Grain train turnaround times slashed at CBH’s Brookton site as first of $400m worth of rail upgrades wraps up

CBH Group has put the finishing touches on the first of $400 million worth of grain rail upgrades in WA, with a major rail siding extension at Brookton slashing the time it takes to load a 50-wagon train at the site by more than an hour. The Brookton project is the first of 11 rail siding upgrades being undertaken through the Agricultural Supply Chain Improvements program, with a 650m-long rail siding extension now in action. The work will also allow longer trains to load at CBH’s Brookton site — adjacent to the Great Southern Line — without causing congestion on the main line. CBH chief executive officer Ben Macnamara said construction of the 650m-long rail siding at Brookton broke ground in February this year and was completed less than six months later — marking an exciting milestone for the co-operative. “The newly extended rail siding is already delivering benefits through reduced train turnaround times, simpler shunting plans, less manual handling, and improved safety,” Mr Macnamara said. “The time it takes to load a standard 50-wagon train has been reduced by over an hour, which is having an immediate effect on our outloading capacity, ensuring our supply chain can export more grain to customers when needed. “We are loading longer trains at Brookton, further improving the efficiency and reliability of our rail operations.” A total $200m of rail siding projects have been funded by the WA and Federal Governments through package 1 of the ASCI program, which aims to speed up how quickly WA’s bumper harvests can get to port for export. The government contribution will be used to upgrade rail sidings at 11 of CBH’s busiest grain bins, as well as a 75km stretch of rail between Mingenew and Carnamah and to potentially recommission a small part of WA’s shuttered Tier 3 grain network. CBH and its grower members will tip in $200m in to complete rapid rail loading upgrades at the same 11 sites. Mr Macnamara said CBH was already experiencing the “productivity and reliability benefits” enabled by the expansion. “I want to thank the WA and Commonwealth governments for their commitment to invest in our State’s agricultural infrastructure to boost regional economies,” he said. “Thank you to everyone at CBH who worked on the project, and to contractors Multiplant and Railtrain, for their skills and experience in delivering this project safely and ahead of schedule.” A pre-feasibility study is in progress to upgrade the rapid rail loading facility at Brookton, which Mr Macnamara said was expected to further increase the outloading performance of the site and unlock the further benefits from the new siding. Of the remaining ASCI-funded projects, construction is ongoing at the Broomehill rail siding extension, and construction is scheduled to start at the Cranbrook and Moora projects in the March quarter of next year. CBH is progressing the remaining seven rail siding extension projects with an aim to have them ready for execution by the end of 2024. Brookton is a key receival site for CBH, with more than 400,000t throughput each harvest and more than 127,000 tonnes of permanent storage added to the site by CBH last year. RAIL SIDING UPGRADES AND TIMEFRAMES Complete Brookton Work under way Broomehill Work to start by March 2024 Moora Cranbrook Work to start by the end of 2024 Avon Kellerberrin Dowerin Konnongorring Ballidu Mingenew Perenori North