- Record share of container freight transported by rail in and out of Fremantle Inner Harbour in 2025-2026
- Rail freight supported through Fremantle Container Rail Subsidy
- More than 920,000 containers handled at Fremantle Ports in the 2025-26 financial year
- Cook Labor Government committed to supporting a more sustainable, efficient and reliable supply chain to keep Western Australia's economy strong
The Cook Labor Government's container rail subsidy has driven nation-leading results in container freight movement and supply chain efficiency for the 2025-26 financial year.
A total of 26.4 per cent of Fremantle's container trade, or more than 240,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers, were transported in and out of Fremantle's Inner Harbour by rail during this period.
This sets a new record for WA and represents the highest proportion of container freight transported by rail of any major city port in Australia.
Around 80 per cent of the containers were fully loaded and subsidised by the Cook Labor Government's Fremantle Container Rail Subsidy.
The increased use of rail is estimated to have removed around 164,000 one-way truck movements from metropolitan roads in 2025-2026, helping to reduce congestion, improve efficiency, sustainability and road safety.
It comes as Fremantle Ports recorded its strongest container trade result on record in 2025-2026, handling more than 920,000 containers.
Fremantle Ports processed 920,521 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) during the year, surpassing the previous record of 887,514 TEU and marking a 3.7 per cent increase on the previous financial year.
The Fremantle Container Rail Subsidy was first introduced by the WA Labor Government in 2007 to incentivise the use of rail over road transport.
Currently set at $50 per TEU, the subsidy is paid to the North Quay Rail Terminal operator, who passes it on to rail customers through reduced transport costs.
All loaded rail containers transported between Fremantle Inner Harbour and intermodal terminals at Forrestfield, Kwinana, Rockingham and Kenwick are eligible for the subsidy, along with containers of hay received by rail for international export.
The Cook Labor Government is continuing to invest in strengthening efficiency and connectivity across the State's rail freight supply chain through the Westport program.
Westport will further increase the number of containers travelling by rail across the State and deliver long-term economic benefits for Western Australia.
Comments attributed to Transport and Major Infrastructure Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Moving freight by rail is critical to keeping our supply chains resilient and Western Australia's economy strong, while also delivering significant fuel savings for industry.
"These incredible results show our government's continued investment in freight rail is driving real change.
"More containers than ever are being moved by rail across our supply chain, taking thousands of trucks off our roads, to improve safety for all road users.
"These record figures highlight the positive role Westport will play in moving more container freight on rail to ensure the future of our supply chain is efficient, reliable and sustainable."
Comments attributed to Ports Minister Stephen Dawson:
"Strong, efficient ports are vital to Western Australia's economy. Every container, commodity and export shipment moving through our ports supports jobs, businesses, and the communities that depend on them.
"The record results at Fremantle Ports demonstrate the integral role our ports play in strengthening supply chains, facilitating trade and ensuring goods move efficiently across our State and beyond.
"The Cook Labor Government is proud to own and operate the majority of Western Australia's ports, supporting businesses, trade and jobs across the State."
Comments attributed to Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk:
"In the 201516 financial year, the market share for container freight transported by rail out of Fremantle Port was 14.5 per cent so this increase shows the Cook Labor Government's continued investment in freight rail is making a real difference.
"More containers on rail means less trucks on our local roads and I'm pleased to see this incentive is working well."
