Freight railways in Melbourne
The rail network of Melbourne, Australia, has a significant number of railway lines and yards serving freight traffic. Rail transport in Victoria is heavily focused on Melbourne, and, as a consequence, much of the state's rail freight passes through the metropolitan network.
The lines are of two gauges: and. Because the standard gauge lines were developed to facilitate interstate freight decades after the establishment of the original broad gauge network, they are used almost exclusively by freight services; while some broad gauge lines are used exclusively for freight, but many are shared with the suburban and regional passenger networks operated by Metro Trains Melbourne and V/Line respectively.
Although a limited number of electric freight services historically operated in the metropolitan area, a lack of electrical infrastructure on Victorian mainlines means that no freight services in Melbourne now use electric traction, despite some services operating over the electrified passenger network.
Fixed infrastructure, such as track, signals and yards, is largely owned, operated and maintained by government agencies or in the metro area a franchisee to the government. However, all freight services are run by private operators, and some sidings and intermodal facilities are under their control.
Ownership and operators
Freight traffic in Victoria is divided into two main segments: interstate freight on standard gauge, and intrastate freight on broad gauge.All track is owned by VicTrack, but is leased to and managed by differing organisations. The broad gauge lines were leased to Freight Victoria in 1999 as part of the privatisation of the rail network. Pacific National bought Freight Australia in August 2004 and in May 2007 the lease and management of the track was sold to V/Line. The interstate standard gauge lines are leased and managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
Freight terminals are mainly leased from VicTrack or owned outright by private operators. There are also a number of 'common user' terminals managed by VicTrack, which are open to any freight operator.
On the broad gauge, the main freight operator is Pacific National, as well as Qube Logistics and Southern Shorthaul Railroad. On the standard gauge, operations are more varied, with trains run by the aforementioned operators, as well as SCT Logistics.
Services
Standard gauge
The heaviest freight traffic is intermodal services carrying shipping containers to Sydney and Adelaide, and then on to the rest of the country. These services operate from the South Dynon, North Dynon, Appleton Dock, and Swanson Dock terminals. Steel trains for OneSteel and BlueScope operate from their mills in South Australia and New South Wales, to the Melbourne Steel Terminal in the inner city, where some of the cargo is transferred to broad gauge trains. Vanload freight to Adelaide and Perth is carried by trains operated by SCT Logistics from their own terminal in Laverton. Finally, grain trains operate into Melbourne, discharging at the Appleton Dock export terminal at the Port of Melbourne.Broad gauge
Broad gauge freight traffic has declined since the purchase of Freight Victoria by Pacific National. Notable services running through Melbourne include:- Long Island goods: carries steel products between the BlueScope works at Long Island on the Stony Point line and the Melbourne Steel Terminal. Typically runs four services per day, down to Long Island around midday and midnight, and up shortly before the first passenger service of the morning and in the mid-afternoon.
- Maryvale paper train: runs from the terminal at Dynon and carries containerised paper products to and from the Australian Paper mill at Maryvale.
- Kensington and Sunshine grain trains: run from Tottenham Yard to the respective silos.
- Apex train: carries quarry products from the Apex quarries at Kilmore East to users at Westall and Geelong.
- Warrnambool goods train: carries containerised goods, primarily milk powder, aluminium ingots and refrigerated meat, from Dennington to Dynon for export from the Port of Melbourne.
- Mildura Fruit Flyer goods train: carries containerised goods, primarily agricultural produce, from Merbein to Dynon for export from the Port of Melbourne.
- Tocumwal goods train: carries containerised goods, primarily agricultural produce, from Tocumwal to Dynon for export from the Port of Melbourne.
Dedicated lines
The only passenger traffic using these lines are V/Line services to Albury, the less frequent NSW TrainLink XPT to Sydney, and Great Southern Rail's The Overland, as well as V/Line services in times of disruptions to normal services. The interfaces between the freight and passenger networks are limited, meaning delays to one do not affect another.
Newport to Sunshine line
The Newport to Sunshine line was opened on 24 September 1887 to permit freight trains from the western and northern areas of Victoria to access the then-important port at Williamstown. in length, it is also known as the Brooklyn Loop line, for the intermediate signal box on the line. Passenger platforms have never been provided along the line.Between Newport and Brooklyn the line was provided with bidirectional double track lines. By the 1930s, a number of private sidings were opened off the line to serve adjacent industries. Today the majority of them have closed. In 1995, the east line was converted to dual gauge as part of the standardisation of the railway between Melbourne and Adelaide.
Albion to Jacana line
The Albion to Jacana line opened on 1 July 1929 to allow freight trains to avoid the steeper grades and busy suburban traffic on the Broadmeadows line via Essendon. Built as double track, two major steel viaducts were required to cross the Maribyrnong River and Moonee Ponds Creek valleys. In 1962, the east line was converted to standard gauge as part of the Melbourne to Sydney gauge standardisation project.South Kensington to West Footscray line
The South Kensington-West Footscray railway line opened on 21 October 1928 to permit freight trains to avoid Footscray station through the construction of the Bunbury Street tunnel underneath Footscray and additional tracks though West Footscray.Built as double track, both lines were converted to dual gauge in 1962 as part of the Melbourne to Sydney gauge standardisation project. The city end of the line connects to the various freight terminals at the Port of Melbourne, and the former Melbourne Yard. The country end is connected to Tottenham Yard, as well as the Newport to Sunshine and Albion to Jacana freight lines.
North East line
The North East line links Melbourne to Albury, and then onto the rest of the standard gauge network across Australia. From Broadmeadows, the line runs parallel to the Seymour line. Constructed from the late 1950s to eliminate the break-of-gauge at Albury for Melbourne to Sydney rail traffic, the first standard gauge freight in Victoria ran on this line on 3 January 1963. Once traversed by the Intercapital Daylight, Southern Aurora and Spirit of Progress, today the only non-freight service to operate on this line are the NSW TrainLink XPT to Sydney and V/Line passenger services to Albury.Western standard gauge line
The Western standard gauge line was completed in 1995, linking Melbourne to Adelaide and replacing the former broad gauge route. The project was funded as part of the federal government One Nation project.The line runs along the Newport to Sunshine line, then parallel to the Geelong line to North Shore, onto dual gauge tracks towards Ballarat, then onto its own towards Ararat. From here, the original interstate route was gauge converted. The only passenger service on this line is the twice weekly Great Southern Railway The Overland.
Shared lines
Where dedicated lines do not exist, intrastate broad gauge freight trains are required to share tracks with Metro Trains Melbourne suburban and V/Line regional services. Freight trains are timetabled off-peak around passenger services, and are often required to wait at freight terminals if they miss their assigned time. Regularly used lines include:- Werribee lines towards Melbourne, until Newport
- Ballarat and Bendigo / Sunbury lines and towards Melbourne, until Sunshine
- Albury / Craigieburn lines towards Melbourne, until Broadmeadows
- Bairnsdale / Pakenham lines for the entire length to Flinders Street
- Frankston line for the entire length to Flinders Street, and the Stony Point line from Long Island Junction
Terminals and yards
The majority of the rail terminals and yards are clustered about the Port of Melbourne and Dynon. A number of inland ports have also been established in outer suburbs, with shuttle trains running from the inner city.Dynon
Freight terminals in the Dynon area were established from the 1950s on reclaimed swamplands between the CBD and Footscray.The North Dynon sidings are located next to South Kensington station, and form a common user terminal. Presently, Qube trains operate from it. The terminal includes both broad gauge and standard gauge tracks.
The South Dynon complex is the main intermodal container facility in Melbourne. Located between Footscray and Dynon Roads, it is provided with standard gauge access, and is operated by Pacific National.