Genesee & Wyoming Australia

Genesee & Wyoming Australia
Industry Railway operator
Predecessor Australian National
Founded 2006
Headquarters Kilburn
Area served
 Northern Territory
South Australia
Key people
 Greg Pauline (MD)
Parent Genesee & Wyoming Inc
Website www.gwrr.com

Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA) is an Australian rail freight operator based in Adelaide, South Australia. It is a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming and was formed in June 2006 to run the South Australian operations of the Australian Railroad Group.

History

700 class leading a Penrice Stone Train through Birkenhead in June 2005
CL class leads a GM class and two 22 class locomotives near Geelong in July 2007

The company's origins can be traced to when Australian National's intrastate South Australian freight operations were sold to Genesee & Wyoming Inc in August 1997.[1][2] Operations commenced in November 1997 with the operation branded Australian Southern Railroad.[3]

In 1999, GWA commenced operating services from Adelaide to Melbourne for Patrick Corporation.[4] On 1 December 1999, GWA took over operation of the BHP network in Whyalla.[5]

In October 2000, Australian Railroad Group, a 50/50 joint venture between Genesee & Wyoming and Wesfarmers, were the successful bidder for the Westrail freight business in Western Australia.[6][7] As part of the joint venture agreement, ownership of Australian Southern Railroad passed to the Australian Railroad Group. This resulted in some exchanging of rolling stock between the two operations.

In June 2006, the Australian Railroad Group joint venture was broken up with the Western Australian operation sold to QR National and Wesfarmers 50% share in the South Australian operation back to Genesee & Wyoming Inc.[8] The operation was rebranded Genesee & Wyoming Australia.

In June 2010, Genesee & Wyoming Inc purchased the assets of FreightLink from its receivers leading to Genesee & Wyoming Australia taking over operation of freight trains on the Adelaide–Darwin railway.[9][10][11]

In October 2016, GWA entered into an agreement to purchase Glencore's Hunter Valley coal haulage business. The deal, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close on 1 December 2016 with Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets to rake a 49% shareholding in GWA.[12] These are operated by fellow G&W subsidiary Freightliner.

Operations

Genesee & Wyoming Australia operates trains on broad 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in), narrow 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) and standard 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) gauge lines throughout South Australia and the Northern Territory, as well as in Victoria.[13] Major traffic flows include intermodal, grain, gypsum, iron ore, manganese, copper and other minerals over a 5,000-kilometre (3,100 mi) network.[14]

Lines

The following lines are leased by Genesse & Wyoming Australia from the Government of South Australia:[15]

Broad Gauge

Narrow Gauge

Standard Gauge

Note: GWA also operates on the interstate Australian Rail Track Corporation standard gauge lines and provides train control functions for the northern Australia railway from Northgate Block Point (near Tarcoola in SA) to Berrimah freight terminal (near Darwin) which is owned by the Asia-Pacific Transport Consortium. Northgate Block Point is 510 km (320 mi) from Coonamia (Port Pirie) in SA and Berrimah freight terminal is 2,754 km (1,711 mi) from Coonamia. Add approximately 220 km (140 mi) for distances from Adelaide. The 50-year lease on the Adelaide–Darwin railway was transferred to GWA with the purchase of FreightLink in 2011.

If no services on the line, the line may be classified as discontinued, with GWA responsible for care and maintenance of the line during this period sufficient to allow a train movement within 24 hours. At the end of the five year period without service, the lines will transfer back to the South Australian Government.[19]

In 2008 Genesee & Wyoming Australia signed a five-year deal with ABB Grain to haul grain trains in Victoria.[20]

As at October 2014, GWA owned 102 locomotives.[21]

Current fleet

Class Image Type Gauge Top speed
(km/h)		 Built Number Notes
500 Diesel-electric Standard 80 1964 1 ex Australian Railroad Group stored
700 Diesel-electric Standard 115 1971 3 ex Australian Railroad Group 4 stored
830 Diesel-electric Broad, Standard, Narrow 115 1960-1966 12 ex Australian Railroad Group 10 stored
900 Diesel-electric Broad, Narrow 115 1960-1966 6 ex Australian Railroad Group
1200 Diesel-electric Narrow 2 ex Australian Railroad Group used on the Eyre Peninsula Railway
1300 Diesel-electric Narrow 4 ex Australian Railroad Group used on the Whyalla network
1600 Diesel-electric Narrow 4 ex Australian Railroad Group used on the Eyre Peninsula Railway 1 stored
1900 Diesel-electric Narrow 1972 1 ex Australian Railroad Group used on the Whyalla network
2200 Diesel-electric Standard 115 1969-1970 5 ex Australian Railroad Group
ALF Diesel-electric Standard 115 1976-1977 7 ex Australian Railroad Group
CK Diesel-electric Narrow 100 1967-1968 4 ex Australian Railroad Group
CLF Diesel-electric Standard 115 1970-1972 2 ex Australian Railroad Group
CLP Diesel-electric Standard 115 1970-1972 4 ex Australian Railroad Group
FJ Diesel-electric Standard 115 1966 2 ex FreightLink
FQ Diesel-electric Standard 115 2003 4 ex FreightLink
GM Diesel-electric Standard 115 1965-1967 10 ex Australian Railroad Group 9 stored
GWA Diesel-electric Standard 115 2011-2012 10
GWN Diesel-electric Narrow 100 2012 5
GWU Diesel-electric Standard 115 2012 9

References

  1. ↑ "AN Sale: Private Owners Go From Zero to Three" Railway Digest October 1997 page 8
  2. ↑ "Australia Southern Railroad" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin August 2000 pp283-284
  3. ↑ "Genesee and Wyoming Starts up with New Name" Railway Digest December 1997 page 8
  4. ↑ "ASR Rail Shuttle Takes Trucks out of Port Adelaide" Railway Digest September 1999 page 15
  5. ↑ "ASR Takes Over BHP Whyalla Steel Lines" Railway Digest January 2000 page 13
  6. ↑ "Australian Railroad Group buys Westrail freight" Railway Digest October 2000 page 23
  7. ↑ Company History Wesfarmers
  8. ↑ Sale of Australian Railroad Group Wesfarmers 14 February 2006
  9. ↑ FreightLink-owned Adelaide-Darwin railway to be sold to US company Genesee & Wyoming Adelaide Advertiser 9 June 2010
  10. ↑ Genesee & Wyoming Signs Deal to Acquire Freightlink railway-technology.com 11 June 2010
  11. ↑ "Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Signs Agreement to Acquire FreightLink". PRNewswire. 9 June 2010.
  12. ↑ G&W and Macquarie to buy Glencore Rail coal haulage business Railway Gazette International 20 October 2016
  13. ↑ Western Victorian Railfan Guide
  14. ↑ Genesee & Wyoming Australia Rail Operations Genesee & Wyoming Inc
  15. ↑ Network map Genesee & Wyoming Australia
  16. ↑ "Penrice soda ash plant at Osborne closing" ABC News 24 June 2014
  17. ↑ "Penrice stoney and SBR iron trains cease" Railway Digest August 2014 page 19
  18. 1 2 "Mallee rail lines to be used this season" Railway Digest October 2014 page 20
  19. ↑ "Freight Study and Rail Operations Investigation" "Regional Development Australia - Murraylands and Riverland Inc" 17 November 2014
  20. ↑ "ABB Grain in five-year deal with GWA" Sydney Morning Herald 17 September 2008
  21. ↑ "Australia Wide Fleet List 2014" Motive Power issue 96 November 2014 pages 67-68
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