<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Albury, on NSW and Victoriaâs state border, will be more frequently linked with Queensland capital Brisbane, via a new twice weekly service between the two announced by Alburyâs Ettamogah Rail Hub. </span> <p>“The Ettamogah Rail Hub is set to expand its services to Brisbane after being awarded one of the largest regional freight contracts in the country,” Ettamogah Rail Hub head office said last week.</p><p>The EHR office announced a new twice weekly service from Albury to Brisbane after securing contracts to shift 100,000 tonnes of freight annually from three major manufacturers in the region: Mountain H20, Norske Skog and Mars Petcare.</p><p>Ettamogah plans to increase services between the two cities as demand grows.</p><p>A number of sources are naming Asciano subsidiary Pacific National as the service carrier, but Asciano had not officially confirmed this to Rail Express at time of writing.</p><p>Ettamogah Rail Hub owner, Colin Rees, called the contract “a major coup,” and said the rail service would shift the equivalent volume of freight as 3000 trucks, producing a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.</p><p>The local council, AlburyCity, was also high on the news.</p><p>“The growth in demand for services is testimony that this is a prime location for servicing intermodal freight,” said Tracey Squire, director of economic development and tourism for AlburyCity.</p><p>“AlburyCity has recognised the logistical advantages the Ettamogah Rail Hub offers our regional industry and has been supportive of Colin Rees’ development.”</p><p>Australian Rail Track Corporation chief executive John Fullerton said there is a growing demand to use rail to carry a larger share of the freight task.</p><p>“With recent improvements in rail infrastructure, particularly on the corridor between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, customers can increasingly look to rail as a competitive choice in terms of reliability, available capacity and transit times,” Fullerton said.</p><p>“ARTC congratulates Pacific National and Ettamogah Rail Hub on this new business win. It’s a sign of the renewed confidence in rail across the country and we look forward to further successes.</p><p>“The future of freight rail in Australia is bright and this can only be a good thing for the supply chain, road users and the wider community.”</p><p>Australasian Railway Association chief, Bryan Nye, was similarly pleased with the news.</p><p>“Getting more freight on rail is imperative towards achieving a more efficient national logistics chain and a less clogged and congested road network along Australia’s east coast,” Nye said.</p><p>“It is rail services like this, which develop regional areas and link with our major capitals, that will see Australia achieve a more productive, efficient and safe supply chain network.”</p>
