Moorebank’s a good start but there’s much more to be done

By 2017 the new freight hub will be up and running in Moorebank including a much-needed rail link from Port Botany to Moorebank. Although it is predicted to remove 3,300 trucks from the road in that region of Sydney, it will not solve the current congestion on the existing rail networks.

While welcoming the Moorebank announcement the RTBU has called on the state government to increase the capacity for rail freight transport into and out of Sydney by developing more dedicated freight lines and hubs that do not have to share with passenger services.

It’s also crucial that proper planning enures that any new infrastructure developments are well integrated into the existing network to gain maximum efficiency.

“The commitment to improving freight handling has been desperately needed for a long time and the union has been consistently agitating the government,” says Robert Hayden, NSW Loco Division Secretary. “The construction of the new Southern Freight Line and the Northern Freight Corridor is a good start. Ideally, there would be a series of hubs dotted across the network – one for each line.”

In addition to Moorebank, the union says the proposed freight hub at Enfield, with a shuttle service to Port Botany and links to the entire NSW network, is also necessary.

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