Intermodal and Qube enter partnership

Intermodal Group has announced a strategic partnership with QUBE Holdings in Western Australia, as the North Quay Rail Terminal (NQRT) goes up for tender.

Intermodal currently operates the NQRT and the inland Forrestfield Intermodal Terminal, where significant volumes of containers are transported on rail to and from Fremantle Port.

In a statement, Intermodal said with the NQRT management agreement currently out to tender by Fremantle Ports, the strategic partnership with QUBE would strengthen existing plans to significantly grow rail volumes and enable improved operating efficiencies at NQRT.

Intermodal chair Grant Thompson said the strategic partnership with QUBE brought on board an astute investor with strong industry expertise that would bring considerable container volumes onto rail.

“We have worked closely with our customers and key stakeholders to achieve record growth in container numbers through the NQRT over the past 12 months and having QUBE onboard only strengthens Intermodal Group’s capability,” he said.

QUBE director of logistics John Digney said partnering with Intermodal was the obvious choice for the company in WA.

Intermodal has a well‐established and successful business model, and with QUBE’s market share of container volumes and supply chain expertise, Intermodal will grow rapidly and importantly enable the state government to better manage container freight in and out of Fremantle Port by moving more containers on rail.

In January 2017, US-based transport group Watco Companies bought a majority shareholding in Intermodal.