Cattle train promise

[ozbob]

Queensland Country Life --> Cattle train promise

AURIZON says it will run its livestock trains with less than full bookings to demonstrate its "strong support" to the agriculture industry.

This is after it was called out for providing only three trains in less than three years from Quilpie.

Last month, regional mayors in the south-west raised concerns that the company was being paid by the state government to provide 325 livestock rail services annually throughout regional Queensland and not delivering.

The current contract allows cattle to be transported to only two meat processors - Australia and JBS Australia - leaving all other players out in the cold.

In addition, the entire train has to be booked, producers cannot share the transport and a number of people who have tried to book were told the service was unavailable.

A spokeswoman from Aurizon responded to the criticism, saying the majority of the funded services reflected the demand in the north-west and central western regions.

"In south Queensland, less than 3 per cent of the scheduled services have been utilised by industry over the past three years," she said.

Aurizon was working with industry to generate more demand for the rail services and had committed to 27 services from May to November, she added.

"While it is important to have full train bookings from a commercial perspective, Aurizon will run services this season with less than a full train booking to demonstrate our strong ongoing support for the agricultural industry."

She said the company was in active discussion with a number of agricultural customers to increase freight on rail, including Oakey Beef Exports, and Aurison saw an opportunity for growth in this area.

Meanwhile, the Livestock Transport Services Contract, set up during the Bligh administration as part of the sell-off of Queensland Rail, expires at the end of the year.

The Mayor of Paroo and chairman of Southwest RED, Cr Lindsay Godfrey, is concerned.

"Time is rapidly running out before the expiry of the current contract and it is our fear the contract will be rolled over in its current state, to the detriment of regional Queensland," he said.

[colinw]

I've been hearing a lot more diesels go past at Kuraby the last couple of weeks, mostly after about 9PM.

Increase in cattle traffic to Holmview, or just ballast trains?

I also saw a loaded cattle train at Clapham on the day of the Kippa-Ring tour.

[ozbob]

The drought has meant more cattle being sold and more cattle trains of late.  Not sure how long it will be maintained.

[SurfRail]

I've been hearing a lot more diesels go past at Kuraby the last couple of weeks, mostly after about 9PM.

Increase in cattle traffic to Holmview, or just ballast trains?

I also saw a loaded cattle train at Clapham on the day of the Kippa-Ring tour.

They cut the grass at the Holmview siding not long ago after it had gotten quite dense (also the Bethania fork), so the traffic is clearly happening.

[petey3801]

Yeah, there have been a number of cattle trains down to Holmview recently, good signs!
I have heard that Aurizon are a bit scared with the coal downturn, so are starting to look back at other options to increase revenues again. Only a rumour, but would be a very good thing all round if true! There is even a rumour of new molasses wagons being built!

[colinw]

Another one last night.

Aurizon would do well to look into diversifying, the coal gravy train isn't going to last forever.  Although I don't think there's a vast fortune to be made hauling cattle around ...

On the subject of cattle, does the siding at Dinmore still get used as well?  Used to see very incongruous looking cattle trains there, with a 3900 class EL on them.

[ozbob]

Yes, regularly see cattle trains (that is the 4 legged variety, plenty of 2 legged variety  ) on the mighty Ippy!

[ozbob]

ABC Rural --> Strong demand for cattle train services in western Queensland despite drought

Strong demand for cattle train services in western Queensland despite drought

Updated 16 Apr 2015, 2:08pmThu 16 Apr 2015, 2:08pm

The first cattle trains leaving western Queensland hubs this weekend are fully booked, despite the dip in livestock numbers on the transport network last year.

Data from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) shows more than 250,000 head were transported on Queensland's western rail network in 2012.

This figure dropped to around 148,000 in 2014.

A spokesperson from the DTMR said the decline was a direct result of the drought.

However, western Queensland stock agent Jim Brodie is confident there is still a growing demand for rail transport by the northern cattle industry.

Thousands of cattle, along with some sold by his agency, are booked on the trains leaving Winton and Julia Creek, for Beenleigh and Rockhampton abattoirs over the next week.

Mr Brodie said cattle travel well on trains and it is often favoured over road networks, with more stringent heavy vehicle regulations.

"Out the west here you can only go as far as Mitchell with a six-deck (cattle train) load if you're going to truck cattle to Brisbane," he said.

"Then you got to switch over to two threes (three-deck cattle trucks) to go down to Dinmore or Beenleigh."

Mr Brodie knows cost plays a big part in his choice to send cattle on rail too.

He said producers would pay around $2,700 per deck to get cattle to Brisbane on a road train, and only $2,000 to get them there on train.

"That's a saving of $30 per head to go on the rail," he said.

"There's a lot of cattle coming out of the north here and it's probably best if they go on rail rather than rubber all the way to Brisbane and clogging up the roads.

"That's why we've fought to keep these train sidings open at Winton, Cloncurry, Julia Creek and as many as we can possibly keep open to keep peoples' access onto the train."
Keeping livestock on the line

The State Government launched its Moving Freight Strategy at the end of 2013, with a number of key objectives around the movement of agricultural freight.

A parliamentary report tabled by the Transport, Housing and Local Government Committee last June also reviewed rail use by the livestock industry and offered recommendations on how to improve livestock cartage on the line.

DTMR Freight and Partnerships executive Director Damian Colclough, said it would take time to reach every goal in the state's transport strategy.

Mr Colclough said the Government was currently reviewing its contract with rail operator Aurizon, which expires at the end of the year.

"When we see a particular demand out of a particular area we will certainly work with the above rail provider to ensure there are sufficient cattle train services to ensure the carriage of those cattle through to the abattoirs."

Mr Colclough also said the government policy guaranteeing certain train lines remain quarantined for agricultural products was not likely to change.

"That means that those paths guaranteed for agricultural products to be moved on rail so in other words, mining products and such would not take up the path of an agricultural path," he said.

"If anyone thinks there isn't enough train paths, that's not quite true."