Article: Parkes on route; viability in doubt

[ozbob]

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Parkes on route; viability in doubt

Parkes on route; viability in doubt
8/05/2009 9:28:00 AM
Parkes has been included on the proposed Melbourne-Brisbane inland rail line, according to the first stage of the alignment study.

But the study also questions the viability of the route which is only 30 kilometres shorter than the present route through Sydney.

Australian Rail Track Corporation this week released the results of the first stage of the Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail Alignment Study.

The Australian Government announced the study in March 2008 to determine the economic benefits and likely commercial success of a new standard gauge inland railway between Melbourne and Brisbane along with the potential optimum route.

It will provide the Government and private sector with information that will help guide future investment decisions, including likely demand and an estimated construction cost.

The first stage of the study has been focused on preliminary evaluations of likely demand, capital costs and operating costs to determine a route for further detailed analysis.

After examining more than 50 options, the finding of ARTC?s study is that the railway should follow existing rail lines from Melbourne via Albury to Cootamundra, Parkes, Narromine, Dubbo, Werris Creek and Moree to North Star near Goondiwindi; with new construction from North Star to Brisbane via Toowoomba.

North of Parkes the railway would require the upgrading of parts of the existing route, including minor deviations to improve its alignment.

Some sections of the route will be finalised in later stages of the study.

The inland railway would be approximately 1890 km in length, compared with approximately 1920 km via Sydney and it would have similar transit times to the route via Sydney.

Assessment of the proposed railway?s financial and economic performance is at an early stage.

Work in Stage 1 was aimed at providing sufficient information for selection of the route.

The route chosen for further analysis has the lowest overall capital cost.

All options considered in a preliminary forward assessment do not appear to be financially, or economically, viable.

The cost of the project is driven largely by the difficult terrain from Toowoomba towards Brisbane.

The capital cost of the route to be further analysed at its lowest preliminary estimate ranges from $2.8 billion to $3.6 billion.

[Jon Bryant]

Why do proposed rail lines always have to be economically viable/profitable yet a road expansion is just "good for the economy" and fixes congestion which will "save us billions"?.  We need to treat the analysis of the two investments equally. 

Can somebody explain to me how spending $6+ billion on the Pacific Highway is similarly economically viable?  It has no income and has huge maintenance costs?  Yet there is no question of its viability..."I just makes sense to do it?"

The analysis also does not address the costs/benefits of:

1. injuries/deaths on roads;
2. reduction in urban congestion and deferment of associated future investment - 900 trucks off the road;
3. increase in economic activity.

The reality is that the Inland Railway just makes sense and in the long run will save this country billions of $.


 

[ozbob]

Inland rail study first stage results

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