The Western Australian government will attempt to put more freight on rail and reduce truck congestion on the route to Fremantle Port by boosting the freight rail subsidy.
The increase in the freight on rail subsidy, which was including in the 2017-18 budget recently released, will mean the allocation of $19.4 million.
The will reportedly increase in the container rail subsidy, from $30 to $50 per twenty-foot equivalent unit, providing greater financial incentive to move container movements on the rail service.
“Rail is playing a significant role in achieving greater efficiency in Fremantle Port’s supply chain while reducing the impacts of truck traffic on the community,” state transport minister Rita Saffioti said.
“In the last year, just over 15 per cent of the Inner Harbour container traffic was transported by rail and we are aiming to increase this to 20 per cent in the coming years.”
The initiative forms part of the government’s long-term plan for freight in the state, which also includes the development of intermodal facilities to minimise truck movements on Perth roads, upgrades to road lines to further ease congestion on Freemantle Port routes, and the planning for the Outer Barbour project.
“It’s pleasing to see the integrated plan for freight and trade in WA coming together, which will help drive economic growth and jobs for years to come,” Saffioti said.
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