# Interail

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{{Short description|Former Australian freight rail operator}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{for|the European railway pass|InterRail}}
{{Infobox company
|name             = 
|logo             = Interail-logo.png
|logo_size        = 200px
|logo_caption     = 
|image            = NR Diesel in Murwillumbah - panoramio.jpg
|image_size       = 200px
|image_caption    = [42107](/source/New_South_Wales_421_class_locomotive) at [Murwillumbah station](/source/Murwillumbah_railway_station)
|romanised        = 
|former type      = 
|traded_as        = 
|industry         = Railway operator
|fate             = 
|predecessor      = 
|successor        = 
|foundation       = 1990
|founder          = 
|defunct          = 30 June 2011
|location_city    = [Casino](/source/Casino_railway_station)
|location_country = 
|locations        = 
|area_served      = 
|key_people       = 
|products         = 
|production       = 
|services         =
|revenue          = 
|operating_income = 
|net_income       = 
|assets           = 
|equity           = 
|owner            = 
|num_employees    = 
|parent           = [QR National](/source/Aurizon)
|divisions        = 
|subsid           = 
|homepage         = [https://web.archive.org/web/20110423045311/http://www.interail.com.au/ www.interail.com.au]}}

'''Interail''' was an Australian rail freight operator owned by [QR National](/source/Aurizon). In June 2011 it ceased trading as a separate brand, and became part of QR National (now known as [Aurizon](/source/Aurizon)).

==Northern Rivers Railroad==
Northern Rivers Railroad was established in 1990 with the intention of running tourist trains on the [Casino to Murwillumbah line](/source/Murwillumbah_railway_line) in northern [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales). Four [421 class](/source/New_South_Wales_421_class_locomotive) locomotives were purchased in 1990<ref>"Locomotives and Traffic 421 Class" ''[Railway Digest](/source/Railway_Digest)'' December 1990 page 439</ref> and along with some former [South Australian Railways steel](/source/South_Australian_Railways_steel_carriage_stock) and [State Rail Authority](/source/State_Rail_Authority) carriages were restored to operational condition at [Junee Locomotive Depot](/source/Junee_Roundhouse_Railway_Museum) before moving to [Casino](/source/Casino_railway_station) in October 1996.<ref>"The Northern Rivers Railroad" ''Railway Digest'' December 1996 page 28</ref><ref name=AMRM248>{{cite journal|author = Peter Attenborough|date=October 2004|title=Interail|journal=Australian Model Railway Magazine|volume=21|issue=248|pages=28}}</ref>

On 22 September 1997, Northern Rivers Railroad commenced operating cement and flyash trains from [Grafton](/source/Grafton_railway_station%2C_New_South_Wales) to Casino and [Murwillumbah](/source/Murwillumbah_railway_station) under sub-contract to [FreightCorp](/source/FreightCorp).<ref name=AMRM248/><ref>"Northern Rivers Railroad Beats Austrac as First Private Rail Freight Operator" ''Railway Digest'' October 1997 page 8</ref><ref>"Northern Rivers May Target Export Traffic to Brisbane" ''Railway Digest'' November 1997 page 7</ref> A [49 class](/source/New_South_Wales_49_class_locomotive) locomotive was hired from FreightCorp for a few months in 1998.<ref>"Northern Rivers Railroad Update" ''Railway Digest'' October 1998 page 10</ref>

In May 1999, a tourist service started operating the ''Ritz Rail'' tourist train between Murwillumbah and [Lismore](/source/Lismore_railway_station).<ref>"Northern Rivers launches a Ritzy train" ''Railway Digest'' July 1999 page 22</ref> It also ran to other destinations including [Brisbane](/source/Roma_Street_railway_station).<ref>"Northern Rivers Ritz Rail Train Visits Brisbane" ''Railway Digest'' December 1999 page 43</ref> In 1999, two [422 class](/source/New_South_Wales_422_class_locomotive) locomotives were purchased from FreightCorp.<ref name=AuscisionModels>[http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/422_class_page.htm NSWGR 422/22/FL/HL Class Locomotive] Auscision Models</ref> In 2000 Northern Rivers Railroad operated some infrastructure trains in the [Hunter Valley](/source/Hunter_Region).<ref>"Northern Rivers Railroad" ''Railway Digest'' March 2001 page 21</ref>

==Sale to QR National==
In March 2002, Northern Rivers Railroad was purchased by [Queensland Rail](/source/Queensland_Rail) and rebranded Interail, fulfilling a long held ambition of to expand beyond its state borders.<ref name=AMRM248/><ref>[http://www.railexpress.com.au/archive/2002/Mar/07/qr-moves-into-nsw-with-northern-rivers-railroad-buy "QR moves into NSW with Northern Rivers Railroad buy"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206065505/http://www.railexpress.com.au/archive/2002/Mar/07/qr-moves-into-nsw-with-northern-rivers-railroad-buy |date=6 February 2015 }} ''Rail Express'' 12 March 2002</ref><ref>[http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/n20020301.887941.htm "QR National push"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220063049/http://www.worldcargonews.com/htm/n20020301.887941.htm |date=20 December 2016 }} WorldCargo News March 2002</ref> The tourist train was not included.

The first contract won by Interail was hauling infrastructure trains on the [North Coast line](/source/North_Coast_railway_line%2C_New_South_Wales) of New South Wales for [Rail Infrastructure Corporation](/source/Rail_Infrastructure_Corporation). It was followed by a coal haulage contract from [Duralie Colliery](/source/Duralie_Colliery) to Stratford Mine from March 2003,<ref name=AMRM248/> then haulage of [containers](/source/Intermodal_container) between Casino and [Brisbane](/source/Port_of_Brisbane) from May 2003. Another coal contract in the [Hunter Valley](/source/Hunter_Region) was won in late 2003 for the haulage of coal from Newstan Colliery, [Fassifern](/source/Fassifern_railway_station) to [Vales Point Power Station](/source/Vales_Point_Power_Station).<ref name=AMRM248/><ref name=TNicholson>[http://trackside.wordpress.com/qrnational/ QR National/Interail] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110093454/http://trackside.wordpress.com/qrnational/ |date=10 January 2015 }} Trent Nicholson Blog</ref> 

In 2004. Interail began running [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane) to [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne) and Sydney to Melbourne [intermodal](/source/Intermodal_freight_transport) services, in part due to the linehaul needs of [CRT Group](/source/CRT_Group).<ref name=TNicholson/><ref name=AMRM256>{{cite journal|author=Peter Attenborough|date=February 2006|title=Colin Rees Transport|journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine|volume=22|issue=256|pages=37}}</ref>

To operate these extra services two [Queensland Railways 1502 class](/source/Queensland_Railways_1502_class) were rebuilt in 2002 as 423s using standard gauge bogies recovered from [49 class](/source/New_South_Wales_49_class_locomotive) locomotives. A further four followed in 2004/05.<ref>[http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=423&orgstate=N&type=Diesel-Electric 423 class] Vicsig.net</ref> Two former [Westrail](/source/Westrail) [L class](/source/WAGR_L_class_(diesel)) locomotives were acquired from Rail Technical Support Group in 2004. To operate the intermodal services two [X class](/source/Victorian_Railways_X_class_(diesel)) and two [G class](/source/V%2FLine_G_class) locomotives were transferred from [Freight Australia](/source/Freight_Australia) as part of a deal requiring CRT Group to receive {{convert|10000|hp|abbr=on}} of locomotive power should Freight Australia be sold to a competitor of CRT, which it was when sold to [Pacific National](/source/Pacific_National).<ref name=AMRM256/> Locomotives were also often hired from [Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia](/source/CFCL_Australia).<ref name=TNicholson/>

Following the formation of [QR National](/source/Aurizon) in 2004/05, all new business was done under this brand. The ex Freight Australia locomotives carried QR National branding from 2005 as did the last two 423s. In June 2011 it ceased trading as a separate brand, and became part of [QR National](/source/Aurizon).<ref>[http://annualreport.qrnational.com.au/ceos-report Annual Report 30 June 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120619051828/http://annualreport.qrnational.com.au/ceos-report |date=19 June 2012 }} QR National</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110423045311/http://www.interail.com.au/ Company website]
*[http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&operator=QR%20Interail Interail fleet listing]

Category:Defunct railway companies of Australia
Category:1990 establishments in Australia
Category:2011 disestablishments in Australia

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Interail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interail) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interail?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.