FreightCorp
{{Short description|Former feight rail operator in New South Wales}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = FreightCorp
|type = state-owned corporation
|nativename =
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|logo =
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|picture = 44240 FRBlue broadmeadow loco 1990.jpg
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|picture_caption = 44240 at Broadmeadow Locomotive Depot
|formed = 16 January 1989
|dissolved = 31 January 2002
|preceding1 = State Rail Authority
|superseding = Pacific National
|jurisdiction = New South Wales
|headquarters = Parramatta
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|minister1_name =
|minister1_pfo = Minister for Transport
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|parent_agency = State Rail Authority
|child1_agency =
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|keydocument1 = Transport Administration Act 1988 (NSW)
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FreightCorp, formally Freight Rail, was a railway operator owned by the Government of New South Wales. It was responsible for intrastate and some interstate railway cargo handling from its foundation in January 1989 until it was privatised in August 2002.
History
File:8204 8202 8201 at Port Augusta.JPG locomotives at Port Augusta in December 2006]]
In January 1989, the freight operations of the State Rail Authority were transferred to Freight Rail pursuant to the {{Cite Legislation AU|NSW|act||Transport Administration Act 1988}}.[http://search.records.nsw.gov.au/agencies/1633 Freight Rail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302014730/http://search.records.nsw.gov.au/agencies/1633 |date=2 March 2014 }} New South Wales State Records
On 1 July 1996, Freight Rail was corporatised."Freight Rail Corporation's Organisational Structure" Railway Digest September 1996 page 10[http://search.records.nsw.gov.au/agencies/1079 FreightCorp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222140810/http://search.records.nsw.gov.au/agencies/1079 |date=22 February 2014 }} New South Wales State Records On 24 October 1996, Freight Rail was relaunched as FreightCorp."FreightCorp Launched" Railway Digest November 1996 page 7
On 1 February 2002, along with National Rail, FreightCorp was sold to a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings as Pacific National."FreightCorp for sale with National Rail" Railway Digest October 2000 page 17[http://www.abc.net.au/rural/sa/stories/s470529.htm Freightcorp and National Rail Corporation sold to National Rail Consortium for one billion dollars] ABC News 31 January 2002
Operations
When established in 1989, Freight Rail was responsible for the operation of all rail freight services in New South Wales. It was also responsible for providing locomotives to haul passenger services for CityRail and CountryLink. Following the opening up of the New South Wales network to other operators, it began to face competition from other operators. Interstate services were transferred to National Rail in the mid-1990s. In 1999, it began to operate coal trains in South Australia on the Leigh Creek to Stirling North line to the Northern Power Station, Port Augusta."Freight Carriers Move into New Markets" Railway Digest January 1999 page 9
Fleet
Freight Rail inherited all of the State Rail Authority's locomotive fleet. In February 1992, it awarded contracts for fifty-eight 82 class and twenty-nine 90 class locomotives. These allowed it to withdraw most of the 422, 44, 442, 45 and 49 class locomotives. After experimenting with a green and yellow livery, a dark blue, yellow and white livery was introduced in 1991.