Unlocking rail access to Australia's largest port

摘要

As the old adage goes, 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. This mantra arguably applies to the thorny issue of land transport access to the port of Melbourne, the busiest container port in Australia. Unlike the country's other large ports, such as Port Botany near Sydney, Melbourne's key shipping terminals are located close to the expanding city centre, and the constant flow of heavy lorries through residential neighbourhoods is an ongoing problem. This has been exacerbated by the development of residential zones in former industrial areas close to the port. Repeated attempts have been made over the years to try and boost rail's share of the Melbourne port traffic, but these have rarely borne fruit, and the figure currently hovers at around 10%. Indeed, rail's market share has declined over the past two decades, while the number of truck movements in the city has increased dramatically.