All images courtesy of Qube Holdings Limited

Australia is at the forefront of transitioning towards rail-borne freight and intermodal terminals to help meet the future freight needs of our domestic and international supply chains.

In addition, to the land use challenges of urban port expansion, increased container imports will inevitably require more trucks and trains tasked with moving freight from the ports to their urban hinterlands.

Paul Greenhalgh, WSP’s Technical Executive – Environment and Planning says, “Eighty per cent of freight coming into metropolitan ports travels 60 km or less to warehouse destinations, but that relatively short journey is often congested. There is increasing pressure to reduce the volume of large trucks on the urban road network in response to congestion, road safety and air quality concerns.

“Rail-borne freight and intermodal terminals which, in addition to reducing the number of trucks on the road, offer numerous economic and environmental advantages such as greater energy efficiency, reduced emissions, improved supply chain efficiency and improved community safety.

“A critical component in the shift to rail reliance is the development of intermodal terminals, the handling facilities where containers are transferred between trucks and trains. In the case of Sydney, a site at Moorebank was selected as the most viable venue for an intermodal precinct due to its proximity to road and rail networks, as well as future industrial and commercial centres.”

On the front lines

In December 2012, the Australian Government formed the Moorebank Intermodal Company (MIC) – a government business enterprise to facilitate the development of the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal and to work with industry to achieve the project’s full potential. This was announced as a nationally significant infrastructure project that will help Sydney manage the expected growth in freight moving through the city.

At the time, our team acted as technical and environmental advisors for the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal, the largest of its kind in Australia at around 243 hectares in size. Led by Paul Greenhalgh, we managed the complex process of conducting a thorough Environmental Impact Study for the project.

From day one, several unique challenges added complexities to the study, beginning with the need for separate negotiations and assessments with state and national regulators.

“The project shone light on a series of challenges to be addressed if wide scale expansion of the rail freight-intermodal terminal concept is to occur successfully,” explains Paul. “They require large plots of land in order to accommodate very long trains, truck movement, container handling, warehousing and logistics.

“The efficiency of the terminal depends on its close proximity to high demand services such as warehousing and logistics, as well as connectivity with regional road and freight rail networks.”

Further challenges were unearthed in the legacy of freight movement within metropolitan Sydney, which has historically relied on shared freight/passenger rail lines. While substantial investment to enhance the freight rail network has been addressed on a national level, completion of new freight rail lines is critical to achieving a comprehensive intermodal-based freight strategy.

Future Ready^TM opportunities

Casey Dwyer, WSP’s Major Projects Executive – Project Development, has worked as the Consultant Project Director on the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal since 2011.

He explains, “Our communities can benefit significantly from the development and delivery of a network of intermodal freight terminals across Australia and within the major capital cities.

“With continued growth in population and increased consumer demand on the horizon, the Moorebank MLP development serves as a valuable case study for future ready projects around the globe. Most notable among the lessons learned is that early, in-depth planning for intermodal site development is essential at both the strategic and project levels.”

Once completed, the facility will move 1.5 million shipping containers annually by rail instead of road, taking 2,700 heavy truck movements off Sydney’s roads each day and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 110,000 tonnes every year.