Botany stevedores and ARTC working on efficiencies

While road transport groups might be at loggerheads with Port Botany stevedores over pricing and access issues at the port, the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) said it was having no such problems in its own planning. The ARTC is more than 12 months into discussions with the two stevedores &#8211 Toll and DP World — about future operational issues that might arrive once it takes control of southern Sydney’s freight rail lines in 2009. ARTC chief executive David Marchant told Lloyd’s List DCN yesterday (Thursday, February 22) that the corporation could take control of southern Sydney rail freight before work was complete on a $235m southern Sydney freight line. The 30-km dedicated freight line from the south-west suburb of Macarthur to Sefton, less than 20 km from Port Botany, will remove congestion caused by conflicting passenger and freight timetables. Freight trains will be able to travel at up to 110 km&#47h, for 21-tonne axle loads, and 80 km&#47h, for 23-tonne axle loads. The project, which will add a third line running parallel with existing lines, was running so smoothly that Mr Marchant said the ARTC could take control before July 2009. &#8220Railcorp approached us recently to see if we’d like to move earlier &#8211 and we’re looking into that,&#8221 Mr Marchant said. The ARTC formed a joint working group 12 months ago that has looked at smoothing flows from the port to Chullora and then further inland. The group has set out to develop a master plan for the infrastructure and improve scheduling and line capacity. &#8220We want to work with the stevedores to find out the best way of operating &#8211 what do we need to do, what sort of infrastructure do we need to put in to make it work more efficiently and what do they [the stevedores&#93 need to do.&#8221 NSW ports minister Joe Tripodi last week announced that IPART would review port pricing and other access issues at the port. But Mr Marchant said the ARTC had begun the process 12 months ago, and had not yet officially briefed the State Government on its progress. &#8220The inference behind some of the other comments was that there needs to be a look at the whole operations of these areas to make them more efficient &#8211 we’re already working on just that,&#8221 Mr Marchant said.

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