Re: SLR - Extension construction

[craigd@lios.apana.org.au (C. Dewick)]

"geoff dawson" <geoffrey.dawson@aph.gov.au> writes:

>If it was desired to extend the light rail to Summer Hill or Dulwich Hill
>(which I would advocate), would there be any physical or technical
>impediment to sharing the line with goods trains? Assuming that the
>frequency was such that paths for the goods trains could be found.

Well, at the moment the line to Rozelle yard is still getting a lot of use
since there are the regular (two or three times a day) shunting trips to
Mongrel Scott's flour mill at Summer Hill, plus the sandstone trains
(at least 5+ each day), and the container trains which feed the White Bay
terminal.

It would be difficult to run any sort of regular passenger train (be it
light rail size or regular size) on the line due to the frequency of freight
services around the clock.

My personal view is that where the light rail line joins up with the old
goods line right of way at Ultimo should *not* have been built like it has,
but should have actually been set up as a full-on heavy rail junction so
that the entire goods line could still be kept as an operating heavy-rail
freight line for use outside the operating hours of the light rail trains.

That would have enabled industries like Davey's flour mill to keep their
rail-based grain feeder service instead of dumping the contract because
FreightCorp made it too expensive so they'd deliberately decide not to renew
it. There is so much potential for inner-metropolitan rail freight services
now with the changing markets, etc. that to ignore completely these
opportunities will be a big downer to FreightCorp's marketability in the
future.

In fact, it would be a good time now to start up a small rail freight
company that specialises in metropolitan trip train and other related
working so they can optimise their service to suit smaller clients like
Davey's was, and still be profitable as well as cost-effective to clients.

With road costs climbing, rail has a chance to get back some of the market
which it's let slip away due to ignorance over the last 10+ years... If only
the SLR and FreightCorp planners had been sensible enough to see the
potential of the goods line as a dual-purpose route. sigh

So who wants to start up a new rail freight company to focus on
metropolitan, short-haul trip trains, etc. and leave the long-distance
traffic to the others? 8-)

Regards,

Craig.
--
            Craig Ian Dewick            |       Stand clear - jaws closing
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