In recent years, Pacific National has initiated a series of major investments and initiatives totalling >A$750 million to deliver what matters for our non-coal operations and services. Key examples include:
New locomotives and rollingstock
- $350 million purchase of 50 new UGL locally designed and manufactured environmentally friendly freight locomotives. Due to be delivered in 2024, these new 94 Class locomotives will add greater capacity to future interstate intermodal operations, including on the Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail. These new locomotives will help enhance the ESG credentials of Pacific National customers.
- >$160 million to overhaul Pacific National’s NR Class locomotives (the ‘work horses’ of interstate services) plus purchase of 110 new tandem well wagons to further lift capacity. These wagons are equivalent to 4.7 kilometres of new rollingstock.
Interstate intermodal terminals
- $200 million acquisition of Acacia Ridge Terminal (Brisbane), plus further investments to optimise existing operations at the terminal. Each year, in total, Pacific National hauls approximately one million tonnes of freight between Brisbane and Melbourne.
- $40 million to construct and optimise the first phase of the Parkes Logistics Terminal (Central West, New South Wales) – regional Australia’s largest intermodal terminal. The terminal is a key launchpad for double-stacked freight train services between Parkes and Perth.
- $5 million to upgrade pavement and track at Melbourne and Adelaide freight terminals. Each year combined, approximately 2.1 million tonnes (in total) of freight is hauled between these two terminals and Perth.
- $5 million to upgrade locomotive provisioning facilities at Sydney Freight Terminal (Chullora). Each year, on average, up to 300,000 TEUs are processed through this critical facility.
- Detailed planning underway in relation to proposed future intermodal terminals at Little River (Victoria) and Wellcamp (Toowoomba), the latter in partnership with the Wagner Corporation.
Recruitment of essential frontline rail freight workers
- Continued investment in nine driver training schools, including approximately 70 trainees in the intermodal business to proactively counter an aging frontline workforce in the national rail supply chain.
- School locations established in Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, and multiple schools in Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta to specifically support future operations along key interstate intermodal freight corridors.
Lifting capacity in intermodal services
- In the last year, Pacific National has added 12 per cent more capacity (or seven additional weekly interstate services) to its interstate intermodal business. Additionally, Pacific National has committed to an investment program to increase capacity for intermodal customers by an extra 25 per cent over the next four years.
