SUPPLY CHAIN are making a real , tangible difference in the rail industry , influencing and contributing to new initiatives , industry benchmarking and key decisions that impact the entire industry .
Strengthening our freight networks In 2013 , Australian railways carried over 1 billion tonnes of freight , with freight movements on rail increasing by 57 per cent over the past five years . The national freight task is predicted to almost triple by 2050 , driven substantially by the resources boom and the export task of moving iron ore and coal to ports .
If Australia is expected to meet this growing freight challenge , Rail will need to have an increasingly important role to play in this space .
The ARA works closely with state and federal Governments regarding a range of freight related issues . The number one priority is to get more freight on rail and to advocate strongly to governments at all jurisdictions to take measures for this to occur .
The ARA continues to advocate key freight projects such as the
Inland Rail . This nation building project will address the existing road and rail imbalance by opening up the Melbourne to Brisbane network , taking seven hours off transit between the two cities ; removing thousands of trucks from major highways , easing the Sydney bottleneck ; and boosting regional development along the entire 1,700km route .
The ARA wants certainty on the future of the project through a clear and significant funding commitment across the Forward Estimates from the 2016 / 17 Budget . Clear timeframes and a strong commitment of the existing $ 300 million toward detailed planning , land acquisition , community consultation and exploration of regional freight rail links is required .
Investing in major urban rail projects Passenger rail in Australia is going through a renaissance , moving more than 850 million people each year . This is equal to 16.4 million passenger trips per week or 2.3 million people travelling by train every day of the year .
www . ara . net . au . 95