Passenger services are operated by Great Southern Rail who pay an access charge run twice-weekly in each direction. FreightLink provides logistic support for deployments by the Australian Defence Forces. Within the Northern Territory these were joined in May 2006 by dedicated mineral trains of manganese ore from Bootu Creek mine. From 2008 FreightLink runs six mixed Adelaide-Darwin freight services, run weekly in each direction, some extending to Melbourne. The rationale for the Darwin extension was primarily based on freight flows, the project sponsors identifying ‘time-sensitive and high-value commodities’ as likely cargo, including meat, dairy, vehicles, wines, high-technology and consumer items. Class G6B locomotives are stationed at Darwin and Alice Springs for shunting. The single cab units in FreightLink livery are fitted for multiple-unit working. Rolling stockįour Class GT46C FQ class locomotives were supplied by GM-licensees Clyde Engineering (subsequently EDI Rail) with the opening to Darwin. The authority reserved A$9m for the purpose of building new passenger station facilities. A temporary passenger station was built there, adequate for the start-up service. The track network is integrated with Darwin’s new East Arm Port which includes a railway embankment and intermodal container terminal. Continuous welded rail on concrete sleepers is used throughout and the line is being built for 23t axle loads with clearances for double-stack containers and a maximum speed of 115km/h (71mph). “Passenger services run twice-weekly in each direction.”įor most of its length, the line runs along a simple 1m-high embankment across the plains of the Tanami Desert. To reduce collision risk, there are five grade-separated crossings of the Stuart and Victoria highways.
This minimised the distances work trains had to travel and accommodated the impact of the summer rainy season in the tropical north. The teams worked north from Katherine to Darwin and south from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs. Construction depots were set up at Katherine and Tennant Creek and teams worked towards each other at the 800km mark. Site work began in April 2001 and tracklaying 12 months later. It was a massive logistical exercise to overcome the difficulties of building a new railway across some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world, with summer temperatures reaching 50✬ and a three-month monsoon season. Most of the remaining distance crossed land in which Aboriginal people hold title rights. The corridor encompasses 219km of Aboriginal Land Trust Land and 252km of land under claim under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. InfrastructureĮxtensive negotiations preceded construction. Freightlink unsuccessfully sought extra long-term investment for an equity stake in the business during 2006. The corporation attained its obligation of at least 75% of the project value on goods and services being sourced within South Australia and the Northern Territory, including sub-contracting and labour-hire.
The Commonwealth Government pledged to support preliminary work and design for the last section to Darwin.Ĭonstruction began in 2001 and was to cost A$1.2bn. The Melbourne-based independent think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, criticised Government funding for what they considered offered prospects for returns.Ī new 830km (516-mile) standard gauge line to replace the inadequate metre gauge track along a less flood-prone route, had been completed between Tarcoola, South Australia and Alice Springs in 1980, this transferred under lease for through operation to Darwin as part of the new project. Public funding related to the construction of the line and not to operating costs. The South Australian and Northern Territory governments contributed A$367.8m, the rest coming from the private sector. The operation aspect covers the combined 2,240km of the line projects between Tarcoola and Darwin.Ī financial contribution of A$191.4m came from the Federal Government. Using a build, own, operate and transfer back (BOOT) project basis, Asia Pacific Transport won the commercial tender with ADrail as its design and construction arm and FreightLink, its operating arm. “A financial contribution of A$191.4m came from the Federal Government.”
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