This is not an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine
It is not only the roads of Western Victoria that have been reduced to 40 km an hour due to poor condition and maintenance.
The Maroona-Portland rail freight line is now also limited to 40 km/h.
The rail line is a critical part of the state’s logistics solution – moving the season’s grain harvest and export mineral sands to the Port of Portland.
It also holds potential for transporting containerised wool.
Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, said the entire 170km length of the line is now a go-slow zone.
“The speed limit on the rail line has recently been halved from 80km/h to 40km/h as a result of the poor condition of the track,” Mrs McArthur told the Victorian Parliament.
“This doubles the journey time and even requires the use of a extra crew and a third locomotive, as the reduced speed means the train has insufficient momentum for uphill gradients.
“It sounds more like an episode of Thomas the Tank Engine than Western Victorian rail reality,” she said.
“But it is real, and the issues are troubling.”
The unacceptable scenario is forcing rail cargo onto the already-stressed road network.
“Tonnes of Portland-bound freight are being diverted onto the roads, with consequent wear and tear, environmental damage and cost to business,” she said.
The Maroona-Portland rail freight line is currently leased by the Victorian Government to the Australian Rail Track Corporation, ARTC.
Mrs McArthur said, while the state has leased the line to the ARTC, the state still holds a broader responsibility to road users, farmers, the mining industry, locals, and the Port of Portland to get the issue sorted.
She has queried the Victorian Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Jacinta Allan, about what she intends to do to resolve the deteriorating situation.
“What is the Victorian Government doing to ensure this vital infrastructure functions to support the economy of the south west?” she asked.
27 October 2021