RAIL TO ROAD - Freight Proposal

[ozbob]

Posted by Administration on behalf of Adrian Marshall.  Thank you Adrian.

Any comments?  Please post

RAIL TO ROAD FREIGHT PROPOSAL

1.   INTRODUCTION

The increase of heavy vehicular traffic is creating major problems for local and State Governments with regard to road maintenance and exposure to accidents and incidents of a serious nature.

It is apparent that roads constructed as recently as five to ten years ago are not coping with the increased volume and weight of loads being transported in today's environment. Further more with the upward surge in the price of petroleum based products, the cost of road building will be impacted placing pressure on the amount of funds available to maintain and build the road network.

Alternative methods need to be considered to reduce the increasing occurrence of accidents, on going pavement damage and the need for additional new road construction.

Another issue to be considered is the greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on the environment.


2.   PROPOSAL

That major freight transhipment centres be established on the main rail network on north from Brisbane to Townsville. Freight would be carried by rail to these centres, unloaded, and then on forwarded to adjoining cities/towns/villages within designated areas.

The focus of this proposal is to reduce the number of trucks on the major road networks and inturn creating the environment to reduce the number of incidences, pavement damage, the amounts of greenhouse gases being emitted and create employment opportunities in cities/towns where the transhipment centres would be located.

One train comprising 3 locomotives pulling 100 loaded wagons would be the equivalent of approximately 330 trucks needed to transport the same amount of freight. This assuming each rail wagon is carrying 50 tonne and each truck averaging 15 tonne and is a trailer and "dog" combination.  [Administration note:  significant greenhouse emission savings see http://epa.gov/smartway/documents/intermodal%20shipping.pdf ]


A major freight terminal would be established in the Brisbane area to coordinate the consolidation and forwarding of freight to the regional based centres. Containerised handling facilities would be established to load and unload containers from trains to trucks and vice versa.

Establishing a rail/road freight handling system would increase traffic on the existing rail infrastructure, therefore upgrading the existing rail network mentioned would be needed to remove hazardous sections that already exist, install additional sidings and eventually dual track to ease congestion.

Initially until upgrading work has been carried out it is proposed to transport freight at night north bound and return freight during the middle of the day. This would leave the rail network free for passenger transportation at peak times; ie early mornings and late afternoons.

Ideally the freight transhipment centres would need to be situated in major centres equi-distant apart, for example Gympie, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Townsville.

The Gympie centre for example would service Tin Can Bay, Cooloola, parts of the Sunshine Coast, Maryborough, Hervey Bay and rural areas to the south, north band east. There would be some overlap with centres catering for the same area; ie the Gympie and Bundaberg centres could both cater for Maryborough and Hervey bay.

Whilst this proposal has advantages in reduction of heavy vehicular movement on the Bruce Highway thus limiting the exposure to incidents, possible reduction of damage to the road pavement, and lowering the amount of harmful greenhouse gases being produced another upside the creation of employment opportunities in the localities the centres are based.

Eventual dual tracking and upgrading to the existing rail line would allow for an increase in passenger and freight train speeds, thus reducing the journey time particularly for passengers. Another advantage of dual tracking is the easing of congestion and delays that may occur should the line remain a single entity.

Feeder lines that have been closed, such as the Kingaroy line, could be reopened to act as a feeder for the Gympie centre. The train size on this line would not need to be as large as the ones on the main line due to the lesser amount freight to be transported. Reopening of this line would also allow for the transportation of livestock and grain to carried by rail again.

Establishment of a rail/road freight network would require a considerable amount of capital expenditure, which would prove prohibitive to Government to implement. Therefore the preferred model would be Public/Private Partnership to manage and operate the network. Government would provide the track network on the main line, feeder lines and centres with private enterprise supplying rolling stock, handing equipment and manpower.

The mix of involvement need not to be the model mentioned previously and should be configured to obtain the best result. The ideal private involvement would be a consortium of companies operating under a single entity.

An Audit or Regulatory Department would need to be established monitor and regulate pricing structures benchmark performance against determined Key Performance Indicators.

The arguments against this proposal would be the establishment costs, the impact on the existing freight networks and companies and the lack of any identifiable reduction in freight costs.

Combating the negatives is the decrease in exposure to incidents, ie truck accidents and spillages, perceived reduction in pavement damage, creation of employment opportunities in centre based localities and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It is difficult to determine what pricing structures would be applicable until a feasibility study is carried out to establish overall start up and operating costs.

Initially there would need to be a phasing in period to allow existing freight companies to rework how they can become a part of the system and contribute to its success. Legislation may be required to establish the business model and lay out future conditions for the entity. There will be situations from time to time where the road network would be required to transport loads unsuitable by rail. A permit system could be introduced to manage and control any freight unable to be transported by rail.

Queensland is always being touted as the smart state and adoption of this proposal would set it apart from other states and Commonwealth by being innovative.

[CNsylvester]

.... my idea is similar but different ... I thought this up whilst vacuuming.

Water is plentiful up north, but not SEQ;

No pipes from north to bring water south;

Infrastructure does exist thou;

Bring water south on railway lines!

"A train a day may keep the dought away" A train a day going north to the most plentiful supply, returning full to SEQ centre requireing it most.

Transportation could be grain wagons - water tight?  (or if not, don't shoot down the idea just on that point)  30,000L x 100 wagons = serious water for a small town.

Thinking ahead now....... where possible, build dam connecting pipeline on railway corridor as land (read SAVINGS) already cleared of vegitation (SAVING) it already near level (SAVING), pipes and constrution equipment can be bulk delived on the spot (SAVING)

Cost ?  of course.  The only way to remove cost is for serious rain.

Who wouldn't want to be the politician that was responsible for bringing water to a partched region?

Courier Mail has reported private water deliverers cannot keep up with damand for business.

THis idea is ripe for the picking.

Regards to all

Ken McHugh

[richard]

Conceptua;;y these ideas are on the money - but whether we can make them happen is the issue.

The road rail idea is not unlike what happened years ago, except that the trains shunted wagons at intermediate stations.  THese days trucks offwer two advantages over truck rail truck - lower handling times and possibly less cost.  We would need a carrot or stick to make it happen

As for the water trains, the challenge would be where to unload - perhaps swanbank to reduce the power house's call on brisbane water.  Although I would happy to reopen the Kilcoy or Bris Valley lines to get water to the dams!

richard