Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal

Salta Properties and the Victorian Government have signed an agreement to develop the Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal.

The Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government will jointly invest $28 million on government owned land to connect rail to Salta’s Intermodal Terminal site boundary as part of  Government’s  objective to retain Victoria’s status as the number one destination for containerised freight in Australia.

On completion, the Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal will be a 24 hour a day fully automated terminal and will offer a safer working environment for users. Trucks will have dedicated lanes for loading and unloading, and the use of Automated Rail Mounted Gantry Cranes (ARMGC) will reduce noise pollution because they are powered by electricity over diesel powered reachstakers, which also allows the cranes to lift and lower containers with precision, assisting in preventing damage to containers.

Two 700 metre rail tracks will be constructed within the Intermodal Terminal, linking to an additional 800-metre spur track being built by the Victorian Government to link the facility with the main line.  

Another environmental benefit of the ARMGC is the use of a specialised power feedback system that allows the crane to generate its own power when lowering a container. This power is either redirected to assist other cranes that are performing a lift or is fed back into the grid. ARMGC also produce a smaller carbon footprint when compared to diesel powered reachstakers.

During peak periods, the automated cranes will have capacity to handle both trains and trucks simultaneously. While during non-peak periods, they can perform housekeeping functions (i.e. optimising the container stack for upcoming moves).

The Intermodal Terminal will be controlled by a state-of-the-art Terminal Operating System (TOS), which is best described as the brains of the operation. It instructs the cranes on what moves to perform and optimises crane operation time to efficiently manage operations.

The TOS is integrated with the vehicle booking system (VBS), which manages truck appointments at the terminal and the Gate Operating System (GOS) that coordinates truck entry and exit.

The entry and exits have Automated Optical Character Recognition System, which provides high definition photos of containers to the terminal operator and scans the container registration number to inform the TOS.

The Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal will be a state of the art facility creating a new benchmark in terminal innovation. Salta Properties is currently in discussion with a number of major logistics operators in regard to the terminal’s operations.

For more information on the Dandenong South Intermodal Terminal, call Clarenzo Perna Head of Logistics and Strategic Projects, Salta Properties on 0475 200 111