Article: Northern Missing Link surges ahead

[ozbob]

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Northern Missing Link surges ahead

Northern Missing Link surges ahead
by Rail Express — last modified May 25, 2011 09:49 AM

The first stretch of track for the Northern Missing Link, the cornerstone of QR National's $1.1bn Goonyella to Abbot Point (GAP expansion project, was laid on Monday.
   
The $385m Northern Missing Link would see some 69km of track join the existing Goonyella and Newlands coal rail systems.

Along with expansion and upgrading of existing track and 15 new bridges along the Newlands system, including associated rail unloading infrastructure at Abbot Point Coal Terminal, once at full capacity the GAP project would enable coal companies to double coal tonnages railed to the terminal to 50m tonnes per annum.

QR National chief executive Lance Hockridge said the Northern Missing Link was a critical piece of national infrastructure that would help Australia meet growing global demand for coal exports.

"The Northern Missing Link is a well-timed, crucial investment in Queensland's coal supply chain," Hockridge said.

"It will significantly improve flexibility in the Goonyella and Newlands coal systems, allowing more coal to moved to port more efficiently and, in turn, facilitating higher export revenue for the nation over the coming years."

In a further landmark for the project, a new balloon loop was commissioned at the Abbot Point Coal Terminal near Bowen on Monday, providing coal customers with increased flexibility for unloading their trains at the port.

Hockridge said QR National was "right on track" for trains to start running on the Northern Missing Link from early 2012, enabling an immediate boost to coal tonnages from the central Bowen Basin.

[colinw]

Amazing how quick we can slap some track in when its for coal.

Compare the time-scale for this project with that to put in a few dozen km of new line north of Caboolture, or the decades long crawl to get rail back to Coolangatta.

[O_128]

WOW 385 million for 69km of rail. So im guessing this is single track so 385 million for 35km of dual track rail with bridges.

Yet we got 4km of rail to richlands for 400 million. Am I missing something?

[colinw]

Electrification, signalling for tighter headways than on the coal system, station and park & ride, complex bridging over the Ipswich Motorway, road overpasses, etc. Did the $400 million also include the adjacent motorway works?

Greenfields rail out in the sticks is definitely cheaper, but in many cases it seems to be MUCH cheaper.  Some of the duplications on the line west of Rockhampton were brought in for around the $1 million per km, including electrification.

The "Northern Missing Link" project includes 3 crossing loops long enough to cross coallies, so probably has a longer distance of double track than Darra to Richlands already.

It is probably misleading to compare the cost of these projects with suburban rail projects, and in particular they seem to get an "economy of scale" that you see on few urban projects other than perhaps Perth to Mandurah and maybe the Gold Coast line from Beenleigh to Robina.

What I do find telling 'though is how fast these kinds of projects can be approved & built, compared to the glacial pace of, for example, the Sunshine Coast duplication.

[Golliwog]

They also can work much longer hours out in the sticks. I was almost put up there for a little bit and the deal was going to be something similar to 10 days on, 4 off working something like 6am till 5/6pm IIRC. That would certainly help keep plant rental costs down.

It wouldn't surprise me though if the cost of upgrading the Newlands line is higher than they originally forecast.

[O_128]

But duplicating the NCL is virtually out in the sticks, same with the gold coast line.I wonder who is building these rail lines?

Are our suburban lines actually tendered?

[Golliwog]

But duplicating the NCL is virtually out in the sticks, same with the gold coast line.I wonder who is building these rail lines?

Are our suburban lines actually tendered?

Don't quote me on it, but I believe they do a bunch of it themselves.