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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.”