A new collaboration marks a significant development for rail to port connectivity on Australia’s East Coast.

Transport and logistics company SCT and container logistics provider ACFS have announced a collaboration which will open up rail freight access to the Port of Melbourne for 300,000t of freight annually.

SCT managing director, Geoff Smith, said: “This announcement will be the first of many based on our on-going investment in rail freight in the State, supported by the Victorian Government’s Port Rail Shuttle Network (PRSN) Strategy. SCT has substantial plans around increasing rail freight volumes, and this collaboration with ACFS will provide a strong foundation for future growth.”

Key for ACFS development

This new port access is a significant component of ACFS’ port related rail facilities and its newly developed facility in Altona, Melbourne.

“This new site is a pivotal step in our off port expansion into metro Melbourne” ACFS managing director & chief executive officer, Arthur Tzaneros explained. “The site will offer a broad range of services to our existing and new customers, including 3PL warehousing and e-Commerce activities.”

“We also look forward to making a major contribution to reducing congestion in and around Melbourne’s West, with this project removing over 70,000 truck movements from the roads”.

Direct port connectivity

Importantly, this development provides direct port connectivity to regional Victoria, with increased volumes flowing from SCT’s Horsham and Wodonga sites to the Port of Melbourne. “This aspect of opening the port to regional and rural businesses is crucial” Mr Smith noted. “Export supply chains for Victoria’s regional businesses are more important than ever. This partnership will provide direct access for a broad cross-section of companies seeking to sell their products into Asia-Pacific markets and beyond”.

The project has been facilitated by the Victorian Government’s Port Rail Shuttle Network (PRSN) and Port Rail Transformation policies. It is part of a range of longer term investments that will be facilitated by SCT’s enhanced rail connectivity to the port.

This collaboration will support growth to 600,000 tonnes of rail freight to the port annually by 2025.