Statement: Double the solutions to double freight capacity

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Double the solutions to double freight capacity

The Newman Government will invest $17 million to make larger train tunnels through the Toowoomba Range and Lockyer Valley.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said lowering the floors of 11 tunnels – including nine heritage listed tunnels – would be a boost for the agricultural industry allowing larger hi cube containers to operate between the Darling Downs and Port of Brisbane.

"If we are going to meet our future growth in freight we need to make sensible decisions now to improve the capacity on our train network," Mr Emerson said.

"This will be a challenging engineering task because the tunnels along the western and south western rail corridors must retain their historic qualities.

"We've already taken steps to build two additional passing loops on the range to allow more services for cotton and grain and this will now allow even more freight capacity."

The use of the larger 9'6" hi cube containers had grown significantly in recent years, replacing the standard 8'6" containers.

Mr Emerson said geotechnical work is currently underway with work due to start in early 2014.

"The amount of grain and cotton through the Port of Brisbane increased by 50 per cent last year," he said.

"By addressing the height constraints for agricultural freight we will be able to provide capacity improvements needed for future growth.

"These two projects will mean more farmers can get crops off the road and on to rail and start to address the transportation needs of farmers across south-west Queensland well into the future."

[ENDS] 27 August 2013

[ozbob]

 

[minbrisbane]

Interesting development. 

Now all they need do is build a new range crossing and string some wires up!

[SurfRail]

This is a good interim step.  Of course the freight will still take twice as long as it should, but at least the throughput will increase.

Range crossing is a must - I'm even leaning towards road as well (albeit the rail crossing should actually be cheaper).

[mufreight]

Another opportunity lost due to the short-sighted incompetent clown that we currently have as Queensland Transport Minister, instead of lowering the floor of the Victoria tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range it would make more sense to build the new tunnel and realign the line between Grandchester and Yerongmullu as is proposed for the Inland rail link which would minimise the disruption while the tunnel floor is lowered.
Lowering the floors on the tunnels on the main range is in the light of the fact that the alignment up the main range will continue to be used for the foreseeable future but lowering the floors of those tunnels will create considerable disruption and one would think need closures for the work to be carried out.
A new tunnel to standard gauge dimensions through the Little Liverpool Range would not only allow the operation of these higher containers but would enable the electrification to be extended from Rosewood to Helidon and a return of the co-ordinated services to Toowoomba.

[Golliwog]

I'm all for the extra freight through put that this will allow, but I do have some engineering based questions about how you lower the floor of a whole set of old tunnels without a decent length track closure. I guess it depends to some extent on what the existing tunnel wall foundations are like.

And a smaller concern about this becoming a stranded investment if/when the new alignment for the line down the range is ever built.

[ozbob]

Queue NIMBYs  " .... more trains gosh,  we want more B Triples  hundreds and hundreds to pollute, damage the roads and kill and maim ... "

[minbrisbane]

I'm all for the extra freight through put that this will allow, but I do have some engineering based questions about how you lower the floor of a whole set of old tunnels without a decent length track closure. I guess it depends to some extent on what the existing tunnel wall foundations are like.

And a smaller concern about this becoming a stranded investment if/when the new alignment for the line down the range is ever built.

That is a very good point!  I guess they really should be going 'the whole hog'

[Stillwater]

How does all this mesh in with the federal Coalition's promise to build the Inland Rail Corridor from Melbourne to Brisbane?  It is also being backed by the LNP state honchos.

[ozbob]

Fixing the range for 3' 6" is relatively low cost and achievable now.  The inland freight stuff is a long way off, and will be staged.

Getting the Southern Freight Rail corridor done, and Acacia Ridge to Port would be very useful.  This will be dual gauge and I suggest sufficient clearance for eventual double stacking which will happen when the standard gauge line down the range etc. is done.

The LNP (state) put out a joint presser with the Federal coalition re Inland rail see --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10175.msg130629#msg130629

[mufreight]

Another opportunity lost due to the short-sighted incompetent clown that we currently have as Queensland Transport Minister, instead of lowering the floor of the Victoria tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range it would make more sense to build the new tunnel and realign the line between Grandchester and Yerongmullu as is proposed for the Inland rail link which would minimise the disruption while the tunnel floor is lowered.
Lowering the floors on the tunnels on the main range is in the light of the fact that the alignment up the main range will continue to be used for the foreseeable future but lowering the floors of those tunnels will create considerable disruption and one would think need closures for the work to be carried out.
A new tunnel to standard gauge dimensions through the Little Liverpool Range would not only allow the operation of these higher containers but would enable the electrification to be extended from Rosewood to Helidon and a return of the co-ordinated services to Toowoomba.

Ok MU I'm going to stick up for Cando here.

They are spending a minor $17m to fix the tunnel roofs to move bigger containers on this route within 2 years. $17m wouldn't pay for the feasibilty study for the new tunnel or even if this is done the engineering costs.

I know what you are getting at, we'd all love to see the new route done and usted and how many times was this promised in the last 15 years or even as you say in part because this is going on, why not by-pass some of the tunnels and say the money being spent on a outdated alignment, but I somehow feel this route will be with us for a few more years yet and $17m is really not alot in railway terms. What surprises me more is that despite the tight budget, the govt is at least doing something with this route. The former govt spent 12 years reducing non-coal traffic to a trickle. Nice to see someone at least is at least doing something.

You have quite conveniently overlooked the fact that the Commonwealth has committed funding for this tunnel as part of the works for the inland rail link in the past and have again recommitted to the construction of the Inland Rail which would include the realignment and a new tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range thus making any money spent on lowering the floor of the Victoria tunnel simply a waste.

[nathandavid88]

Another opportunity lost due to the short-sighted incompetent clown that we currently have as Queensland Transport Minister, instead of lowering the floor of the Victoria tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range it would make more sense to build the new tunnel and realign the line between Grandchester and Yerongmullu as is proposed for the Inland rail link which would minimise the disruption while the tunnel floor is lowered.
Lowering the floors on the tunnels on the main range is in the light of the fact that the alignment up the main range will continue to be used for the foreseeable future but lowering the floors of those tunnels will create considerable disruption and one would think need closures for the work to be carried out.
A new tunnel to standard gauge dimensions through the Little Liverpool Range would not only allow the operation of these higher containers but would enable the electrification to be extended from Rosewood to Helidon and a return of the co-ordinated services to Toowoomba.

Ok MU I'm going to stick up for Cando here.

They are spending a minor $17m to fix the tunnel roofs to move bigger containers on this route within 2 years. $17m wouldn't pay for the feasibilty study for the new tunnel or even if this is done the engineering costs.

I know what you are getting at, we'd all love to see the new route done and usted and how many times was this promised in the last 15 years or even as you say in part because this is going on, why not by-pass some of the tunnels and say the money being spent on a outdated alignment, but I somehow feel this route will be with us for a few more years yet and $17m is really not alot in railway terms. What surprises me more is that despite the tight budget, the govt is at least doing something with this route. The former govt spent 12 years reducing non-coal traffic to a trickle. Nice to see someone at least is at least doing something.

You have quite conveniently overlooked the fact that the Commonwealth has committed funding for this tunnel as part of the works for the inland rail link in the past and have again recommitted to the construction of the Inland Rail which would include the realignment and a new tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range thus making any money spent on lowering the floor of the Victoria tunnel simply a waste.

Yes, the construction of the inland rail project has been greenlighted, but it won't be completed until 2026, meaning that the current route will still be in service for another 12 years. Compared to the $5 Billion inland rail project cost, or even the $300 million from the coalition to just finalise plans, $17 million is a drop in the bucket really. Yes, it's an upgrade to a line intended to be replaced, but the low cost and the outcome of being able to increase freight capacity prior to 2026 makes it money well spent IMO.

[ozbob]

I wonder if this might have been a factor in progressing the rail range improvements ...

The Chronicle --> Coalition's broken promise to fund bypass 'miserable form'