Qube began using Horsham's Mill Street terminal in November after the rail freight companies failed to reach a commercial agreement to share use of the new freight terminal at Dooen.

The move shocked and angered Horsham North residents, who have formed a committee to have the Mill Street site decommissioned.

Wimmera Container Line owner Rodney Clarke said he was optimistic an agreement could be reached when negotiations recommenced after the Christmas and New Year break.

"I'm cautiously optimistic about them coming into the terminal," he said.

"The latest correspondence from Qube regarding coming into the terminal is that they are on leave until into the new year.

"I believe that we have gone as far as we can possibly go with trying to get them to come into the terminal and now it rests wholly and solely with Qube.

"We are the contracted operators of the terminal so if Qube came into the terminal we would be providing services to them as we would any other potential user."

Mr Clarke said he believed Wimmera Container Line was offering Qube a fair deal.

He said he could not reveal details of the deal because it was part of commercial negotiations.

"We have been extremely fair and Horsham Rural City Council is extremely aware of everything that we've done to try to assist Qube to come into the terminal," he said.

"We are encouraging Qube to come into the terminal as we would any other customer.

"I was personally hoping when we signed on to become the terminal's operator that in the busy times we would have had two trains coming into the terminal a day.

"It is a shame because the aim is to get freight off road onto rail."

Qube Logistics did not return the Mail-Times' calls for comment before deadline.