The very first freight train has arrived at the newly constructed Somerton Intermodal Terminal in Victoria, marking a milestone in the delivery of the freight infrastructure project.
The terminal is built for the Intermodal Terminal Company (ITC) and is now officially operational.
At full capacity, the terminal will remove up to 500,000 truck trips from Melbourne roads each year, which is equivalent to 454 million truck kilometres, saving 451 million litres of fuel and reducing carbon emissions by 189,000 tonnes annually.
Safety manager Robin Williams reflected on the project’s achievements during a celebration attended by ACCIONA, ITC and subcontractor teams.
“This milestone is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of everyone involved,” he says.
“From day one, safety and teamwork have been at the heart of our approach, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see the terminal come to life.”
The inaugural train, a 600-metre-long freight service powered by two N-Class locomotives operated by Southern Shorthaul Rail (SSR), was welcomed by workers who had contributed to the project since the beginning. The successful arrival signals the start of regular freight operations at the terminal.
The project’s scope involved civil works including 3.6 kilometres of drainage, 3.5 kilometres of fire service, 60 kilometres of communications and signalling routes (CSR), 200 light poles, 56,300 cubic metres of concrete poured and 80,000 cubic metres of excavated material.
On the rail side, the team installed 10,000 rail sleepers, laid 30,000 tonnes of ballast and completed 21 kilometres of track.
“It’s been a fantastic accomplishment by our team to create this state-of-the-art terminal,” head of rail Ty Newman says.
“This demonstrates our breadth of skill and expertise to deliver these complex projects safely without incident.”