Freight trains carrying 9000 tonnes of rocks a day to Port Kembla could shortly be running on the South Coast line – possibly during peak hour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Transport for NSW (TfNSW) is planning a “spoil management project” that will take excavated material from the WestConnex road project to Port Kembla.
The storage location is the BlueScope Commonwealth Rolling Mills site on Old Port Road.
The material being moved is expected to be a combination of sandstone, siltstone and shale – none of which will be contaminated, according to TfNSW.
There would be six extra freight trains on the South Coast line each day.
It is envisaged that it will be used as construction material for future projects.
The TfNSW Review of Environmental Factors suggests its presence “may be a catalyst for a series of construction projects that would otherwise be on hold.”
The project is looking to transfer the material by rail – from Chullora to Port Kembla – which TfNSW said would reduce the impact on “customer journeys on metropolitan and regional roads including Mount Ousley Road and the M1 Princes Motorway”.
Under the proposal, there would be six extra freight trains on the South Coast line each day – three in each direction.
The RIF flags the possibility that these freight trains could affect peak-hour passengers.
“Two of these movements (morning and evening) would partially occur outside of peak hour, helping to use the network more efficiently and reducing peak demand,” the RIF stated.
Another TfNSW document said the extra services would not see a change to the passenger train timetable.
Greens Roads and Freight spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi was concerned about the effect of adding more trains on the South Coast line.
“The Greens strongly support freight on rail but it is clear that the railway line between Wollongong and Sydney is bursting at the seams and the NSW Government is doing nothing about it,” Dr Faruqi said.
“Adding an extra three 3000-tonne capacity freight trains to compete with passenger services will only exacerbate the problem.”
While the proposal is only for WestConnex spoil, if successful it could be used to deal with material from other projects.
The project is yet to be approved, however the RIF was quietly placed on exhibition for public comment, which closed on August 28.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
