and then on to the rest of the country. These of these services operate from the South Dynon, North Dynon, Appleton Dock, and Swanston Dock terminals. Steel trains for OneSteel
OneSteel
OneSteel is an Australian-based mining, ore processing and steel manufacturing company specialising in steel-long products for the construction, mining, transport and agricultural industries...
operate from their mills in South Australia and New South Wales, to the Melbourne Steel Terminal in the inner city, where the cargo is transferred to broad gauge trains. Vanload freight to Adelaide and Perth is carried by trains operated by Specialised Container Transport
Specialised Container Transport
SCT Logistics is an interstate transport company in Australia, with facilities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Parkes, and Perth. The company was founded in 1974.- History :...
from their own terminal in Laverton. Finally grain trains operate into Melbourne, discharging at the Appleton Dock export terminal at the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
.
Broad gauge
Broad gauge freight traffic has declined since the purchase of Freight Victoria by Pacific NationalPacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
. Notable services running though Melbourne include:
- Long Island goods: carrying steel products from the OneSteel works at Long Island (near FrankstonFrankston, VictoriaFrankston is a suburb within the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area in Victoria, Australia. It is located 40 km southeast of the state capital Melbourne at the southernmost edge of Greater Melbourne, near the beginnings of the Mornington Peninsula...
) to the Melbourne Steel Terminal. Typically runs four services per day, down to Long Island around midday and midnight, and up shortly before the first passenger service of the morning and in mid afternoon. - Bairnsdale log train: runs from a loading point at BairnsdaleBairnsdale, VictoriaBairnsdale is a small city in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. With a population at the 2006 census of 11,282, it is a major regional centre of eastern Victoria along with Traralgon and Sale....
and carries logs for woodchippingWoodchippingWoodchipping is the act and industry of chipping wood for pulp, processed wood products, and mulch.-Papermaking:Timber is converted to woodchips and sold, primarily, for pulp production used in paper manufacture...
to GeelongGeelong, VictoriaGeelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
, via Melbourne. - Maryvale paper train: runs from the terminal at Dynon and carries containerised paper products to and from the Australian PaperAustralian PaperAustralian Paper is an office, printing and packaging paper manufacturer.Australian Paper produces flagship brand is Reflex Ultra White and the largest domestic purchaser of pulplogs from Victoria's native forests....
mill at Maryvale - Kensington and Sunshine grain trains: run from Tottenham Yard to the respective silos.
- Apex train: carries quarry products from the Apex quarries at Kilmore EastKilmore East, VictoriaKilmore East is a locality in the Australian state of Victoria, 90 kilometres north of Melbourne.Kilmore East railway and telegraph station was established in 1872 to serve Kilmore....
, to users at Westall and Geelong. - Somerton cement train: carries cement from the Blue Circle Southern cement works near Geelong, to a facility at Somerton near Broadmeadows.
Dedicated lines
The only passenger traffic using these lines are the less frequent CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
XPT to Sydney, and Great Southern Railway's
Great Southern Railway (Australia)
Great Southern Railway , owned by Serco Asia Pacific, is a tourism business and rail transport operator in Australia.GSR operates interstate passenger trains aimed at the tourist market:* The Indian Pacific...
The Overland, as well as V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
services in times of disruptions to normal services. The interfaces between the freight and passenger networks are limited, meaning delays to one do not affect another.
Newport to Sunshine line
The Newport to Sunshine line was opened on 24 September 1887 to permit freight trains from the western and northern areas of Victoria to access the then important port at Williamstown. 4.29 miles (6.9 km) in length, it is also known as the Brooklyn Loop line, for the intermediate signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
on the line. Passenger platforms have never been provided along the line.
Between Newport and Brooklyn the line was provided with bidirectional double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
lines. By the 1930s a number of private sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
were opened off the line to serve adjacent industries. Today the majority of them have closed. In 1995 the East Line was converted to dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
as part of the standardisation of the railway between Melbourne and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
.
Albion to Jacana line
The Albion to Jacana (Broadmeadows) line opened on July 1, 1929 to allow freight trains to avoid the steeper grades and busy suburban traffic on the Broadmeadows line via Essendon. Built as double track, two major steel viaducts were required to cross the Maribyrnong RiverMaribyrnong river
The Maribyrnong River rises about 50 km north of Melbourne, Victoria , near Mount Macedon. It flows generally southward and combines with the Yarra River to flow into Port Phillip....
and Moonee Ponds Creek
Moonee Ponds Creek
The Moonee Ponds Creek is a creek and major tributary of the Yarra River running through urban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from northern to inner suburbs...
valleys. In 1962 the East Line was converted to standard gauge as part of the Melbourne to Sydney gauge standardisation project.
South Kensington to West Footscray line
The South Kensington-West Footscray railway line opened on 21 October 1928 to permit freight trains to avoid the Footscray passenger station, through the construction of the Bunbury Street tunnel underneath Footscray and additional tracks though West Footscray.Built as double track, both lines were converted to dual gauge in 1962 as part of the Melbourne to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
gauge standardisation project. The city end of the line connects to the various freight terminals at the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
, and the former Melbourne Yard. The country end is connected to Tottenham Yard, as well as the Newport - Sunshine and Albion - Broadmeadows freight lines.
North East standard gauge line
The North East standard gauge line links Melbourne to Albury, and then onto the rest of the standard gauge network across Australia. From Broadmeadows the line runs parallel to the Albury line. Constructed from the late 1950s to eliminate the break-of-gaugeBreak-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
at Albury for Melbourne to Sydney rail traffic, the first standard gauge freight in Victoria ran on this line on January 3, 1963. Once the home of the Spirit of Progress
Spirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
and other intercapital passenger trains, today the only non freight service to operate on this line is the CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
XPT to Sydney.
Western standard gauge line
The Western standard gauge line was completed in 1995 linking Melbourne to Adelaide, and replacing the former broad gauge route. The project was funded as part of the Federal GovernmentGovernment of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
One Nation
One Nation (Infrastructure)
One Nation was an Australian Government program of infrastructure development carried out under the Keating Government from 1991 to 1996. Much of the program was implemented as a means of stimulating the economy in the aftermath of the Early 1990s recession....
project and completed in 1995.
The line runs along the Newport to Sunshine line, then parallel to the Geelong line to North Shore, onto dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
tracks towards Ballarat, then onto its own towards Ararat. From here the original interstate route was gauge converted. The only passenger service on this line is the irregular Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway (Australia)
Great Southern Railway , owned by Serco Asia Pacific, is a tourism business and rail transport operator in Australia.GSR operates interstate passenger trains aimed at the tourist market:* The Indian Pacific...
's The Overland.
Shared lines
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
suburban and V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
regional services. Freight trains are timetabled off-peak around passenger services, and are often required to wait at freight terminals if they miss their assigned time. Regularly used lines include:
- Geelong / Werribee lines towards Melbourne, until Newport station.
- Ballarat and Bendigo / Sydenham lines and towards Melbourne, until Sunshine station.
- Albury-Wodonga / Craigieburn lines towards Melbourne, until Broadmeadows station.
- Bairnsdale / Pakenham lines for the entire length to Flinders Street.
- Frankston line for the entire length to Flinders Street, and the Stony Point line from Long Island Junction.
In the inner city freight trains are routed via the westernmost lines at Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
, the double track (newest) Viaduct, and the southern tracks at Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
.
Terminals and yards
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
and Dynon. A number of inland port
Inland port
The term inland port is used in two different but related ways to mean either a port on an inland waterway or an inland site carrying out some functions of a seaport.- As a port on an inland waterway :...
s have also been established in outer suburbs, with shuttle trains running from the inner city.
Dynon
Freight terminals in the Dynon area were established from the 1950s on reclaimed swamplands between the CBD and Footscray.The North Dynon sidings are located next to South Kensington station, and form a common user terminal. Presently QRNational trains operate from it. Broad gauge sidings to the south of form a terminal used by Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
for their intrastate trains.
The South Dynon complex is the main intermodal
Intermodal freight transport
Intermodal freight transport involves the transportation of freight in an intermodal container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation , without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The method reduces cargo handling, and so improves security, reduces damages and...
container facility in Melbourne. Located between Footscray and Dynon Roads, it is provided with standard gauge access, and is operated by Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
.
Port of Melbourne
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
between sea and rail transport. Originally provided in the 1960s with the development of the port, they were later removed and not restored until 2003 as a 1500 metre long siding. Rail sidings at Appleton Dock reopened in 2000 to serve a new export grain terminal at the port. Dual gauge access is provided to the majority of sidings in the area.
The Westgate Ports sidings at Victoria Dock were opened in October 2009, with two siding tracks (650 and 580 metres long) and a run-around track. The sidings handles trains for Australian Paper at Maryvale in Gippsland, carrying containerised paper reels.
Melbourne Steel Terminal
The Melbourne Steel Terminal is a yard used for the transfer of steel products from standard gauge interstate trains, the broad gauge trains running to the OneSteel mill at Long Island (near Frankston). Equipped with overhead cranes, the terminal is located between Footscray Road and North Melbourne.Canal Yard
The Canal Yard or Contrans sidings were constructed by Thomas Nationwide Transport (TNT) in the 1960s for the transfer of containers between gauges. It is now used as a storage and maintenance yard by a number of small operators including El ZorroEl Zorro (railway)
El Zorro is a railway operator based in Victoria, Australia. It is a private company that was founded in 1999, based in Spotswood, and named by director Ray Evans who has a taste for things Spanish. . The company has three shareholders: director Ray Evans, business manager Geoff Tighe, and Lisa...
.
Melbourne Yard
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
to North Melbourne
North Melbourne railway station
North Melbourne is a railway station located on the northern edge of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The station is the point through which pass the west and north-west bound Craigieburn, Flemington Racecourse, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee and Williamstown suburban railway...
and South Kensington. It was the original freight terminal when railways were established in Victoria. Over the years the sidings spread westward towards the docks, and a number of goods sheds were erected for the unloading of freight. Congestion in the yard was reduced by the opening of Tottenham Yard in the 1920s, for the sorting of trains that were not bound for Melbourne or the eastern part of Victoria.
During the 1960s Melbourne Yard was rearranged for greater efficiency, with a hump yard opened on December 9, 1970 to assist in the marshalling of wagons. Increased containerisation
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
of freight traffic left the yard outdated, with the Dynon complex of terminals taking over the freight task, with the hump yard last used in September 1987.
The Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
and Docklands Stadium developments of the 1990s removed most of the sidings and goods sheds to the west of Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
, with only historic goods sheds retained. To the north of Dudley Street a number of sidings still remain for the stabling of trains, as does the West Tower signal box.
Tottenham Yard
Tottenham Yard was opened in the western suburb of TottenhamTottenham, Victoria
Tottenham is a suburb west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong.Tottenham is mostly an industrial suburb, with the Olex Cable manufacturing facility one of the many industrial businesses located in Tottenham....
from the 1920s as part of a project to improve freight movement in Victoria. The majority of freight traffic in the state was from the north or western areas, and was being remarshalled into trains at Melbourne Yard. This caused inefficiencies with the large number of trains needing to enter the Melbourne city, so the yard was opened for the marshalling of trains before they were sent to Melbourne Yard.
Laid with broad gauge trackage, Tottenham is a gravitational yard with a slight slope from the Sunshine end towards the city. The yard consists of four groups of sidings: arrival roads, two groups of classification roads
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
, and departure tracks. Heavy usage of the yard ended with the gauge conversion of the main line to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1995, and with the decline of broad gauge traffic in general, large areas of the yard are now used for wagon storage. Tottenham station is located to the south of the yard.
The part conversion of Tottenham Yard to Standard Gauge is expected to commence next year which will allow larger Standard Gauge freight trains to terminate at Tottenham with trip working from the yard to Melbourne and return.
SCT Laverton
Specialised Container TransportSpecialised Container Transport
SCT Logistics is an interstate transport company in Australia, with facilities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Parkes, and Perth. The company was founded in 1974.- History :...
established a terminal at Laverton
Laverton, Victoria
Laverton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Hobsons Bay and Wyndham. At the 2006 Census, Laverton had a population of 4508.-History:...
on the Western standard gauge line in the 1990s for the use of vanload freight trains operated by the company. Provided with a large number of sidings as well as both refrigerated and non-refrigerated warehouse space, trains from the terminal operate to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
CRT Altona
The CRT GroupCRT Group
CRT Group is an intermodal transport company in Australia. Begun as Colin Rees Transport , a taxi truck company in suburban Sydney in the 1950s, it became known as the CRT Group in 1981, and by the time of its acquisition by QR Limited was in the top 10 logistics companies in Australia with a...
established a terminal at Altona
Altona, Victoria
Altona is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Altona had a population of 9685....
on the Western standard gauge line in the 1990s for the use of their company. The company was later acquired by QRNational.
Miscellaneous
A number of other railway stations have freight facilities still in use:- Somerton
- Lyndhurst
- Westall
Former services
Victorian Railways E class (electric)
The Victorian Railways E class was a class of electric locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways from 1923 until 1984. Introduced shortly after the electrification of the suburban rail system in Melbourne, Australia, and based on the same electrical and traction equipment as Melbourne's early...
electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s which operated throughout Melbourne for the next 60 years, trains operating during the off-peak and at night. As late as the 1970s, most suburban railway stations had goods yards for general freight, as well as the local distribution of huge quantities of brown coal briquettes and firewood, which were the principal forms of industrial and domestic heating. Briquette traffic peaked in 1960/61 when 1.7 million tons were moved within Victoria, second only to the wheat harvest in volume.
There were also a large number of sidings that directly served factories and other industrial facilities. With the rise of efficient door to door road transport, suburban rail freight operations ceased in the late 1980s. The majority of goods yards have since been removed and the land used for car parking, or converted to stabling locations for suburban trains.
Suburban stations with goods yards or sidings included:
- Dandenong
- NewportNewport railway station, MelbourneNewport is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Newport, at the junction of the Werribee and Williamstown railway lines...
- Werribee
- SunshineSunshine railway station, MelbourneSunshine is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Sunshine, on the Sydenham railway line. It is the junction for the line west to Ballarat...
- Broadmeadows
- ElthamEltham railway station, MelbourneEltham is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Eltham, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Eltham is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2....
- Heidelberg
- General Motors
- WilliamstownWilliamstown railway station, MelbourneWilliamstown is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located in the suburb of Williamstown, and is the terminus of the Williamstown railway line...
- LavertonLaverton railway station, MelbourneLaverton is a railway station in Melbourne, Australia, located in the suburb of Laverton, on the Werribee railway line. Laverton is classed as a Premium station and is in Metcard Zones 1+2 overlap.Laverton is a terminus for some morning services to Werribee....
- NewmarketNewmarket railway station, MelbourneNewmarket is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Flemington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Newmarket is classed as a Host station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
- Yarraville
- Spotswood, Sand trains to AGM Siding near NyoraNyora, VictoriaNyora is a town in south Gippsland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Nyora had a population of 545.The Post Office opened around September 1890 replacing an office at nearby Lang Lang East open since 1885....
- Port Melbourne
In recent years attempt have been made to run shuttles between the Port of Melbourne
Port of Melbourne
The Port of Melbourne is Australia's busiest port for containerised and general cargo. It is located in Melbourne, Victoria and covers an area at the mouth of the Yarra River, downstream of Bolte Bridge, which is at the head of Port Phillip, as well as several piers on the bay itself...
and inland port
Inland port
The term inland port is used in two different but related ways to mean either a port on an inland waterway or an inland site carrying out some functions of a seaport.- As a port on an inland waterway :...
s. Between 2003 and 2006 CRT Group
CRT Group
CRT Group is an intermodal transport company in Australia. Begun as Colin Rees Transport , a taxi truck company in suburban Sydney in the 1950s, it became known as the CRT Group in 1981, and by the time of its acquisition by QR Limited was in the top 10 logistics companies in Australia with a...
operated a shuttle to their terminal at Altona, 22 kilometers from the docks. In 2004/05, the service transported 13,000 TEU
Twenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
, this being 42 per cent capacity for import and 58 per cent for export containers. The service ceased due to high access fees charged by track operator ARTC, and delays by interstate freight trains sharing the same track making the reliable operation of two trips per day impossible. The service restarted in 2005, but failed for the same reasons. A second port shuttle has operated to the Austrack terminal at Somerton during various periods since 1998, with difficulties faced including inefficient track layouts, high rail transfer charges at the port, and inconvenient timetables dictated by long distance freight services.