Re: [VIC] government announcement re rail upgrades

["Brian Evans (IOM)" <bevans@omni.com.au>]

andrei <andrei@ausisp.com> wrote in message
89qcbk$2m1c$1@news1.wire.net.au">news:89qcbk$2m1c$1@news1.wire.net.au...
> Why not just get the government to use the standardisation money to reopen
> the Heywood-SA border line (standardised , of course).  FA will be able to
> afford the short stretch from the border to MtGambier.  Perhaps the SA
> government will contribute something on their side of the border.

The reopening of this line would be good for the Mt gambier Region who have
been without a rail service for some years now. The service could be
operated in conjunction with TOLL or SCOTTS if required.

> Why bother wasting money on fidling with open lines, when standardisation
> can reopen lines.  How much will $40 million get done? Just
> Heywood-MtGambier, or other lines as well?

Andrei,

This is exactly what should happen.  By reopening or relaying line you are
effectively increasing your revenue base.

I have a mouse mat from Vicgrain (WILL SCAN THIS IN and POST on railpage)
covering all the off rail storage and on rail storage sites for grain. There
are still a lot of areas where track could be relaid where business already
exists. (ie: vicgrain transport contracts)

I would like to see such lines as the Horsham to Carpolac picking up 10
wheat silos on that line alone. What has to be worthwhile.  Also, I think
there maybe some merrit on relaying some of the south gippsland line as
business traffic was available down there at the time Kennett closed the
line.

The way railed log traffic is building in East Gippsland, you could be
excused for thinking additional track could be laid toward Orbost from
Bairnsdale.  The traffic F/A could get out of Orbost now (if the line was
still down) would IMHO be substiantial, just look at the growth of traffic
since the sservice was installed.

One thought I cannot get out of my mind on these matters, is what has
changed since F/V F/A have started running the service?  Why did V/line not
get this business anyhow?

Regards,
Brian Evans