Aurizon landbridge plan brings enhanced port role into play

A new plan to maximise the railway and port has seen a boost in freight through Darwin and the Top End. Read why it changed.

A new partnership between the operator of the Alice Springs to Darwin railway and a national shipping company is already boosting container traffic through Darwin Port.

Railway owner Aurizon is partnering with Australian National Line to deliver land-briding services linking the continent’s north and south, to move product in-and-out of Asia and beyond.

Aurizon said the partnership would deliver land-bridging supply chain solutions for Asia Pacific container traffic through Darwin Port.

It would offer customers shipping from Asian Pacific ports to Darwin, with direct rail connection to Adelaide and southern Australian destinations as required.

An Aurizon train in Alice Springs. March 2025. Picture: Gera Kazakov

Aurizon said the integrated shipping-rail solution is already available from ports in Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Korea and other Asian and subcontinental ports.

It said every ANL vessel that had sailed into Darwin since November 2024 has included land-bridging containers bound for the southern states.

Aurizon developed the land-bridging solution on the back of the acquisition in 2022 of the 2200-kilometre railway as well as terminal and stevedoring assets at the Darwin Port.

When plans were being drafted ahead of the railway’s construction, land-bridging between southern Australia and Asia was a key driver for the project to go ahead.

Aurizon executive Gareth Long said its partnership with ANL would allow the company to expand its operation beyond the rail line.

“Aurizon saw an opportunity to offer another service – an alternate supply chain for shippers and freight customers, in addition to the existing business that was already operating on this rail corridor,” Mr Long said.

“This leverages the existing assets of efficient track infrastructure and double-stacked container freight trains, integrated with Aurizon’s port and terminal facilities in Darwin.

“Aurizon is delighted to establish a regular schedule service with global shipping line ANL into Darwin, and we see strong opportunities to grow volumes as we demonstrate to customers the benefits of the ocean and rail service.”

ANL general manager Lincoln Dundas said the company would partner with industry to open new routes and markets.

“ANL is pleased to partner with Aurizon on this new supply chain solution into Australia, we are committed to developing new options or routes for our customers in a mature market, in partnership with industry,” Mr Dundas said.

“The ocean and rail supply chain provides our customers with optionality and the potential to deliver material time savings, with a reliable and efficient, alternate supply chain.”

Plans to construct a railway linking Alice Springs to Darwin had been on the books for more than a century when the project was finally completed.

The first freight train rolled into Darwin in January 2004, with the first Ghan passenger service following about six months later.

Originally published as Aurizon landbridge plan brings enhanced port role into play