FreightLink opens bridge to Asia

Business Asia, April, 2004

The first international-bound freight to be carried on FreightLink's new Adelaide to Darwin railway has set off to south east Asia in the first of what's expected to be many shipments leaving the Port of Darwin after being carried by rail from Adelaide to Darwin.

FreightLink CEO Bruce McGowan is confident further shipments will be carried in coming months in what is essentially a trial to see how effective the new freighting is. The initial shipment is 2000 tonnes.

"While it is early days, the success of this trial could lead to substantial tonnage movements in the future," McGowan said and added that the trial shipment was the first step in FreightLink's strategy to attract base cargo volumes of sufficient scale to sustain regular shipping services through Darwin. This in turn would be a catalyst for further import and export business through the northern capital, he said.

"The railway's proximity to extensive mineral deposits in the Northern Territory and South Australia and its link to the Port of Darwin's bulk handling facilities could see the development over the next few years of new mining ventures, generating annual bulk export volumes of up to one million tonnes a year.

"Integration of FreightLink's services--rail and terminal operations with shipping services at the deepwater port of Darwin--is key to establishing this new competitive trade route between Asia and the busy markets of Australia's south-east," added McGowan. "By providing a seamless rail connection through the Darwin waterfront, FreightLink offers import customers an alternative trading route into southern Australia at a cost that is competitive with current sea-freight rates. Pivotal to this is Darwin's proximity to burgeoning markets to our north. Singapore is only five days away by sea; Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur just six."