CRT Group

CRT Group is an intermodal transport company in Australia. Begun as Colin Rees Transport (CRT), a taxi truck company in suburban Sydney in the 1950s, it became known as the CRT Group in 1981, and by the time of its acquisition by QR Limited was in the top 10 logistics companies in Australia with a turnover of $80 million, and moving over 600,000 tonnes of freight a year.^[1] The company specialised in the movement of food products, polymers, and plastics. It is now a subsidiary of QR Limited.

Railway operations

CRT Group shunter 7334 at the Altona terminal

CRT Group operated a number of terminals, with those at Yennora in Sydney and Altona in Melbourne provided with their own railway sidings. Privately owned X100 and X200 class rail tractors X101, X107, X118, X208, X209 and X216 were used to shunt,^[2] as were larger 73 class locomotives 7322, 7333 and 7334.^[2] Locomotives 7322, 7334 and X209 were painted in a blue and off white scheme with CRT Group logos.^[2] Blue appeared on the cab, with white on the edge of the frame and on the pilots at each end.

CRT Group also introduced the first CargoSprinter to Australia in February 2002.^[2] Built by Windhoff in Germany this Diesel Multiple Unit consists of two driving and power units, each fitted with a full width cab and two Volvo truck engines for propulsion, which operate in a push pull mode, with up to seven trailers in between.^[2] After a number of promotional trips, the CargoSprinter operated a tri-weekly service from Melbourne to Wodonga in 2003, followed by a port shuttle from the Port of Melbourne to Altona from 1 September that year.^[2]

The company also owned over 2000 low profile 30 feet (9.1 m) silver shipping containers that were used on their own services.^[1]

Linehaul of freight between CRT Group terminals was contracted to outside railway operators. In the early 2000s Freight Australia (FA) was contracted to move freight between Melbourne and Sydney. The contract contained a condition that if FA was acquired by a competitor of CRT Group, 10,000 hp (7,500 kW) of locomotive power (calculated by the business CRT Group was offering FA) was to be transferred to CRT Group.^[3] As a result, when FA was acquired by Pacific National in 2004, two Victorian G class and two X class locomotives were transferred to CRT.^[3] After this date linehaul of CRT freight passed to Queensland Rail subsidiary Interail, who also operated Melbourne to Brisbane services for the company.^[3]

QR purchase

In late June 2005 rail operator QRNational announced it had acquired the assets of the CRT Group.^[1] From 1 July 2005, CRT ceased to exist as a company in its own right, and became a separate operating entity of QRNational. A revised corporate image was unveiled in August 2008.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Peter Attenborough (February 2006). "Colin Rees Transport (CRT)". Australian Model Railway Magazine 22 (256): 36. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Peter Attenborough (February 2006). "Colin Rees Transport (CRT)". Australian Model Railway Magazine 22 (256): 38. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Peter Attenborough (February 2006). "Colin Rees Transport (CRT)". Australian Model Railway Magazine 22 (256): 37. 
4. ^ "CRT Group - News". www.crtgroup.com.au. http://www.crtgroup.com.au/home/news.asp?nid=47. Retrieved 2008-08-28. 

External links

• http://www.crtgroup.com.au/ Official site