The DEC of freight rail in WA is projected to double from $2.74 billion in 2011 to $5.51 billion in 2031.
Mineral resources and agricultural industries in WA use national, state and privately owned rail lines to transport mainly bulk freight to ports. Transport to Fremantle Port from surrounding areas and the eastern states often uses the East West Corridor rail line, which is owned by the Australian Rail Track Corporation east of Kalgoorlie, and by the WA Government (leased to Brookfield Rail) west of Kalgoorlie.
The two key ports in the Pilbara are Port Dampier and Port Hedland. Private freight rail lines with direct access to these ports have been constructed by companies operating in the region. These direct links to the ports have contributed to substantial growth in exports of iron ore, crude oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).403 The private rail infrastructure in the Pilbara has underpinned the performance of the ports.
The East West Corridor rail line is the backbone of interstate rail transportation of goods between Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. The transportation of bulk freight between Perth and Kalgoorlie is expected to grow strongly. This will rely on WA's section of the East West Corridor.
The Western Australia Regional Freight Transport Network Plan forecasts that the rail freight task serviced by state-owned lines will more than double by 2031.404 While the quality of the track and signalling system is regarded as sufficient for current usage, improvements will be needed to meet future capacity and efficiency requirements. Core challenges to upgrading or constructing freight rail lines are land costs, zoning requirements and meeting the varying needs of operators planning to use the line.405 Despite these challenges, the importance of interstate rail will increase with the growing competition and the availability of intermodal ports. The existing rail infrastructure poses a constraint on the growth of interstate bulk goods transport, and could have a detrimental impact on the overall growth of the mineral resources and agricultural industries.
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403. Western Australian Department of Transport (2013)
404. Western Australian Department of Transport (2013)
405. Freight and Logistics Council of Western Australia (2013)