The Australasian Railway Association’s (ARA) submission to the Victorian Freight Policy Reform has called for an increase of rail’s share of the state’s freight to 30 per cent and has cited road congestion reduction and safety and environmental benefits as cornerstones of its argument.
The submission recommends 30 per cent of contestable freight to be moved by rail, and for Freight Victoria to be given greater powers to oversee the implementation of the new freight policy, including the ability to require six-monthly public reporting to the Minister for Freight and Ports on performance.
Key developments of the proposal in full include:
- Develop a Victorian Government goal for 30 per cent of contestable freight volumes being moved throughout the state on rail.
- Assess long-term network capacity requirements and development of a 10–15-year Network Investment Strategy.
- Empower Freight Victoria by elevating representation to Deputy Secretary level with DTP overseeing agencies’ implementation of freight policy.
- Ensure metropolitan operating franchise contracts reflect the role of the metropolitan network operator facilitating, planning for, and engaging with freight customers.
- Establish a terminal investment fund to support suitable initiatives to achieve network connectivity for new terminals or terminal upgrades which leverages private co-investment.
- Commission an investigation into the most effective rail freight coordination model across networks and commitment by all Victorian RIMs together with ARTC to the development of an integrated automated scheduling system across Victoria.
- Review passenger priority access arrangements to resolve a more flexible and transparent approach to managing network access across passenger and freight services.
- Victoria contribute to the development of a shared national approach for governments and industry to support the decarbonisation of rail freight operations.
ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie says the rail sector must be pushed forward in the ongoing review of Victoria’s freight systems.
“Rail freight has the potential to play a much greater role in Victoria’s growing freight task and we must implement practical policy reforms that remove the productivity and efficiency barriers that are preventing more freight moving on rail,” Wilkie says.
“A larger freight mode shift onto rail will take considerably more cars off the road, providing significant safety and environmental benefits and create a more efficient overall freight system.
“Rail is an important part of Victorian and national supply chains. This critical review provides an opportunity for long-lasting reform to create a more resilient, robust and thriving rail freight industry that benefits everyone in Victoria and beyond.”
To view the ARA’s full submission to the Victorian Freight Refresh click here.
Read more ATN:
Mitsubishi Fuso launches ‘supply chain control tower’
KiwiRail claims almost a quarter-million CO2 tonnes saved
Peter Anderson appointed to new Road Transport Advisory Group