Work to upgrade rail infrastructure in Western Australia’s grain growing regions is gaining momentum with construction at Broomehill rail siding now underway as part of the Agricultural Supply Chain Improvement (ASCI) Program.
The Broomehill project involves replacing the rail siding and installing rapid rail loading infrastructure which will significantly increase the amount of grain that can be loaded at any one time.
The $200 million ASCI Package 1 is jointly funded by the State and Commonwealth Governments and includes $68 million for upgrading 11 rail sidings at major Co-operative Bulk Handling (CBH) grain bins, complemented by investment from the CBH Group.
Broomehill is one of the top five grain receival sites in the Albany region and is the second siding upgrade to begin construction following Brookton, which broke ground in February this year.
As well as increasing the volume of grain per train going to the Port of Albany for export, the upgrade will use the latest rail technology to improve safety.
The project will also move grain loading facilities away from the townsite, reducing noise and impacts on local residents.
Transport minister Rita Saffioti said the ASCI Program specifically targeted infrastructure projects that would have maximum effect in terms of making freight more productive, efficient, and safe.
“While Broomehill is one of the top five grain receival sites in the Albany region, its current rail loading capability means it isn’t equipped to keep up with handling the bumper harvests of our grain producers,” she said.
“Demand for WA’s quality grain products amongst international markets is outstripping what we currently export, including in the Albany region.
“The upgrades now underway at Broomehill will help to address this shortfall and move thousands more tonnes of grain each month to port to meet market demand and boost the WA economy.”
Agriculture and minister Jackie Jarvis said the start of construction was another welcome step forward for the ASCI Program in transforming the state’s freight rail infrastructure.
“It currently takes 30-wagon trains up to 10 hours to load at Broomehill due to outloading constraints and the short rail siding at the site,” she said.
“When complete, this project is expected to cut the loading time by more than half and double the volume of grain going to valuable export markets through the Port of Albany.”
The construction of the project will be carried out by Australian-owned and operated rail infrastructure and systems specialist Martinus.
Martinus chief operating officer Ryan Baden said the company was proud to be involved in the game-changing project.
“Our project team will be there every step of the way to ensure the job is finished on time and to a high-quality standard,” he said.
“Being Australian-owned, it’s important for Martinus to support the communities in which we work, and this project is no different creating local jobs and employing local contractors and indigenous businesses to get the job done.”
For more information on the ASCI Program, visit www.transport.wa.gov.au