The negotiating table has been reset ahead of new talks between the WA’s transport union and rail firm Brookfield.

The long-running negotiations hit many impediments throughout last year.

The state’s Economic Regulatory Authority has given the two parties three months to come up with a deal.

Brookfield and CBH had wanted to sign the access arrangements in November last year, but the slow talks forced them to pause proceedings while the 2014/2015 grain harvest was on.

The Tier 3 rail lines remain a key point of contention, and have been closed for maintenance since July last year.

Brookfield says the WA Government will need to put in for the upkeep of these lines.

“I think it’s really about us all working together to find a solution that involves the co-investment model,” CEO Paul Larson told the ABC last week.

The Government says it is committed to reopening the lines, but transport minister John Day is awaiting the outcome of the Brookfield-CBH negotiations before it would commit any funds.

A spokesperson for CBH says Brookfield is obliged to fund maintenance across the lines, and that the company must be more transparent in how the access fees were spent.

She said the ERA’s intervention on the process will help all parties reach a reasonable outcome.