VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA — GrainCorp on Sept. 21 said it welcomed the announcement from the Victorian Government by the Minister for Transport the Hon. Terry Mulder MP of the decision to repair and upgrade the Rainbow rail line in western Victoria.

The investment of up to C$5.3 million by the Victorian government will be complemented by GrainCorp’s contribution of C$1 million to the cost of track repair, and a commitment to invest up to $2 million in grain storage site upgrades.

GrainCorp Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Alison Watkins said, “GrainCorp is very pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Minister Mulder’s office, the Victorian Department of Transport and Regional Development Victoria on this project.

“Bringing the Yaapeet line back into operation up to Rainbow will be a significant boost to grain producers, the broader community in the region and the town of Rainbow itself. GrainCorp believes that rail is the most cost and carbon efficient method of transporting grain long distance.

“The partnership with the Victorian Government to reopen and upgrade the line to Rainbow will allow more export grain to be shipped by rail. This will help ease the road repair burden on local councils by reducing truck volumes on local roads, and expanding the use of rail will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It should also lead to a reduction in transport costs passed back to growers.”

Project overview

Rail line

  • Repair and upgrade the line to Rainbow to ‘Silver’ status, allowing trains to run at higher speeds and axle loads.

Rainbow grain elevator

  • Increase grain bunker storage capacity.
  • Additional grain receival capacity for faster truck turnaround at harvest.
  • Higher volume rail out load leading to more efficient rail operations and reduced train rotation times.
  • Sealing of pavement areas at the Rainbow site to reduce environmental effects on neighbors.

“Rail line repair and upgrade works to Rainbow will commence shortly, as will our works at Rainbow. We look forward to working with growers and the trade this coming harvest to make the most of this very welcome investment by the Victorian Government,” Watkins said.