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Funding to encourage freight to move from road to rail and reduce diesel use
Transport Resilience and Capacity Kickstart (TRACK) – Round 1
Closing date: Thursday 1 October 2026 5:00pm AEST Thu 1 Oct 2026 5:00pm AEST
What do you get?
An incentive payment for eligible freight moved by rail above an agreed baseline during the project period.
Who is this for?
Rail freight operators that are registered with the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR), operate a rail freight business and meet the eligibility requirements in the guidelines.
About the program
The Transport Resilience and Capacity Kickstart (TRACK) Program - Round 1 grant opportunity is a pilot round of the program and will run over 2026-2027.
The objective of the TRACK Program - Round 1 grant opportunity is to maximise diesel conservation by supporting the redirection of existing road freight transportation to more fuel-efficient modes of transport, with a focus on financially incentivising rail freight operators to increase capacity and utilisation.
The grant opportunity is a pilot, and as such aims to test the effectiveness of per-TEU incentive payments as a mechanism for achieving rapid modal shift, generating evidence to inform future rounds of the program.
The intended outcomes of this grant opportunity are the:
- reduction of the average diesel intensity of freight transport across supported routes
- increased volume of containerised freight or TEU moved by rail above established baseline volumes.
Check if you can apply
You can apply if you meet the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria are a set of rules that describe who we can consider for this grant. You can apply if you:
- are an eligible entity
- have an eligible project
- have eligible expenditure.
The rules are in the grant opportunity guidelines.
You can apply if you:
- have an Australian business number (ABN)
- are registered with ONRSR National Rail Safety Register | ONRSR
- have not had your ONRSR accreditation cancelled or suspended by ONRSR within the last two years
- are a ‘rolling stock operator’ as defined in the Schedule of the Rail Safety National Law (South Australia) Act 2012,and;
- operate a rail freight business (Annual Report from last financial year will prove business operations).
You can’t apply if you are:
- not able to meet the eligibility requirements under section 4.1 of the grant opportunity guidelines
- an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
- an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012).
You must complete your project by 30 June 2027.
Your project must:
- be located in Australia
- carry at least one loaded TEU above the accepted baseline threshold between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027
- comply with the standard offer in Appendix A of the guidelines, or an alternative offer accepted by DITRDCSA
- include an independent assessment of performance against agreed metrics as a project milestone
- align with the program objectives and outcomes outlined in the grant opportunity guidelines
- involve eligible freight movements that are above the accepted baseline and capable of being verified through the grant agreement evidence, audit and reconciliation requirements.
You can apply for a grant up to $10 million.
You can use this grant funding to:
- deliver eligible freight movements above an agreed baseline between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027
- undertake activities that support a shift of freight from road to rail and contribute to the program objectives and outcomes
- undertake an independent assessment of performance against agreed metrics as part of the project
- undertake other approved activities that align with the program objectives and outcomes.
How to apply
Check if you’re ready to apply for a grant
Finding a suitable grant opportunity is just the start of the process to get funding. The application process can take time and effort. Understanding the entire process will help you be grant ready and may improve your chances of getting funding.
Use our checklist to find out what it takes to apply for a grant.
When you're ready to apply
When the online form is available you'll need to apply using our online portal:
- Create or log into your portal account.
- Follow the instructions to complete your application.
- Submit your application before the close date.
Make sure you include enough detail and supporting evidence in your application to help us decide whether to award you the grant.
Don’t submit the application until it’s complete. You can’t correct a mistake.
First we check that you meet the eligibility criteria. Then we assess your application against the assessment criteria.
The assessment criteria are a set of rules that describe how we must assess each application.
We give each criterion a certain number of points.
We’ll decide whether to award you the grant based on the total number of points we give your application.
- Assessment criterion 1: How your project saves diesel in Australia (50 points)
- Assessment criterion 2: How your project aligns with the program purpose, objectives and outcomes (35 points)
- Assessment criterion 3: How your project improves rail freight resilience over the longer term (15 points)
The amount of detail and supporting evidence you provide should be relative to the project size, complexity and grant amount requested.
The program delegate makes the final decision.
Apply now
Apply for the Transport Resilience and Capacity Kickstart (TRACK) Program – Round 1 now
Before you apply, make sure you:
- read and understand the grant opportunity guidelines
Sample applications
The best way to understand what information you need to provide is to start an application. We have also provided a version to download at the bottom of this page.
Technical help
See our customer portal's frequently asked questions to help with your queries. If you can't find your answer, contact us for assistance.
If you submit your application before the close date you can retrieve it any time to make changes. But you must submit it again before the close date.
We can’t consider the application you submit after the close date under any circumstances.
Contact
Need help?
Let us answer your question over the phone, email or live chat.
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