Tamworth’s Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal is full steam ahead

30 October 2018

It’s been twelve months of hard work by Tamworth Regional Council to get Tamworth’s Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal project moving forward and today, Council is proud to announce that the project is doing just that.

As one of the most significant logistics infrastructure projects to be undertaken in regional Australia – the Tamworth Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal (TRFIT) is also the catalyst piece of infrastructure for the city’s new enterprise area which will attract new industries and generate new jobs.

The TRFIT will enable suppliers, businesses, and producers to have competitive access to ports for exports, opening Tamworth up to the rest of the world. It will serve as a regional hub and also be the destination for inbound freight.

Tamworth Region Mayor Col Murray said: “Today is an exciting day for Tamworth. The project funding is on its way and this announcement is the trigger for the railway to be reinstated. This means our project partner Qube Holdings can now start its work on what the terminal will look like and we can start to visualise the future of Tamworth through this project.

“It is also important to understand that the new rail line and the intermodal are the critical pieces of infrastructure which will trigger the development of the new 246 hectare enterprise area which forms part of the city’s freight vision which also incorporates our airport,” Cr Murray said.

Since 2014, Tamworth Regional Council has been the driving force behind the Tamworth Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal with identified opportunity and future demand the foundations upon which the project was envisaged.

Fast forward to 2018, and extensive stakeholder engagement across a vast network of potential users such as the Forestry Corporation of NSW and food producers, as well as key stakeholders such as Transport for NSW and John Holland has brought this project to life.

Transport for NSW will now be engaged to reinstate the Barraba Spur Line from West Tamworth to Westdale and construct a siding on the intermodal site.

“The Barraba Spur Line is the critical link which opens the freight corridor to and from Port Botany and potentially Newcastle in the future,” Cr Murray said.=

“The reactivation of this line means that Council is continuing with its mission to drive Tamworth forward through the establishment of new infrastructure and the creation of an environment which attracts new industry and business and opportunity for those already here contributing to the regional economy.”

The TRFIT development will be located on what is arguably the best parcel of industrial land in NSW along Wallamore Road and Goddard Lane and will address two key pillars as the driving forces of Tamworth’s economic prosperity:

1. Access and Infrastructure 2. Agriculture, Food Process and Agribusiness

The Tamworth Intermodal is premised on the concept of a multi-user, commercially competitive facility, to benefit both the operators and the users by reducing costs and to grow the region’s freight movements. The project is set to be a staged development, to keep costs to a minimum and allowing for growth as demand dictates.

As owner of the land on which the facility will sit, Tamworth Regional Council will work with Qube Holdings to realise Tamworth’s vision of becoming a major freight and logistics hub.

For more information about the Tamworth Rail Freight Intermodal Terminal visit www.tamworth.nsw.gov.au