Re: [VIC] Standard Gauging

["michael pascoe" <bitsnpcs@primus.com.au>]

>
>
> There has to be a demonstrated net economic benefit in reguaging railway
lines
> .
> Just doing it for it would be a good idea simply makes no sense.
> Most of the freight traffic that originates in country Victoria travels to
> Melb,Geelong or Portland in the case of grain.
> Very little of it needs to go directly interstate,so what is achieved by
> reguaging hundreds or possibly thousands of km of BG track,bearing in mind
that
> reguaging costs around 100K per km.
> No way that FV would wear the bill for any of this.
> There are also negatives for FV for running over what are now ARTCs tracks
in
> that they have to pay additional track access charges whereas now running
over
> their own tracks they do not.
> Who would pay for the costs of re guaging all of FVs rolling stock and
locos.
> Re guaging in itself doesnt increase total freight hauled.
> One has to simply look at the freight tonnage travelling between Melb and
> Adelaide on the new std guage line and compare it with the old broad guage
> line,and you will find that tonnage has in fact fallen since the BG days.
> I can see very little requirement to re guage anything in Victoria except
> possibly Dynon to Long Island for the steel trains,although this would be
> exceedingly difficult and costly .
> If the State Govt wanted to foot the bill for reguaging , then the money
would
> be far better spent in improving the existing rail network to allow higher
> speeds or to reduce access charges /  compliance costs for existing
operators.
>
> MD
>
>
>
This makes sense.  I cant help but make comment however about the north east
line (BG) to Wodonga.  The amount of trafic it sees is ludicrous! Forget
standardising it, just remove it and plough the savings into improving the
SG line right beside it.

The 1 freight it sees is usually only 6 or so cars long anyhow (past Benalla
at least)