Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)
Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 2.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $7.8bn in 2024.
Trends and Insights
The majority of revenue comes from bulk freight transport
- The majority of the Rail Freight Transport industry’s revenue comes from transporting bulk freight, primarily for the mining and agriculture sectors.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2024-2029)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Rising government investment in infrastructure is set to aid industry growth
- Over the coming years, road infrastructure may become inadequate to handle the added traffic of an increased freight task, leading to heightened congestion and decreased productivity.
Biggest companies in the Rail Freight Transport in Australia
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 |
|---|---|---|
Aurizon | 2,530.0 | |
Pacific National | 2,150.0 | |
SCT Logistics | 334.7 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Other bulk freight transport, Non-bulk freight transport and Coal and mineral freight transport. Other bulk freight transport is the largest segment of the Rail Freight Transport in Australia.
Trends and Insights
Long-term contracts with mining companies sustain revenue from coal and mineral freight transport
- Coal and mineral freight transport involves moving bulk commodities in wagons designed to maximise the volumes carried. Bulk commodities include coal and metalliferous minerals like gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
Rail freight transport firms primarily operate railways to transport freight. The industry does not include rail freight terminal operations or private railroads operated in-house for transporting goods.
What's included in this industry?
Coal and mineral freight transportNon-bulk freight transportOther bulk freight transportCompanies
AurizonPacific NationalSCT LogisticsPurchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
ABOVE RAILBELOW RAILROLLING STOCKNON-BULK FREIGHTBULK FREIGHTIndustry Code
ANZSIC 4710 - Rail Freight Transport in Australia
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Greater demand from the agricultural sector has supported rail freight activity. Most of this demand occurs in the bulk freight transport segment, which generates the most re...
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
- Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
The coal and mineral freight transport segment largely involves moving bulk commodities. Most of the segment’s revenue comes from mining companies, with which rail freight fi...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2024
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2024
- Major market segmentation in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
Australia’s largest bulk freight markets are in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. These states have a high concentration of operators because of their significant min...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
- Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
- Number and share of employees in each region in 2024
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Internal competition is limited in the Rail Freight Transport industry. Firms tend to operate in separate markets and locations, which means that they often don’t compete dir...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Pacific National is a key operator in the Rail Freight Transport industry. The ACCC recently accepted the company’s acquisition of Aurizon’s Queensland intermodal business.
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
- Overview of Aurizon's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of Pacific National's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
- Overview of SCT Logistics's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Aurizon, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Pacific National, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for SCT Logistics, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Australia used to have separate regulatory bodies for each state and territory. The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator now oversees the country’s regulations and st...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Profit margins have been wavering over the past few years. More investment in road infrastructure has made road freight more competitive, but rail freight operators have boos...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
- Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- Average Wage (2014-2029)
- Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
- IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
- Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
- Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2014-2029)
- IVA (2014-2029)
- Establishments (2014-2029)
- Enterprises (2014-2029)
- Employment (2014-2029)
- Exports (2014-2029)
- Imports (2014-2029)
- Wages (2014-2029)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia in 2024?
The market size of the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia is $7.8bn in 2024.
How many businesses are there in the Rail Freight Transport in Australia industry in 2024?
There are 57 businesses in the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.9 % between 2019 and 2024.
Has the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 2.8 % between 2019 and 2024.
What is the forecast growth of the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Rail Freight Transport market in Australia?
The biggest companies operating in the Rail Freight Transport market in Australia are Aurizon, Pacific National and SCT Logistics
What does the Rail Freight Transport in Australia include?
Coal and mineral freight transport and Non-bulk freight transport are part of the Rail Freight Transport industry.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Rail Freight Transport in Australia?
The company holding the most market share in Australia is Aurizon.
How competitive is the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia?
The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Rail Freight Transport industry in Australia.
Related Industries
Widen your competitive advantage with related industries
Competitors
Complementors
View all industries in Australia
Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in Australia include:
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Taxation Office
- Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.
