RAIL - Back On Track Forum

I think that rigid catenary is the best option for this tunnel with electrification from the Wellcamp freight interchange terminal.

Using proven reliable electrification technology would be cheaper to implement as well as maintain.

Also by building the electrical infrastructure such as transformers and other associated tech will make it cheaper to electrify passenger rail to  Toowoomba, as they can then piggy back off existing electrical transformers and sub stations.

Couriermail --> Tunnel vision an Olympic win $

QuoteForget Cross River Rail. The real infrastructure game changer in the lead up to the 2032 Olympics will be a 52km tunnel from a planned inland freight terminus near Ipswich to the Port of Brisbane, complete with a battery-powered driverless train shuttle.

Leading the charge for the $6bn project is National Trunk Rail's PortConnex, chaired by veteran engineer Martin Albrecht who says the planned tunnel will form the last leg of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail.

Its major advantage will be to take thousands of trucks off local roads each day as well as paving the way for a huge export boost from Brisbane to Asia and beyond.

Albrecht, a former boss of Thiess, tells your diarist the political ducks are lining up for the project including the support of the powerful Council of Mayors South East Queensland (CoMSEQ), which sees the tunnel as essential in reducing pollution and road congestion. Albrecht (illustrated) says that currently less than 1 percent of goods travel to the port on rail because freight trains have to share capacity with the suburban network.

"Within a decade, an extra 116 daily train services will be required during peak periods for passenger movements alone," says Albrecht. "This highlights the critical importance of separating freight and passenger services with a dedicated freight connection to the port."

He says crucial to the success of PortConnex will be the development of an inland freight terminal at Ebenezer where the State Government owns several square kilometres of vacant land. Ideally, the terminal will include a huge solar farm that will capture and store the energy needs to operate the facility and the rail shuttle. ...

Double stacked electrification from the Wellcamp terminal to Port of Brisbane?


https://youtu.be/0e-5e7x4Nwk

Rigid Catenary only requires 30 cm clearance from tunnel ceilings.

Railway Systems---> https://railsystem.net/rigid-catenary-or-overhead-contact-system/

Electrifying from Wellcamp to Port of Brisbane solves many issues.

*Easy access to manufactures of electric locomotives
*Can run in tunnels with minimal ventilation
*The freight only tunnel to the Port of Brisbane can be built at minimal costs due to less ventilation and emergency escape routes.
*Proven and superior technology compared with battery technology
*Lower fire risk compared with battery technology
*Electric urban passenger rail can piggy back off electrical infrastructure such as substations enroute and rigid catenary in tunnels in and around the Toowoomba range.
*Low maintenance costs
*Reduced reliance on fuel imports
*Converting to fully electric can equate to energy independence as well as meeting emission targets.
*Quieter operation as well as minimal impact on communities regarding air pollution.

ABC News --> Logan residents say planned Inland Rail route will make life 'unbearable' in booming suburb

Quote from: ozbob on December 28, 2022, 13:55:25 PMABC News --> Logan residents say planned Inland Rail route will make life 'unbearable' in booming suburb

If you buy a house along an active rail corridor you can't expect the traffic to never increase... 

That's why electrification and a tunnel is so important for this project. It will get people on side as well as provide sustainable freight movements.

Never heard a 7100 under load then have you

 

Queensland Parliament

https://documents.parliament.qld.gov.au/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2022/1512-2022.pdf

Question on Notice
No. 1512
Asked on 2 December 2022

MR J LISTER ASKED MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS (HON M BAILEY)

QUESTION:

With reference to the Minister, as a signatory to the bilateral agreement on Inland Rail in
November 2019 media statement https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/88977 to the Federal
Government's Independent Review of Inland Rail being conducted by Dr Kerry Schott AO—
Will the Minister advise (a) what submissions or representations the Minister, the Department of
Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Rail have made to the Federal Government's
Independent Review of Inland Rail being conducted by Dr Kerry Schott AO and (b) when will
these submissions be publicly released?

ANSWER:

I thank the Member for Southern Downs for the question.

The Australian Government has announced the appointment of Dr Kerry Schott AO to lead an
independent review into the Inland Rail project. The review will consider the process for selecting
the Inland Rail route, stakeholder consultation, and assess the project's scope, schedule, and
cost.

Meetings between the Department of Transport and Main Roads' (TMR) representatives and
Dr Schott took place on 17 October 2022 and 23 November 2022. The primary purpose of these
meetings was to discuss with Dr Schott, TMR's role in the Inland Rail project in Queensland and
the working relationships and agreements between the Australian Government, the Australian
Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and TMR. The meetings also afforded TMR the opportunity to
give the department's view on the independent review's terms of reference and comment on how
the project is being delivered by ARTC from a key stakeholder perspective.

There have been no formal submissions prepared for the Inland Rail Independent Review by the
Queensland Government.

NTR 2017 Q2

https://twitter.com/EVERALDATLARGE/status/1622713272536547330

 

I've never understood the obsession with Gladstone.  Inland Rail is about domestic freight first and foremost, with commodities second.  They are deliberately designing the system to be of no use to Australia's third largest city when that is the main point of Inland Rail, far more so than the Victorian and NSW bits.

Quote from: SurfRail on February 08, 2023, 11:00:23 AMI've never understood the obsession with Gladstone.  Inland Rail is about domestic freight first and foremost, with commodities second.  They are deliberately designing the system to be of no use to Australia's third largest city when that is the main point of Inland Rail, far more so than the Victorian and NSW bits.

Exactly. Gladstone may be a better hub for international exports than Brisbane is but that by no stretch of the imagination means that inland rail should completely bypass Brisbane. These people seem to be out of touch with the true purpose of Inland Rail. It's not like you're going to see NSW and Victoria shipping containers all the way up to Gladstone to export. That's already evident with every state wanting to do everything in house.

^ +1

Gladstone isn't mostly port related. It's actually to do with bypassing brisbane and allows operators to connect with other Queensland operations that don't run or service or deal with restrictions of the SEQ area. Such as QUBE or SCT who would pay ARTC, QR and Aurizon track fees. It should go to both locations.

Quote from: HappyTrainGuy on February 08, 2023, 14:33:15 PMGladstone isn't mostly port related. It's actually to do with bypassing brisbane and allows operators to connect with other Queensland operations that don't run or service or deal with restrictions of the SEQ area. Such as QUBE or SCT who would pay ARTC, QR and Aurizon track fees. It should go to both locations.

I agree. Having an alternative route up north is also important. I just think these people barking up the tree about bypassing Brisbane entirely are being ridiculous.

^ +1

I can see their view point considering it's been something promised or seriously looked into for around 110 years. I think surveying had even been done linking Cooyar, Yarraman and Tarong/Nanango/Kingaroy back in the early 1910's but wartime put a halt on plans. Monto had a long term plan of linking up with the line at Taroom via the Callide Valley railway line in the north I think but only got as far as Wandoan due to the war. And the Callide Valley railway line only got as far as Lawgi which is about 50-60km north west of Monto. Then you have the state government looking at the Surait Basin railway line which was a realignment of the existing Wandoan railway corridor to Miles, resuming the corridor towards Taroom along with extending north to the Moura railway line/Callide Valley railway line that fed into Gladstone. https://web.archive.org/web/20100102194023/http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/projects/transport/rail/surat-basin-rail.html ARTC and pollies have been a constant stream of looking into it. We had MBRL. They have a Toowoomba-Gladstone link

The point that Everald Compton and his followers are simply wrong on is that it is not one or the other.  The best outcome is both.

Arguing that Brisbane be left out is just silly and consigns him and his followers to the fringe.

But there are problems with the the Inland Rail in Queensland.  They have underestimated the cost of Gowrie to Kagaru, significantly in my view and there is still no concrete plans as to how the Port of Brisbane will be accessed. Significant opposition to upgrading the existing standard gauge line corridor between Bromelton and Acacia Ridge. There are studies and the like that have been kept back from public disclosure. Nothing new for Queensland, but the problem is just breeds a lack of confidence.

Just as a point of interest.  I have been to Wandoan by rail.  The line is now closed but the corridor still exists as I understand it.

ARTC are not the best outfit either IMHO.

It is a mess really. A huge mess!

Re Wandoan - correct. TMR have done a camcos and done study after study about the surait basin railway line. Wandoan has survived while between 2010-2018 tmr awarded contract after contract for track removal on various lines in the area. Mungar Junction-Monto, Taragoola-Monto, Kingaroy-Theenbine, Callide Valley and a number of other all had the rails ripped up but the corridor preserved.

Yeah the artc have a strong history of outsourcing and cost cutting/botching projects. QR had several of their contracts in other states prior to the split. Even the leg west of Toowoomba is questionable. If CRR went to Yeerongpilly that would open some avenues and Inland Rail to AR will help keep the costs down for a Beaudesert spur but still. It doesn't address the major hurdles of PN operations (their hub is AR. It provides quick access to truck freight providers, provides a quick link to their Queensland rail operations, provides a quick link to the port etc. As good as everyone's intentions are if the big players have to relocate their core operations they simply won't do it and will put up a massive fight in the process. It's simply not PN. You then have all the business associated in providing them with services and businesses that are near their hub for quick transfer of rail goods and services). It's as if they are focusing on trying to get more operators to come to the market but ignoring everyone else already there, ignoring the markets of the players they want to come and play and have realised this halfway through.

Basically it has a feeling of being highly politically driven rather than a properly designed and run asset. Bit of it's not good but it's not bad. Who knows the Toowoomba-Brisbane section might be quite at first but if there is a Toowoomba-Gladstone inland rail link it might be the proponent that kickstarts actual usage of that link. You might get operators establishing modal interchanges out there (not guaranteed as this is dependant on what operator does what/holds what contact at the time) which is what port connex is trying to do but from a rail operations perspective doesn't make a great deal of sense. It's great that they are providing a link and matches with inland rails idea but it just doesn't match up with existing and current rail operations from operators and the network/infrastructure.

The Guardian --> Trouble on the tracks: is Australia's $14bn inland rail project going off the rails?

A major Guardian investigation examines the 1,700km Melbourne to Brisbane mega project to find out whether communities along its route will benefit and whether their concerns are being bypassed

Quote from: ozbob on February 09, 2023, 03:42:42 AMThe point that Everald Compton and his followers are simply wrong on is that it is not one or the other.  The best outcome is both.

Arguing that Brisbane be left out is just silly and consigns him and his followers to the fringe.

But there are problems with the the Inland Rail in Queensland.  They have underestimated the cost of Gowrie to Kagaru, significantly in my view and there is still no concrete plans as to how the Port of Brisbane will be accessed. Significant opposition to upgrading the existing standard gauge line corridor between Bromelton and Acacia Ridge. There are studies and the like that have been kept back from public disclosure. Nothing new for Queensland, but the problem is just breeds a lack of confidence.

Just as a point of interest.  I have been to Wandoan by rail.  The line is now closed but the corridor still exists as I understand it.

ARTC are not the best outfit either IMHO.

It is a mess really. A huge mess!

====

^ On the money Ozbob ...

Brisbanetimes --> Inland Rail review identifies 'significant concerns'

Quote"Significant concerns" have been identified in a major rail project to complete Australia's national freight network.

But the issues outlined in the report from an independent review will not be made public until the government has developed its responses.

Transport Minister Catherine King and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher on Monday confirmed the Inland Rail project review had been delivered to the government, noting its findings were troubling.

"It reveals significant concerns about the governance and delivery of Inland Rail," a joint release said.

The Inland Rail project will establish a 1700-kilometre rail link between Melbourne and Brisbane, running through regional Victoria, NSW and Queensland to complete the national rail network.

An independent review was ordered in October over concerns the project, which was originally due to cost $4.7 billion and has a budget of $14.5 billion, could end up costing more than $20 billion. ...

Grain Central --> Minister foreshadows 'damning' Inland Rail review

QuoteFEDERAL Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King has forewarned the soon-to-be-released review into Inland Rail will not be favourable for the project.

Speaking at the National Press Club on Wednesda, Ms King said Kerry Schott, who has been tasked with reviewing the Inland Rail project found "significant concerns" surrounding the "governance and the delivery of the project".

Ms King said the report will be "gripping reading to those who want to learn lessons about how not to do nation-building".

"It is frankly a damning indictment on the National Party and a salutary lesson as to why they should never have their hands on portfolios with large discretionary funds again," Ms King said.

She said the review acknowledged Inland Rail was worth completing, despite the $14.5B project being "way over budget and...way behind schedule".

"Kerry Schott's report absolutely reiterates the importance of Inland Rail.

"I want to remind people of the reason Inland Rail was invested in in the first place: to increase our nation's productivity, to take freight off our already congested roads, and to move them efficiently and safely by rail and to get goods to market more quickly."

Ms King said the previous Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce and the former government "lost sight of this".

"They didn't see it as a project that had those goals and under my predecessor, frankly, I think the project became something of a strange vanity project for him." ...

Here it is ...

Couriermail --> 'Astonishing': Inland Rail doubles in cost to $31 billion, won't be finished this decade $

QuoteA damning report has found Queensland is holding up the construction of the Inland Rail project, which has seen costs blow out to a whopping $31 billion in the past two years alone.

Queensland is holding up the Inland Rail, which has doubled in cost to $31 billion in the past two years alone and will not be finalised this decade despite previous promises, a damning new report has found.

The 68-page report revealed a range of issues in Queensland, including the yet-to-be finalised route and a "poor-quality" environmental report, which will mean the 1700km rail project will be finished in the state four years after work is completed in NSW and Victoria.

In a withering assessment, cost blowouts and delays were blamed on the Australian Rail Track Corporation's "underdeveloped" plan in 2020, which required "major additions" to it as it progressed. ...

Independent review of Inland Rail

> https://www.inlandrail.gov.au/understanding-inland-rail/independent-review

    

ABC News --> Inland Rail review reveals 'astonishing' cost blow-out of $31b amid claims of unheeded advice

QuoteThe cost of delivering the 1,700-kilometre Inland Rail project in the eastern states has blown out to $31.4 billion, according to a damning new report, which warns the price tag may climb even higher because it is still unclear where the line "will start or finish".

Australia's former Energy Security Board chairperson Dr Kerry Schott led the review, finding the board managing the project did "not have adequate skills" and there had not been a "substantive" chief executive in nearly two years.

When advice was given to the former Coalition government to improve the skills-mix on the board, Dr Schott said it was "not heeded".

"The cost of the project has increased by an astonishing amount when compared to 2020," she said in her review.

"Two years ago the estimate was $16.4 billion, and now it is about $31 billion." ...

Guardian Australia --> 'Astonishing': cost of Inland Rail doubles to $30bn as review savages Coalition over project

QuoteThe predicted price tag of the Inland Rail megaproject has almost doubled in two years to more than $30bn, as an independent review savages the former Coalition government's handling of the plan.

In her independent review of the Inland Rail, commissioned by the Albanese government last year and released on Thursday, Dr Kerry Schott also flagged further delivery delays of at least four years.

Envisioned as a freight rail link between Melbourne and Brisbane through an inland corridor that is capable of running double-stacked freight trains between the two cities in 24 hours, the Inland Rail project has attracted criticism from experts and regional communities over the planned track alignment in light of flood risk and other environmental concerns. ...

What a sh*tshow.

Queensland was always going to be extremely complex by carving the project up into a number of discrete sections... thus ending up with isolated sections of standard/dual gauge track as you go.

I noticed in what little news detail we have available that it was proposed the remaining sections between Parkes and Melbourne be prioritised (probably in recognition of the complexities of the Queensland sections, each of which have their own unique problems); but I wonder, if we are still going to treat the project as a number of discrete projects whether they should be prioritised by the level of societal benefit that can be obtained in the interim while the full project is completed, if we are talking about another decade or so to get this thing finished.

... And that's without even contemplating more changes like adding Gladstone etc.

I couldn't find that the actual review document (redacted or otherwise) has been published online yet. I look forward to being able to have a look at all the detail the media didn't consider newsworthy enough.

Imagine if this were the HSR project...

Test run. Not great.

Quote from: ozbob on April 06, 2023, 00:27:04 AMIndependent review of Inland Rail

> https://www.inlandrail.gov.au/understanding-inland-rail/independent-review

Review is now available.

Ebenezer is the preferred terminal for double stacked freighters. From there single stack freight to Kaguru, Bromelton, Acacia Ridge and POB.

At this point, you could have spent money selectively on the existing corridor via Sydney and achieved transit times under 24 hours and had the benefit of making things faster for other rail services along there too.

Put it this way.
Melbourne to Sydney takes 11h
Sydney to Brisbane takes 14h

Thats 25 hours. You could easily spend some money on a freight bypass in Sydney, plus realigning a couple of key sections, eg around Gunning and knock an hour or two off!

From what I understand, a lot of the pain on this project is that the ARTC is utterly not prepared to handle projects of this scale.

All our construction expertise is in roads, Sydney Metro or Vic Rail Crossing Removal.

https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/getting-inland-rail-back-track

Media Release

Getting Inland Rail back on track

Thursday 06 April 2023

The Albanese Government is taking prudent and responsible action to rescue Inland Rail from the shameful state it was left in by the Coalition Government.

The independent review of Inland Rail led by Dr Kerry Schott AO found major deficiencies in the governance and delivery of Inland Rail.

It confirmed that Inland Rail is an important project to meet Australia's growing freight task, improve road safety and to help decarbonise our economy.

However, it also confirmed that the project is running significantly over budget and significantly behind schedule with just over 16% of the 1700km of track completed so far.

Dr Schott reported the estimated the cost of Inland Rail blew out to approximately $31 billion under the Liberals and Nationals.

This revised estimate is almost double what the Coalition Government said it would cost as recently as 2020, a blowout described by Dr Schott in her report as, "astonishing".

Dr Schott concluded that, "Somewhat surprisingly the project has commenced delivery without knowing where it will start or finish", adding that the final date and cost remain uncertain, because of a lack of confidence in the current estimates.

Flagrant mismanagement of the project by the Coalition has led to the need for comprehensive change and a renewed look at the underpinnings of the project.

In her report, Dr Schott outlines 19 recommendations to improve the delivery of Inland Rail including through enhanced governance arrangements, the identification of intermodal terminal locations, and ensuring appropriate environmental approval processes. The Government has accepted all of Dr Schott's recommendations in full or in-principle.

The Government will take a staged approach to delivering Inland rail, prioritising its delivery from Beveridge in Victoria to Parkes in New South Wales – increasing resilience and improving supply chain productivity between Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Newcastle, the Illawarra and Adelaide.

An independent cost estimator and value engineer will be tasked to undertake detailed assurance work to determine the updated cost and schedule for the program.

Cost assessments will be informed from a position of greater certainty on the engineering and design of the route, with the Government acknowledging Beveridge and Truganina in Victoria, and Ebenezer in Queensland, subject to the completion of a business case with the Queensland Government, as the preferred locations for open-access intermodal terminals, with Beveridge and Ebenezer the end points for Inland Rail's double stacked service offering.

In the near term, work will continue to support completion of existing construction activities and planning works north of Parkes.

New governance arrangements will ensure the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) has the necessary skills and experience to deliver its functions. The Government has already commenced this process, having appointed Mr Peter Duncan AM as the new Chair of the ARTC and Dr Collette Burke as a Non-Executive Director in January 2023. A new substantive chief executive of Inland Rail will also be appointed as soon as possible.

These moves will address the failures of the Coalition Government to meet its obligation to ensure the ARTC is governed properly and has the skills necessary for the work.

The Government will also support Dr Schott's recommendation to establish a subsidiary board of ARTC to oversee Inland Rail as a separate entity from the day to day work of ARTC.

ARTC has not received an updated the Statement of Expectations since 2018. This will be rectified shortly to give the necessary clarity and guidance to the ARTC Board to effectively deliver the Government's objectives.

Details of the Government response and the 19 recommendations made in the Schott Review, The Delivery of Inland Rail: An Independent Review, can be accessed from www.inlandrail.gov.au/independent-review

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King

"Dr Schott's report is clear. Inland Rail is behind schedule, over budget and requires a fundamental reset.

"Australia's investment in Inland Rail is critical to help us move more freight as our population grows. Inland Rail can reduce our transport emissions and make our roads safer, but it comes at a significantly higher cost.

"Given the abysmal state the former government left the project in, we must take immediate action to get it back on track.

"ARTC will prioritise the delivery of Inland Rail sections between Beveridge and Parkes, while we continue to affect change across the program, improve governance and risk management.

"When this Government can have faith that adequate environmental planning approvals are in place and there is sufficient certainty as to the scope and cost to build more of Inland Rail, we will do just that."

Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Finance, Senator Katy Gallagher

"The Australian Government accepts the recommendations in the Schott Review and acknowledges the lack of confidence with respect to the costs of Inland Rail.

"The findings of the Review are another damning indictment of the former Coalition Government, and another example of the Albanese Labor Government needing to clean up the mess left behind by our predecessors."

"We will act sensibly and responsibly to ensure this important project is put back on track".

Australian Government response to the independent review of Inland Rail

https://www.inlandrail.gov.au/understanding-inland-rail/publications-and-reports/australian-government-response-independent-review-inland-rail

The Delivery of Inland Rail: An Independent Review

https://www.inlandrail.gov.au/understanding-inland-rail/publications-and-reports/delivery-inland-rail-independent-review

Gazza, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest for it to underwhelm them. ARTC has a strong history outsourcing many projects and infrastructure jobs. At one point in time QR Business/Services had quite a few dollars in contracts with them including the ARTC national rail grinding contract (Brisbane to Kalgoorlie) which in itself was a $108 million dollar contract. And much of the Queensland leg of Inland Rail piggybacked off old QR/TMR/QR designs/studies from as far back as 2000 (TMR's SRFC study for example).

Quote from: ozbob on April 06, 2023, 09:28:27 AMEbenezer is the preferred terminal for double stacked freighters. From there single stack freight to Kaguru, Bromelton, Acacia Ridge and POB.

I haven't had a chance to look yet at the report but I wonder how much of an impact or reliance inland rail had on TMR's SRFC plans where costings had already somewhat been undertaken from over a decade ago.