Re: VIC government probe into standard guage

["James C" <noemail@emailsux.com>]

The only problem would be V/line Passenger as V/line trains would have to
convert to BG as well, hence inflexible.

Cheers
James



Michael Walker <wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au> wrote in message
8ked39$utg$1@nnrp1.deja.com">news:8ked39$utg$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
>
> http://www.theage.com.au/bus/20000710/A61828-2000Jul9.html
>
> The Victorian government is apparently looking at the cost of
> converting the broad gauge into standard.
>
> Government probe into standard gauge
>
>
>
>                  By PHILIP HOPKINS
>                  Monday 10 July 2000
>
> The Victorian Government has ordered a study into the conversion of the
> state's freight rail lines from broad to standard gauge.
>
> At stake is the potential for millions of dollars of
> economic development if standardisation goes ahead.
>
> The Department of Infrastructure is in charge of the study, which began
> last month and is being conducted by the engineering consultants
> Connell Wagner.
>
> It will review work done to date on the issue, undertake an economic
> evaluation of the standardisation of various sectors of the rail
> network, recommend a preferred staging process for the gauge
> conversion, and investigate how Victoria's network integrates into the
> national rail network. An important part of the study will be to
> recommend the extent of rail lines to be standardised. It will also
> include lines on which both freight and passenger trains operate, but
> not the metropolitan rail system.
>
> The study is expected to be completed in September, when it will be
> presented. The State Government has promised to allocate $40 million
> towards standardisation, and is seeking a similar financial commitment
> from the Commonwealth.
>
> At present Victoria is divided between rail lines that use the national
> standard gauge (1.42 metres) and the historic broad gauge (1.6 metres),
> a legacy of the 19th century. The state has 2320 kilometres of broad
> gauge track.
>
> Past studies have varied in their estimates of the cost of
> standardisation. A report by John Holland Engineering for the
> South-West Municipalities Group said that standardisation would cost
> $87.17million. This did not include conversion of the broad gauge lines
> to Warrnambool and Gippsland, or the metropolitan system.
>
> An earlier report by DJA Maunsell for the Department of Infrastructure
> estimated that most of the country network could be standardised for
> $180million, and produce annual benefits to the state of $23million to
> $40million.
>
> Municipalities in Victoria's south-west have led the standardisation
> campaign. They maintain the mixture of broad and standard gauge lines
> inhibits the movement of freight across the state, limits access to the
> ports of Portland and Geelong, and adds to the cost of products
> competing on world markets.
>
> It also is an impediment to trade between the states, and limits port
> access for products shipped from southern NSW and South Australia, and
> in Portland's case, from north-west Victoria.
>
> Potential trade for the ports includes grain, timber, mineral sands and
> the emerging food products of the Murray irrigation area.
>
> At present the standard gauge enters Victoria at Albury, goes to
> Melbourne, then on to and through Geelong before swinging north to
> Ararat and continuing to Adelaide through Horsham. The Port of Portland
> is connected to the standard gauge line by an arm to Ararat.
>
> The national standard gauge, however, does not connect to the Port of
> Geelong, which is serviced by broad gauge. Thus, Geelong is cut off
> from most of the potential markets of southern NSW, which use standard
> gauge.
>
> Under the previous state government's privatisation policy, the main
> responsibility for upgrading the rail track now lies with Freight
> Australia, the private owner of the former VLine Freight.
>
> The rail track still formally belongs to VicTrack, but this government
> body effectively acts as a landlord. The arrangement does not preclude
> the government from agreeing to supply Freight Australia with funding.
>
> Freight Australia's chief executive, Marinus van Onselen, has said he
> favors standardising the state's broad-gauge lines in a sweep from east
> to west.
>
> --
> Michael Walker
> Email: wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au
> ICQ: 78913383
>
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.