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Australia's Queensland Rail (QR) plans to spend about $200 million to acquire rolling stock and upgrade two terminals.

The state-owned railroad will invest $187 million to purchase 18 new locomotives and 488 freight cars for its intermodal business, and $11 million to improve terminals in Perth and Adelaide. QR expects to upgrade its rolling stock in 2009 and 2010.

QR's freight business has picked up since the launch of Melbourne-to-Perth service in November and the railroad recently began offering container services from Cairns to Perth. In addition, non-bulk freight volumes between the mainland cities are forecast to double by 2020, QR said.