Southern Shorthaul Railroad (SSR) (also known as Holdco Holdings) is an Australian rail freight services operator in New South Wales and Victoria. The company also provides workshop services, such as rolling stock manufacturing and wagon and locomotive maintenance.
History In 2010, SSR entered the coal haulage market. Operating on behalf of Centennial Coal, it operated trains from the NSW Western Coalfields (Airly, Clarence, Charbon and Lidsdale collieries), as well as Newstan Colliery, to ports at Kooragang Island, Carrington and Port Kembla.Coal Train Operations Southern Shorthaul Railroad In 2018, the company began Hunter Valley operations, using three CEY class and 90 PHTH hoppers.
The company also refurbishes and repairs locomotives and rolling stock at the former Bendigo Workshops in Victoria.Victorian Grant puts Rail Business on a New Track, Department of Premier and Cabinet Media Release, 4 October 2007 It also has a maintenance facility at the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway.Press Release State Mine RailwayWorkshop Services Southern Shorthaul Railroad
In 2012, SSR formed a subsidiary, BRM Leasing. In October 2012, the name was changed to Consolidated Rail Leasing (CRL). Some of the SSR fleet was made available for lease through CRL. CRL ceased operations in 2021.
In 2013, SSR celebrated 10 years in business, created a special logo, and painted the then-new SSR class in a variation of its standard yellow and black livery. In December 2013, SSR began operating a container service from Kelso to Port Botany. The train primarily carries containerised grain, and has considerably grown in size since it first started running. In 2014, SSR commenced operating grain services in New South Wales for George Weston Foods."SSR brings competition to NSW grain rail haulage" Railway Digest June 2014 page 11
2016 was a year of rapid expansion for SSR, when it bought the Greentrains locomotive fleetDisposal of Greentrains rollingstock Engenco 28 April 2016"Greentrans rollingstock sold to Holdco Holdings" Railway Digest June 2016 page 6 (excluding 8026 and T383 which Greentrains retained). That meant SSR no longer had to hire motive power, such as the VL class locomotives, and could expand its operations. SSR also purchased 180 coal wagons, after the Leigh Creek coal train ceased running. SSR has since converted them into grain wagons by modifying the bottom discharge doors and fitting fibreglass lids. They have formed three grain trains, ranging from 50 to 60 wagons.
In April 2023, in an agreement similar to SSR's existing operating agreements with Fletcher's International Exports and Centennial Coal, it was announced that SSR had signed a long-term agreement with Manildra Group to provide train crews and oversee daily operation of Manildra's grain and container trains. To provide rolling stock for these services, Manildra ordered 17 GT46C-ACe Gen II MAN Class locomotives from Progress Rail, built in and imported from the United States, 222 100t aluminium bodied grain wagons, 60 100 tonne flour wagons and 103 100 tonne, 60ft container wagons. This replaces Manildra Group's existing agreement with Pacific National, who provided their own rolling stock to service Manildra Group's requirements. The contract gives SSR 100% of the market share of domestic milling grain hauled by rail in NSW and Victoria. The contract began on 1 November 2024, using a mix of 8 MAN class locomotives as well as hired motive power from RailFirst Asset Management and Aurizon to account for the delayed arrival of the remaining 9 MAN class units.Southern Shorthaul wins Manildra NSW operating contract. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023.
In May 2026, four "AC50" model diesel-electric locomotives designed and manufactured in China by CRRC Ziyang Co. Ltd, arrived at the Port of Newcastle. Classified as the CAC class and carrying road numbers CAC201-CAC204, they are powered by a 5000-horsepower medium-speed diesel engine powering an AC-DC-AC transmission system. The locomotives are reported as meeting stringent EU UIC IIIA emission standards. Maximum speed is ; axle load is . To withstand Australia's sometimes extreme climate of high heat and dust, the locomotives have independent ventilation and cooling systems. They incorporate a predictive health management system, enabling real-time monitoring of core components to ensure reliable operation.
On 5 July 2026, the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) suspended SSR's accreditation under the Rail Safety National Law. That followed a derailment at Berrima, New South Wales in which "several wagons rolled away and derailed at a level crossing on a public road". ONRSR noted that the runaway derailment was "the latest in a series of safety incidents", which led to the suspension decision. On 10 July, ONRSR partially lifted the suspension, allowing SSR to complete "low risk" operations. On 21 July, was permitted SSR to undertake additional rail operations which were deemed by ONRSR to be “no longer posing a serious and immediate risk to safety”.
Fleet SSR operates a combination of owned and leased locomotives, most of which are significantly older than the locomotives of competing rail companies.Locomotives Southern Shorthaul RailroadShorthaul Railroad Fleet Vicsig.net
As of January 2026, SSR operated the following locomotives:
ClassImageTypeModelGaugeNumberUnitsNotesOwned Fleet422 classDiesel-electricEMD J26CStandard142216Stored Cootamundra442 classDiesel-electricAlco DL-500GStandard644204, 44206, 44217, 44220, 44223, 4422644226 on static display at Junee Roundhouse Railway Museum 45 classDiesel-electricAlco DL-541Standard1453248 classDiesel-electricAlco DL531Standard54811, 4815, 4828, 4829, 484349 classDiesel-electricEMD G8CStandard54904, 4908, 4910, 4911, 49174910 stored North Bendigo as a parts source600 classDiesel-electricAlco DL-541Standard2602, 603 80 classDiesel-electricComeng CE615AStandard18049 830 classDiesel-electricAlco DL531Standard1869 A classDiesel ElectricEMD AAT22C-2RBroad1A70B classDiesel-electricEMD ML2Standard - B61, B75 Broad - B76, B804B61, B75, B76, B80BRM classDiesel-electricEMD GT26C Standard2BRM001, BRM002C classDiesel-electricEMD GT26CWStandard9C502 - C510 CAC classDiesel-electricCRRC Ziyang AC50Standard4CAC201 - CAC204Delivered May 2026CL ClassDiesel-electricEMD/Morrison Knudsen AT26C-2M (CLF) AT26HC-2M (CLP)Standard4CLF1, CLF3, CLP9, CLP12CLF1 stored North Bendigo as a parts source G classDiesel-electricEMD JT26C-2SSStandard2G513, G514 GM classDiesel-electricEMD ML1 (GM1 - GM11), A16C (GM12 - GM47)Standard4GM3, GM10, GM22, GM27 GM3 Stored Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & RailwayL ClassDiesel-electricEMD GT26CStandard1L277Stored CootamundraMRL ClassDiesel-electricGE C44ACiStandard6MRL001 – MRL006N classDiesel-electricEMD JT22HC-2Standard1N451N451 sold to SSR in March 2026P classDiesel-electricEMD G18HBRBroad10P11, P12, P14, P15, P16, P17, P18, P21, P22, P23P11 stored North Bendigo as a parts sourceRL classDiesel-electricNREC AT36-CStandard6RL301, RL302, RL304, RL305, RL306, RL307 S classDiesel-electricEMD A16CStandard3S311, S312, S317SSR classDiesel-electricEMD GT46C-ACeStandard4SSR101 - SSR104T classDiesel-electricEMD G8Standard7T363, T381, T385, T386, T390, T408, T409T385 stored North Bendigo as a parts sourceY classDiesel-electricEMD G6BStandard - Y124, Y152, Y169 Broad - Y1294Y124, Y129, Y152, Y169Y129 North Bendigo shunter. Y124, Y152, Y169 stored JRWhttps://docman.artc.com.au/DocManFiles/DocTypes/TOC/Files/25070.PDF?1263147964Leased FleetCL ClassDiesel-electricEMD/Morrison Knudsen AT26C-2M (CLF) AT26HC-2M (CLP)Standard3CLF2, CLF4, CLP13Leased from Railpower, CLF4 under repair after level crossing accidentN classDiesel-electricEMD JT22HC-2Standard - N457, N469 Broad - N454, N455, N461, N463, N464, N466, N470, N471, N472, N473, N474, N47514N454, N455, N457, N461, N463, N464, N466, N469, N470, N471 N472, N473, N474, N475Leased from V/LinePrevious FleetRT classDiesel-MechanicalFordson Diesel MajorBroad3RT37, RT50, RT54All scrapped in 2025 Other As of January 2026, SSR operated the following locomotives on behalf of other owners: ClassImageTypeModelGaugeNumberUnitsNotesCEY classDiesel-electricGE C44ACiStandard7CEY001 - CEY007Used on Centennial Coal services from the Western Coalfields to Kooragang Island or occasionally to Port Kembla. They are also infrequently used on services to Newstan Colliery, Eraring Power Station and Vales Point Power Station.FIE classDiesel-electricGE C44ACiStandard4FIE001 - FIE004Used on the Fletcher's International Exports container service between Dubbo and Port Botany. They are also used to transport cement from Fletcher's Dubbo terminal to Hermidale on the Cobar railway line.G ClassDiesel-electricEMD JT26C-2SSStandard2G516, G534Owned by Swift Transport and used on 20 port shuttles per week from NSW Ports’s Enfield Intermodal Logistics Centre to Port Botany and vice versa.MAN classDiesel-electricEMD GT46C-ACeStandard17MAN001 - MAN017Owned by Manildra Group for use on their grain services thought out New South Wales.PHC classDiesel-electricGE C44ACiStandard2PHC001, PHC002Owned by Crawfords Freight Lines and used on container services between Werris Creek and Port Botany.
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