Re: The future of the Broken Hill Line.

Terry Burton (telljb@ozemail.com.au)
Sat, 12 Jul 1997 08:13:07 GMT

mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly) wrote:
>With NR diverting the majority of its westerly bound freights via Melb, one
>wonders what the future of this line is.
>At the moment we have 2 IPs per week , one countrylink train per week and one
>NR train per week,(SP5/PS6).
>After AN is sold and the IP is run by private enterprise,one wonders whether
>the train will continue to run this way,(if I were running it I would want to
>run it via Melb simply to get the extra patronage.)
>Also if the reason NR is choosing to run most of its trains via Melb is due to
>excess track access charges by The Rail Access Corp,one would think that
>similar charges would also apply to the IP and SP5/PS6 as well, which could
>leave WL31/32 as the only train to use the line.
>It would not be feasable to keep a line open for 1 train per week(not a
>category 1 main line anyway.)
>Can anyone comment on whether the new operator for the IP is mandated to run
>the train via Broken Hill with the current frequency?

>cheers
>MD

Hi Maurie

Considering the money spent by Australian National
upgrading the Track from Crystal Brook to Broken Hill,
I would doubt that any Politician would have the balls
to close the Line.

Then again, we did not have Politicians with the balls
back in the eighty's to tell the East Coast States that
there was already a "National" Rail operator who was
more than capable of looking after the National Rail
Network and so they formed another Political compromise
called the National Rail Freight Corp.

Unless Bob"We have turned the corner"Carr decides to
kill his Rail connection to Broken Hill, I think the
Crystal Brook-Broken Hill Line is pretty safe.

Cheers

---- Tell
Alice Springs NT

CR-ANR-AN ...Almost gone but not forgotten.
Australian Pioneers of the Long Heavy Haul.