Representatives of the West Coast Wilderness Railway have today taken possession of one of two TasRail hi-rail vehicles being offered on extended loan. The hi-rail vehicles will play an integral part in assisting to re-establish railway services on the west coast of Tasmania.

CEO Damien White said that while TasRail had a clear mission to revitalise freight rail in Tasmania, the company was mindful of its own history, and the role it can play in the Tasmanian heritage and tourism rail ecosystem.

“TasRail fully understands the perils of trying to rebuild from a very low base of degraded infrastructure.

“The West Coast Wilderness Railway is in a similar situation as TasRail was three years ago. We have now moved from rail recovery to rail revitalisation, and we want to help the West Coast Wilderness Railway to a speedy turnaround.

Once safety issues associated with the use of hi-rail vehicles in the unique terrain have been addressed, the hi-rail vehicles will enable desperately needed track upgrades to be undertaken more quickly.

The West Coast Wilderness Railway is endeavouring to be fully operational before the start of the peak tourist season.

General Manager for the Abt Railway Ministerial Corporation Mr Phil Vickers said the loan of the hi-rail vehicles was a significant boost to the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

“I fully acknowledge the generous assistance of TasRail in loaning these vehicles, and the appreciation of the staff for both the moral and material support provided.”

About TasRail

www.tasrail.com.au

TasRail is a State-owned Company, established on 1 December 2009 by an Act of the Tasmanian Parliament. The principal objectives of the business are set out in the Rail Company Act 2009 and require the Company to operate a rail business in Tasmania, effectively and efficiently and to operate its activities in accordance with sound commercial practice. With a workforce of around 260 men and women, Tasmania’s current freight task is approximately 2.5 million tonnes per year – generating annual revenue in the order of $35 million. Since it was established, TasRail has spent $97.7 million purchasing goods and services from more than 900 Tasmanian Companies.
TasRail conservatively estimates that the freight it transports by rail each year effectively removes the equivalent of 100,000 B-Double truck movements from the State’s road network. Even after taking into account the total of TasRail’s reported annual carbon emissions (fuel and energy), this equates to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of some 45,800 tonnes.
TasRail CEO Damien White