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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Elias Visontay Transport and urban affairs reporter

Freight operators will buy new diesel trains if governments don’t back green alternatives, industry says

Freight train in Victoria
Freight train in Victoria. Sending freight by rail is now a competitively sustainable option – generating up to 16 times fewer emissions than trucks. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

The future of Australian rail freight is at a “critical juncture”, the industry says.

Transporting cargo generally relies on diesel-powered trains, and with no plans on the horizon to electrify the vast sections of tracks connecting Australia’s largest cities, the sector is worried operators will have little choice but to reinvest in diesel locomotives, ultimately harming its ability to decarbonise in coming decades.

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