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DP World Terminal Delays – IT Problems

The Port of Melbourne has been experiencing significant landside congestion following IT problems at DP World West Swanson Terminal (WST) earlier this week. This congestion began last weekend and worsened after issues arose from a Terminal Operating System (TOS) upgrade.

Truck turnaround times at DP World WST have significantly increased, forcing transport operators to work additional shifts and scramble for more VBS slots to catch up. This will require transport operators to operate during all available Terminal shifts throughout the week and into the weekend, leading to higher operating costs.

Road congestion in the Swanson Precinct has been severe. The recently constructed but insufficient East/West road connection, Intermodal Way, with its single-lane design in both directions, resembled a parking lot for trucks on Monday.

The congestion has been further worsened by ongoing lane and turning restrictions on Footscray Road due to continuous works on the West Gate Tunnel Project (WGTP). As a result, many trucks have had to rely on Intermodal Way rather than using Footscray Road for key movements.

When Intermodal Way is at a standstill, trucks have no choice but to wait until the congestion eases. The congestion has also affected other facilities in the Swanson Precinct, including Patrick East Swanson Terminal (ESD), with some trucks unable to return to their yards due to the chronic traffic conditions.

All stakeholders should recognise that it will take transport operators several days to recover from these delays. This is due to the combined impact of not only the containers they were unable to receive or deliver over the last few days, but also the increasing container volumes now available for import pick-up or export delivery. The effect is compounding.

Weather has also played a role in contributing to these issues. High winds in Melbourne over the weekend, along with vessel schedule disruptions caused by strong winds at Port Botany in Sydney, have led to “vessel bunching.”

Yesterday, the IT issues at DP World spread to other terminals in Brisbane, Sydney, and Fremantle. Due to this unplanned outage, all DP World terminal gates were temporarily closed.

In Brisbane, the terminal’s Automated Stacking Cranes (ASCs) and truck arrival kiosks were disabled.

In Sydney, the 1100-hour time slot for truck arrivals was cancelled, while in Fremantle, trucks were diverted to the Truck Marshalling Area (TMA) until IT systems were restored.

It is anticipated that transport movements may incur additional costs during this period as operators navigate these challenges.

Our team will make every effort to stay updated on movements, though tracking them in real time proves challenging.

 

 

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