Connecting with the future: intermodal terminals

By Sineva Toevai

And with the nation’s population tipped to exceed 35m by 2050, Australia cannot afford to waste time.
Australian Logistics Council chief executive Michael Kilgariff said there needed to be a substantial focus on freight efficiencies.
Schenker Australia chief executive Ron Koehler said Australia’s geographical location and dependency on the import of materials and finished goods meant that it was essential to include intermodal transportation concepts in the overall model.
“On a domestic level, distances between Australian cities are long and the movement of freight must include all modes of transport,” Koehler said.
The National Freight Network Plan and the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) transport reform were significant platforms for the future of freight transportation, Mr Kilgariff said.
The focus for governments should be on the development and investment in infrastructure for transportation, Koehler said.
“With recent discussions about the growth of Sydney Airport in particular, transport networks must be extended quickly to cater for the demand of the future,” he said.
“In most cases, transport networks that cater for passenger transportation (such as a second airport for Sydney) can also be utilised for freight.
“In the end, a rising population in specific cities, regions will also lead to increased demand of goods and material transported there, hence infrastructure projects should focus on both aspects.”
With Australia’s freight task forecast to increase in coming years, the current system of heavy vehicles coming from suburbs to a central, port pick-up point would not be sustainable in the future, Kilgariff said.
“One solution is the development of intermodal freight terminals such as that mooted for Moorebank in New South Wales,” he said.
“The National Freight Network Plan should be designed to encourage the development of these intermodal facilities.”
Last year, Schenker Australia opened a logistics facility at the rail freight terminal in the Sydney suburb of Yennora, allowing for containers to be collected from Port Botany via rail instead of trucks.
The hub, located 20 km west of Port Botany, includes a building which spans about 20,000 sq metres and a 12,000 sq metre block.
“This benefits NSW’s congested roads and depending on the time slot availability for trucks, rail can even be the faster and environmentally-friendlier option,” Koehler said.
While road remained an integral mode of transport, he believed rail should be used more.
“I would like to see rail freight developing faster for long distance and interstate transport,” he said.
“Rail freight is also a very secure transport option when operating dangerous goods or hazardous materials that cannot be carried so safely via air or road.”

Source: Lloyd’s List Daily Commercial News – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au