Pacific National

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Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. It is owned by Toll Holdings.

1 Beginnings and growth
2 Operations
3 Tasmanian controversy
4 Rollingstock
5 External links
6 References

[edit] Beginnings and growth

NR class Locomotive

In February 2002, the mainly Australian Government-owned National Rail Corporation's freight operations and rollingstock were combined with the New South Wales Government-owned FreightCorp and sold to Toll Holdings and Patrick Corporation as Pacific National. Toll Holdings launched a take-over of Patrick Corporation in 2006.

In 2004, Pacific National acquired Freight Australia, operator of freight services in Victoria, and Australian Transport Network Limited, operator of TasRail. Following the takeover of Freight Australia, Pacific National controlled the Victorian non-urban rail track, excluding the interstate network, which is controlled by the Australian Rail Track Corporation. In November 2006 Pacific National reportedly entered into an in-principle agreement to sell the remainder of its lease of the network back to the Victorian Government for $133.8m, but this agreement was entred into during the caretaker period following the issuing of the writs for the 25 November 2006 Victorian State election and hence may have little if any practical effect.^[1]

[edit] Operations

Operating in all states and the Northern Territory, the company operates some 1,000 locomotives, 10,200 wagons over 100 different sites. Services include bulk freight (coal, grain, steel, ores), intermodal containers (domestic and export), and specialised services such as express trains and the haulage of long-distance prestige passenger trains.

The Pacific National steel contract was renewed with BlueScope Steel and OneSteel in 2006 for $1bn, making it the largest ever freight rail contract in Australia. The deal involves haulage of about 3 million tonnes of steel over seven years. ^[2]

Pacific National has facilities at the Brisbane Freight Terminal in Queensland, the Melbourne Freight Terminal in Victoria, the Sydney Freight Terminal in New South Wales, and the Kewdale Freight Terminal in Western Australia.

[edit] Tasmanian controversy

In September, 2005 Pacific National angered the Tasmanian State Government and the Australian Federal Government as it threatened to 'withdraw all services' unless the governments paid a $100 million subsidy.^[3] This alarmed people of Tasmania because a pullout of rail services would result in thousands more trucks on already busy roads. Initially the governments refused to act on the issue claiming they would not be "held mercy" to Pacific National owned by Toll and Patrick Corporation that are extremely profitable multi-national companies. However; state infrastructure minister Bryan Green and federal counterpart transport minister Warren Truss announced a $120 million rescue package hoping the board will continue operation in the state.^[4]. Though Pacific National was accused of bullying at the time, rail services in Tasmania have never been profitable and this was the reason the public freight rail service in Tasmania was sold to Pacific National.

[edit] Rollingstock

3 locomotives (2 NR class, and DL class) make up 1PM5 Pacific National Perth to Melbourne intermodal freighter departing Kewdale Freight Terminal in Western Australia.

AN class: 10
BL Class: 10
DL class: 14
G Class: 39
NR class: 119 (Originally 120, but NR33 is to be written-off following a derailment)
PN Class: 13
X/XR/XRB Class: 30
80 class: 5
81 class: 84
82 class: 55
90 class: 35