Australia’s largest rail freight company, Aurizon, today announced ramp-up of national interstate container services for customers
September 28, 2023 -- Aurizon has continued the ramp-up of national interstate container services for customers, with the commencement this week of the first Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane service.

Aurizon will operate the weekly return service on the Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane corridor, anchored by cornerstone customer Team Global Express (TGE). It will originate from Melbourne on Wednesday; connect through Glenlee terminal in Sydney’s west near Campbelltown on Thursday; and continue through to the Brisbane Multimodal terminal at the Port of Brisbane for a Friday arrival.
The service caters to a range of containerised freight, including local manufactured goods and produce together with import and export traffic, in a co-ordinated port-rail-terminal-rail-port service.
To coincide with the new service, Aurizon has secured a long-term lease at the Glenlee Terminal which has direct access to the north-south rail corridor and proximity to major arterial roads and Hume Highway.
The Melbourne-Sydney-Brisbane linehaul service is the third linehaul interstate service implemented by Aurizon’s Containerised Freight business, following the commencement of two Melbourne-Perth services in April and July.
Aurizon’s Group Executive Containerised Freight, Gareth Long said he was delighted with growing customer interest and inquiries for the linehaul services.
“We’ve just completed a national round of business briefings (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane) where our team shared with freight industry leaders details on Aurizon’s service offering and the investment we’re making in new wagons, rollingstock and portside services, he said.
In brief
Aurizon says it has begun a weekly return container rail service linking Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with Team Global Express as its anchor customer. The route began this week, departing Melbourne on Wednesday, passing through Glenlee Terminal in Sydney on Thursday and reaching the Port of Brisbane on Friday. The company says the service can carry manufactured goods, produce and import and export freight. Aurizon has also taken a long-term lease at Glenlee Terminal. The new route is the third interstate linehaul service introduced by its Containerised Freight business, after two Melbourne–Perth services began earlier in the year. Aurizon says it plans to add customers as capacity grows, supported by investments in wagons, rollingstock, terminal and port equipment. It previously received an 11-year rail linehaul contract from TGE.
Key takeaways
- Aurizon has started a weekly return container service on the Melbourne–Sydney–Brisbane corridor.
- Team Global Express is the service’s anchor customer.
- Aurizon has secured a long-term lease at Glenlee Terminal in Sydney’s west.
- The company says capacity and customer numbers are expected to grow as investments are commissioned.
“While our key focus has been on ensuring we deliver the capacity and reliability for TGE on these new services, we will continue to onboard additional customers as our capacity ramps up into the New Year.
“By growing capacity on these linehaul routes, Aurizon is able to offer customers more options and flexibility for their inter-city transport requirements.
“We are looking forward to increased activity for our business, as investments that we are making in new rollingstock, terminal and port equipment are progressively commissioned to support existing and new customers,” Gareth said.
In February 2023, Aurizon was awarded an Australia-wide 11-year contract with TGE, for rail linehaul services connecting Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne Sydney and Brisbane.
Pictured: This week’s first service, arriving today (28 Sept) into Glenlee terminal, Sydney.
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. This includes retail goods and groceries in containerised freight to cities and towns across our national footprint; future-facing commodities such as grain, phosphate and critical minerals; and of high-quality Australian coal and iron ore for export. We operate and manage 5,100 kilometres of track infrastructure that supports thriving domestic and export industries. This includes the Tarcoola to Darwin railway, a vital supply chain for central Australia that feeds into the nation’s closest port to Asia; and the Central Queensland Coal Network which includes 2,100 kilometres of electrified corridor that is able to tap into renewable energy sources from the Queensland grid.
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At a glance
- Company
- Aurizon
- Ticker
- ASX: AZJ
- Announcement
- Expansion
- Location
- Australia
Key figures
- Service frequency
- weekly return service
- TGE contract term
- 11-year
People
- Gareth LongGroup Executive Containerised Freight