Major works now underway on NSW Moorebank intermodal terminal

Construction is now underway on a new Interstate Intermodal Terminal in New South Wales, which is the first of four modern and interconnected terminals that will help enhance the nation’s supply chain as well as improve freight efficiencies between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. 

The new Interstate Intermodal Terminal is going to be built at Moorebank Logistics Park in Sydney’s southwest – a strategically located freight logistics hub – and this project is being delivered under an industry-first joint development between the Australian Government-owned National Intermodal Corporation, Qube Holdings Limited and LOGOS. 

“These important terminals will provide additional resilience and strengthen our nation’s supply chains to ensure supermarket shelves remain stocked and our exporters can get their product overseas as quickly as possible. 

“As we continue to implement our long-term economic plan, it is critical that we have the necessary rail and terminal infrastructure in place to support the movement of goods around Australia and overseas in the most efficient and cost-effective ways. 

“It’s why our Government continues to back and invest in the construction of Inland Rail project and delivery of intermodal terminals which will create a world-class freight network up and down Australia’s east coast,” Minister for Finance Simon Birmingham said. 

The new terminal at Moorebank Logistics Park will service new modern 1,800-metre trains that have the potential to remove 100 B Double trucks for each train trip. 

Moorebank Logistics Park, once completed, will include 850,000-SQM of modern warehousing and freight management facilities along with a dedicated freight rail link to Port Botany as well as direct access to major highway networks. 

To date, the Australian Government has invested $514 million towards the delivery of the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Precinct. The multi-million-dollar project is expected to support more than 1,300 jobs during its construction and up to 6,800 on-site and off-site jobs once it is fully operational. 

“Investing in infrastructure to support Australian supply chains is a priority of the Morrison Government, to help support a growing population, to drive a growing economy, and so we remain internationally competitive. 

“Connecting the Moorebank precinct in Sydney to key rail freight routes along the east coast, including terminals in Brisbane and Melbourne will support a major increase in freight volumes handled at the precinct, driving modal shift from long distance road to rail-based freight transportation. 

“Our investment in Moorebank is complemented by a $3.9 billion investment in the recent Budget for a Melbourne Intermodal Terminal Package, which will see the delivery of two new intermodal terminals in Victoria that will connect to Inland Rail. This is all part of the Commonwealth’s strategy to create an efficient, open access national freight network,” Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher MP said. 

Source: Moorebank Intermodal Company

In addition to improving freight transport, the project will also deliver significant environmental impacts through rail that is three times more carbon efficient than road per tonne of freight transported. When the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal Precinct is fully operational, it will be able to remove up to 3,000 truck movements from Sydney roads daily and help reduce about 110,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. 

According to CEO of National Intermodal Corporation James Boulderstone, the innovative Joint Development Model utilised for this project will ensure the Interstate Intermodal Terminal will deliver long-term value for the precinct as well as help boost market confidence that freight can be transported between states safely, efficiently and sustainably. 

“When complete, the Interstate Terminal will improve the way freight moves between all the mainland State capitals, and more locally, around the Sydney Basin. Our success will be measured by ensuring that increased volumes of products arrive where and when they are needed with improved efficiency and safety. 

“Together with Qube and LOGOS, we look forward to leveraging our combined industry experience to deliver a modern and efficient Terminal which is accessible to all freight and warehouse operators, current and future,” Mr Boulderstone said. 

The new Interstate Intermodal Terminal at Moorebank Logistics Park is due to be completed by March 2025. 

Key features of the precinct will include: 

• An Import-Export (IMEX) Freight Terminal 
• An Interstate Freight Terminal 
• Warehousing facilities surrounding the terminal facilities 
• Connection to the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) via a new bridge over the Georges River 
• Vehicle access to and from the M5 Motorway via a new intersection at Moorebank Avenue / Anzac Road 
• Retention and enhancement of riverside vegetation 
• A piped stormwater network and detention basins to treat run-off before its discharge to the Georges River 

Source: Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts; Moorebank Intermodal Company (1, 2); Australian Government – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications; Infrastructure Magazine