The Brisbane - Sydney main line reopened its Queensland section...

The Brisbane - Sydney main line reopened its Queensland section by last night, so Brisbane - Melbourne and the less frequent Brisbane - Sydney intermodals that can be up to about 84 wagons (c.1500 metres in length) have been rolling again, thank goodness.

CEO Mr Kim Lindsay advised at the AGM that the company was now railing 100 containers a month from Melbourne to Brisbane, and briefly referred to how further contracts had been recently signed. This came across as very positive, as increased use of rail so far has been profitable.

On top of the trains delayed by a few days due to the washaways and water over tracks (including I gather at one of the famous Border Loop tunnels, near where trains loop around themselves to gain altitude in one direction), some others are still late: a Melbourne - Brisbane is about 10 hours late, less than 90 minutes from reaching the Pacific National freight terminal at Acacia Ridge.

However what had been becoming a reasonably major competitor to rail, coastal shipping using foreign-flagged ships with a permit issued by the Federal Department of Transport, has almost ceased since the onset of COVID-19, due partly to State Premiers' concerns about foreign seafarers.

An arguably bigger factor is how the shipping lines regularly run between three or four days and three weeks late as delays compound at Australian, southeast Asian and other ports. Shipping companies then decide a vessel will 'miss' a scheduled port call such as Melbourne or Sydney, and similarly do this for one or more Asian ports in an effort to regain lost time.

Here's one example from Japanese-owned, Singapore-headquartered Ocean Network Express that is 2018-formed amalgamation of three formerly well known Japanese lines such as "K" Line:

(note how the ship spent excessive time in Sydney, and how Melbourne containers are hugely delayed including with the vessel used for the transfer taking eight days from Botany Bay to the Port of Melbourne due to waiting for a berth at the latter, as ports can be congested. Not conducive to interstate freight movements):

01/12/2021
Revised Notice to Clients – Vessel Port Omission
(Melbourne)
POHORJEKQ141A / KQ143R

We wish to advise 'POHORJE' V. KQ141A / KQ0143Ris facing lengthy schedule delays
and in an effort to improve longer term schedule integrity, the Melbourne port call of
'POHORJE' V. KQ141A / KQ0143R will be omitted
Port
Brisbane 17/11 to 18/11
Sydney 25/11 to 1/12
Melbourne OMIT

Import cargo onboard the 'POHORJE' V. KQ141A / KQ0143Rfor Melbourne
will be discharging at Sydney and transshipped to Melbourne. Transshipment
plan with tentative schedule as follow, subject to change:
MOL PROFICIENCY V.143S/147Sydney: depart 7./12
ETA Melbourne: 15/12