Tasports chief lashes Pacific National
By Rob McKay – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Tasmanian Ports Corporation (Tasports) took another swipe at Asciano subsidiary Pacific National Tasmania (PNT) on June 15th, claiming the company had rejected a 12-month extension of its Burnie lease.
The move came as Asciano chief executive Mark Rowsthorn said it did not have a buyer for PNT.
Tasports chief executive Robert Barnes said he was “”disappointed”” that PNT and Asciano “”continued to play legal games over the lease given its importance to Tasmanias west coast mining industry””.
The offer would extend the lease to June 30th, 2010, Tasports said.
PNT has said previously its lease had been withdrawn and the company was on a notice to quit at the end of the current extension.
It has said that the lack of a long-term lease meant PNT could not invest in upkeep of the Melba-Burnie line, where it has a concentrates shed and mineral loading equipment.
Barnes said that PNT had rejected Tasports offer of extension of the lease until June 2010 and advised that the company intended to quit the site in two weeks.
Tasports understands how important it is that the mineral loading equipment continues to operate to serve the west coast mining sector,”” Barnes said.
We are very disappointed that this company has not continued negotiations and is just looking for excuses to cease operations and pull out of Tasmania.
Tasports took PNT to task recently over negotiations after PNT said it would halt its Melba line services over the lease.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Transport infrastructure key part of Queensland budget
Handing down Queenslands budget, Treasurer Andrew Fraser said $3.6 billion in transport infrastructure was a key part of the Bligh Governments $18.2 billion building program.
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said in addition to the $3.6 billion, a further $1.2 billion would be invested into TransLink for public transport in South East Queensland.
Nolan said that $162.7 million has been allocated for public transport in regional areas $135 million for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project $13.2 million for the completion of the future transit-oriented development (TOD) known as Varsity Station Village and a $515 million QR allocation to upgrade infrastructure and rolling stock on the CityTrain network through the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan.
A total of $862 million will also be spent by QR on coal network track works and new and upgraded locomotives and wagons.
Track duplication boosts Blackwater coal capacity
By Sineva Toevai – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Queensland Rail (QR) has completed duplication of a section of the Blackwater coal system, allowing for more coal to be transported from the State’s mines to the port of Gladstone.
The $71.5m million infrastructure project duplicated a 10.5 kilometre stretch of track between Stanwell and Wycarbah to boost tonnage throughput to power stations, Fisherman’s Landing and the port of Gladstone’s two coal terminals.
The project was the seventh in a series of 12 track duplication tasks and formed part of a five-year $900 million investment plan to improve the State’s coal rail network, QR’s network general manager Mike Carter said.
Carter said that almost 80 per cent of track duplication work on the Blackwater rail system would be finished by the end of the year, boosting the capacity of the coal supply chain by 40 per cent.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Victorian road and rail routes unveiled
By Rob McKay – www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
Proposed new road and rail routes in and around Melbourne were opened to public scrutiny on June 17th.
State Roads and Ports Minister Tim Pallas said the Outer Metropolitan Ring and E6 Transport Corridor would link the citys residential and employment growth areas in the north and west making access between freight hubs easier.
Construction was unlikely to start before 2020 on a project which would create road links through the Werribee, Melton, Tullamarine and Craigieburn/Mickleham areas, and from the Metropolitan Ring Road in Bundoora to Donnybrook.
Pallas said it would be aimed at:
.Creating better links between key international transport hubs such as Melbourne Airport, Avalon Airport and the port of Geelong
.Improving access to the proposed Donnybrook/Beveridge Interstate Rail Terminal
.Serving as a major travel and freight route to interstate and regional destinations
.Improving access in this major employment corridor which includes Avalon Airport, Werribee, Melton, Melbourne Airport and Donnybrook
Meanwhile, Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky outlined the direction of the Regional Rail Link, which will add 50 kilometres of track in the city’s west and was aimed at separating regional and metropolitan lines.
Two stations will be built at Manor Lakes in Wyndham Vale and Rose Grange in Tarneit,”” Kosky said.
The route proposes further stations in the vicinity of Dohertys Road in Truganina, Davis Road in Tarneit, Sewells Road in Tarneit and Black Forest Road, West Werribee in response to future urban development.
Source: Lloyds List Daily Commercial News www.lloydslistdcn.com.au
QR appoints new Freight executive
National transport and logistics company QR has appointed Rick Woods to head the intermodal arm of its national freight business.
As group general manager intermodal, Woods will be responsible for leading and building the intermodal business as it continues its push into the $1.2 billion a year national market for containerised rail freight services.
In this role [Woods] will be responsible for growing our position as a long term participant in a national market which is expected to be worth $2 billion by 2020, QR Freights executive general manager Ken Lewsey said.
QR Freight combines ARG with intermodal, retail and regional freight operations in a business with $650 million of annual revenue, $700 million of assets and 1200 employees.
The intermodal business operates rail linehaul services between Cairns and Perth and is in the midst of $198 million capital investment program which includes the expansion of its fleet and upgrades of freight terminals.
Nation Building legislation passed
On June 16th, Federal Parliament passed the legislation necessary to deliver the Rudd Governments Nation Building Program.
The six year investment program provides $32 billion in road and rail funding with two thirds of the funding earmarked for projects in regional Australia.
The passage of the legislation followed the successful outcome of negotiations in April with all the State and Territory Governments, with each of them agreeing to become partners in the programs delivery.
The existing AusLink (National Land Transport) Act 2005 will now become the Nation Building Program (National Land Transport) Act 2009.
 
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