Re: Coota-Tumut Line

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"deano" <dsma@pigpond.com> wrote in message
news:vxLW4.3059$c5.5092@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> An article in the Wagga Local paper today about the possibility of the
> reopening of the Coota-Tumut Line.
> Apparently with the Visy Mill being built there ($400 Mill+) there is
going
> to be a need for some 60 B-doubles per day
> to transport the product out of Tumut. The problem is the road is absolute
> crap and there is nothing that can be done to
> improve the route it follows. It is bad in a car and torturuous in a
truck.
> There was some potential resistance due to the historic nature of one of
the
> bridges enroute by rail but apparently this is not likely to be a major
> problem. What would it take to convince the powers that be?? I'd like to
see
> that.

Driving back from Holbrook to Sydney last Thursday, we got a good look at
this line near Gundagai and Coolac. Lots of work would need to be done, as
some of the formation is lying underneath the now dual carriageway Hume
Highway. The tracks that are still there look to be in extremely bad
condition, and have been lifted at places by landowners.

Was this line ever formally closed? If not, it would be the RTA that would
have to pay to restore the line where the highway is in the way.

With the cost of bridges to cross the highway (I can't see a level crossing
on a dual carriageway highway of this nature, can you?) the cost will start
to go up.

Dave