Re: Alice-Darwin Line

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Wed, 14 Feb 2001 16:42:41 +1100, "Tezza"
<tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote:

>
>"Maurie Daly"
>
>| I thought that rather than selling shares in the line a la a
>| sleeper,the NT Govt could sell the whole line in 1 metre chunks to
>| interested investors.
>| A 1 metre length of track would cost you about $1000 and as you would
>| then be a track owner ,you would be entitled to receive track access
>| fees for your 1 metre of track.
>
>And be liable for maintainance and losses?
>
>
>| What a marvelous investment opportunity.
>
>I think not.
>
Yes , I was joking .
As a matter of interest , if we assume 2 X 4000 tonne trains per day 
then your daily gross income would be a whopping 3.2 cents per day .
Out of this you would have to pay tax, maintenance charges and train
controller salaries , lets assume you get 3 cents a day .
This amounts to $8 a year or 0.8 % return on investment.

Hmm.

(Using ARTC type track access charges , and 5 trains per week each
way).

>
>| As to the Defence argument, the Defence Dept in their submission to
>| the initial feasability study for the line , indicated that they could
>| see NO vital defence requirement for the line , but would use the line
>| simply as a pure commercial customer , as they occasionally do for the
>| existing rail network.
>
>What use do they make of it now?
>
>
Not much at all.
When I was living in VIC , very occasionally the Army Camp at
Puckapunyal,(near Seymour) used to rail vehicles , (mainly small
trucks which cant be driven on the road) north.
I dont know where they go to.
At Seymour loop , whic isnt far away from the Army camp there is a
loading ramp for Army vehicles.
This didnt happen very often , less than once per year.

MD