RAA urges Eyre Peninsula rail network be maintained, or roads upgraded as uncertainty surrounds future of Port Lincoln’s trains

Thousands of extra trucks will be needed in SA’s west if something is not done to fix the region’s railways amid fears grain freight could be about to hit the road.

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The Eyre Peninsula’s rail network must be maintained or the region would face with the “disastrous” outcome of thousands of extra trucks on its roads, the RAA has warned.

There are growing concerns Viterra will stop using rail freight in the region during harvest, forcing an extra 30,000 truck movements through Port Lincoln to its port. Viterra’s three-year rail agreement with Genesee & Wyoming was to expire at the end of 2018, but was extended until May 31 to meet export bookings for the current season.

RAA road safety manager Charles Mountain said without significant investment in the road network, simply transferring rail freight to road would be “unacceptable”.

“If the decision is made to cease rail movements, it will have a significant and quite disastrous impact on the existing road network and can only be mitigated by significant investment to combat the loss of the rail,” Mr Mountain said.

“Consideration should be given to at least maintaining and upgrading the rail network so it continues to carry its share of grain traffic.”

Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula Regional Development Australia chief executive Dion Dorward said the number of trucks passing through towns had been a concern “for a long time”.

“We’ve all been amazed no one has been seriously injured,” Mr Dorward said.

“It’s a testimony to the truckies — their driving skills are brilliant.”

Mr Dorward said the RDA had made unsuccessful attempts to meet with the State Government to discuss long-term solutions if the rail network were to close.

The Sunday Mail reported in December about 33 local rail employees had been given letters of interest for redundancies, but were in the dark about the rail’s future. The Transport Department and Genesee & Wyoming commissioned a report in December 2017 to investigate the viability of the rail, which was to be completed in June last year.

Transport Minister Stephan Knoll said the Government was still considering the report and it would be “premature” to release it until that was finalised.