Not to be confused with AN Tasrail, a predecessor to the current company.
This article is about the current state government-operated company. For the original state government-owned company, see Tasmanian Government Railways.
A TasRail container train led by a TR Class locomotive in January 2016
TasRail (legal name Tasmanian Railway Pty Limited)[1] is a Tasmanian Government state-owned enterprise that has operated the mainline railways in Tasmania since September 2009. It operates only freight services.
History
Established under the Rail Company Act 2009,[2] in September 2009 the Tasmanian Government purchased the AN Tasrail business from Pacific National.[3] TasRail combined the above-rail (rollingstock) and business assets with the below-rail assets (track and associated infrastructure), for which the state had assumed responsibility in May 2007,[4] to form a vertically integrated rail operator.[2]
There are 199 level crossings on the TasRail network with active control at 123 crossings and passive control at the remainder.[8] Active control includes flashing lights and warning bells that are activated by approaching trains and passive control includes 'Stop' or 'Give Way' sign which rely on motorists to watch for trains before crossing the railway line. From 2003 to 2012, there were 36 reported crashes at level crossings, with 20 resulting in casualties, 3 of which were fatal.[9] Almost two thirds of crashes occurred within urban areas with speed limits 50 or 60 km/h. Relocation of the Hobart terminal to Brighton during June 2014 meant that 29 crossings became inactive, which was expected to reduce level crossing crashes in Tasmania by 30%.[10]
