The Port of Melbourne has welcomed the Australian government’s support of the new $83.6 million Port Rail Transformation Project (PRTP).
In a statement, the port said its new rail solution will developed over the next three years and will see more containers moved by rail more efficiently, by-passing roads in inner-Melbourne.
Brendan Bourke, the Port of Melbourne’s CEO, described the proposed rail solution as the “missing link in Melbourne’s transport and supply chain network”.
Furthermore, he said it “expands the rail offering for freight and delivers environmental benefits by reducing truck movements, congestion and pollution.”
“Everyone we talk to says rails is a good thing and industry has called for a rail solution for more than a decade.
“Port rail shuttle trains will have a capacity of 84 TEU, in comparison to a B-Double truck having a capacity of three TEU. This project also supports regional exports by taking cost out of the rail supply chain.
“The project is more than an infrastructure project; it also provides reform and drives efficiency in the rail supply chain. It is the result of significant engagement with industry.”
