Rail Reaches Record Share of Fremantle Container Freight

Rail has reached a record share of container freight moving through Fremantle, with 26.4 per cent of Fremantle Inner Harbour container freight transported by rail during 2025-26.

More than 240,000 TEU moved by train during the financial year, the highest rail share recorded by a major Australian city port.

The result comes as Fremantle Ports also recorded its busiest year on record, handling 920,521 TEU, up 3.7 per cent on the previous record of 887,514 TEU.

The growth in rail use is particularly notable when compared with a decade ago. In 2015-16, rail accounted for just 14.5 per cent of Fremantle's container freight.

According to the WA Government, the increased use of rail is estimated to have removed around 164,000 one-way truck movements from Perth roads during the year.

Of course, rail doesn't replace road transport. Trucks remain essential for getting containers to and from customers, warehouses, depots and intermodal terminals. What changes is where those truck movements take place, with more of the longer port-to-terminal journey being handled by rail.

For the freight industry, this is an important shift. Fremantle is handling more containers than ever, while rail is taking a growing role in moving that freight through the wider logistics network.

And with Westport planned to support greater rail use in the future, this is likely to become an increasingly important part of the conversation around how Perth manages its growing freight task.

More freight, more rail, and potentially fewer trucks on the longer port corridors, the numbers are certainly heading in an interesting direction.

Source credit: https://www.fullyloaded.com.au/fremantle-container-rail-record-2025-26/