As reported in last week’s Southern Cross, there is an ever-increasing number of grain trucks owned by companies from Howlong and The Rock arriving at the Junee sub-terminal.

“We’re not happy about the situation because it’s costing us to maintain our roads,” mayor Lola Cummins said.

Cr Cummins also raised the issue of safety for the

district’s drivers with particular roads experiencing a higher level of truck traffic.

“If the road is in good repair, it will be safer for everyone,” she said.

Reductions in rolling stock by the previous grain handler, Pacific National have meant more grain is transported via truck to sub-terminals around the Riverina.

Four 48-class diesel locomotives are back in full service after being refurbished at the Junee Railway Workshop, with work ranging from a partial to complete rebuild.

Each locomotive is now producing close to its original level of power.

“The engines are being maintained to a much higher standard than they were when it was Freightcorp or Pacific National, so we’ll get extra use out of them,” David Ginns, Graincorp’s coporate affairs manager said.

The four locomotives have begun work, stopping at the Junee sub-terminal on Tuesday and heading north to Cootamundra and then onto Temora.

Mr Ginns said the four locomotives had been marshalled together and were hauling wagons to be filled with grain.

“This is the first time these four engines have been running in operation together,” he said.

As further engines are refurbished they will be swapped around with new engines as their maintenance schedules require.

Mr Ginns stressed the additional locomotives were not an additional service to efforts to transport grain to port from silos.