Re: Alice Springs - Darwin contract signing this week

[dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)]

Goldie (goldicom@powerup.com.au) wrote:
> Watch Darwin Port bloom when the line is completed - as Brisbane Port is
> blooming now.

That's why the NT government is putting in about $20 million to build a
new container terminal and a new bulk terminal. By a staggering
coincidence, the port facilities will be completed about the time the
railway is!

There are also large deposits of iron ore in South Australia which are
reasonably close to the railway. IIRC, the closest deposit is about 40km
east of the line in the general direction of Coober Pedy. Prior to the
Asian financial crash, Hyundai was to invest heavily in starting mining
operations for ore (and coal) export. Their feasibility study found that
the cheapest way to get the stuff to South Korea was by rail to Darwin,
then ship. They had included the cost of building the Darwin line
themselves in this calculation. Not that Korea is recovering, they might
still be interested now that the railway is being paid for by somebody
else.

> There is unlikely to be enough traffic for two lines though, don't believe
> the East Coast inland route will go north of Brisbane once AS/darwin is in
> place,

You never know what will happen to the traffic once the line and port are
open. There is quite a big push to get bulk carriers out some Queensland
ports, especially those closest to the Great Barrier Reef. Coal and
minerals from central Queensland could easily be hauled by rail to Darwin
for export.

Take the east coast route one step at a time. AETC says Melbourne to
Brisbane is viable as a stand alone project, and they're probably right.
It would be getting on to 2010 before they get anywhere near Darwin.

Cheers
David