Fremantle Ports moved 24.3 per cent of its containers by rail in March 2022, exceeding the State Government’s target of 20 per cent.
The percentage equates to about 16,807 TEU and represents an estimated 10,985 trucks off the road network.
Fremantle Ports emphasised that rail is an important metric as it means a reduction in noise and traffic.
The news follows the port’s previous record high in January this year of 23.9 per cent.
“That percentage not only well exceeds the State Government target of 20% but is significantly higher than the five-ports average of 11.4% for Australia,” said Michael Parker, CEO of Fremantle Ports.
“Last year, there were 100,000 fewer trucks on the road coming in and out of Fremantle, as a direct result of strong use of rail. It’s strategic, smart logistics and makes sense.
“Trucks obviously continue to play a role in the movement of containers to and from Fremantle, particularly over short distances, but rail has a very beneficial part to play in the mix.”
The efficiency of Fremantle Port’s North Quay Rail Terminal contributed significantly to this result.
Additionally, the introduction of new rail wagons in November 2021 means one train travelling to or from North Quay can move up to 100 containers at once with a single locomotive – the equivalent to taking up to 65 trucks off the roads.
Now, with the introduction of further initiatives, Fremantle Ports is on-track to meet the State Government’s aspirational target of 30 per cent of container freight on rail.
The Port of Fremantle also recently made it onto PTI’s ‘Top 5 Ports in Australia 2021’ list after it handled 778,614 TEU in 2021.
