Gowrie to Grandchester Proposal.

[Wilfy2007]

Hi Ozzie Bob,

Could you please tell me what is happening about the proposal of a new Railway line from Gowrie in Toowoomba to Grandchester on the current alignment.

Have in my hand the proposal which was done in 2002/2003.

QR must have decided not to go ahead with it, is this correct.

[ozbob]

Hi Wilfey!

As far as I am aware on hold, depending on final routes for inland rail.

I am sure mufreight will comment in time as well.

Regards
Bob

[mufreight]

Well Wilfey, it seems that Bob has passed it on to me for comment on the Grandchester to Gowrie realignment.
There is no question that there is a well overdue need for this section of the main western line to be brought into the 21st century, BUT while everyone agrees that it is highly desirable and should be done everyone wants someone else to accept responsibility for it and pay for it.
End result it is like the line to Kippa-Ring on an indefinate hold.
The present Queensland Government position would seem to be that they want the Commonwealth to pay for it as part of the infrastructure for the standard gauge inland rail link.
The Commonwealth position would seem to be that to route this national inland rail link via Toowoomba would mean that the line would be some 80+ Klm longer than it need be if routed via Warwick, joining the existing standard gauge line in the region of Tamrookum, would require the construction of some 153 klm of new standard gauge line and the reconstruction and dual gauging of a further 357 klm of existing QR narrow gauge line as opposed to the alternative route via Warwick whch would require the construction of only 136 klm on new standard gauge alignment and the reconstruction of some 202 klm of existing narrow gauge line.
The better grades and alignment and slightly shorter length of tunnels required obviously make the Warwick route more attractive both from the point of construction cost and operating efficiencies.
Other factors that come into play are the ATEC group which in November 2001 had a symbolic laying of the first rail of the Inland Rail project at Goondiwindi, since then that group has achieved little, the rail still lays there rusting, the tree that was planted to commerate the event has died and the plaque has been defaced.
This same group has purchased land at Toowoomba for an intermodal freight terminal and presently proposes that the line only be built from the border to Toowoomba and that the freight then be transfered to road for onforwarding, the prospect of the additional numbers of trucks needed to convey some 7000 tonnes of freight per day to Brisbane on the highway from Toowoomba to Brisbane is horrifying in itself.
Next we come to the problem of the incompatibality of operating double stacked container trains and passenger electrification over the same dual gauge line, using current rollingstock it simply can not be done as the maximum height for the AC overhead is too low to allow the operation of double stacked containers.
Next problem is the operation of coal and grain trains off the Downs to the Port of Brisbane, the line between Toowoomba and Corinda is almost at capacity and there is at present a proposal to operate an additional 14 coal trains between Ackland and the Port of Brisbane per week requiring an additional four train paths per day over a line already almost at capacity.
There is also to be considered the growing demand for rail commuter services from Gatton and the Lockyer Valley to Brisbane which would warrant the extension of the electrification west from Rosewood to Gatton if not to Helidon but to acomplish this there would need to be a new tunnel through the Little Liverpool Range as the existing tunnel could not accomodate the clerances required for electrification.
Part of the solution is that the standard gauge line be routed via the alternative Warwick route and that as an intrim measure the new alignment (and tunnel) be constructed between Grandchester and Laidley and the line be electrified as far as Gatton, this would remove the conflict between the operation of double stacked containers for maximum efficency on the standard gauge inland rail link, enable the electrification of the line to Gatton for an extension of passenger services, Gatton is nearer to Brisbane than Nambour and more people currently commute by road from the Lockyer Valley daily to the Brisbane region than commute daily by rail from Nambour, and it would have the effect of a considerable lowering of operating cost for freight operations and the shorter transit times over the Grandchester - Laidley section would raise the numbers of avaliable train paths.
That just about tells it all, hope that this has been of some help.
For more information see National Issues, a new perspective on inland rail

[Wilfy2007]

mufreight,

Thanks for a great reply.
Is it possible to have Loco pulled passenger services from Toowoomba to Gatton or Helidon, with Electric services from one of these towns to Ipswitch or Rosewood?

Also in a recent UBD book of Brisbane and SE Queensland the land between Warwick and the town starting with a T, actual name escapes me, there is World Heritage Listed land in a National Park.

Has there been any estimates on the cost of the Gowrie to Grandchester Proposal?

Because of the Expansion in industry as far out as Dalby, maybe it would make sense to have a Loco Passenger service into one of the towns between Toowoomba and Ipswitch..

Any thoughts?

Regards,
Wilfy 2007.

[ozbob]

Link for the article mu mentioned above here -->  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1405.0