Australian Railroad Group

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Australian Railroad Group (ARG) is one of Australia's largest private rail operators, operating across almost 10,000 kilometres of track and began operating in Western Australia on December 17, 2000 following its purchase of the Westrail freight business.

The South Australian Operations operates over almost 5,000 kilometres of track providing intrastate rail freight haulage of bulk commodities to key industries as well as short-haul shunting and terminal operations. These lines were operated by the Australian National Railways Commission, prior to its privatisation in 1997.

The ARG consortium is also is a member of the Asia Pacific Transport Consortium chosen to build the Alice Springs to Darwin Railway line.

ARG is a Western Australian based joint venture between Wesfarmers Limited, a major Australian industrial organisation and international rail operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc of the United States of America.

The main commodities hauled by ARG include grain, mineral sands, alumina, bauxite, coal, woodchips, quartz, nickel and iron ore.

On 14 February 2006 it was announced that ARG was to be sold: the WA below rail business to Babcock & Brown Limited and the above rail business to Queensland Rail. The SA below rail business was retained by Genesee & Wyoming.

On 1 June 2006 the purchase of ARG by Babcock & Brown and QR was finalised. QR National press release

[edit] ARG Locomotive Classification

With the introduction of the ARG name and corporate colours, ARG began a gradual process of standardising the locomotive classification based on horsepower, with a progressive (and still incomplete) renumbering as follows:

Note: As of February 2006 new letter classes will be used in conjunction with the new horsepower based numbering system (The Z on the end of some class letters refers to locomotives fitted with ZTR) .

• 600 class (ex SAR 600 class)
• 700 class (ex SAR 700 class)
• 830 class (ex SAR 830 class)
• DA/900 class (ex AN DA class)
• CK/1000 class (ex AN CK class)
• A class (ex WAGR A class)
• DE/1300 class (ex BHP DE class)
• AB/1500 class (ex WAGR AB class)
• NJ/1600 class (ex CR NJ class)
• GM/1800 class (ex CR GM class)
• DA/DAZ/1900 class (ex WAGR DA class)
• DC/2200 class (ex NSWGR 422 class)
• DB/DBZ/2300 class (ex WAGR DB class)
• D/2350 class (ex WAGR D class)
• P/2500 class (ex WAGR P class)
• CL/CLZ/3000 class (ex AN CLF/CLP classes)
• L/LZ/3100 class (ex WAGR L class)
• ALF/3200 class (ex AN ALF class)
• S/3300 class (ex Westrail S class)
• Q/4000 class (ex Westrail Q class)

[edit] West Australian Facilities

• Forrestfield Yard, Forrestfield, suburban Perth
• Kwinana Yard, Kwinana
• Avon Yard, Northam
• West Merredin Yard, Merredin
• Picton Yard, Bunbury
• West Kalgoorlie Yard, Kalgoorlie
• Narngulu Yard, Narngulu, Geraldton
• Esperance Depot, Esperance
• Wagin Depot, Wagin

[edit] External links

• Australian Railroad Group