Rail pricing obstructing industry's ability to compete

Asciano chief executive Mark Rowsthorn took a swipe at the rail access pricing regime today, saying that it stood between profitability and rail's ability to compete with road.

“We shouldn't have access fees at all,” Mr Rowsthorn said.

At the AusRAIL 2008 conference in Melbourne this morning, Mr Rowsthorn, whose company owns major operator Pacific National, said the preponderance of rail freight on the east-west corridor proved that rail could do the job north-south if a better pricing regime could be obtained.

But he said the industry could no longer blame its shortcomings on the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC).

With challenging times ahead for the national economy and the rail freight industry, the industry should look to itself for the way forward.

Mr Rowsthorn said collaboration and a united front was crucial.

“We need to take this opportunity to work together,” he said.

But the conference also heard that with increased competition from road freight, the rail industry had to see itself as a collective rather than individuals.