Grain giant's $400m rail upgrade sparks unexpected train pain for country town

Residents of a small country town say a decision by Western Australia's largest grain handler to upgrade its rail fleet is starting to rattle their homes and businesses to pieces.

With the state's rail network critical to transporting the millions of tonnes of grain harvested across WA's agricultural regions each year, Co-Operative Bulk Handling (CBH) has recently upgraded its rail fleet, with 17 new locomotives and 650 wagons.

But the move has sparked turmoil in Mount Barker, about 360 km south-east of Perth, where a busy rail route runs directly through the centre of town and residents previously considered the rumbling of trains an essential part of rural life.

Alexandra Spargo has lived about a kilometre from the tracks for the last four years, but in the past few weeks has noticed a change.

Ms Spargo believes the vibrations have cracked fresh paint in her recently renovated cottage.

"I never used to get woken up by the train and just recently I'm finding that I am and it's a lot louder than what the trains used to be before," she said.

"It's all newly painted … And I've just noticed I've got this long crack in the ceiling now, right at the front where the windows are."

While conceding she cannot be certain, the location of the crack above her "rattling" windows makes her think the trains' vibrations are the cause.

Residents, some living as far as 5 kilometres from the tracks, have reported being woken in the night by the rumblings, or mistaking them for an earthquake.

Concerns over damage

For those closer to the train line, like antique dealer Mandy Dennis, there are fears for the long-term structural impact to the town's heritage buildings.

Her own shop is housed in a building more than 100 years old, and filled with precious antiques, which she now worries about every time a train rolls through.

"About a month ago, I was behind the counter … and all of a sudden the ground started vibrating," she said.

"It's never happened before, but all the crystal and the glasses started to clink and shake."

Ms Dennis's main concern is whether CBH would compensate her for any loss.

"We don't want the trains to go away," she said.

"But it would be good to know that if in future if there is an issue with breakages and the noises affecting the business in any way, or the structure, that CBH will take responsibility."

Of the half-dozen residents who spoke to the ABC, nearly all expressed support for the rail network.

"What we need to understand is that rail is really important to us," Shire of Plantagenet president Len Handasyde said.

"For every train that goes through, it saves many, many trucks on their roads and it's a very efficient way to transport stuff."

In a statement to the ABC, a CBH spokesperson said it was aware of residents reporting "different noise and vibration".

The spokesperson said the group was working with rail freight operator Aurizon and rail infrastructure manager Arc Infrastructure to investigate the issue.

The spokesperson said train operation, local track conditions and weather could be factors behind the noise and vibration.

Complaints taint major milestone

The backlash has tainted an otherwise major milestone for CBH, which has spent more than $400 million on its new fleet — the largest in the co-operative's 93-year history.

On Friday, chair Simon Stead and chief executive Ben Macnamara officially launched the investment at the company's Metro Grain Centre in Forrestfield, flanked by two state ministers.

The doubling of the fleet will allow CBH to keep pace with the state's burgeoning grain production, which reached a record 27.35 million tonnes in 2025.

More than 90 per cent is exported, hence the pressure to optimise its passage to the nearest port.