But Mr O'Callaghan said he was disappointed at the lack of support from the Victorian government.

Mr O'Callaghan said in February 2018, then Public Transport minister Jacinta Allan gave an undertaking to parliament. 'We will continue to work with Ouyen Inc. and other stakeholders, including the freight industry, in this local area so we can capitalise on the benefits that we know that the Murray Basin rail freight project will deliver for communities like Ouyen,"' Ms Allan told parliament..

Mr O'Callaghan said he understood the government was busy with the COVID-19 pandemic, but requested Ms Allan and Ports Minister Mellissa Horne took the time to work with Ouyen Inc to help deliver the intermodal.

'We were declined for funding for a business case, but we need the Victorian government to stand up and have a look at it," Mr O'Callaghan said.

Lack of support from the government.  Who reviewed the business case and why was it knocked back when clearly adding more traffic to the Mildura Line is in accordance with the SG investment.

Plans for a new road-rail intermodal terminal at Ouyen

Interesting proposal this one, justarider actually posted a link for the intermodal earlier in the month but didn't get any response.

Ouyen is an ideal spot for an intermodal, it's out of the way of Ultima and close handy to Robinvale, 100k easy round trip in a few hours, a little bit further out to Pinnaroo 137k plenty of produce out that way, grown on center pivots, veggies, clover, hay you name it.

Speaking of hay, it would seem another hay production site is planned: The facility would serve local agricultural businesses seeking to get products to port, including hay growers Wingara AG who announced this week its subsidiary JC Tanloden is planning to construct a hay processing plant in Ouyen. The hay, grown in the Mallee region, would be processed at Ouyen and then transported by rail to the Port of Melbourne for export.

Other industries keen for an intermodal facility at Ouyen include grape growers and mineral sands enterprises.

“With the right governance structure and operators in place we are confident of getting these big freight volumes off the road and onto the rail network. We don’t want to compete against the road transport industry in North West Victoria, but instead work with them. These companies already have existing export warehouses and cool rooms established, so working in conjunction with them means not having to duplicate this system at Ouyen.”

“Our selected site will allow a short road haul from warehouse or farm to a rail terminal that is the furthest distance from the Port of Melbourne, where trains can get up and back in a day, unloading and reloading at both ends and refuelling on a consistent basis. This is considered the ‘holy grail’ of running freight trains into North West Victoria.”

If the refuelling point was reactivated would or could this be a bonus for the Fruity ?

A community group in in Ouyen, north-west Victoria, is closing in on the construction of a new intermodal terminal, however is awaiting one missing link; the replacement of a rail siding removed in the aborted Murray Basin Rail Project (MBRP).

Am I missing something here, why do they have to wait for the Govt to replace the points and siding, why not contract someone your self or is it, they don't have the finance to out lay ?

x42 posted the link but it seems to have disappeared but I had already pinched it.

https://www.railexpress.com.au/ouyen-intermodal-future-awaits-mbrp-outcome/

justarider's link from earlier the is month.

https://ouyen.vic.au/ouyen-intermodal-terminal-project/

It's all happening at Ouyen that's for sure, recently the old town water storage was turned into the local lake and now the hub on the horizon, exciting times up in the Mallee.

https://ouyen.vic.au/ouyen-lake-project/

BigShunter.

MBRP business case was based on increasing freight volumes on the line once it went to SG. This new proposal does exactly that so why no government interest ?

What does the government really need to do other than out the sidings back allowing an operator to access the sidings and tow the wagons to port.

That’s all the rail operators need is the sidings put back not much else.

That’s all the rail operators need is the sidings put back not much else.

Put back ?


Doesn't It mention a greenfield site with a 1200 metre siding ?

That’s all the rail operators need is the sidings put back not much else.

Put back ?


Doesn't It mention a greenfield site with a 1200 metre siding ?

Yep.  If you read through the project information at https://ouyen.vic.au/ouyen-intermodal-terminal-project/ it makes it clear the proposed site is a greenfields site 10km south of Ouyen on the western side of the railway opposite the junction of the Calder and Sunraysia Hwys.

The argument to "reinstate" the sidings seems to be based on a claim that since MBRP reduced the number of sidings in the Ouyen yard then replacement sidings should be provided somewhere.  This is despite the fact that even had all six roads in Ouyen been retained they would have been wholely unsuitable to support the proposed intermodal facility due to the reduced length of the sidings and restricted space within the yard.

As the proposed site is outside of the Ouyen yard, it is far from a matter of "simply" reinstating the sidings, but will also require extensive site preparation, installation of the sidings themselves, signalling changes on the mainline and possibly the upgrade of the existing uncontrolled level crossing on the access road to be an active crossing - none of which comes cheaply.

It looks like the project has merit, but the proponents need to get serious about how they can actually fund it.

That’s all the rail operators need is the sidings put back not much else.

But back ?


Doesn't It mention a greenfield site with a 1200 metre siding ?

Bordertown Intermodal is working with sidings of much shorter length.

Do they need a 1200 metre siding or would 2 shorter sidings in the yard at Ouyen work?

Are they going to run full length trains or several wagons a trip of the Fruity?  (Similar to the Donald portion.)

Or run a 1200 metre Donald/Ouyen train separate to the Fruity?

Do they need a 1200 metre siding or would 2 shorter sidings in the yard at Ouyen work?

Are they going to run full length trains or several wagons a trip of the Fruity?  (Similar to the Donald portion.)

Or run a 1200 metre Donald/Ouyen train separate to the Fruity?

Well it probably doesn't on the length too much, they need a siding but if your going to build a new siding, you might as well make it worth while. Again if you look at the site plan and what they are aiming to achieve, it's a large site with plenty of room for adding siding capacity in the future.   https://ouyen.vic.au/data/documents/Intermodal-Info.-Sheet-A11-Site-Plan_1.pdf
I see it has access from Southern and Northern directions, smart move.

BigShunter.

When I used to drive through Ouyen there was plenty of space in the Yard boundary for the loading and unloading of containers with at least 2 roads being available for wagons.  This type of operation seems to work well in Donald so why not at Ouyen?  I am for one assuming the loading would be attached to Mildura intermodal?

When I used to drive through Ouyen there was plenty of space in the Yard boundary for the loading and unloading of containers with at least 2 roads being available for wagons.  This type of operation seems to work well in Donald so why not at Ouyen?  I am for one assuming the loading would be attached to Mildura intermodal?

bevans did you look at the site map I attached above. Wimmera Container Lines used to be a small  tin arsed operation in the Horsham railway yard and soon out grew the site, have a look at the site at Dooen now, that's what's need for a large regional intermodal site.

Where in the Ouyen yard is there room for the hay production plant ? Mineral Sands ? There's a fair chance if they can start dragging containers out of Robinvale, they will be on A-Doubles, going to need easy access for trucks.

Donald may be able to handle things just, with the short sidings they have but they are a grain exporting company not a transport company.

Look at what has been established at Ultima, a comprehensive intermodal hub, hay production and shortly containerised grain packing and they built a new siding they didn't try and use the dilapidated railway yard.  

BigShunter.

BS is correct.

The Ouyen yard was fit for purpose 60 years ago, when shipping containers weren't yet the veins of the heavy transport industry and un-braked four wheeled wagons were the standard of the day. Back then, road wasn't all conquering like it is now. That was then, this is now.

This is the 21st century, and rail must not just compete with road transport, but rail must by-far offer up the best option available to win the work. That won't be achieved by brushing the dust off some rusty old sidings that are about a fifth the length they need to be and don't offer the surrounding space for infrastructure to operate a modern logistics facility.

Build the right facility, out of town, where the wagons can be loaded at any time of day without pestering the locals, yet still providing them with both employment and the ability to get there goods to port without destroying the roads they use.

By all means, upgrade the sidings in Ouyen yard for grain trains using the Murrayville line (they need to run-around before they can change direction and head either to Melbourne or onto the branch as the junction points the wrong way) if that is what is required there, but don't pretend a modern logistics firm can use that old infrastructure for anything meaningful.

By all means, upgrade the sidings in Ouyen yard for grain trains using the Murrayville line (they need to run-around before they can change direction and head either to Melbourne or onto the branch as the junction points the wrong way) if that is what is required there, but don't pretend a modern logistics firm can use that old infrastructure for anything meaningful.

Wow. I didn't realise this, a throwback to the old VR days I presume? How hard would it be to just build a new junction? That is a classic example of how inefficient Rail can be, that must cost operators a lot of $$$

Probably lucky that that line is a LONG way from both Port Adelaide and POM so trucks don't get much of a look in

It is a bit like the old junction at Heywood on the Portland line, trains running from Ararat to Mount Gambier would also have needed to reverse direction before continuing on their way.

In that case, if that line were to be re-instated (as was discussed in another thread recently) that would still be the case. For that particular location a direct junction would not be possible without acquiring residential properties.

A direct junction was recently built in Ararat for the Mildura line standardization, but of course the land that was built on was largely VicTrack land already (part of the old loco depot).

While I think it would be possible to do so in Ouyen without compulsory acquiring residential land, other land would need to be acquired and the question is whether it is worth it for the few grain trains per week that will use the branch line.

BS is correct.

The Ouyen yard was fit for purpose 60 years ago, when shipping containers weren't yet the veins of the heavy transport industry and un-braked four wheeled wagons were the standard of the day. Back then, road wasn't all conquering like it is now. That was then, this is now.

This is the 21st century, and rail must not just compete with road transport, but rail must by-far offer up the best option available to win the work. That won't be achieved by brushing the dust off some rusty old sidings that are about a fifth the length they need to be and don't offer the surrounding space for infrastructure to operate a modern logistics facility.

Build the right facility, out of town, where the wagons can be loaded at any time of day without pestering the locals, yet still providing them with both employment and the ability to get there goods to port without destroying the roads they use.

By all means, upgrade the sidings in Ouyen yard for grain trains using the Murrayville line (they need to run-around before they can change direction and head either to Melbourne or onto the branch as the junction points the wrong way) if that is what is required there, but don't pretend a modern logistics firm can use that old infrastructure for anything meaningful.

Also note there are two passenger trains that need to change direction to reach their destinations that I know that work in thw 21st Century, The Broken Hill and Griffith XPLs. apiece of trivia and useless information................

Also note there are two passenger trains that need to change direction to reach their destinations that I know that work in thw 21st Century, The Broken Hill and Griffith XPLs. apiece of trivia and useless information................

That's very common on the Deutsche Bahn system.

These guys really do know what they are talking about,  80% of all freight from the North West is on truck a shocking and sad statistic.  How would the government avoid supporting this project?

The DOT has supported the project with 16,000 containers committed to the project.  This was 2018.  Now out to 30,000 containers per annum but the government is not listening.

They are close to signing a deal with a rail operator.  This is good news.

Starting trains in 2021.  Port of Melbourne have been a big supporter of the project.

The government says not required for another decade.!!!!!!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQCyv5Ee03U

They look to be very organised and have a good business plan.

Robinvale now want the same.

What exactly is the government being asked to do?

What exactly is the government being asked to do?

At this point, the completion of the MBRP to enable trains to travel through Ballarat to Geelong and therefore an easy 24 hour turnaround. The number of semi's/B-Doubles on the Calder every day has to be seen to be believed.
5 years ago I had to drive to Mildura on one weekday afternoon, joining the Calder at Bridgewater and stopped counting southbound semi's at 100.

This seems to be an exciting project after the success of Wakefields transport in Merbein (Mildura).

The greenfields site is 2km south and adjacent to the old grain silo at Nunga.

Thanks for posting the video NSWGR8022.

More interesting times ahead for the north west..

Mike.

They look to be very organised and have a good business plan.

Robinvale now want the same.

Ahh no they don't, you can't have intermodals on every cross road in the state.

The Ultima site has been running for some time, it's with in 1.5hrs drive as will the site at Ouyen. I would assume the hay site wouldn't mind a small charging fee for a lift and storage as well as loading on the train, if not sounds like the Ouyen joint is a lot further down the track than anything developing at Robinvale.

BigShunter.

They look to be very organised and have a good business plan.

Robinvale now want the same.

Ahh no they don't, you can't have intermodals on every cross road in the state.

The Ultima site has been running for some time, it's with in 1.5hrs drive as will the site at Ouyen. I would assume the hay site wouldn't mind a small charging fee for a lift and storage as well as loading on the train, if not sounds like the Ouyen joint is a lot further down the track than anything developing at Robinvale.

BigShunter.

When I last travelled to Mildura the bus from Swan Hill was and presumably still is travelling through Wemen which is near Hattah. Wemen has many acres of nuts as does Robinvale and I assume this all currently goes by road the 55km to Manangatang or truck all the way to port. This was mentioned in the video as a potential customer and is around 80km to the proposed intermodal facility.

Mike.