Parkes the new `logistics epicentre of the country’

<p>Parkes had the potential to become the logistics epicentre of Australia, New South Wales premier Morris Iemma predicted this morning (Friday, 20 October).</p> <p>Parkes was a major hub for the receipt, dispatch and distribution of freight throughout the country, he said, officially opening the new $15m SCT Logistics rail freight terminal in Parkes.</p> <p>&#8220Parkes is the pivotal spot for rail and road for national distribution, being the crossroads of the nation, where the Newell Highway from Melbourne to Brisbane meets the transcontinental railway linking Sydney to Perth,&#8221 Mr Iemma said.</p> <p>&#8220As freight volumes increase throughout Australia, Parkes has the potential to become the logistics epicentre of the country, delivering substantial economic benefits to the region and to NSW.&#8221</p> <p>The company will begin its inaugural freight train service from Parkes to Perth from the terminal tomorrow morning.</p> <p>The terminal’s project manager, Bill Reed, said SCT would send a train out every Saturday for three to six months, after which &#8220we intend on having a second service running out of here on Wednesday&#8221.</p> <p>Mr Reed said the terminal would take 25 trucks off the Newell and Hume highways every day.</p> <p>"We’ll bring trains up to 1,800 metres long directly from Perth into Parkes, the road trucks will come in and leave their freight at Parkes, we’ll load the train, it goes straight back to Perth," he said.</p> <p>The weekly Parkes-Perth service is expected to move 5,700 tonne in freight.</p> <p>The new terminal will later facilitate the north-south linehaul rail service via Parkes to Queensland.</p> <br />