The Victorian Government is giving ten retired V/Line trains a new lease of life hauling freight across the state after securing a lease agreement with private freight operator Southern Shorthaul Railroad.
V/Line has leased the N-Class trains to the operator on a long-term contract, helping to boost Victoria’s freight capacity and meet increased demand, particularly in grain and intermodal haulage.
V/Line led the program, supported by Freight Victoria, Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) and the Department of Treasury and Finance.
As more of V/Line’s classic fleet trains are progressively replaced with modern VLocity trains, there’s an opportunity for locomotives to be repurposed on the freight network.
Almost 1600 kilometres of Victoria’s tracks are used to transport freight to port, which plays a critical role in supporting Victoria’s rail freight.
“With freight volumes expected to increase significantly in coming years, this initiative to repurpose passenger locomotives is an important step in getting more freight onto rail and off local roads,” said Minister for Ports and Freight Melissa Horne.
“We look forward to seeing these locomotives out and about moving product to port, ensuring we continue to grow Victoria’s rail freight business for generations to come.”
