DP World and NSW Ports are co-investing A$400 million to extend the rail terminal at Port Botany in Sydney which will transform its logistics capability and reinforce the city’s position as a vital gateway for international trade.

NSW Ports is contributing A$148 million for the new facility which will service both the Container Terminal and the Logistics Park, one of Australia’s best examples of the global trend for locating major logistics facilities close to major arterial ports. The project – which will start on site in June and take two years to compete – comprises the addition of five new rail sidings to accommodate 600-metre-long regional trains.

Nicolaj Noes, Executive Vice President, Oceania, DP World, said: “Our investment in this new port-centric logistics infrastructure will deliver more capacity, superior agility, seamless integration of processes, increased productivity and added reliability. We cannot wait for our present and future customers to reap the benefits of this world-class facility, which accelerates the shift of freight from road to rail while reducing carbon emissions and improving Sydney’s air quality at the same time.”

Marika Calfas, CEO of NSW Ports, said: “This collaboration with DP World to deliver a new, enhanced, rail terminal continues the growth of on-dock rail capacity at Port Botany to service the state’s import and export trade. This new rail terminal will enable more containers to be moved by rail, reducing the growth of trucks on roads and will deliver greater efficiency for the state’s container supply chains. Port Botany is uniquely the only port in Australia with on-dock rail within each container terminal, connected to an extensive network of metropolitan and regional intermodal terminals including by dedicated freight rail.

The investment at Port Botany is the latest example of DP World investing in its rail capabilities across several continents as it extends its reach into the global supply chain. The logistics giant’s customers benefit from intermodal rail services linking its operations across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, India and the Middle East, with a first ever freight train between Abu Dhabi and its Jebel Ali flagship in Dubai due to launch shortly.

Key Benefits

• Enhanced Capacity: Annual rail capacity for DP World’s terminal will more than double, increasing from 400,000 TEUs to 1 million TEUs.
• Environmental Impact: Reduction in truck movements and carbon emissions, supporting Sydney’s sustainability objectives.
• Economic Growth: Improved logistics efficiency will deliver growth across key sectors from agriculture, manufacturing, construction to retail and e-commerce, while driving sustainable job creation across New South Wales.

Port Botany is New South Wales’ container port and has Australia’s largest common user bulk liquids facility. Handling 2.8 million TEUs annually, it contributes A$10.7 billion to New South Wales’ Gross State Product each year. It is the only port in Australia with on-dock rail at all three of its container terminals and is directly connected, including via dedicated freight rail, to a network of metropolitan intermodal terminals and regional intermodal terminals.

Within the port, DP World operates the 20-hectare Sydney Logistics Park, the largest in the city with a capacity of more than 18,500 TEUs, offering services including warehousing, bonded storage quarantine activities, reefer monitoring and storage as well as container maintenance and repair.

Further inland, DP World partners with Stockland to operate a contract logistics hub at Yennora Intermodal Terminal, one of the largest logistics facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. Earlier this year, DP World announced the launch of a new rail service at the Terminal, enabling it to offer a fully integrated supply chain service for its customers.

These rail upgrades build on DP World’s global intermodal expertise, which spans Europe, North America, South America, Africa, India, and the Middle East. This includes successful initiatives like the ASEAN Express in Asia and expanded rail services in the UK.