Media Release

5 September 2001

Lang and Toll form consortium to bid for National Rail and Freightcorp

The Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments last month announced they would proceed with the joint sale of the two rail businesses and would seek expressions of interest from the private sector.

In a joint statement, the Managing Director of Toll Holdings Limited Mr. Paul Little and the Managing Director of Lang Corporation Mr. Chris Corrigan said, “The sale of Freightcorp and NRC represents a unique opportunity to transform and grow Australia’s railway services to become a viable and effective alternative to road transport. 

“We believe the consortium will bring together the management expertise, financial strength and market knowledge needed to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of rail operations nationally.

“Toll and Lang have complementary but different business strategies which, to be successful, require a reliable, cost effective rail service able to support customers who want national and international logistics solutions.

“Toll is NRC’s largest intermodal customer and is focussed on improving the efficiency of rail freight movement between the capital cities and encouraging modal shift to rail from both interstate and regional markets. 

“Lang is following a strategy of improving rail links to the Ports so it can offer a seamless service for importers and exporters.

“Our clear objective is to dramatically improve rail’s share of domestic and international freight and to deliver very significant efficiency improvements to existing and potential rail users.

“In recent years rail’s share of the intermodal interstate freight task has fallen to approximately 20% with the remainder held by road transport. Road has enjoyed significant Government support over many years with massive infrastructure spending and regulatory benefits such as increased mass limits. 

“For rail to be re-invigorated there must be dramatic improvements in the management and operation of above-rail services and real commitment from Governments to improved infrastructure management and performance.”

Lang: Chris Corrigan 0418 677 701 
Toll:    Paul Little          0418 335 053