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9220.0.55.001 - Rail Freight Movements, Australia, Summary - Electronic Delivery, 2001-02 and 2002-03  
Latest ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 29/07/2004   
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SUMMARY OF FINDINGS


INTRODUCTION

This publication presents results from the 2002 and 2003 Rail Freight Movements collection and provides estimates of freight moved by rail for the reference periods 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002 and 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003.

Data were compiled from information provided by all rail freight operators. These data complement previously published freight movements data released in the publication, Freight Movements, Australia, Summary (cat. no. 9220.0).

Tonne-kilometres

Rail freight travelled 164.4 billion tonne-kilometres in the 12 months ended 30 June 2003, an increase of 7.4% (11.3 billion) over the 153.1 billion tonne-kilometres travelled in the year ended 30 June 2002.

Tonnes

For the 12 months ended 30 June 2003, 598.6 million tonnes of freight was carried by rail. This is an increase of 5.7% (32.3 million) on the 566.3 million tonnes carried in the year ended 30 June 2002.

Table 1. Tonnes carried and tonne-kilometres travelled, Australia
2001-02
2002-03
Change 2001-02 to 2002-03
'000
'000
%
Tonne-kilometres
153,145,878
164,436,867
7.4
Tonnes
566,284
598,593
5.7
COMMODITIES MOVED

Tonne-kilometres

Crude materials, inedible, except fuels increased 12.2% from 68.5 billion to 76.8 billion tonne-kilometres travelled between 2001-02 and 2002-03. This commodity group contributed 46.7% to the total tonne-kilometres travelled in 2002-03.

The drought in 2002-03 affected the amount of tonne-kilometres travelled for the commodity group of Food and live animals. This commodity fell 35.2% (3.1 billion) from 8.7 billion in 2001-02 to 5.6 billion tonne-kilometres in 2002-03.
Table 2. Commodities moved, Australia - Tonne-kilometres
2001-02
Percentage of total
2002-03
Percentage of total
'000
%
'000
%
Commodity description
Food and live animals
8,674,489
5.7
5,620,413
3.4
Beverages and tobacco
15,612
-
13,224
-
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels
68,461,858
44.7
76,824,984
46.7
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes
-
-
-
-
Chemical and related products n.e.s.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Machinery and transport equipment
33,117
-
n.p.
n.p.
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
n.p.
n.p.
2,637
-
Commodities and transactions n.e.s.
20,301,481
13.3
24,035,970
14.6
Total
153,145,878
100.0
164,436,867
100.0
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
n.p. not published
n.e.s. not elsewhere specified
Tonnes

The tonnes carried for the commodity group Crude materials, inedible, except fuels increased by 12.6% (33.1 million) between 2001-02 and 2002-03. This commodity accounted for 49.5% (263.5 m illion) of the total tonnes carried in 2002-03 and 46.5% (296.6 million) in 2001-02.

The two commodity groups of Crude materials, inedible, except fuels and Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials accounted for 89.4% (506.1 million) of tonnes carried in 2001-02 and 90.7% (543.0 million) in 2002-03.

The tonnage of Food and live animals carried fell 28.0% (7.8 million) from 27.8 million tonnes to 20.0 million tonnes between 2001-02 and 2002-03. Drought impacted this commodity group.

Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials showed a small increase of 1.6% over the two periods rising from 242.6 million tonnes to 246.4 million tonnes carried.
Table 3. Commodities moved, Australia - Tonnes
2001-02
Percentage of total
2002-03
Percentage of total
'000
%
'000
%
Commodity description
Food and live animals
27,793
4.9
20,019
3.3
Beverages and tobacco
56
-
72
-
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels
263,509
46.5
296,588
49.5
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials
242,559
42.8
246,404
41.2
Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes
-
-
-
-
Chemical and related products n.e.s.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by materials
11,089
2.0
12,313
2.1
Machinery and transport equipment
60
-
n.p.
n.p.
Miscellaneous manufactured articles
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Commodities and transactions n.e.s.
18,355
3.2
19,919
3.3
Total
566,284
100.0
598,593
100.0
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
n.p. not published
n.e.s. not elsewhere specified

METHOD OF TRANSPORT

Tonne-kilometres

Solid bulk as a method of freight transport accounted for a total of 123.1 billion tonne-kilometres in 2001-02 and 130.5 billion tonne-kilometres in 2002-03. This represented approximately 80% of the total tonne-kilometres travelled in each of these periods.

Freight in containers accounted for 14.5% (22.2 billion) of all tonne-kilometers travelled in 2001-02 and 15.9% (26.2 billion) in 2002-03. This represents an increase of 18.2% between the two periods.
Table 4. Method of transport, Australia - Tonne-kilometres
2001-02
Percentage of total
2002-03
Percentage of total
'000
%
'000
%
Method
Solid bulk
123,115,915
80.4
130,503,149
79.4
Liquid bulk
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Freight in containers
22,178,694
14.5
26,224,458
15.9
Other freight
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
n.p.
Total
153,145,878
100.0
164,436,867
100.0
n.p. not published
Tonnes

For the 12 months ended 30 June 2003, 561.5 million tonnes of freight was moved as Solid bulk. This represents an increase of 5.4% on the 532.8 million tonnes carried by this method in 2001-02. Approximately 94.0% of all tonnes carried in both reference periods was in the form of Solid bulk.

Containerised freight was the method of transport for approximately 4.0% of all the tonnes carried in both periods. The tonnage of freight transported in containers increased 4.7% between the two periods from 22.4 million tonnes to 23.4 million tonnes.
Table 5. Method of transport, Australia - Tonnes
2001-02
Percentage of total
2002-03
Percentage of total
'000
%
'000
%
Method
Solid bulk
532,790
94.1
561,519
93.8
Liquid bulk
2,663
0.5
3,331
0.6
Freight in containers
22,387
4.0
23,450
3.9
Other freight
8,444
1.5
10,293
1.7
Total
566,284
100.0
598,593
100.0

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