INTERMODAL Terminal Company has appointed John Fullerton, the former CEO and managing director of the Australian Rail Track Corporation, as its first chair.

ITC, established in December of last year, is owned by super fund Aware Super and is developing the $400-million Somerton Intermodal Terminal in Melbourne, which is expected to be operational in 2025.

Mr Fullerton has more than four decades of private and government sector experience in the transport and logistics sector. A statement from ITC said he would work closely with its management team, headed by CEO Mishkel Maharaj, to grow its network of intermodal terminals.

Mr Fullerton’s most recent executive role was at ARTC where he spent nine years as managing director and CEO. He also has significant experience as a non-executive director on numerous government and private sector boards in the infrastructure and transport sectors including in the role as chair.

Mr Fullerton said he was excited about working with Aware Super and the ITC team.

“Aware Super and ITC have already started to demonstrate the power of private investment in supercharging the development and delivery of major infrastructure projects,” he said.

“ITC’s first asset, the Somerton Intermodal Terminal (SIT) is already under construction and will be operational in just two years, well ahead of other potential alternatives in Melbourne.”

Aware Super head of infrastructure Mark Hector said: “John Fullerton is one of Australia’s most experienced rail and infrastructure executives and we are delighted he has agreed to be ITC’s inaugural chair. John’s decades of industry and governance experience will be invaluable to the ITC team as it looks to build a national portfolio of independently owned and operated terminals.”

Mr Maharaj said he looked forward to working with Mr Fullerton.

“John is highly regarded, well credentialed and an asset to the ITC team. ITC has ambitious growth plans and I look forward to working with John to implement our strategy,” Mr Maharaj said.

“At a time when all governments are looking for ways to reduce spending, ITC and its first project, the Somerton Intermodal Terminal is a great example of how the private sector can step in to build an open-access, independently owned and operated facility that will meet the needs of industry whilst reducing the need for taxpayer-funded solutions.”

The intermodal terminal at Somerton is to have a capacity of 1 million TEU in its first phase, with another million TEU added in a second phase.