Pacifc National grain trains
24 March 2020
Grain is a major freight traffic in Victoria, but drought has cut the level of traffic in recent years. Trains operate on both broad and standard gauges, with the main destinations being export terminals at Melbourne and Geelong, as well as Portland, and a number of domestic flour mills
Qube Logistics Maryvale paper train
23 March 2020
Photos of the Qube Logistics operated Maryvale Paper train that runs from Melbourne to the Australian Paper factory at Maryvale, north of Morwell
Pacific National - Melbourne standard gauge freight
21 March 2020
Pacific National standard gauge intermodal services from Adelaide and New South Wales meet at Melbourne, running via the western suburbs into the Melbourne Freight Terminal at South Dynon.
Qube Logistics standard gauge cement train
21 March 2020
In April 2018 Qube Logistics started a new service conveying containerised cement between Sydney and Melbourne. The containers are loaded at a cement works in NSW and trucked to the Minto intermodal terminal Minto in Sydney, then railed to Victoria Dock in Melbourne, replacing the Berrima to Somerton cement train once operated by Pacific National.
Southern Shorthaul Railroad Kensington grain
18 March 2020
In November 2017 Southern Shorthaul Railroad commenced operating broad gauge grain trains to the Kensington mill in suburban Melbourne.
Pacific National interstate steel trains
18 March 2020
Pacific National carries raw materials and finished steel product to and from the BlueScope, Arrium and Onesteel plants at Port Kembla, NSW and Westernport, Victoria; with trains running Melbourne-Wollongong-Brisbane and Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth.
SCT Logistics - Dooen freight
18 March 2020
SCT Logistics commenced running their Melbourne-Dooen freight service in 2015, which unlike their other trains operates to the Port of Melbourne and only carries container wagons - it doesn't stop at their Altona depot and conveys no boxvans.
SCT Logistics - Melbourne/Brisbane services
17 March 2020
SCT Logistics started their Melbourne-Brisbane service in 2010 with SCT vans attached to Aurizon BM7/MB7 services. They started operating their own services between Melbourne and Barnawartha (outside Wodonga) in 2016, these services being extended through to Brisbane in 2017.
Sadleirs Logistics
16 March 2020
Sadleirs Logistics move freight by rail with their fleet of RLSY louvre vans, attached to Pacific National intermodal services.
Southern Shorthaul Railroad standard gauge grain
1 March 2020
In August 2017 Southern Shorthaul Railroad commenced operating grain trains on the standard gauge in Victoria.
Qube Logistics broad gauge cement train
17 February 2020
In September 2019 Qube Logistics started a new containerised cement service running on broad gauge between Victoria Dock and the Kimberly Clark siding at Dandenong South
Qube Logistics Apex quarry train
17 February 2020
The Apex train carries gravel and other quarry products from Kilmore East on the North East line, to Westall in south-eastern Melbourne, Brooklyn in western Melbourne, and North Shore in Geelong. Originally operated by Freight Australia then Pacific National, in 2016 Qube Logistics won the contract.
Melbourne broad gauge freight
8 February 2020
Miscellaneous broad gauge freight traffic through Melbourne - there isn't much these days...
Qube Logistics Harefield freight
15 December 2019
Qube Logistics operates a train conveying containerised paper products between Melbourne and Harefield in southern NSW. The first services ran in 2012-14, before being diverted to Port Botany in NSW, then returned to Melbourne regularly in 2017.
Pacific National standard gauge Mildura freight
11 December 2019
The Mildura freight runs from Merbein (just north of the town) to Melbourne and return for Wakefield Transport. The train is made up of standard and refrigerated containers, and commenced running on standard gauge from mid-2018 folliowing the gauge conversion of the Mildura line.
Pacific National Tocumwal freight
8 December 2019
Pacific National (formerly Patrick PortLink) operate a container service between Appleton Dock in Melbourne and Tocumwal, loading also being attached / removed at Mooroopna (Shepparton).
Geelong broad gauge freight
13 October 2019
Miscellaneous broad gauge freight around Geelong - there is stuff all these days
Qube Logistics hay train
21 July 2019
In June 2019 Qube Logistics commenced a new service conveying containerised hay from Ultima to the Port of Melbourne for export.
Pacific National - Geelong standard gauge freight
11 July 2019
Pacific National standard gauge intermodal freight services around and through Geelong
Pacific National Warrnambool freight
13 January 2019
The Warrnambool freight carries containers between Melbourne and the Westvic depot in Warrnambool, usually running Monday through Friday. Operated by Pacific National, except for a period between April and October 2008 when El Zorro took over the contract. The train length is constrained by short crossing loops and often runs during the day on the down trip due to pathing issues beyond Geelong
SCT Logistics - Melbourne/Perth services
9 January 2019
SCT Logistics started their Melbourne-Perth rail service in 1995, with V/Line followed by Freight Australia providing hook and pull services until they acquired their own locomotives in 2007.
Qube Logistics Tocumwal freight
5 December 2018
Since 2012 Qube Logistics (formerly P&O Trans Australia) have operated a container service between North Dynon in Melbourne and Tocumwal, with loading also occasionally being attached / removed at Mooroopna (Shepparton).
Aurizon standard gauge freight
18 May 2018
Aurizon commenced operating standard gauge freight services across Australia when precescessor Queensland Rail purchased Interail in 2002, CRT Group in 2005, and Australian Railroad Group in 2006. QR National was rebranded as Aurizon in December 2012. The company withdrew their Melbourne-Brisbane and Melbourne-Perth services in December 2017.
Pacific National broad gauge Mildura freight
7 March 2018
The Mildura freight runs from Merbein (just north of the town) to Melbourne and return for Wakefield Transport. The train is made up of standard and refrigerated containers, as well as a small amount of cement loading. Until recent years oil tankers, louvre vans and LCL containers were also attached to the train. With gauge conversion of the Mildura line, in late 2017 the service was rerouted to serve a temporary freight terminal at Manangatang on the parallel Robinvale line, with a standard gauge service taking over in mid 2018.
Southern Shorthaul Railroad driver training
18 November 2017
In July 2017 Southern Shorthaul Railroad commenced operating driver training runs north and west of Melbourne, in preparation for the operation of grain trains on the standard gauge.
Pacific National Kensington grain
16 September 2017
The flour mill Kensington at Kensington is one of the last to be rail served in Victoria, grain wagons are taken there on a regular basis, requiring a convoluted route through the suburban and freight lines, with a reversal in Melbourne Yard. Until November 2017 this service was operated by Pacific National.
Pacific National - North East freight
13 July 2017
Pacific National standard gauge intermodal freight services on the Victorian North East line
Somerton steel shunt
11 November 2014
Until 2014 or so Pacific National ran a short trip train from South Dynon to Somerton, converying coil steel for the Tubemakers pipe factory.
Ballarat broad gauge freight
10 April 2012
Until 2008 freight trains actually stopped at Ballarat - container wagons loaded and unloaded in the goods yard at Ballarat then attached onto the Pacific National service that ran between Mildura and Melbourne, and grain trains from Dunolly served the Bunge grain silos at Ballarat North.
Pacific National Maryvale paper train
14 March 2012
Until June 2013 Pacific National operated the Maryvale Paper train that ran from Melbourne to the Australian Paper factory at Maryvale, north of Morwell. The service is now operated by Qube Logistics.
Qube Logistics Horsham freight
18 January 2012
Qube Logistics and predecessor P&O Trans Australia operated container services between Melbourne and Horsham. They commenced operating in August 2011 following the end of the MA2/AM2 service, and ended in mid-2012.
P&O Trans Australia Melbourne-Adelaide freight
30 April 2011
P&O Trans Australia operated their own Melbourne-Adelaide freight service between October 2009 and July 2011. You can find the history of the service here.
El Zorro Horsham freight
25 July 2010
For a period during 2009 El Zorro operated a standard gauge freight service between Melbourne and Horsham
El Zorro wagon transfer from Warrnambool, December 2008
18 May 2010
El Zorro transfer sent T376 down to Warrnambool light engine on Wednesday December 3, 2008 to pick up some of their wagons from the yard. The train returned the next day. Back when they had the contract for running the Warrnambool freight they had a wagon with a cage at one end (ZFSX 12K) that got red carded and couldn't be moved. The second wagon (ZDXF 1) was left behind on the last run as the train was too long to fit into the loop at Camperdown.
El Zorro wagon transfer, 2009
1 August 2009
On 1 August 2009 El Zorro ran an empty wagon movement from Adelaide to Melbourne, with FL220 and GL109 hauling a train of CFCLA CQWY well wagons and CQMY container wagons.
El Zorro to Morwell, October 2008
22 October 2008
On October 22, 2008 El Zorro ran a test train to the Gippsland Intermodal Freight Terminal at Morwell, as a promotional event for local companies interested in using the terminal. The four container wagons were previously used on the Warrnambool contract: CQOY 2393 and three ZQLXs
El Zorro's final Warrnambool freight, October 2008
17 October 2008
17 October 2008 was the last time El Zorro operated the Warrnambool freight, the locos were CFLCA liveried T377, VR liveried T378 and SSR liveried T376. Photos from Marshall through to Warrnambool, then back to Winchelsea - it sure was a long chase!
Pacific National Horsham freight
2 May 2008
Until July 2008 Pacific National operated a standard gauge Melbourne to Horsham freight service
V/Line - Pacific National rescue failed a Warrnambool service, August 2006
2 August 2006
On the morning of August 02, 2006 N452 failed at Warrnambool when it was supposed to lead the up morning service, so A81 was pulled off the freight and used to rescue the train. A79 was then sent back to Warrnambool to bring the freight back that night.