Of fumes and freight: why Australian cargo is increasingly being sent on trucks, not trains

Though trucking is more expensive in fuel costs than transport by rail, a number of other advantages have seen its popularity rise in comparison. Photograph: Felix Cesare/Getty Images

The amount of freight moved by train across Australia has plummeted, with just 2% of goods now transported between Sydney and Melbourne by rail amid concern at the pollution and safety risks caused by the surging number of trucks on highways.

Rail is still a popular mode of transport for mining and resource companies across the country. Strong private investment in tracks has resulted in 72% of bulk goods, such as iron ore, coal and other commodities in Australia, being transported domestically by rail compared with 12% transported by road, according to figures for 2021-22 from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (Bitre).