Article: Boost for regional rail hub

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Boost for regional rail hub

Boost for regional rail hub
Article from: AAP

February 22, 2008 10:59am

A SOUTHERN Queensland council has granted development consent for a $150 million inland rail freight port.
Jondaryan Shire Council, which will next month merge with the Toowoomba City Council, has granted consent to the Australian Transport and Energy Corridor (ATEC) for a regional freight port at a 200ha site at Charlton, west of Toowoomba.

John Dornbusch, chairman of ATEC Freight Terminals Trust, said $150 million would be spent on the Charlton terminal over three stages spanning 20 years.

He said the port would service the booming minerals industry in southern Queensland's Surat Basin.

The Queensland government has estimated that in the next 20 years the Surat Basin would add about $10 billion a year to the state's economy.

The first stage of the rail project is due to be completed by 2012.

ATEC is the driving force behind the inland rail project linking Melbourne and Darwin via NSW and Queensland.

[mufreight]

As an example of shortsighted stupidity and politicial expediency this must go close to taking first prize.

[SockGap]

As an example of shortsighted stupidity and politicial expediency this must go close to taking first prize.

I have to agree.  When there are other options - some of which are so much better than having the line so far east and therefore over unnecessary elevation - why start work on this sort of expensive thing so early.

[Mozz]

Hey guys - can you explain the issues for those of us not familar with them - thanks.

[ozbob]

Some background here from the ATEC side of the things:

--> http://www.aire.com.au/OCT-2007.pdf

There are other options for shorter more direct routes.  I think this is the issue.

There are of course many competing political and commercial interests.  As history shows what might be the best thing in a purely pragmatic sense is not always the outcome.  It is often tempered by the local political processes and influences.  Unfortunately that is the reality of major policy decisions in our land.

Regards
Ozbob

[mufreight]

Logic would dictate that the inland standard gauge line should not be built via Toowoomba.
The more logical, ecenomic and practical route would see the line routed from North Star (NSW) to Carrington (Goondiwindi) then through Inglewood to Thane following the existing QR alignment with a new alignment from there passing Warwick to the north, then through the main range at a point between Cunninghams and Spicers Gaps, passing to the Nort of Boonah and joining the existing standard gauge line to Acacia Ridge at a point between Bromelton and Tamrookum. 
This route woud result in a 21st Century line that would be some 80km shorter than a line as is proposed via Millmeran and Toowoomba and construction costs would beat least A$250 million less.
The line could be built to standards that would enable the operation of both high speed and double stacked container trains.
Would be less costly both to build and to to operate than a line committed to a 19th Century alignment of grades and curves as it would be over the Millmeran to Toowoomba stretch
Being both shorter and with the best possible alignment in terms of both gradients and curvature that would be possible on what is then a Greenfield construction transit times could be better than 2 hourd faster.
The question arised as to why when both State and Federal Governments are espousing their intention to make rail competitive with road so as to encourage the movement of as much of tha national land freight task from road to rail the route via Toowoomba is bieng so actively promoted when it will be more costly to build and to operate, reducing any cost advantage rail might gain over road and adding possibly as much as two hours to the transit times again to the advantage of road.
Is the choice route being influienced by those with vested interests in the proposed Toowoomba freight terminal and should Queensland as a whole be disadvantaged so that they can make a profit on their investment.
Simply put Toowoomba is not a realistic option.