Making 21st Century Rail Supply Chains Work

1. Making 21st Century Rail Supply Chains Work South East Australian Transport Strategy Friday 20 August 2010 Rachel Trindade for Latrobe City Council

2. Where has rail worked? • iron ore exports in the Pilbara  • coal exports in Qld & NSW  • but remember the ships queuing off Dalrymple Bay • east-west intercapital intermodal  • but lack of success with the north-south corridor • regional import / export  • some success for specific commodities • metropolitan port shuttles 

3. The traditional approach • focus on “monopoly” rail tracks rather than on the rail supply chain as a whole • treat road & rail as effective substitutes • two main applications for rail • single commodity bulk “production line” operations • very long distances like the east-west corridor • “ARTC model” for track infrastructure • but there has been a recent mind-shift

4. Supply chain lessons • the Pilbara iron ore model • single owner maximising export sales • most efficient ... but can it be shared • the Hunter Valley coal model • the Hunter Valley Coal Chain Logistics Team • authorised port capacity sharing framework • ARTC access undertaking (draft decision) • focus on alignment and co-ordination

5. The Port Botany model • inefficiencies in the rail supply chain • IPART report 2008 • Port Botany Landside Improvement Strategy • key role for Sydney Ports • the Port Botany Rail Team • a port shuttle operating standard • alignment of rail paths and port windows • performance and productivity measures • way forward (but may need regulation)