Grain Logistics Taskforce Report - Department of Transport

Grain Logistics Taskforce –RecommendationsImproved train productivity1. Consistent with Recommendation 12 of the 2007Rail Freight Network Review, The State Governmentensure there is an appropriate level of investment inthe rail freight network to provide suffi cient rail freightnetwork capability, including track speeds, whichsupports effi cient grain train cycle times from silo toport and return.2. The Victorian Department of Transport work with trackmanagers, rail operators and grain companies to:a) review and assess the merits of funding the railinfrastructure issues referred to in Appendix A.b) assess opportunities to standardise the railfreight network where economic circumstancesjustify gauge conversion.c) assess the benefi ts and costs of increasingaxle loads on the Victorian regional rail networkto at least 21 tonnes to improve rail freighteffi ciency and reduce transport costs whilemaintaining grain train cycle times from siloto port and return.d) work with the Port of Melbourne Corporationto improve train turnaround times in the portprecinct as well as train stabling facilities.Improved truckproductivity3. Transport companies increasetheir use of the PerformanceBased Standards scheme toimprove the effi ciency of roadtransport of grain and roadmanagers approve these vehicleswhere the route is capable ofaccommodating them.4. The Victorian, New SouthWales and South AustralianGovernments identify importantdifferences in truck weightregulations and where possibleharmonise, similar to theprocess used in the GreenTriangle region of Victoria andSouth Australia in order toimprove road freight effi ciency.5. VicRoads and the grain industrygive further consideration toimplementing a Grain HarvestManagement Scheme whichwould assist industry to complywith mass limit regulations in thecartage of grain off farms intoreceival silos.6. Encourage industry to adoptimproved truck scheduling andnotifi cation systems into portsto reduce truck queuing andimprove truck throughput.7. The State Governmentsupport the campaign by localgovernments for continuationof the Federal Government’sRoads to Recovery programfor funding of local roadsbeyond 2014.6 Grain Logistics Taskforce Report