QUEENSLAND Rail will not be returning to the freight industry, after the Queensland Government rejected a parliamentary recommendation. The state parliamentary transport Committee recommended Queensland Rail should provide freight services in the “short term” until commercial providers could fill the gap in regional locations.
However, the final response from the government rejected this recommendation. “The government supports agricultural and general freight transport on rail, but does not support Queensland Rail re-entering the freight business,” the response read.
“Its re-entry into a rail freight operator role would be contrary to government objectives to make better use of the skills, capacity and innovation of the private sector.”
A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Scott Emerson said Queensland Rail did not have the ability to operate as a freight mover.