Bin upgrades: CBH Group awards contracts for Broomehill rapid rail and outloading project

Industry-leading upgrades to enable quicker grain outloading will start at CBH Group’s Broomehill receival site next month. The grain handler this week announced two WA-based companies, Martinus Rail and Aerison, had been awarded contracts for the multimillion-dollar Broomehill rapid rail and outloading project. Preliminary works are expected to start in March, with an initial focus on fencing, clearing and earthworks. Martinus Rail — a Australian-owned rail infrastructure and systems specialist — will be responsible for the rail siding construction, while ASX-listed industrial engineering firm Aerison will construct a new fixed-rail loading facility at the Broomehill site. Works are expected significantly to enhance the loading of grain on to wagons and be complete in the first quarter of the 2024 calendar year. Broomehill is the second of 11 rail siding extension projects at sites across CBH’s network to begin construction this year, funded in partnership with the WA and Federal governments under Package 1 of the Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements Program. Broomehill is the first of these projects to include a new fixed rail loading design by Australian bulk storage and handling manufacturers Kotzur. The design includes four 1100t V-bottom silos, a 500t per hour auger pit, 500t per hour elevator with drag conveyors, a 1500t per hour elevator to load trains, and state-of-the-art control room. The rail siding works will consist of more than 2km of track laid adjacent to the mainline, enabling the loading of a 60 wagon train. CBH Group chief executive officer Ben Macnamara said the Broomehill rapid rail and outloading project would deliver supply chain benefits and increase value for WA growers through greater network efficiency. “Once complete, we expect Broomehill to add almost 100,000t to our monthly export capacity, thanks to a significant increase in rail outloading capability,” Mr Macnamara said. “Bigger trains will be able to be loaded in less than half the time, and with a rail passing loop being built, we will be able to run additional train sets in the Albany Port Zone. “This provides greater flexibility within our supply chain, meaning more grain on rail, reducing road transport costs and freeing up road resources for upcountry sites. Safety will be improved, and there are also environmental benefits with putting more grain on rail.” “We are pleased to award the contracts to Martinus and Aerison, two highly-regarded Australian companies who are leaders in their respective fields.” Martinus chief executive Treaven Martinus said the company was proud to have secured the contract. “This project is crucial for WA’s grain supply chain and we’re extremely proud to have been awarded this contract by CBH,” he said. “The Martinus team is ready to get the project under way and would like to thank CBH for backing an Australian company to get the job done.” The award of the Broomehill contracts follows the awarding of contracts for the Brookton rapid rail and outloading project in January. “It is exciting to start construction on another rapid rail and outloading project this year,” Mr Macnamara said. “Improving the outloading capabilities of WA’s grain supply chain is a major focus for CBH. “We are proud to invest — alongside the Government’s rail siding projects — with rapid rail loading infrastructure to ensure longer trains can be loaded faster and get to port more efficiently. “Two record harvests in a row highlights the need to continually improve the network to ensure we can move more tonnes to port to meet market demand. “Improving our outloading infrastructure, especially through rail upgrades, is critical for us to achieve CBH’s strategic objective of exporting at a peak of 3Mt per month by 2033, and we are doing this as quickly and efficiently as possible.”