JOINT STATEMENT: ARTC to investigate incorporating Queensland ..

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/2/25/joint-statement-artc-to-investigate-incorporating-queensland-into-the-national-rail-network

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Tuesday, February 25, 2014

JOINT STATEMENT: ARTC to investigate incorporating Queensland into the national rail network

The Federal Abbott Coalition Government and Queensland's Newman Government have agreed to investigate incorporating Queensland into the national rail network.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss and Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson today met with the Federal Government's Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) in Canberra to kickstart an investigation into expanding the ARTC's 8500km national network.

"Over the last 15 years we have seen the ARTC deliver improvements for freight networks across Australia by investing in infrastructure and staff, in return for management of track access," Mr Truss said.

"Jointly with the Queensland Government we have asked ARTC to investigate the viability of this proposition and carefully weigh up the pros and cons of such a move in Queensland.

"There are a number of factors that still need to be considered and by no means is this a done deal, but it's important that we have all the facts on the table."

The ARTC was created as a one-stop shop for Commonwealth and State Governments in 1997 and is responsible for 8500kms of track in Australia.

This includes a 94km section in Queensland between the NSW border and Acacia Ridge, which was transferred to the ARTC in 2010.

Mr Emerson said ARTC officers would begin working with Queensland Rail staff later this week and report back to the Queensland and Federal governments by mid-year.

"Queensland's Moving Freight strategy shows the freight task is expected to grow by 80 per cent over the next decade and we need a rail network that can do that heavy lifting," he said.

"Unlike the previous Queensland Labor governments we won't ignore bottlenecks such as access to the Port of Brisbane, a single track on the Sunshine Coast, and flood prone areas of north Queensland.

"For almost 150 years Queensland's rail freight network has operated separately from the rest of Australia, and as a result, has missed out on a share of investments provided for the national rail freight network in other states."

The Queensland rail freight network includes about 6600km of track outside south-east Queensland.

[ozbob]

 

[Fares_Fair]

 

If this goes well and the North Coast Line is added to the Federal Government's Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), it may well enable North Coast Line rail duplication sooner rather than later given all the congestion facts and limitation data that support this crucial freight corridor.

[ozbob]

ARTC

http://www.artc.com.au/

The Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC) was created after the Commonwealth and State Governments agreed in 1997 to the formation of a 'one stop' shop for all operators seeking access to the National interstate rail network.



^ as it is today ...

[SurfRail]

I half wonder if we should give them as much as possible beyond the NCL as well.

I think we will ultimately move in the same direction as the other states:

- ARTC control major and interstate lines
- Local rail access and maintenance manager
- Metropolitan network operated separately of longer distance trains

No more "Queensland Rail".

[ozbob]

Yes, the writing is on the wall.  Expect ARTC will take over NCL, maybe a couple of western lines.

Suburban / interurban will then be an isolated entity just ripe for a privatisation/franchise agenda.

I expect the Inlander and Westlander to cease later this year.

There are plans to ' privatise ' the remaining travel train operations.

I have heard the planned 2015 QR celebrations have already been scaled back.

[Stillwater]

Possible ARTC management of NCL is a major breakthrough.  RailBOT must remain focussed on pushing the case for track improvements based on rail freight efficiency (with passenger rail a secondary beneficiary).  ARTC's involvement, and possible funding of the line, is linked to rail freight efficiency.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland's rail sale plan may save millions

[Stillwater]

Mr Emerson is quoted in the CM article: "Any savings, potentially $112 million, could be put towards improving the passenger network and potentially stabilising fares."

[ozbob]

Mr Emerson is quoted in the CM article: "Any savings, potentially $112 million, could be put towards improving the passenger network and potentially stabilising fares."

Curious comment hey?   A decent fare structure would itself reverse the fare box and patronage slide. 

Still, a nice sentiment, albeit loaded ..   

[ozbob]

Media release 27th February 2014



SEQ: Bring forward Beerburrum-Nambour track duplication

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org), a web-based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers, says the Queensland Government should bring forward plans for duplicating the Sunshine Coast Line between Beerburrum and Nambour in the light of news that the state and federal governments are actively exploring a takeover of Queensland's east coast rail track corridor by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, a corporate entity owned entirely by the Commonwealth (1).

"The most pressing need for improving rail freight efficiency on the North Coast Line (NCL) serving Queensland's eastern seaboard is a requirement to duplicate the single track line north of Beerburrum to Nambour in order to untangle the mess created by freight and passenger trains sharing the corridor, while the poor alignment limits the length of freight trains and requires them to travel at an average speed of less than 70 kph."

"ARTC management of mainline track interstate, has resulted in a multi-million investment in 'below-rail' improvements, such as installing heavy duty railway track capable of supporting the heavier axle loads of more efficient freight trains. Better on-board signalling, minor deviations and GPS tracking of trains are among other efficiencies expected to flow should the ARTC deal go through. Of course, there will be spin-off benefits for passenger rail."

"Passenger rail is hopelessly compromised on the Sunshine Coast where more than 40 per cent of so-called train services are carried out by buses."

"Any works program flowing from an ARTC takeover of the line management would have to include duplication of the track through the Sunshine Coast for freight purposes, while the state could be expected to contribute to the cost of stations and car parks consistent with the Federal Government's position that it does not fund 'urban rail'."

"The fact that the Newman Government might have to contribute some of the costs associated with passenger rail operations on the Sunshine Coast should not impede it putting forward plans for track upgrades supporting faster, longer and more efficient freight trains serving Queensland's major coastal cities."

"The need is greatest on the section of track through the Sunshine Coast, that is where the money should go, and it is where planning attention must focus. Where the track duplication plans have not been completed, they should be advanced. Where land on which new track deviations has not been purchased, it should be bought up."

"Mr Emerson should bring this project to 'shovel ready' status, awaiting federal funding, and end the paralysis resulting from the Newman Government decision not to complete duplication to Nambour until 2031."

Reference:

1. http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/2/25/joint-statement-artc-to-investigate-incorporating-queensland-into-the-national-rail-network

Contacts:

Jeff Addison
Sunshine Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Discussion Sunshine Coast --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.msg139528#msg139528

[awotam]

"Unlike the previous Queensland Labor governments we won't ignore bottlenecks such as access to the Port of Brisbane, a single track on the Sunshine Coast,"
Is he serious? Didn't the LNP knock back the timetable for duplication by about 12 years when they were elected, after screaming in opposition about how much it was needed? Bloody hypocrite!

[Stillwater]

Up until this week, when Mr Emerson saw the possibility of money from Canberra for Queensland rail track upgrades, he (like Labor) ignored the SCL bottleneck pretty comprehensively.  He couldn't resist putting the boot in.

State Labor duplicated Caboolture-Beerburrum.  What length of track has state LNP duplicated?

[SteelPan]

The sooner Oz with all of 23m people, gets all its major rail corridors and for that matter, major long-distance rail operations, under the authority of a Fed funded single body - the better!

ARTC for the infrastructure
Oz version of Amtrak for the operations

Then rail can at least start to step into the 21stC for planning and operational standardisation.

[Stillwater]

We can but dream how things would have been different, and advanced, had all the states agreed to this proposition ^ when PM Gough Whitlam made the offer to the states in 1975.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_National_Railways_Commission

[SteelPan]

Yes and no, I'm not silly enough - yet - to simply believe the act of the Feds setting up bodies to run things makes them better in and of themselves.  Australian National was likely a good concept, but neither side of the political fence really took it very seriously.  However, I believe the case would be different in the 21stC.  Hence my argument now would be the right time to revisit the issue - the 1970's was never going to work, road transit was on the rise - now, it's fortunately rail's time!

[HappyTrainGuy]

Remember everyone. Only a few years ago Queensland Rail actually had quite a few ARTC rail maintenance contracts in NSW and Victoria. 100 million dollars worth in fact if my memory serves me right. And that was on top of their other multimillion dollar contracts. I wouldn't get too carried away in the hype just yet. It was quite amusing at the time. Some people were calling on the ARTC to take over some of the Queensland coal operations or something yet interstate QR was actually the ones doing the maintenance on their tracks 

Still can't believe our Government sold the bloody thing off the bastards.

[HappyTrainGuy]

And the reason it was sold of, I dare say that the maintenance costs which are not tendered in the CQ coal network were higher than what QR bid on out of Qld. Also the need for state ownership had long past as the CQ coal network is big enough to fend for itself and not get the govt politically caught up in the endless infighting with miners over capacity and access. that and the state is broke!

It was privatized because of the usual state government needing fast money because they blew it all away on water plants and a payroll system that still isn't fixed. MTCE for the coal fields was a drop in the ocean. They had their hands in everything. They were even in talks with buying Fox Road freight and incorporating that into their business. They bought other railway companies in other states. They bought road freight companies. They had railway mtce contracts in Tasmania. They had railway mtce contracts in WA. Back in 2008/2009 QR at the time made up 75-80% of the national rail grinding services in Australia. Yes there was fat that could have been cut but they didn't go about that. They saw a quick buck and they off loaded it for a absolute pittance of what it was worth.