Double stacking containers on trucks

In 2023 Qube Logistics along with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) tested something new at the Port of Brisbane in Australia – a double stack container truck, of 8TEU (twenty-foot equivalent) capacity.

Qube photo

The pair of specially designed trailers were designed by The Drake Group.

And Prime Mover Magazine writing about the trial.

Qube pioneers double stacked container vehicle
June 8, 2023

A double stacked container vehicle has been trialled for the first time on port and public roads in Australia.

The Super B-double Double Stacked vehicle was operated by Qube as part of a trial conducted under stringent safety and operational conditions at the Port of Brisbane.

Both the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) and the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) oversaw the trial which involved the vehicle carrying eight empty twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) containers on a defined route within Qube’s port facilities and limited public port roads.

The trial was conducted under a temporary permit from the NHVR and temporary consent granted by PBPL as the Port’s road manager.

The Super B was pulled by a Scania prime mover.

Nicknamed ‘the London Project’ in homage to London’s iconic double decker buses, the high productivity vehicles have the potential to increase operational efficiencies, given their ability to move 12 TEUs at a time.

Qube also expects the double stacked triple trailing units produced by O’Phee Trailers and the Drake Group, will lower emissions by eliminating truck movements.

PBPL CEO, Neil Stephens, congratulated all who were involved on the successful trial which followed a significant period of design, engineering and consultation by Qube with its stakeholders, including PBPL.

“This is a fantastic outcome for Qube and all parties involved today. It’s also a clear demonstration of the collaboration and innovation being achieved by our customers and partners here at the Port that’s enhancing productivity and efficiency in their operations,” said Stephens.

“As Port Manager, one of our key priorities is investing in infrastructure to support supply chain efficiency,” he said.

“We were pleased to deliver road improvement works and upgrade the access/egress to a number of facilities to support this new vehicle and Qube’s innovation.”

Under its current permit and consent conditions, the new double stacked vehicle will transport empty containers on a defined route within Qube’s facility and limited public port roads, under stringent safety and operational conditions.

Why not three trailers?

In December 2023 an even longer double stack truck was tested – with a third trailer being added.

Qube photo

Taking capacity to 12 TEU.

Prime Mover Magazine reporting on the trial.

Qube trials Super B-triple double-stack in Brisbane
December 15, 2023

Port cartage and logistics specialist, Qube, has successfully completed the first on-road trial of a Super B-triple double-stack combination at the Port of Brisbane.

Approved under Performance-Based Standards, the combination will move empty containers to vessels from nearby facilities.

Earlier this year the double-stack trial took place as part of Project London Stage 1 at the Port – the first time a Super B double-stacked container vehicle had run on port roads in Australia.

Yesterday was the first trial for Stage 2, and the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and ARRB – Australian Road Research Board were at the trial, which was conducted under stringent safety and operational conditions.

The trial, as with all others, was conducted on highly controlled port roads.

Stacked to an Australian-first height of over seven metres, this PBS innovation is anticipated by Qube to bring a significant boost to productivity when transporting empty containers – saving both money and time.

The product of a collaboration between O’Phee Trailers and The Drake Group with National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and the Port of Brisbane, these high-productivity vehicles have the potential to increase operational efficiencies, given their ability to move 12 x 20ft containers at a time.

“As Port Manager, it’s fantastic to be working with our customers to continually improve productivity, through innovative and sustainably focused transport delivery,” said the Port of Brisbane in an online statement.

Or a road train?

How about a 300-metre long double stacked road train, weighing 750 tonnes?

Volvo photo

Volvo Trucks put together such a consist back in 2016 as a publicity stunt to demonstrate the capabilities of their trucks.

Volvo FH16 and I-Shift with crawler gears pull 750 tonnes

In a great power test, a Volvo FH16 featuring the I-Shift with crawler gears manages to haul a 300-metre long container train, weighing 750 tonnes, from standstill.

The purpose of the record-breaking haul is to demonstrate the capabilities of the I-Shift transmission with crawler gears. It offers starting traction that is unlike anything else on the market for series-produced trucks. The crawler ratios make it possible to haul really heavy loads, start off in difficult terrain, and drive at speeds as low as 0.5 km/h. Specially built trucks are normally used for exceptionally heavy loads, but during a great power test we are using a Volvo FH16 that has come virtually straight from the factory.

In the port of Gothenburg, on a winterday beginning of 2016, a reach stacker places the last shipping container on a road train that stretches over 300 metres long. The 40 containers are loaded with spare parts from Volvo, which will be shipped to various destinations around the world. But right now, they are being used in an attempt at a world record – a Volvo FH16 750 truck will try to pull the 750-tonne load. Hopefully it will be possible thanks to the I-Shift with crawler gears. It can start from standstill with 325 tonnes, but can it start with 750 tonnes? “I’ve been counting on this. It should … it should be possible,” says Niklas Öberg, one of the engineers who helped develop the new gearbox.

For a single truck to tow 750 tonnes, the conditions have to be perfect. The whole rig must be meticulously loaded in order not to collapse, all towing couplings must be checked and the air pressure in all 204 tyres must be continuously adjusted. In addition, the ground should be dry, as moisture can make the truck slip. The onsite crew discuss the weather. Just days earlier there was persistent wind and rain, but right now it looks as if it will actually be possible.

The crew signal to the cab that they should make an attempt. The engine purrs, Magnus engages the minimum crawler gear and revs up the engine. But something goes wrong. The truck roars and the front of the cab starts to rise into the air. “Stop! Stop!” screams Niklas Öberg, waving his arms. Magnus releases the gas and the cab front hits the ground.

The team is now looking at the trailers and pressurising the air system to release the brakes on each trailer for another attempt. Magnus leans back and pushes down on the accelerator. The engine rumbles and at first nothing happens. Then it begins: A super-slow forward motion. Slowly but steadily, the 300-metre, 750-tonne container train crawls forward. The truck approaches the finishing line – 100 metres from the starting point – and the crowd cheer as it passes.

I’ve seen trains smaller than this record breaking truck!

Further reading

• Double-stack rail transport at Wikipedia
• O-Phee London Trailer | A World First at Drake Group

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The incident

On Sunday 3 March a so-called ‘professional’ driver of a container truck loaded with a single ‘high cube’ 40 foot ISO shipping container bound for the Port of Melbourne tried to make it under the 4.0 metre clearance Napier Street bridge, but ignored the warning signs – striking the bridge and dislodging the container from the truck.

By the time I came past trains were already running again following an inspection of the bridge, and Victoria Police were in attendance – not hard, given their police station is next door!

The damage

The 40 foot container had been dislodged from the trailer, and hanging at a perilous angle, almost ready to fall onto the footpath.

The bridge protection beam taking the hit rather than the bridge.

The impact speed must have been high, as the bridge warning lights had been dislodged.

And the steel container deformed.

An impact mark from the bridge protection beam visible to one side.

Dislodged container twistlocks on the ground below.

A hole in the fresh asphalt where the container fell to the ground.

Recovery time

The truck operator called up mobile crane to assist with the recovery operation.

But it wasn’t needed – a heavy tow truck was used to drag the container away from the truck.

Chains and the rear boom used to lift up the rear of the container.

Which then topped over sideways.

Crushing the fence intended to ‘protect’ pedestrians from road vehicles.

I don’t think that was how they intended the recovery to go!

At least the semi-trailer was now free.

But in need of repair – the rear container twistlocks bent out of position.

Another crack

After a bit of maneuvering, the heavy tow truck was able to pull the 40 foot container back upright.

And then pull it clear of the bridge.

Allowing a waiting sidelifter truck to pull up alongside.

Lift the damaged container onto the sidelift trailer.

And take it away.

Allowing the eastbound lanes to be reopened.

All up the recovery effort took an hour to complete.

So why is the Napier Street bridge worse?

The Montague Street might be notorious for bridge strikes in Melbourne.

But the bulk of impacts in South Melbourne are just weekend warriors on car licences driving rental trucks when moving house – not ‘professional’ drivers with a heavy vehicle licence – and a four tonne steel shipping containers falling off a truck is far more dangerous to other motorists than the body of a pantech truck getting a little beat up.

In addition the statistics don’t lie – the the Napier Street bridge was struck 37 times by heavy vehicles between 2018 and 2022, while the Montague Street bridge was only hit once in 2021.

One possible solution – the Port Rail Shuttle project, paused back in 2015, but ready to start operation ‘soon’.

Footnote

And a bit of a laugh – a petition to “Paint Footscray’s Napier Street Bridge With Scary Shark Teeth“.

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Road trip time

The Bulla Organics Facility was opened in 2013 at a cost of $15 million by Veolia and is part of the ‘Eco-Hub’ operated by Hi-Quality Group outside of Sunbury, and processes 85,000 tonnes of green organics, lawn clippings, garden waste and food scraps annually; which are converted into 40,000 tonnes of compost and 20,000 tonnes of mulches.

Every day dozens of rubbish trucks from councils across Melbourne arrive at the site – such as Merri-bek.

Nillumbik.

And Melton – and unload the green waste onboard.

A front end loader then moves the piles of organic material into large piles.

Where contamination such as loose shopping bags is visible.

And plastic bags filled with who knows what.

So a mechanical screening machine is used to do the initial sorting of the incoming waste.

Fine bits come out the bottom.

And the big bits head into a sorting shed, where six workers spend their day stand beside the conveyor belt picking out anything that isn’t organic.

Dropping the rubbish down a chute into skip bins down below.

The contamination rate of incoming green waste is about 3% – so the amount of rubbish removed forms a massive pile after just a few days.

Once the waste has been screened, the wheel loader moves it into a shredder.

And then it gets moved into the composting shed.

Where there are 14 composting cells, each of 300 cubic meter capacity.

Incoming organic waste is placed in the cells and covered over, reaching a temperature of 55 degrees which is maintained for 72 hours to kill off any seeds and insects.

Seven to ten days later, the door is opened.

And inside is an immature compost.

Covered in fungus.

A wind shifter is used to remove any remaining pieces of plastic.

But unfortunately some still makes it through.

Then the material is sorted by size – the large pieces are mulch.

And the fines as compost.

Which is then stockpiled outside the shed awaiting delivery to horticultural businesses and broad acre farmers.

Fire risk and smells

Even after being removed from the composting cells, the material is still quite hot and emits steam.

So fire hose reels can be found around the site.

As well as a powerful fire pump system.

To control the odours inside the shed, a negative pressure biofiltration system has been installed.

Air being sucked out of the shed.

And pumped through a filtration bed outside.

And wheelie bins?

The biggest piece of contamination in the waste stream was something unexpected.

Wheelie bins!

Apparently having a bin fall inside the rubbish truck on collection day is a common occurrence.

So they get screened out of the incoming waste stream.

Then separated out into plastic to be recycled.

And wheels that are returned for reuse.

Further reading

The Bulla site uses a method known as “in-vessel composting”

In-vessel composting (IVC) is a group of more advanced composting systems where the process is fully contained within a vessel or building, and closely controlled to accelerate the composting process. IVC is particularly suited to more odourous waste streams such as food waste and the organic-rich fraction separated from mixed residual waste as part of mechanical biological treatment.

IVC can be an energy intensive process, predominantly for the power to provide the forced aeration. Typically, temperatures between 55ºC and 65ºC are achieved by IVC processes because the heat is contained in the vessel (any more than 65ºC is harmful to the bacteria involved). Higher sustained temperatures have the advantage of destroying potentially pathogenic organisms in the waste and can also be used to dry material if desired (bio-drying).

IVC is a more intense form of composting but is often used to partially decompose and pasteurise the waste, followed by a secondary open composting and/or maturation phase. Hence the duration of the in-vessel phase will typically be between two and four weeks. This reduces the capacity requirement of the more expensive IVC phase but also adds to the overall site footprint requirement when the open windrow phase is included.

Odours are contained and captured by ensuring vessels are sealed and air is continuously extracted to maintain the vessel under negative pressure. The extracted process air is usually treated through a biofilter. The waste is also contained from vermin and protected from weather conditions, including rainfall which might produce excessive leachate. Any leachate that does seep out during the composting process is captured and recirculated back into the compost.

The specific process used being:

Process:
• Pre work: to take out visible hazardous and large items;
• Decontamination: 6 – 8 sorters plus 2 loader operators;
• Shredding: to bring material to an even particle size;
• Composting Vessels: 14 composting vessels. 300 cubic meters each. Forced aeration in the vessels;
• The material remains in the vessel at 55C for 72 hours to kill of any seeds /bugs, then in the vessel for a further 7 to 10 days;
• 800 air holes in each floor. Air extracted from the top and feed back into the floor through the 800 holes. Constructed using retractable tarp roof and removable (by loader) front feed doors;
• Windrow for 4 to 6 weeks – prefer windrows outside. No advantage to be inside apart from odour control. Capital cost is high with under cover systems. Leachate management is an issue, and sufficient leachate ponds required;
• Screening for various sizes;
o <20 mm compost; o 20 -60 mm mulch; o > 60 mm oversize; and
• Wind shifter to remove any soft plastics.

Major Markets:
• Broad acre farming; and
• Urban Soil Blends.

The gate fee for Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) is around $85/t.

When material is transported to agricultural areas (up to 350 km) transport becomes the highest cost in the whole process.

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It was no ordinary truck, with air conditioning units on the roof, and an equipment cabinet beneath the floor – was it an outside broadcast truck?

Photo by Enbytv, via Wikimedia Commons

But turns out it wasn’t – this barely readable logo on the side being the critical clue.

I eventually worked out that the ‘7’ was actually a stylised ‘V’, so the logo read ‘HatchTraveller’ – leading me to the website of a Dutch firm that specialises in chick hatching and transportation equipment.

They describe the trailer I saw as.

This extensive, high-capacity trailer is designed to meet the needs of larger poultry companies that already have a significant transportation need, or those looking to grow their business in the future.

Measuring almost 47 feet in length, the trailer is composed of nine sections. Together, these are able to accommodate up to 183,600 day-old chicks at any one time, making this one of the largest chick transportation systems available on the market. Having this additional square footage can allow poultry companies to consolidate their transport fleet: maximising the capacity of each trailer can result in fewer journeys, helping to reduce operations costs.

This HatchTraveller model is equipped with a hybrid power system as standard, which powers the trailer independently of the truck’s main fuel supply. We note that the charging range can be extended with the use of additional batteries.

So what was this “chick transportation system” doing in the back streets of Pakenham? The big unmarked warehouse down the road was probably why – run by chicken processor Ingham Enterprises.

Google Maps

So what does Inghams do in that warehouse? According to animal liberation groups it’s a chicken hatchery.

Footnote: so why was I there?

So why was I doing in the back streets of Pakenham?

It happens to be the same street that Ventura’s Pakenham bus depot is located on.

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Road–rail vehicles

Many different kinds of road–rail vehicle exist, ready to assist with every kind of construction or maintenance task.

Trucks to transport materials to work sites.

Some able to drag a ‘train’ of wagons.

Excavators for digging.

Lifting.

Tamping ballast.

Unloading sleepers.

And laying them.

Big tip trucks to deliver ballast.

And small.

Piling rigs to bore foundations.

Cranes to put in the overhead stanchions.

Cherrypickers to reach the overhead wires.

Along with boom lifts.

4WDs refitted for weed spraying.

Testing level crossings.

Using ultrasonic sensors to look for rail flaws.

Trucks to chip trees.

And suck up gunk.

Even tunnels aren’t enough to keep them away.

So how do they get onto the tracks?

Traditionally road rail vehicles would just head to the nearest level crossing, turn 90 degrees to line up with the tracks, and lower their rail wheels.

But level crossing removals mean access points are few and far between.

Sometimes gravel will be dumped across the tracks to provide access to a worksite.

Allowing heavy equipment to access the rail corridor.

But the long term solution is “Road Rail Vehicle Access Pads” – level crossings to nowhere.

Essendon received one after the level crossing removal at Buckley Street.

As did the Sunbury line between Ginifer and St Albans station following the upgrades there.

And the brand new Mernda line extension doesn’t have any level crossings, so needed them too.

With the list of locations growing each time a level crossing is removed.

But there’s one problem

Ballast piled up between the rails can cause another problem – derailments.

Prohibition of Ballast Pad Hi-Rail Access Points

On the 9th January, 2019 an incident occurred where a tamper derailed as it passed through a ballast pad. Due to this incident and combined with the inability to inspect the Track Asset beneath the ballast (which is a requirement of the Track Technical Maintenance Plan), a number of measures require implementation.

Effective immediately:
– The construction of new ballast pads is prohibited across the MTM network;
– A plan for the removal of ALL existing ballast pads across the MTM network will be compiled by Infrastructure;
– All new hi-rail access points must have their construction type and methodology agreed by the Track & Structures Delivery Manager for all locations.

And asphalt between the rails makes inspecting the trackbed impossible.

Due to track conditions below the Curtin Street road-rail vehicle access pad at Ch.16.818km between Ginifer and St. Albans, a restriction on the speed of trains has been applied through the affected location.

In order to return train traffic to line speed, Infrastructure are required to remove the asphalt in situ at the RRV pad in order to perform rectification work.

In accordance with L1-CHE-INS-079, MTM Design Practice Note Road-Rail Vehicle Access Pads, section 6. vii. – Infrastructure will not return this RRV pad to an asphalt construction but instead utilise type-approved removable panels.

As the type-approved removable panels require procurement, there will be a period of time between when the geometry rectification works are completed and the access pad is returned to use for RRV access.

The geometry rectification works are planned for 25/08/2019 and the removable panels will be available for installation in late November.

So existing access pads have had to be upgraded.

Using the same rubber panels used at level crossings.

Network upgrades never end!

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Somerville Road and McDonald Road, Brooklyn

There is a level crossing at the corner of Somerville Road and McDonald Road in the Melbourne industrial suburb of Brooklyn, used twice daily by the Apex quarry train.

Container trucks are everywhere.

But it seems that some truck drivers have trouble turning the corner – in November 2018 one cut the corner taking out the level crossing lights.

For the next few months traffic controllers were put in place.

Stopping vehicles whenever a train passed through the level crossing.

Eventually a replacement gantry was erected at the level crossing, but it didn’t last long – in May 2019 a second truck took it out.

The traffic controllers returned, until a third set of level crossing lights were erected in October 2019.

Along with two massive concrete barriers.

That will hopefully stop a third truck from taking them out.

Wright Street and Anderson Road, Sunshine

More concerning is the intersection of Wright Street and Anderson Road in Sunshine, which is surrounded by houses.

In May 2017 a truck managed to cut the corner, taking out the traffic light gantry then driving off.

Victoria Police photo

With another truck making a similar mistake in February 2019.

Driving over a traffic light post.

A VicRoads crew had to come up and right it.

Using a jack to bend the post back into place.

As good as new.

But with no other changes, each passing truck could make the same mistake.

And a bonus idiot

There is a second level crossing on Somerville Road in Brookyln, used by freight trains headed west to Geelong and Adelaide.

Back in May 2019 I saw a light engine movement waiting clear of the level crossing.

The reason – an idiot truck driver managed to stop under the boom gate and was stuck fast.

Another truckie had to come over and lift the boom gate up, so the truck could reverse out.

And the Napier Street bridge

Napier Street passes under the Werribee line tracks in Footscray, with an endless stream if ignorant truck drivers managing to get stuck under it.

As of October twenty trucks had hit the bridge during 2019.

Footnote – level crossing protection at Somerville Road

In 2019 V/Line issued the following instructions after a truck took out the level crossing lights.

On Tuesday 7th May 2019 the side Flashing Light mast at the Somerville Road Level Crossing, KP: 15.497 at Brooklyn sustained damage from a road vehicle. As a result, the mast has been removed, however a replacement is not immediately available.

During the period that the Flashing Light mast is absent, the following process must be observed if it is necessary for a Rail Vehicle Movement to enter either of the sidings and traverse the level crossing.

• Access to the Apex/Brooklyn Tip Sidings must remain unavailable during the period that Rail Vehicle Movements are not scheduled to occur. The Main Line points governing access to the sidings must be secured in the Normal position with a lockable point clip, the keys to which must be held by the Track Force Protection Co-ordinator (TFPC).
• A minimum of 24 hours notice must be provided to the Regional Access Manager (R.A.M) – Central or their Delegate when a Rail Vehicle Movement is required to enter the Sidings.
• Prior to the Rail Vehicle Movement entering the siding, the R.A.M or their Delegate must arrange for road traffic management to be placed on the approaches to the level crossing and to act under the direction of the TFPC.
• The TFPC must then arrange for the point clip to be removed from the main line points.
• When the Rail Vehicle Movement is ready to enter the siding, the TFPC must instruct the road traffic management to display their ‘Stop’ bats and then operate the test switch for the level crossing protection equipment.
• Once the level crossing protection equipment has completed its cycle, the TFPC must then display the ‘All-Right’ hand signal to the Driver of the approaching Rail Vehicle Movement.
• If the Rail Vehicle Movement is to remain in the Sidings, the TFPC must arrange for a Track Closure Device as described in SW.0202/2017 to be placed on each siding approach to the level crossing, adjacent to the existing ‘Stop’ Boards. The Track Closure Devices must be securely padlocked to the rail head.

V/Line SW.0081/2019

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A crash involving two trucks and four cars has closed part of Melbourne's Monash Freeway this morning.

But incredibly, police say no-one was seriously hurt.

Three people have been taken to hospital, two with minor injuries and the third is in a stable condition. pic.twitter.com/cs8h2x7FXJ

— News Breakfast (@BreakfastNews) July 24, 2019

Cleanaway started operating their fleet of massive A-Double trucks from May 2017, following the opening of the South East Melbourne Transfer Station in Dandenong.

The facility acts as a consolidation point for rubbish collected from residential and commercial customers in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, where it is compressed into semi-trailers.

Then trucked 60 kilometres across Melbourne.

Eventually ending up at Ravenhall, where it is dumped into the Melbourne Regional Landfill.

On opening the South East Melbourne transfer station accepted a total of 580,000 tonnes of waste per annum, and has EPA approval to increase to a peak of 650,000 tonnes by 2029.

Assuming 286 operational weekdays per year, this means 2028 tonnes of rubbish needs to be moved per day – increasing to 2273 tonnes per day once the transfer station reaches design capacity.

Transported by A-double vehicles with an average load of 43 tonnes per truck, this give as weekday average of 47 trucks per day, increasing to 53 trucks per day at the peak – or six trucks per hour!

No wonder pedestrians avoid the road to Caroline Springs station like the plague.

A short history of these ‘monster’ trucks

Back in 2009 VicRoads commenced a two year trial of bigger ‘High Productivity Freight Vehicles’ serving the Port of Melbourne.

But with plans to introduce them elsewhere:

The use of next generation High Productivity Freight Vehicles (HPFVs) on key dedicated routes has the potential to reduce the number of trucks by almost a third, and reduce emissions and the cost of travel by up to 22 per cent on these routes.

With Victoria’s freight task forecast to approximately double by 2030, next generation HPFVs will be an important way to mitigate increasing congestion, emissions and the cost of our goods.

The trial of next generation HPFVs is an important step in the implementation of a Performance-Based Standards approach to heavy vehicle regulation in Victoria and the broader introduction of new, safe and efficient freight vehicles.

In 2013 the number of roads available to these massive trucks was expanded, following the adoption of the ‘Moving More with Less’ plan, and the types of trucks expanded to include 30-metre long A-doubles in 2017 thanks to the Performance Based Standard (PBS) scheme for trailers.

But is there another way?

Travelling from the Cleanaway transfer station at Dandenong South to the tip at Ravenhall is a 60 kilometre long trip across Melbourne, that takes around an hour via the Monash Freeway, CityLink, West Gate Bridge, Western Ring Road, and Deer Park Bypass.

But the Boral quarry next door to the Ravenhall tip already has a railway siding.

Which branches off the Ballarat line at Caroline Springs station.

With just a 1.3 kilometre drive between it and the tip.

The South East Melbourne Transfer Station is also near a rail siding.

Located on the Cranbourne line at Lyndhurst.

It may be a 7 kilometre long drive across Dandenong South.

But the siding is the site of a future inland port:

Salta’s Lyndhurst terminal is located near Dandenong
• 50,000 m/3 warehouse constructed for Bunnings
• Terminal yet to be constructed
• PRS shuttle trains would use:
• Broad gauge Pakenham & Cranbourne suburban rail lines
• Broad gauge V/Line & ARTC lines between Southern Cross and the Port

So why wasn’t the South East Melbourne Transfer Station built at the Lyndhurst intermodal terminal, with rubbish loaded into containers then transferred by train across Melbourne to Ravenhall, then trucked the last leg of the journey to the tip face?

Sydney proves it works

In 2004 Sydney ran out of space to bury their rubbish, so the Woodlawn open-cut mine near Goulburn was converted into a rubbish tip. Rubbish is loaded at the Clyde transfer station in western Sydney, but instead of a fleet of trucks, it is loaded onto a train.

Photo by Grahamec, via Wikimedia Commons

Each week six 55-carriage trains make the 250-kilometre journey, carrying 1200 tonnes of rubbish each time.

And back to Melbourne

Think moving bulk freight across Melbourne by rail won’t work?

Well, every weekday 1500 tonnes worth of worth of gravel roll through Flinders Street, loaded at a quarry in Kilmore East and bound for Westall.

As does 2000 tonnes of containers headed from Gippsland to the Port of Melbourne.

And 3000 tonnes of coil steel, headed for Hastings.

All three trains have been running since the 1970s – which proves that if there is a will to get freight onto rail, there is a way.

Sources

Melbourne Regional Landfill – Ravenhall.

• A new era in Melbourne’s south east as Cleanaway opens SEMTS (May 5, 2017)
• Traffic and Transport Assessment for the Melbourne Regional Landfill – Ravenhall (14 September 2016)

Bigger trucks.

• Monash Freeway reopens after multi-vehicle smash at peak hour, herald Sun (July 25, 2019)
• Victorian high productivity vehicles, Advantia Transport Consulting
• Victoria’s new HPFV networks for 30-metre A-doubles, Advantia Transport Consulting
• HPFVs – Moving more with less, VicRoads
• Performance Based Standards, joint report by the NHVR and ARTSA (2019 Edition)
• PBS Vehicle Configurations, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
• Port Rail Shuttle Project Outline

Rubbish trains in Sydney.

• A complete space of waste, Sydney Morning Herald (August 2, 2004)
• Woodlawn Bioreactor, Veolia

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