Aurizon kicks off potential $4bn sale of 49 per cent of Central Queensland Rail Network
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Saw this in AFR as well. Looks like individual assets (e.g. buy back the lease on Gladstone - Rockhampton) is not on the cards, and Aurizon are looking to maintain a controlling share of whatever they are selling.
I suspect that Aurizon would be targeting a large, institutional investor like a sovereign wealth fund or big pension fund, the ones who generally don’t take an active managerial role in their investments.
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Agree. They’re likely looking for someone to provide capital now for a cut over time, but isn’t that interested in the day to day operations or management.
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The two biggest problems facing rail freight in Queensland is the track gauge difference and the current track alignment. A close third is the lack of capacity on corridors like the North Coast Line which really should be duplicated. There needs to be some serious investment in infrastructure. Nothing significant will change until this happens.
Currently you have freight trains puttering along at 80km/h (if they’re lucky) on alignments that are over a century old. Really, they should be doing at least 100km/h if not faster and be on a straighter, flood resistant alignment. They also should look long term at putting standard gauge connections into places such as Gladstone and Townsville. Train can be cheaper but it also needs to be time competitive. That is where it is sorely lacking, especially in QLD.
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One of LNPs motions at today’s convention
- RAIL FREIGHT STRATEGY BUDERIM SEC
That this State Council of the LNP calls upon the State Government to :-- Mandate rail freight use for all new major mines for export-bound products
- Incentivise containerised freight logistics for general freight and agriculture
- Reinvest in regional rail grain loading infrastructure, including modern silo revival
- Strengthen Aurizon’s role as a government-owned revenue generator for freight
- Introduce a freight impact levy or credit scheme, encouraging modal shift from road
- Develop a Queensland Freight Modal Shift Strategy 2026-2036, with targets and
corridor mapping.
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That all sounds…. pretty darn good to me. Especially incentivising mode shift from road to rail for long distance freight.
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It sounds good to me too, but isn’t 25 under ‘government owned’ for Aurizon just straight up untrue?
Issue aside, it is a disappointment to see trackside grain silos in my part of the world with loaders facing out to the street instead of towards the tracks - Warwick and Clifton being two cases in point. Rail grain loading only really happens at Goondiwindi and Thallon, and occasionally at Talwood.
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Is it possible that someone on the state council of the LNP thinks that Aurizon is still owned by QR? Surely not, right?
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Auzurion not helping by still having visible qr logos on some of there rollingstock
Electric locomotives being rolled out in the Pilbara
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