The Rail, Tram and Bus Union commends the West Australian Government on its national record for container freight moved by rail, and is urging the federal government to adopt the same approach.

Data released by the Cook Government shows Western Australia achieved a national benchmark in 2025-26 by moving 26.4 per cent of Fremantle Port’s container trade by rail and removing 164,000 heavy trucks off Perth roads. This is the highest share of any major city port in Australia.

The success is a result of the Fremantle Container Rail Subsidy, a $50 per container incentive. Since its inception in 2007, rail’s share at Fremantle has jumped from 14.5 per cent in 2015-16 to more than a quarter of all container trade.

The RTBU launched a report, written by the McKell Institute, which modelled a national intermodal incentive scheme on the Fremantle subsidy - with WA’s milestone the clearest evidence that shifting freight to rail delivers.

The Sharing the Load report found that capturing 30 per cent of Australia’s future freight growth on rail would deliver $640 million in yearly savings by 2050, save 400 million litres of diesel per year, avoid 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and prevent 18 annual road deaths.

RTBU National Secretary Alex Claassens said: "Western Australia has stuck with this scheme for nearly twenty years and that commitment has produced a milestone container result nationally. 

"Our main recommendation from our Sharing the Load report is a national incentive scheme modelled on Fremantle and now we have the proof that it truly works. It’s not a theory we’ve just put on paper but a real working policy that has helped move a quarter of a major port’s container trade onto rail, removing 164,000 trucks from suburban roads each year.”

RTBU WA Secretary Josh Dekuyer said: “The Cook Government deserves credit for backing WA’s rail workers and delivering a nation-leading result for our supply chains. Moving more than a quarter of Fremantle Port’s containers by rail is a massive win - it makes roads safer, cuts congestion and lowers emissions.

“WA has shown the rest of the country how it’s done and continual support of freight on rail will help our state protect supply chains and keep roads safer. Long-term policy commitment delivers real results and I think all states and territories should be following suit.”