Re: Cost of Alice Springs to Darwin.
Peter Berrett (pberrett@tbsa.com.au)
25 Aug 1997 07:03:16 GMT
In article <mauried.91.3400FCE1@commslab.gov.au>, mauried@commslab.gov.au
says...
>
>No doubt most readers would have heard the cost of this project is approx
$900
>M or for the distance involved $1 million per km.
>Does anyone know what the cost breakup per km is that leads to this total
cost.
>From some simple calculations based on 60 kg rail and concrete sleepers laid
>by a 20 man team using modern track laying equip , I cant come up with
>anything like this cost.
>Are there any similar figures available for other similar projects like
>Newport - Geelong , or Tarcoola - Alice Springs etc.
>
>The other figure that doesnt make any sense is the time period involved , 4
>years.
>This equates to a track laying figure of only 0.6 km/day which would have to
>be the worst in the world.
>Newport - Geelong was laid at an average of 2 km/day , and figures of 4 km /
>day are quite achievable.
>In then early days of the building of the Mt Newman Line in Nth WA , 7 km /
>day was achieved.
>
>A number of other costs normally related to the building of new lines dont
>have to be taken into account for this line , namely the route has been
>completely already surveyed, the route is easy by any engineering standards
,
>ie no significant tunnels or bridges are needed.
>
>In short , I just wonder whether the figure is deliberately high to make the
>line appear uneconomic and where did the figure come from in the first
place.
>
>
>cheers
>Maurie Daly
>
I think that the answer can be ascertained from the announcement as to the
extent fo the Federal subsidy. The Federal Government have announced that
they are prepared to tip in $100m (as have the NT and SA I understand).
Commentators are saying that this would be insufficient to attract a private
sector operator to build and run the line.
If this is true then your question is answered. The Government have no
intention in building the line - it is a ruse to make it look like they
suuport the line without actually tipping in enough money to make the project
viable. Don't be surprised if an SA election is announced soon.
Interestingly, if by some miracle the line DID go through, then the managers
of teh Melb-Darwin project have said that it would save them a pcket as they
would not have to build the top end of the line.. they would just join up
with the Adelaide line part way.
My bet is
a) the line doesn't go ahead
b) the Melb-Darwin lien doesn't go ahead because the consortium will seek tax
breaks which the Government won't give them
c) The Qld and NT governments build a narrow gauge line from MT ISA to
Darwin. (There .. remember I told you first...)
cheers Peter