The 3000 km transcontinental railway links the national rail network of Australia’s southern and eastern economic centres to Darwin. Completed ahead of time and to budget, the $1.3 billion rail connection between Alice Springs and Darwin links southern Australia to expanding markets in the Asia Pacific region.
The line carried 600,000 tonnes of domestic freight in its first year of operation. It also carried 20,000 tonnes of international cargo bound for Asian ports in the first 18 months, though international freight was not anticipated until the third year of operation.
Operated by Australian company FreightLink, the rail line brings to life a growing number of large-scale development opportunities, particularly large mineral projects that are set to generate economic activity and contribute substantially to economic development in the Northern Territory. New mineral developments, including manganese and iron, placed 600,000 export tonnes per annum (tpa) on the railway in 2005, growing to 2 million tpa during the next three years.
The Australian Defence Force was one of the first organisations to take advantage of the railway's potential. Heavy military equipment (such as tanks) and supplies can now be rapidly and safely transported between southern and northern Australia.
The railway is also host to the legendary Ghan – one of the world’s great passenger train journeys. In October 2005 the Ghan hosted Global Freight Connect 2005 – a unique ‘conference on the move’, sponsored by the Northern Territory Government, focusing on national and international trade, current freight industry trends, and the opportunities and challenges presented in today’s economic climate. To find out more about this unforgettable transcontinental journey visit Great Southern Railways (www.gsr.com.au).
For more information about freight shipment opportunities on the AustralAsia Railway visit FreightLink http://www.freightlink.com.au or call 8 8245 9100.
