V/Line upgrades to boost Victoria’s freight capacity

freight line upgrades — Image: Victorian Government.

The Victorian Government is boosting the capacity of critical freight-only broad-gauge rail lines to help streamline freight transport across the state.

Freight operators on the Shepparton-Tocumwal corridor can now benefit from upgrades completed by V/Line. These include increasing the depth of crushed rock supporting the tracks, and assessing and upgrading culverts and bridges on high-use corridors to enable heavier loads.

V/Line’s works have delivered higher tonnage capacity at four grain terminals on the broad-gauge freight network from 19 to 20 tonne axle-load (TAL), with more to follow.

Across Victoria and southern New South Wales, more than 530 bulk grain trains transported 1 million tonnes of grain – valued at $600 million – to port on the V/Line freight rail network from July 2021 to April this year.

The increase from 19 to 20 TAL enables each suitable train to carry an additional 160 tonnes of grain, the equivalent of around 3.5 B-Double truckloads.

Melissa Horne, Minister for Ports and Freight, said: “We’re investing heavily in new track, new sleepers, and new ballast on lines in north and north-west Victoria, particularly those that handle grain and will benefit most from higher axle loads.

“Our freight network contributes $21 billion to our economy each year and employs 260,000 Victorians, connecting our farmers and producers to the rest of Australia and the world.”

The 2022-23 Victorian Budget also includes $181 million for critical maintenance works on the regional rail freight network.

A further $3.5 million will fund the Mode Shift Incentive Scheme, which will support more than 170 freight industry jobs at intermodal terminals in regional Victoria, and remove the equivalent of 28,000 truck trips from the state’s roads every year.

For more information, visit: transport.vic.gov.au