CRT Group
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2012}}
{{Infobox company
|name =
|logo =
|former_name = Colin Rees Transport
|founded = 1954
|founder =
|defunct = December 2014
|location_city = Sydney
|location_country = Australia
|locations =
|area_served =
|key_people =
|industry = Intermodal freight transport
|services =
|revenue = $100 million (2014)
|operating_income =
|net_income =
|num_employees = 250 (2014)
|divisions =
|subsid =
|owner =
|homepage = [https://web.archive.org/web/20060819004408/http://crtgroup.com.au/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=9 www.crtgroup.com.au]}}
CRT Group is an intermodal transport company in Australia. It was founded in 1954 as Colin Rees Transport,[http://www.cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?article=9552 Queensland Rail fires freight war salvo] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130119015202/http://www.cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?article=9552 |date=19 January 2013 }} Cargonews Asia 27 June 2005 a taxi truck company in Sydney. In 1981 it became known as the CRT Group,[http://www.tieman.com.au/assets/document/1298507509-tieman_crt_editorial0211_the_european_quality_lightweight_alternative.pdf The European quality lightweight alternative] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325145323/http://tieman.com.au/assets/document/1298507509-tieman_crt_editorial0211_the_european_quality_lightweight_alternative.pdf |date=25 March 2012 }} Tieman Trucks and by the time of its acquisition by QR National in June 2005, was in the top 10 logistics companies in Australia with a turnover of $80 million, and moving over 600,000 tonnes of freight a year.{{cite journal|author = Peter Attenborough|date=February 2006|title = Colin Rees Transport (CRT)|journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine|volume = 22|issue = 256|pages = 36}} The company specialised in the movement of food products, polymers, and plastics.
Railway operations
File:CRT Group loco 7334.jpg at CRT Group's Altona North terminal in March 2007]]
CRT Group operated a number of terminals, with those at Yennora in Sydney and Altona North in Melbourne provided with their own railway sidings. Privately owned X100 and X200 class rail tractors X101, X107, X118, X208, X209 and X216 were used to shunt, as well as larger 73 class shunters 7322, 7333 and 7334 with X209, 7322 and 7334 painted in a blue and off white scheme with CRT Group logos.{{cite journal|author = Peter Attenborough|date=February 2006|title = Colin Rees Transport (CRT)|journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine|volume = 22|issue = 256|pages = 38}}
CRT Group also introduced the first CargoSprinter to Australia in February 2002.CargoSprinter - a new generation of rail technology Railway Digest March 2002 page 8 Built by Windhoff in Germany this Diesel Multiple Unit consists of two driving and power units, each fitted with a full width cab and two Volvo truck engines for propulsion, which operate in a push pull mode, with up to seven trailers in between. The radio communication system in the CargoSprinter is based around a computer running the Linux operating system, with application software written using C, Phoenix and Pascal (Kylix). Original specification CargoSprinter's used USB connections between electronics modules, second generation machines used TCP/IP across a LAN.{{citation|url=http://irse.org.au/index.php/en/component/docman/doc_download/152-australia-wide-communications-system-for-railway-operators?Itemid=71|at=Implementation Example – CargoSprinter, pp. 9–12|title=Australia wide Communications System for Railway Operators|first=John|last=Aitken|publisher=Institution of Railway Signal Engineers Australasia|work=IRSE Technical Convention|access-date=12 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505114812/http://irse.org.au/index.php/en/component/docman/doc_download/152-australia-wide-communications-system-for-railway-operators?Itemid=71|archive-date=5 May 2013|url-status=dead}} After a number of promotional trips, the CargoSprinter operated a tri-weekly service from Melbourne to Wodonga in 2003, followed by a port shuttle from the Port of Melbourne to Altona North from 1 September that year.CRT CargoSprinter begins Melbourne port shuttles Railway Digest October 2003 page 9
The company also owned over 2000 low profile {{convert|30|ft|m}} silver shipping containers that were used on their own services.
Linehaul of freight between CRT Group terminals was contracted to outside railway operators. In the early 2000s Freight Australia was contracted to move freight between Melbourne and Sydney. The contract contained a clause that if Freight Australia was acquired by a competitor of CRT Group, {{convert|10000|hp|abbr=on}} of locomotive power (calculated by the business CRT Group was offering Freight Australia) was to be transferred to CRT Group.{{cite journal|author = Peter Attenborough|date=February 2006|title = Colin Rees Transport (CRT)|journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine|volume = 22|issue = 256|pages = 37}} As a result, when Freight Australia was acquired by Pacific National in 2004, X53, X54, G516 and G534 were transferred to CRT.[http://trackside.wordpress.com/qrnational/ QR National/Interail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110093454/http://trackside.wordpress.com/qrnational/ |date=10 January 2015 }} Trackside After this date linehaul of CRT freight passed to QR National along with the four Freight Australia locomotives, who also operated Melbourne to Brisbane services for the company.{{Victorian Rail-Newsrail|title=Locos Transferred|month=3|year=2005|page=88}}
QR National purchase
In June 2005, QR National acquired CRT Group.[http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/queensland-rail-sorts-logistics-for-acquisition/2005/06/24/1119321906836.html Queensland Rail sorts logistics for acquisition] The Age 25 June 2005Intelligence Railway Gazette International August 2005 page 466CRT Group sold to QR Motive Power issue 41 August 2005 page 6 A revised corporate image was unveiled in August 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.crtgroup.com.au/home/news.asp?nid=47 |title=CRT Group – News |publisher=crtgroup.com.au |accessdate=16 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222164737/http://www.crtgroup.com.au/home/news.asp?nid=47 |archivedate=22 December 2008 }}
Qube Logistics purchase
In August 2014, Qube Logistics entered an agreement to purchase the business from Aurizon.[http://news.iguana2.com/aurizon/ASX/AZJ/811820 Annual Report Year Ended 30 June 2014] Aurizon Holdings[http://www.railexpress.com.au/archive/2014/august-2014/august-27-2014/other-top-stories/qube2019s-profit-grows-20-to-88.6m Qube's profit grows 20% to $88.6 million] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027232242/http://www.railexpress.com.au/archive/2014/august-2014/august-27-2014/other-top-stories/qube2019s-profit-grows-20-to-88.6m |date=27 October 2014 }} Rail Express 27 August 2014 It was completed in December 2014 after the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission approved the sale.[https://www.accc.gov.au/public-registers/mergers-registers/public-informal-merger-reviews/qube-logistics-aust-pty-limited-proposed-acquisition-of-crt-group-pty-ltd Qube Logistics (Aust) Pty Limited - proposed acquisition of CRT Group Pty Ltd] Australian Competition & Consumer Commission 24 September 2014[https://www.railexpress.com.au/crt-sale-bad-weather-slash-aurizon-intermodal/ CRT sale, bad weather slash Aurizon intermodal] Rail Express 20 July 2015