El Zorro (railway)

El Zorro is a railway operator based in Victoria, Australia. It is a private company that was founded in 1999, based in Spotswood, and named by director Ray Evans who has a taste for things Spanish.cite web
url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/rail-freight-competition-unmasked/2006/12/04/1165080879121.html
title=Rail freight competition unmasked
publisher=www.theage.com.au
author=Max Berry
date=December 5, 2006
accessdate=2008-04-04] (El Zorro is Spanish for "the fox"). The company has three shareholders: director Ray Evans, business manager Geoff Tighe, and Lisa Trezise.cite web
url=http://business.theage.com.au/el-zorro-aims-to-make-grain-longrunning-cereal/20080413-25ut.html
title=El Zorro aims to make grain long-running cereal
publisher=theage.com.au
date=April 14, 2008
author= Philip Hopkins
accessdate=2008-04-14] Mr Tighe is the former chief executive of Great Northern Rail Services, a defunct rail operator which did similar work to El Zorro.

History

In 2004 the company won a multimillion-dollar contract with Queensland Rail subsidiary Interail, crewing their Brisbane-to-Melbourne rail service on the southern leg from Junee to Melbourne. Today the company is an accredited rail operator the the state of Victoria on both standard and broad gauges, and operates infrastructure trains (sometimes referred as plant trains or work trains), electric multiple unit transfer trains, and regular freight trains on boththe Connex Melbourne metropolitan network and the Victorian regional network. [ [http://www.esc.vic.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/2B3F7903-855A-4B7D-804E-49833ED01D71/0/ElZorroResponseDraftDecision.pdf El Zorro's SUBMISSION TO THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES COMMISSION - PROPOSED RAIL ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS - VICTORIAN RAIL ACCESS REGIME - MAY 2006] ] The company also provides train crews to other rail operators such as Pacific National.

The company also has contracts with AWB Limited to operate two grain trains on the east coast, [cite web
url=http://www.awb.com.au/investors/companyannouncements/current/AWBGrainFlowandElZorroRailFreightAgreement.htm
title=AWB Limited - AWB GrainFlow and El Zorro Rail Freight Agreement
publisher=www.awb.com.au
date=August 27, 2007
accessdate=2008-04-04] and with the Port of Melbourne Authority to operate container trains between Melbourne's Swanson Dock and an intermodal freight terminal at Somerton. [cite web
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/business/corrigan-back-on-wharves-for-pampo-competing-against-patrick/2007/01/04/1167777219307.html
title=Corrigan back on wharves for P&O, competing against Patrick - Business
publisher=www.smh.com.au
author=Philip Hopkins
date=January 5, 2007
accessdate=2008-04-04] In December 2007 Pacific National announced that they were scaling back their Victorian operations, with El Zorro admitting that the logistics of moving an entire Victorian wheat harvest were beyond their capabilities at the time, including two T class locomotives and 80 wagons. [cite web
url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22909741-664,00.html
title=Asciano delivers grain haulage shock to farmers
work= Herald Sun
date=December 12, 2007
publisher=www.news.com.au
accessdate=2008-07-30] The first El Zorro grain train was operated on the standard gauge on December 11 2007, and the first broad gauge grain train on January 18, 2008. [cite web
title = Western Victorian Railfan Guide
url = http://members.wimmera.com.au/wangara/
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-02-17 ]

In March 2008 it was announced that El Zorro would be taking over the Warrnambool - Melbourne container service from Pacific National, [cite web
url=http://warrnambool.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/rail-freight-deal-new-operator-avoids-closure/1198056.html
title=Rail freight deal New operator avoids closure
work=The Warrnambool Standard
date=March 7, 2008
publisher=warrnambool.yourguide.com.au
accessdate=2008-04-04] the first train running on April 1st. [cite web
url=http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1035446.htm#1035446
title=Warrnambool line freight - Railpage Australia™ Forums (Victoria)
publisher=www.railpage.com.au
accessdate=2008-04-04] Currently El Zorro has 45 employees and owns five small-to-medium locomotives, along with some wagons. Other locomotives and rolling stock are leased from Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, Australian Railroad Group, Specialised Container Transport and Genesee and Wyoming Australia; or hired from various Victorian railway preservation groups such as the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre, Steamrail Victoria, and 707 Operations. The company has made approaches to acquire unwanted rolling stock from competitor Pacific National parent Asciano Limited, but were told that rolling stock would be scrapped or exported to Saudi Arabia before it was made available domestically.cite web
url=http://business.theage.com.au/off-the-rails-20080320-20qv.html
title=Off the rails
work=The Age
author= Philip Hopkins
date=March 21, 2008
publisher=business.theage.com.au
accessdate=2008-06-22]

In May 2008 Y145 was the first locomotive to be painted into the new El Zorro grey, orange and yellow livery. [cite web
url=http://downbythetracks.fotopic.net/p50586559.html
title=Y145 in El Zorro livery :: Fotopic.Net
publisher=downbythetracks.fotopic.net
accessdate=2008-06-02] [cite web
url=http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11341500-0-asc-s15.htm
title=(Victorian) Y class - where are they now?
work=Railpage Australia™ Forums (Locomotives and Rolling Stock)
publisher=www.railpage.com.au
accessdate=2008-06-02]

In August 2008 AWB Limited announced a new 5 year contract with the operator, to run 4 trains moving grain throughout Victoria and New South Wales. 84 new rail wagons have been ordered for this work, to be delivered in early 2009. [cite web
url=http://www.awb.com.au/investors/companyannouncements/current/AWBontracktoexportbulkgrainbyrailoneastcoast.htm
title=AWB Limited - AWB on track to export bulk grain by rail on east coast
publisher=www.awb.com.au
date=25/08/2008
accessdate=2008-08-25] The wagon fleet is expected to cost $8-$10 million. [cite web
url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24241043-664,00.html
title=El Zorro to grains rescue
work=Herald Sun
author=Geoff Easdown
date=August 26, 2008
publisher=www.news.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-27] It is expected that El Zorro would operate to Dimboola, Sea Lake and Birchip using two train sets, one broad gauge and one standard gauge. [cite web
url=http://wimmera.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/rail-deal-for-grain-freight/1255368.aspx
title=Rail deal for grain freight
work=Wimmera Mail Times
author=LAURA POOLE
date=27/08/200
publisher=wimmera.yourguide.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-27] The company intends to commission two to three diesel locomotives from Avteq, builder of the CFCLA VL class. [cite web
url=http://theweeklytimes.com.au/common/story_page/0,4511,24243105%255E11149,00.html
title= AWB cuts El Zorro deal
author=PETER HEMPHILL
date=August 27, 2008
work=The Weekly Times
publisher=theweeklytimes.com.au
accessdate=2008-08-28]

In September 2008 the company signed a multi-million deal with miner Iluka Resources to carry containerised mineral sands from Portland in the south-west to Melbourne, with Iluka saying rail transport was cheaper than road. [cite web
url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/03/2353873.htm
title=Rail freight back on Portland-Maroona line
work=ABC News
publisher=www.abc.net.au
date=September 3, 2008
accessdate=2008-09-04] Trains will run three times a week from September 15, carrying 40 containers making up a load of 1000 tonnes. [cite web
url=http://warrnambool.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/sands-to-travel-by-rail-portland-line-back-in-action/1262348.aspx
title=Sands to travel by rail: Portland line back in action
date=The Warrnambool Standard
author=ALEX JOHNSON
date=4/09/2008
publisher=yourguide.com.au
accessdate=2008-09-05]

ervices

References

External links

* [http://www.elzorro.com.au/ http://www.elzorro.com.au/] official site (offline)
* [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&operator=El%20Zorro Vicsig.net: El Zorro Locomotive Fleet]