Article: Qld Rail to accelerate market investment

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From The Age click here!

Qld Rail to accelerate market investment

Qld Rail to accelerate market investment

June 5, 2008 - 1:38PM

The state government-owned Queensland Rail (QR) is to accelerate its push into the non-bulk freight market by investing almost $200 million in new rollingstock and upgrading freight terminals.

The investment spend by the transport and logistics company will bolster its competitive position in the national market, which it says has been enhanced by the commencement of freight services from Melbourne to Perth last November.

QR said it now also offered containerised services from Cairns to Perth, which it billed as the final link in its east-west services.

QR said non-bulk freight volumes between mainland cities were forecast to double by 2020.

QR general manager freight Stephen Cantwell said greater rail-freight volumes would take more trucks off the road and lead to lower carbon emissions.

He said rail track upgrades and increasing costs for road transport would help facilitate the switch.

"QR aims to capture a slice of this growth and keep building its share of this highly competitive market by demonstrating the quality, competitiveness and reliability of our service," Mr Cantwell said.

"Over the next month, we expect to call tenders for the new rollingstock, which will be used to update our fleet progressively in 2009 and 2010."

QR chief executive Lance Hockridge announced the Queensland government approval for the investment at a rail infrastructure conference in Sydney on Thursday.

Mr Hockridge said QR would purchase 18 new locomotives and 488 wagons for its intermodal freight business for $187 million and upgrade the terminals at Perth and Adelaide for $11 million.

? 2008 AAP