Re: VFT/VHST - third time lucky?

[Colin Weaver <colingw@my-deja.com>]

In article <edg%5.1393$Le6.27260@news0.optus.net.au>,
  dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage) wrote:
> Colin Weaver (colingw@my-deja.com) wrote:
> > There is already a perfectly good freight proposal in place, namely
the
> > Melbourne - Brisbane leg of ATEC's Australian Inland Rail
Expressway,
> > including a connection to Newcastle by upgrading the NSW North
Western
> > line.
>
> While the ATEC proposal is very good, it isn't going to give much
benefit
> to freight to/from Sydney in the short term, or give any benefit to
> passenger services. It's never going to take passenegrs away from the
> airlines.

The only part of ATEC which I think will carry any volume of passengers
will be Brisbane - Toowoomba, and even that is likely to be on 3'6"
following the same corridor (or as dual gauge).  QR will have to run
diesels or separate the 3'6" and standard gauge tracks if they want
electric - ATEC want to run double stacked containers which I doubt
would be compatible with the  25KV overhead!

As for freight from Sydney - an upgrade of the North West is a start,
but longer term there needs to be a better solution or else Sydney will
lose out to Brisbane (So what? More freight for QR! :-), Melbourne and
Darwin as a port.

As for passengers - the current Brisbane - Sydney line just doesn't cut
it, but the cost of a VHST would be prohibitive.  There must be a
comfortable middle ground, after all freight is far more important for
the survival of the railways.

Any suggestions?  What could be done to fix the line to Brisbane?

cheers,
Colin

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