At a glance
- Company
- Aurizon
- Ticker
- ASX: AZJ
- Announcement
- Partnership
- Location
- Australia
Key figures
- Agreement term
- three-year
- East Coast weekly services after change
- eight
- SCT weekly services
- five
- Aurizon weekly services
- three
- Potential East/West corridor weekly services
- from seven to eight
- Expected Cross River Rail completion
- 2029
People
- George LippiattGroup Executive of Bulk and Containerised Freight at Aurizon
Products and programs
November 11, 2025 -- Aurizon has developed an innovative new customer-focused solution to help support its growing Containerised Freight business.
A new agreement with SCT Logistics will deliver Aurizon customers increased frequency and faster services on rail on the East Coast of Australia. The three-year agreement will also help mitigate the ongoing disruption for customers caused by the construction of the Cross River Rail project in South East Queensland.
“Not only will this agreement provide improved planning and service execution resilience to mitigate closures associated with the Cross River Rail project, but it will also significantly enhance the service offering we can provide to our customers,” said George Lippiatt, Group Executive of Bulk and Containerised Freight at Aurizon.
“On the East Coast between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne customers will have increased services from three to eight with five services to be operated by SCT and three to be operated by Aurizon*. As an outcome of this agreement, Aurizon has also separately decided to look at offering an additional weekly service on the East/West corridor from Sydney/Melbourne to Perth moving from seven to eight from mid-2026.
“It’s a great outcome for our customers and a great outcome for the community as well with our trains carrying everything from vital supermarket essentials to refrigerated goods, machinery and equipment.”
Mr Lippiatt said Aurizon currently used terminal facilities at the Brisbane Multimodal Terminal (BMT) at Port of Brisbane for loading and unloading of trains on the Melbourne to Brisbane route.
“We have a strong working relationship with BMT, however unfortunately access to the terminal requires our trains to cross or intersect with key interface points of the Cross River Rail construction.
“While we appreciate the importance of the Cross River Rail project it has caused significant ongoing disruption to our business with repeated closures of sections of the rail network. Construction is now not expected to be completed until 2029, and this disruption is expected to intensify in coming years.
“Therefore, to mitigate this impact for our customers we have entered into an agreement with SCT Logistics to use their terminal at Bromelton, south of Brisbane and outside the construction footprint of Cross River Rail. As part of this agreement, which is intended to remain in place for the duration of the Cross River Rail project, SCT will also provide a ‘hook & pull’ arrangement for our trains to and from the Bromelton terminal."
*SCT will operate five weekly services (Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne) and Aurizon will operate three weekly services (Sydney/Melbourne).
About Aurizon:
Aurizon (ASX: AZJ) is Australia’s largest rail freight operator and an ASX-listed company. Each year, the Company transports more than 250 million tonnes of Australian commodities, connecting miners, primary producers and industry with international and domestic markets. It provides customers with integrated freight and logistics solutions across an extensive national rail and road network, traversing Australia.
About SCT Logistics:
SCT Logistics is a privately owned Australian company that provides national transport and logistics services, including scheduled containerised freight services, warehousing and distribution.
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Questions around this news
What changes under Aurizon’s agreement with SCT Logistics?
The three-year agreement is intended to increase weekly East Coast services between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne from three to eight. SCT is to operate five services and Aurizon three. The arrangement also gives Aurizon access to SCT’s Bromelton terminal and includes train movements to and from that terminal.
What does a “hook and pull” arrangement mean in rail freight?
A hook-and-pull arrangement is an operating model in which one rail operator supplies locomotives and crew to haul another operator’s train. The train’s owner or customer may retain responsibility for other parts of the service, depending on the agreement. The phrase describes the hauling service rather than the freight itself.
Why will Aurizon use a terminal at Bromelton?
Aurizon says its existing terminal access at the Port of Brisbane involves crossing or intersecting with rail interfaces affected by Cross River Rail construction. The Bromelton terminal, south of Brisbane, is outside the project’s construction footprint. The arrangement is intended to reduce customer impacts from network closures and remain in place for the project’s duration.
What is containerised freight?
Containerised freight is cargo packed into standardised containers for transport. Containers can be transferred between modes such as rail, road and ship, which can simplify handling and help keep goods protected during transit. The cargo may include many types of products, from consumer goods to machinery.
