Mallee - Murray Basin rail

[ozbob]

Stock Journal --> Mallee rail future in doubt

VITERRA will transition from rail haulage to road transport for moving grain from the Mallee region from August 1.

Viterra's group commercial manager Andrew Hannon said the decision to move from rail to road transport provides the most efficient and cost effective supply chain for Mallee graingrowers.

"The grain supply chain must be efficient and cost effective to provide growers with the best opportunity to reach domestic and international markets and road freight is the most cost competitive option for growers in the Mallee region," he said.

Viterra is currently the only user of the two Mallee rail lines, averaging one train per week on each line.

Last year, Viterra extended the existing rail agreement with Genesee & Wyoming Australia (GWA) by an additional 12 months. This extra time was necessary for Viterra, GWA and the State Government to explore all options to continue using rail freight at the Loxton, Pinnaroo, Lameroo and Karoonda sites.

Mr Hannon said Viterra would continue to work closely with Strategic Site Committee chairs in the region as the industry continued to plan operations for the coming harvest.

"The Mallee is a key region for grain production and an important, strategic part of the Viterra business," he said.

"We want to assure Mallee growers that all the services we provide at our Mallee receival sites will be maintained with the transition to road or a road and rail combination for grain being moved to port."

Viterra said it remained committed to providing growers with an efficient storage and handling network that meets both their needs and the needs of export customers to ensure SA grain remains internationally competitive.

Viterra will continue to move grain on the Mallee rail line until the end of July 2015 when the agreement expires.

Stock Journal --> Truck traffic to hamper road upkeep

[pandmaster]

Disgraceful. If Truss were serious about country voters he would cough some money up for infrastructure improvements for grain lines. Some of it is atrocious.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Andrew Lund ‏@andrew_lund 11 minutes ago

Govt will spend $416 million to standardise rail line between Geelong and Mildura @9NewsMelb

==================

Twitter

Andrew Lund ‏@andrew_lund  33 minutes ago

State govt gives the green light to Murray Basin rail project. Hopes to shift more freight onto trains @9NewsMelb

[ozbob]

^ I think one of the mighty R's might have to be converted to standard gauge at this rate ...     

(R's were built with future standard gauge conversion in mind b.t.w)

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/labor-government-backs-full-murray-basin-rail-project

Labor Government Backs Full Murray Basin Rail Project

Monday 17 August 2015

The Andrews Labor Government today committed to the biggest upgrade to regional rail freight in decades – the full Murray Basin Rail Project – which will standardise and upgrade the entire Murray Basin rail network.

Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, and Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford, in Maryborough to back the $416 million Murray Basin Rail Project, which will boost the safety, capacity and reliability of freight services in Northern Victoria and better connect primary producers to the State's major ports.

Under the Labor Government's comprehensive plan, lines from Geelong to Mildura, Manangatang, Sea Lake and Murrayville will be standardised, and the existing unused standard gauge connection between Maryborough and Ararat will be reopened.

This will fix the missing links in our freight network and connect regional Victoria to the ports of Portland, Geelong and Melbourne, as well as improving freight connections to southern New South Wales and South Australia.

Enhanced connections to the Port of Melbourne during the 50 year lease term will provide even more certainty to the supply chain and stevedores.

Axle loading on Murray Basin freight lines will be increased to 21 tonnes, allowing larger trains to carry more product with each trip.  By enabling more freight to be moved by rail, the project will increase the efficiency of the freight network, remove around 20,000 truck trips to the ports each year and keep our export industries competitive.

The Government's commitment to The Murray Basin Rail Project is in addition to the new $200 million Agriculture Infrastructure and Jobs Fund that will drive economic growth, create jobs and boost exports from paddock to port.

The Labor Government has already provided up to $220 million in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget for the project, with $5 million fast-tracked in February to get work started on critical maintenance and safety works.

Major works are expected to commence in the second half of 2016 and 270 jobs will be created during construction.

The Andrews Labor Government has written to Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, asking the Abbott Government to partner with Victoria in funding this project of critical importance to the Victorian and Australian freight network. The business case, which was also released today, has been sent to Infrastructure Australia for their assessment.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

"The Andrews Labor Government is committed to the full Murray Basin Rail Project, which will boost the safety, capacity and reliability of freight services and better connect primary producers to the State's major ports."

"This is good for farmers, their families and our economy, and we're calling on the Abbott Government to step up and contribute to this critical project."

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Public Transport and Employment Jacinta Allan

"Standardising the Murray Basin rail network, and increasing the loads it can carry, will allow primary producers to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy."

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford

"Food and fibre are the future of our economy. By supporting our farmers to get their goods to market faster, we're boosting exports and making sure we stay ahead of the game."

[ozbob]

Contrast between Vic and Qld could not be more marked hey?

I think if I win lotto tonight, not really a hard decision to make it is it?

[ozbob]

Mildura Rural City Council --> Council welcomes full commitment to Murray Basin Rail project

[pandmaster]

This is fantastic news for the region. The rail line in the region has been neglected for some time. Incredibly, some visionary person had all the level crossings along those lines converted to dual-gauge some time ago, making this project much cheaper. I would like some more detail though on whether trains will have to go via Ararat and the reactivated link to Maryborough or can go via Ballarat. I suspect the former for cost factors and the impact on passenger train services.

I find it odd though that the government has committed to funding before IA have assessed it. Surely this announcement is premature. What if IA recommends against it? They certainly have been pressured to greenlight it now.

[ozbob]

Murray Basin Rail Project  --> http://economicdevelopment.vic.gov.au/transport/freight/murray-basin-rail-project

[pandmaster]

Thanks ozbob: that has answered my question. The line from Geelong to Maryborough via Ballarat is to be converted to dual gauge. Good on them for having the guts to do it: the route to Geelong and Melbourne via Ararat would have been significantly longer and hurt the viability of the standardised lines. Interestingly the existing DG Maryborough to Dunolly section is slated to be standardised.

Once this project is done it would be great to see the link from Mildura to the Sydney-Perth line built.

It is such a disappointment that the SG Pinnaroo line in SA will/has close/d this year (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinnaroo_railway_line,_South_Australia). The soon-to-be-standardised line to Murrayville used to run there and it would open up Adelaide as a port for the region as well.

[ozbob]

ABC Rural --> Victorian rail project faces 'major issues' before it gets federal funding

The Federal Government says "major issues" need to be addressed before it decides whether to contribute $200 million to a Victorian rail upgrade project.

The Victorian Government has committed to standardising rail lines in the state's north-west so that they are all the same gauge, which will get more grain on to trains instead of being transported on road.

It says upgrading the rail network will remove 20,000 truck trips to the port each year and relieve pressure on the road network.

The total cost of the project is $416 million, with the State Government having put aside $220 million for the project already.

Victorian Transport Minister Jacinta Allan is calling on the Federal Government to fund the remainder of the project.

However, in a statement, Federal Infrastructure Minster Warren Truss said this rail line was not part of the ARTC network so it would normally be a state-only responsibility.

"This, along with Victoria's infrastructure programme being in limbo since the Andrews Government aborted the East West Link, will be major issues to work through in considering this request," Mr Truss said.

The statement went to say that the proposal would be considered "in line with normal review processes".

Ms Allan said she was hopeful the money would come through, but even if it did not, the project would go ahead.

"Once we have a response from the Commonwealth, we'll look at future forward funding projections, and the Premier indicated very clearly when he was announcing this in Maryborough last week, that we will deliver this project," she said.

"It's just going to take longer if the Commonwealth won't partner with us."

[pandmaster]

"This, along with Victoria's infrastructure programme being in limbo since the Andrews Government aborted the East West Link, will be major issues to work through in considering this request," Mr Truss said.

Did Truss just admit that the Commonwealth would withhold funding to spite Andrews over the East-West Link?

First the government claims they have no stake in urban rail. So then here comes a project that is country rail. Still no funding forthcoming. The government are just anti-rail full stop. If this was a road upgrade I bet there would be money committed by now, with no business case or scrutiny.

[Arnz]

"This, along with Victoria's infrastructure programme being in limbo since the Andrews Government aborted the East West Link, will be major issues to work through in considering this request," Mr Truss said.

Did Truss just admit that the Commonwealth would withhold funding to spite Andrews over the East-West Link?

First the government claims they have no stake in urban rail. So then here comes a project that is country rail. Still no funding forthcoming. The government are just anti-rail full stop. If this was a road upgrade I bet there would be money committed by now, with no business case or scrutiny.

I believe Abbott was quoted as "anti Public Transport/anti Passenger Rail" in general, saying that's a 'responsibility of the states'. 

The current fed government are more than happy to fund freight/coal rail, but not passenger rail per Abbott's "PT is a responsibility of the states" quote.

[pandmaster]

The current fed government are more than happy to fund freight/coal rail, but not passenger rail per Abbott's "PT is a responsibility of the states" quote.

I do not think that they are happy to fund freight. This is a freight project: no passenger trains use the lines to be converted. In fact it will most likely make the long-proposed return of passenger rail to Mildura more difficult as standard gauge rollingstock does not exist and the route via Geelong is indirect compared to the broad gauge Ballarat line. IMHO this is evidence that the government is anti-rail and will only support it if it connects to a coal mine. Even the Inland Rail Link, which the Nats love, has not progressed much since the last election. It is an election commitment next year at best.

[ozbob]

Every day is a day closer to the day Abbott packs up his ' knitting ' and heads off on a great road trip to retirement ... bye Tony!!

[pandmaster]

Every day is a day closer to the day Abbott packs up his ' knitting ' and heads off on a great road trip to retirement ... bye Tony!!

I watch the Canning by-election with bated breath. A new leader in the wake of it could make a big difference for the next election. Especially with the media onside.

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Progress made on Murray Basin project

Port users are expected to be some of the major beneficiaries of a major rail project in Victoria.

New sleepers are being installed between Maryborough and Mildura as part of the Victorian Government's $416m Murray Basin Rail Project (MBRP).

Agriculture and regional development minister Jaala Pulford welcomed the works and renewed calls for the Commonwealth to join their state counterparts in supporting the project.

The MBRP is to upgrade and standardise the entire Murray Basin freight network and better link farmers to the ports in Portland, Geelong and Melbourne.

Broad gauge sleepers being laid in Maryborough right now are to make the main freight line safer and more reliable straight away, paving the way for the next phase of the project.

Because the sleepers are wooden, they can be easily changed to standard gauge, reducing the time the Mildura line will be closed during stage two of the project.

All-in-all, 100,000 sleepers are to be laid between Maryborough and Mildura, of which nearly 30,000 have already been installed.

The State Government has put $220m toward the MBRP – more than half the estimated project cost.

Ms Pulford said the sleepers would improve freight safety and reliability.

"The Murray Basin Rail Project will enable primary producers across North Western Victoria to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy," Ms Pulford said.

"The Andrews Labor Government has put $220 million towards this project, and is calling again on the Federal Government to pay their fair share."

This article originally appeared in Rail Express affiliate publication Lloyd's List Australia.

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Grain benefits expected from Murray Basin project

[ozbob]

Sunraysia Daily -->  Railway works on track

Dual gauge track being installed on level crossings in Mildura

[ozbob]

iseekplant --> Major Construction for Murray Basin Rail Project due to Begin Later this year

The multi-phased Murray Basin Rail project aims to standardise freight rail between Geelong and Mildura and also improve infrastructure for rail transport in the region.

The Murray Basin Rail project will be creating approximately 276 jobs in construction and will be completed in four stages.

Initiated in February last year, the Murray Basin Rail project will include significant upgrades to the rail freight network in Victoria in order to increase freight capacity.

The Federal Government matched the Victorian Government's $220 million commitment for the project, which should increase the capacity for grain on the Victorian rail network by a huge 311,000 tonnes each year.

Stage one began in February 2015 and included essential maintenance works, along with 3,400 metres of rail and 130,000 sleepers on the Mildura freight line between Maryborough and Yelta.
Andrew Broad is the Federal Member for Mallee, and he said that the network upgrade will reduce rail freight costs for producers and he wants the Mildura line to have a 24-hour turn around.

"There's been a real dearth of investment in rail freight for a very long time," he said, and made it clear that the announcement for funding wasn't just an election year stunt. Instead, the funding came from money that was going to be used for the East-West project.

National MP Darren Chester said that he's also open to potentially adding to the Murray Basin Rail Project and reinstating passenger rail as it would equal greater value for money.

The line from Gheringap through Ballarat and to Maryborough will be converted to dual-gauge, while many others will be converted to standard-gauge, including Maryborough to Mildura and Yelta and Sea Lake to Korong Vale.

The current mix of both broad and narrow gauge freight lines create massive inefficiencies and make it difficult for grains to be delivered to the ports. Standardising the lines and lifting their capacity (allowing them to carry heavier trains) will mean that hauling grain will cost less and it will also be more efficient.

Major construction is due to begin in the second half of 2016 and should be completed by late 2018.

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/transforming-the-murray-basin-rail-network/

Transforming The Murray Basin Rail Network

Minister for Public Transport 5 September 2016

The transformation of the Murray Basin rail freight network is on track to revitalise regional Victoria's rail freight network.

Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan visited Maryborough today and announced the completion of stage one works and the beginning of consultation for stage two.

The $40 million stage one works have delivered vital upgrades to the Mildura and Hopetoun rail line, installing more than 175,000 sleepers and replacing 3400 metres of rail.

Stage two of the project involves gauge conversion of the rail lines between Yelta and Maryborough and also between Ouyen and Murrayville. The works will include upgrading and re-opening the Maryborough to Ararat rail line which has been closed for more than a decade.

Stage two works also include increasing axle loading on these lines from 19 to 21 tonnes enabling the freight industry to deliver exports to Victoria's ports in more efficient and cost-competitive way.

The reopening of this line will provide a rail connection for freight to the Australian Rail Track Corporation's interstate line at Ararat, and open up rail connections to the Port of Portland.

A number of level crossings along the Maryborough to Ararat line will be closed as a critical safety measure. Each crossing will be individually assessed against safety criteria.

Consultation will commence in the coming weeks to ensure local councils, land owners and surrounding communities are informed about these works.

A project office will be established at the Maryborough railway station to enable local residents and businesses to conveniently access members of the project team.

Vegetation removal on the Maryborough to Ararat line will commence shortly, enabling the construction works to begin in July 2017.

From August 2017, the Maryborough to Yelta and Ouyen to Murrayville rail lines will be shut for five months to transform and standardise these corridors.

The Andrews Labor Government is working with the freight industry to minimise the impacts to industry as part of the projects line closures while these vital upgrade works are carried out.

The timing of stages 3 and 4 will be dependent on Commonwealth Government funding being confirmed.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"The Andrews Labor Government is getting on with transforming Victoria's rail freight network."

"We're boosting capacity, safety and reliability of freight services in regional Victoria so we can meet the future growth of the region."

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford

"This is a milestone moment and will help primary producers across North Western Victoria get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy."

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Consultation begins on Maryborough-Ararat reopening

Consultation with local communities about the potential re-opening of Victoria's Maryborough to Ararat railway line has begun.

Disused for over a decade, the Andrews Labor Government plans to reopen the line as part of a "massive upgrade" of the freight network in the state's north-west.

The Government said more than 100 level crossings on the line have been individually assessed for safety, traffic volume and the potential availability of alternate routes nearby.

Public transport minister Jacinta Allan said such factors will be considered along with feedback from residents and other stakeholders, to help determine which crossings will be closed or upgraded to keep motorists and local communities safe when trains return.

"This is an important step in this critical project, which will allow primary producers to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy," the minister said.

"Reopening the line will be a big change for people between Maryborough and Ararat, and we will be working closely with them."

Land owners along the rail line will receive letters this week detailing the outcome of the assessments of crossings on their property, and inviting them to meet with the project team.

Community consultation will begin in November, after the completion of a local government election caretaker period.

The Maryborough to Ararat rail line reopening is part of the Murray Basin Rail Project, which aims to standardise the entire region's freight network and increase the loads it can carry, allowing larger trains to move more product with every trip.

[ozbob]

Passenger train at Ararat c. 1957 Dd locomotive



Photograph P G Dow c. 1957

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/murray-basin-freight-rail-project-steams-ahead/

Murray Basin Freight Rail Project Steams Ahead

Minister for Public Transport 16 December 2016

The Australian and Victorian governments are delivering the Murray Basin Freight Rail Project.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester and Victorian Minister for Public Transport and Major Projects Jacinta Allan today released the tender for stages two and three of the project, which will standardise and upgrade the entire Murray Basin freight rail network.

Mr Chester said the Murray Basin Freight Rail Project would boost the safety, capacity and reliability of freight services in north-west Victoria.

"This project is economically crucial to better connect primary producers to Victoria's major ports," Mr Chester said.

"The Australian Government is committed to supporting farmers, their families and our regional economy through investment in much-needed regional transport infrastructure projects such as the Murray Basin Freight Rail Project."

Minister for Public Transport and Major Projects Jacinta Allan said the project was great news for regional Victoria.

"This vital project will allow our primary producers to get more produce to port, more efficiently – boosting jobs and the regional economy," Ms Allan said.

"It's good for farmers and their families, and we're not wasting a moment getting it to market and getting it done."

Stage one of the project, completed earlier this year, upgraded the Mildura line with the installation of sleepers and the replacement of rail.

The second stage released to market today will standardise the track between Yelta and Maryborough which will increase axle loading and allow heavier trains carrying more product with each trip to market.

The Maryborough to Ararat line will also be upgraded and re-opened as part of stage two, providing a key freight connection to the Port of Portland from north west Victoria and interstate.

Stage three of the project – also released to market today – will standardise the gauge and increase axle loading on the Manangatang and Sea Lake lines.

Complementary works funded by the Victorian Government include completion of sleeper and rail upgrades on the Hopetoun Line and as part of the tender for Stage two works, standardisation of the Ouyen to Murrayville line.

The $440 million Murray Basin Freight Rail Project is jointly funded by the Australian and Victorian governments, with both contributing up to $220 million.

The tender for stages two and three closes in early February 2017. For further details, visit www.tenders.vic.gov.au

[ozbob]

Railway Gazette --> Murray Basin gauge conversion contract awarded

AUSTRALIA: A contract for regauging and upgrading more than 1 000 route-km of railway serving the Murray Basin region was announced on June 26 by Federal Minister for Infrastructure & Transport Darren Chester and Victoria's Acting Minister for Public Transport Luke Donnellan.

A joint venture of McConnell Dowell and Martinus Rail has been selected as the winning bidder for stages 2, 3 and 4 of the A$440m Murray Basin Rail Project, which is being jointly funded by the national and state governments.

A five-month blockade starting in August will see the lines from Maryborough to Mildura and Murrayville converted from 1 600 to 1 435 mm gauge. The Sea Lake and Manangatang branches will remain open as an alternative route, before being converted during a second blockade from March 2018.

Axleloads will be increased from 19 to 21 tonnes on all routes apart from the Ouyen – Murrayville branch. The mothballed 87 km standard gauge line between Maryborough and Ararat will also be reopened to provide a direct link between the Murray Basin and the port of Portland.

The upgrade is expected to allow a greater proportion of Murray Basin exports to reach the ports of Portland, Geelong and Melbourne by rail. 'There will be huge benefits to the Australian economy, with the project supporting an increase in competition between the three ports and operators of freight trains and increasing export volumes to overseas markets', said Chester. Donnellan added that 'this project will create more than 400 jobs at peak construction, with at least 15% of the workforce being recruited from the Murray Basin region.'

The contractors are expected to establish their project office in Maryborough, with work sites located in Ararat, Ballarat, Dunolly, Ouyen and Mildura.

The first stage of the programme was completed in 2016, with the installation of 175 000 sleepers and 3400 m of new rail on the Mildura and Hopetoun lines.

[ozbob]

Weekly Times --> Murray basin and Tocumwal rail freight network in poor condition, review finds

MANY parts of Victoria's Murray basin and Tocumwal rail freight network are in poor condition and should be subject to major speed restrictions and even stoppages during hot weather, two independent reviews have found.

Earlier this month V/Line bowed to industry pressure and promised not to halt trains when temperatures exceed 33C this summer.

But a V/Line commissioned review of the Korong Vale to Manangatang track, by Queensland's Centre for Railway Engineering, has recommended that all trains on the section "would be stopped at 35.9°C, until a corrective action can be undertaken to improve the track condition".

The review found many parts of the track were still in poor condition, despite V/Line maintenance on the Manangatang and Sea Lake lines, and some sections were in the same condition as last summer.

The Queensland team also found:

A LACK of ballast and a number of ineffective sleepers had added to track instability.

NEW culverts were not consistently built with wing walls or a head wall to retain ballast.

SAND covered the sleepers and anchors, making it impossible to assess the underlying track condition.

RAIL anchors had moved sleepers causing them to be bunched together and skewed.

A separate review of the Mildura and Tocumwal lines by Monash University's Institute of Railway Technology found the dominant problem was faults in the track gauge.

"Extreme tight gauge are a concern and can cause significant issues, such as increased risk of internal defect development, increased wear," the Monash team reported.

"However the current speed of 30km/h is considered sufficient to control adverse dynamics (on these sections)."

Farmers and freight operators condemned V/Line's decision to restrict and halt trains during last summer's harvest.

But the reports appear to justify V/Line's decision, given the risk of derailment.

V/Line chief executive James Pinder said a start had been made on the review's recommendations and more upgrades were on the way so farmers and operators could move more freight by rail.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/959697095715270657

[ozbob]

https://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/sub-standard-work-on-the-maryborough-to-ararat-line

The Maryborough to Ararat standard gauge line construction has been a complete disaster.

The company that constructed it and appears to have cut corners has been sacked because of substandard work  and V/line taken over the rail line to fix the mess up at additional costs to the tax payer.

·         The construction budget went over by $100 million,

·         Freight trains are reduced to 30km an hour when it was indicate that they could travel at between 80 and 115 km and the line is unsafe,

·         Another 40,000 tonnes of ballast is needed on the tracks,

·         The tracks in places are not level and twisted, sleepers and welded track are not supported by ballast and

·         There  are no ballast rises to keep the ballast in place to stop the ballast moving around.

·         The road crossings have not been commissioned and still require a signal man at the crossings to  stop cars when a train is approaching the crossing.

·         Sleepers are not spaced correctly and some of them have cracked, and broken with the weight of a 3,000 tonne grain train going over them.

·         The Maryborough freight yard has been replaced twice and still does not comply with the requirements and needs two extra freight roads

·         The triangle at Ararat has not been constructed enabling the Maryborough Line to cross the broad gauge line to join the standard gauge line to Melbourne and Portland.

There has been an attempted  political cover up of the disastrous and incompetent management of the Maryborough to Ararat standard gauge rail project, which also puts the light on the quality and standard of work being undertaken on the rest of the Murray Darling Rail Project.

The Social Services Minister Dan Tehan is due in Maryborough today  Tuesday, 5 June 2018 to fix up the mess.

The same Dan Tehan who stood with the Victorian Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan and fictitiously and duplicitously told the assembled media that the line had been constructed and was now operational.

There has been a total and abject lack of Project Management from the Turnbull and Andrews Governments regarding the supervision of the construction of the Maryborough to Ararat line.

Railpage has compiled an analysis of the project and the serious issues facing the viability of the entire rail network to Mildura.

Australian Tax payers taxes not at work and about to cost the tax payer more.

Scott Ramsay

Public Relations Manager

Rail Revival Alliance Victoria

[red dragin]

So it's not just State of Origin that has been exported to Victoria?

Queenslander!!

[ozbob]

Sunraysia Daily --> Jacinta Allan ducks questions on Murray Basin Rail Project

VICTORIAN Nationals leader Peter Walsh has demanded Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan specify when stage three of the Murray Basin Rail plan would start, and asked whether businesses would be compensated for delays.

He put Ms Allan under the spotlight during question time in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, and said she failed to answer his question on the matter last week.

It follows a Public Accounts and Estimates Committee hearing last Tuesday, when Ms Allan was questioned about delays to the Manangatang and Sea Lake section, work on which was due to start in March.

She told the hearing "the project has had it scope changed" due to works on the Ballarat passenger rail line that would affect the basin rail plan.

But the answer didn't satisfy Mr Walsh, who on Tuesday called for Ms ­Allan to specify a start date for the stage three works.

Ms Allan again outlined that she had been in talks with industry stakeholders and said they wanted to know how the Ballarat rail upgrades would intersect with the Murray Basin Rail line.

"She still hasn't answered my question," the Nationals leader said, before pressing Ms Allan to name a date.

"You have (previously) done over the taxi licensees ... will you apologise for this botched project?"

Ms Allan responded: "This, from the party who closed country rail?"

She then said the Opposition had previously "flogged off the rail network".

Mr Walsh last week said industry stakeholders were being notified the work wouldn't go ahead, and ­accused the State Government of being "city-centric".

But Ms Allan said the Nationals were responsible for "lies" about work on the Murray Basin rail being halted, which she said she had to correct in Kerang recently.

"We are pushing on with this project," she said.

The Rail Revival Alliance Victoria has slammed the State Government over the project and what it has called the "complete disaster" of the Mary­borough to Ararat section.

It claimed construction went over $100 million, the line was unsafe, freight trains were reduced to 30km/h, and 40,000 tonnes of ballast was needed on the tracks.

The alliance's Scott Ramsay said: "There has been an attempted political cover-up of the disastrous and incompetent management on the Maryborough to Ararat line."

He said Ms Allan previously "fictitiously told the media the line had been constructed and was operational".

[ozbob]

Weekly Times --> $440m rail works suspended: Halt to upgrading the Manangatang and Sea Lake tracks

A SIX-MONTH delay in the $440 million Murray Basin rail works has forced the suspension of upgrades and standardisation of the Sea Lake and Manangatang broad-gauged rail freight lines.

Grain and other freight companies say the suspension is due to Victorian Government delays in upgrading the Maryborough to Ararat line.

Starting works now would force all northwest freight trains on to the Ararat line, congesting the line and slowing the freight journey to Geelong by two to three hours.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said the Labor Government had derailed the project, halting works that were meant to begin in March.

However, Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said work had not stopped and V/Line was working closely with industry to minimise the impacts and complete the project.

Rail Freight Alliance chief executive Reid Mather said the Government had given assurances the project had not been abandoned.

"Because they're behind schedule they've got to be cautious and make sure the keep the pathways open," he said.

[ozbob]

Sunraysia Daily --> Murray Basin Rail Project money runs out

PRESSURE has mounted on the Victorian Government and Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan after an admission the Murray Basin Rail Project's $440 million budget was almost fully spent.

With funds close to exhausted, upgrades such as standard gauging of the Manangatang and Sea Lake lines have been left up in the air.

Intended to be conducted over five stages, the most recent update on the project's website was that the second stage was "largely complete". ...

[ozbob]

The Weekly Times --> Murray Basin Rail Project runs out of funds

EXCLUSIVE: THE $440 million Murray Basin Rail project has run out of steam and funding, with Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan forced to wind back the troubled project.

Work was due to start on upgrading and converting the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines from broad to narrower standard-gauge track next month.

But Ms Allan said inspections of both lines by Rail Project Victoria staff had shown the Manangatang line was heavily degraded and in desperate need of repair.

"There are parts of the line that are almost non-existent," Ms Allan said. "V/Line said if you don't do some urgent work on the Manangatang line we will be forced to close before the coming grain season.

"Faced with that ... I've decided we have to keep it open."

About $23 million will now be spent on repairing the track.

When The Weekly Times questioned why work to fully upgrade and standardise both lines could not be done now, rather than patching up the track now and having to come back to do the full job at a later date, Ms Allan said she was
advised the condition of the track was so poor that the complete upgrade would take too long.

"We wouldn't be able to get it done before the grain season," she said.

Ms Allan also revealed the $23 million would eat up the last of the $440 million that both the state and federal governments had committed to the project. "With the investment in Manangatang most of the $440 million has been invested," she said.

The minister said the Victorian Government would now have to revisit the business case for the Murray Basin Rail Project and "talk to the Federal Government to progress the next stage".

She said she could appreciate that it would be frustrating for grain producers who wanted to see the project completed. It's the second time upgrades to the Manangatang and Sea Lake lines have been delayed, with Ms Allan forced to suspend work last year, due to delays in upgrading the Maryborough to Ararat line, which also proved to be in far poorer condition than detailed in the original business case.

At the time rail industry insiders told The Weekly Times project management was taken out of V/Line's hands and passed on to Rail Projects Victoria because of its poor performance.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said Ms Allan had tried to blame everyone but herself for bungling the project.

"Under Jacinta Allan's watch, there's been a $100 million blow out on the Mildura line stage; the Maryborough-Ararat works have been hampered by the use of second-hand rail line, broken welds and slow speeds; and now Stage 3 is indefinitely on hold because the Andrews Government claims it's run out of money," Mr Walsh said.

"Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan are pouring money into metro transport infrastructure cost blowouts — they have been able to find billions for cost blowouts on level crossing removals in Melbourne — but they treat regional Victorians like second class citizens."

Opposition transport infrastructure spokesman David Davis said the Coalition had written to the Victorian Auditor General last calling for an investigation into the troubled project.

"Under Labor the project is now at a standstill — incomplete and out of money," Mr Davis said.

"Labor has been in Government for 16 of the last 20 years and ran out of excuses long ago."

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https://twitter.com/9NewsMelb/status/1185823578031190021

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Victorian Auditor-General's Office

Freight outcomes from Regional Rail Upgrades

https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/freight-outcomes-regional-rail-upgrades

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Rail Express --> Farmers, councils criticise lack of funding for MBRP

Victorian farmers were disappointed that in last week's federal budget there was no more funding for the Murray Basin Rail Project.

While a business case has reportedly been prepared for the resumption of upgrade works to standardise freight rail lines in the north-west of the state, the funding initially committed has run out and Victorian Farmers Federation David Jochinke said the project needs to continue.

"For the Murray Basin Rail Project to miss out on funding is incredibly disappointing," Jochinke said.

"The onus is now on the Victorian government to show leadership and commit to funding the project as promised as we enter its sixth year of construction."

In an interview with ABC radio Ballarat, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said it was up to the Victorian government to release the business case before federal funding could be committed.

"[The Victorian government] needs to come up with that business case to release it so that there's full transparency, full accountability. The federal government has already contributed more than $240 million and I'm happy to continue to work with the Victorian government."

The Rail Freight Alliance, a grouping of councils across Victoria, said that both governments needed to work together to ensure the project is completed.

"The Mexican standoff between the federal and Victorian government is a convenient out for both governments, it doesn't solve the problem and leaves the people of Victoria and the nation poorer for it," the group said in a statement.

The Rail Freight Alliance said the Murray Basin Rail Project was an ideal project to get the state's economy moving again.

"This project ticks all the boxes, it's shovel ready, will boost jobs, attract private investment, support businesses to recover and grow, enhance Victoria's growing exports and freight task. Now is the time to invest in this nation building project."

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https://twitter.com/journoandy26/status/1318356508950720514

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Rail Express --> Murray Basin Rail Project revision falls short of freight needs

With the executive summary of the revised business case for the Murray Basin Rail Project now released, farmers, grain haulers, and rail experts are renewing their call for the project to be delivered in full, as per the original scope.

The revised business case recommends that the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines remain broad gauge, while work should focus on improving the existing, separate gauge network.

GrainCorp rail commercial and contracts manager Alex Donnelly said that the proposed scope of works would return the network to a viable state.

"The proposed improvements are all quite sensible and are all going to be beneficial to the rail network in the long term. They are not going to provide the capacity and costs we'd like to see, but they are certainly improvements from the current heavily degraded state of the MBRP affected network," said Donnelly.

Since work stalled in 2017 and 2018 and then halted in 2019, increasing volumes of grain from North West Victoria have had to be hauled by road. In 2019, when NSW and Queensland were in drought, the relatively good conditions in Victoria meant that grain grown along the Sea Lake and Managatang lines missed out on markets and higher bid prices in northern NSW, as the grain could not be moved via rail on the interstate standard gauge network.

"Those farmers on the Mananagatang and Sea Lake sites really missed out, because their grain could only flow south by rail to Geelong or Melbourne, or by truck into southern NSW homes – where the bids weren't as strong," said Donnelly.

Victorian Farmers Federation grains group president Ashley Fraser said that the proposed works would create two separate networks.

"A commitment was made to build the Murray Basin Rail Project five years ago, including the standardisation of the Sea Lake and Manangatang lines," he said.

"Under this revised plan these lines will not be converted to standard gauge resulting in farmers and businesses along the broad-gauge Sea Lake and Manangatang lines effectively being cut off from the standard gauge Inland Rail network.

"Ultimately this means double handling of freight which results in added costs for farmers, especially in the important grain growing regions in Victoria's north west."

John Hearsch, Rail Futures Institute president, said the proposed scope of works would not be able to handle the projected increase in freight volumes.

"It's probably sufficient for the short term but, as I see it, I don't think it properly takes account of what needs to happen in a bumper grain harvest which is what we're about to experience. The outcome of that will be pretty straightforward; we'll have a lot more trucks on the road than we really should have."

Hearsch also highlighted that if the works proposed in the revised business case go ahead, while there will be marginal improvements, the plans locks in inefficiencies, such as standard gauge trains on the Mildura line from Yelta and Murrayville having to travel further to get to the port of Geelong or Melbourne via the Maryborough to Ararat connection, rather than directly via Ballarat.

"I find that quite disappointing and it still means that notwithstanding some marginal improvement on the journey from Maryborough to Ararat, these trains are still having to run well over 100km extra distance, which takes extra time and involves extra cost. That looks like a semi-permanent feature of what this part of the rail network is going to look like."

Other potential projects that depended upon the full completion of the original Murray Basin Rail Project are also looking to miss out in the revised plan. In Ouyen, a local community group that has been working to set up an intermodal terminal is furious that the revised scope will not include a standard gauge connection to Melbourne.

"The MBRP was to be a 'once in a generation' project for the ultimate benefit of all Victorians and we are hoping governments will sort through the current MBRP quagmire very soon, to ensure it gets completed as originally planned. The Victorian government's announcement will result in the Ouyen train having to go on a five-hour detour via Ararat making it unsustainable," said Ouyen Inc president Scott Anderson.

Having two separate gauges in Victoria would also place increased cost pressures on businesses, said Donnelly, and could lead to the broad-gauge network becoming a stranded asset.

"Rollingstock owners need to keep their aging broad-gauge gear alive and running, which gets more expensive every year as spares and parts become harder to source. The broad-gauge network misses out on the expensive new gear that cascades out of the big coal and interstate operations, while standard gauge sites will see the benefits of this equipment."

One of the reasons cited in the business case summary for the change in scope to let the Ballarat corridor remain broad gauge was the potential disruption to passenger services. Hearsch said that with proper, integrated planning between Victorian government bodies, this could have been avoided.

"Of course, the freight upgrades should've been accounted for in the upgrades of the passenger network, that didn't happen. The reason it didn't happen, as I read it, is that the Ballarat line upgrade and the Murray Basin Rail Project, both of which affected Ballarat, those two projects didn't talk to each other."

With the Murray Basin Rail Project having been heavily criticised by the Victorian Auditor-General in a report early in 2020 for deficiencies in planning and project management, Donnelly said it was critical that the revised project is handled correctly.

"For this coming 20/21 harvest these improvements will probably not provide any benefit to rail capacity. It's very unlikely that any of the significant components of the proposal could implemented in time to help the coming harvest export task," said Donnelly.

"In fact, we hold strong concerns that the proposed works pose a risk to an already constrained rail network: construction closures and trackwork blocking lines will stop the trains from exporting grain and we are expecting rail to be running flat out all year long.

"Any major shutdown will reduce rail tonnes moved to port, which will transfer straight to road instead. We need very careful consultation, coordination, and planning by the department to mitigate the impacts on the industry."

Fraser said that the original aim was the correct one and should be carried out.

"The original vision was for a modern, efficient regional rail freight network. While the execution to achieve this vision may have been flawed, the intention was right."

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Rail Express --> Federal government commits funds to restart Murray Basin Rail Project

The federal government has committed $200.2 million to get work started on the revised Murray Basin Rail Project (MBRP).

The funding also includes $5m for planning for the full standardisation of the Victorian freight network, an aim dropped from the revised business case, of which an executive summary was released in October. ...

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Rail Express --> Murray Basin rail project upgrades completed

Trains can now carry more freight through a key section of Victoria's freight network, thanks to track upgrades completed as part of the Murray Basin Rail Project.

Freight capacity on the Ararat to Maryborough Line has increased to 21-tonne axle loading following the installation of new rail and extra ballast along the 88-kilometre section of track.

Work began on the upgrade in late April and was completed during a recent 39-day closure of the line, with 166km of rail and 75,000 tonnes of ballast installed to allow freight trains to operate with heavier loads.

In a sustainability boost for the project, the rail was delivered by 11 separate freight train trips from South Australia, replacing the equivalent of 356 truck trips for the more than 800km journey each way.

Scrap rail from the track upgrades has been donated to the Daylesford Spa Country Railway, where it will be used to replace sections of current line and assist with a planned future extension for the tourist railway. ...