Opening of cross-country branchlines

[David & Julie Donald <dsjmd@hermes.net.au>]

We keep on hearing recently that there is every likelihood that a number (three
seems to be the consistently quoted figure) of currently closed country
branchlines, including two cross-country branchlines (and that would seem to
only suggest Lithgow - Mudgee - Gulgong & Harden/Demondrille - Cowra - Blayney)
are going to be re-opened.  Does anyone have any further information on this
particular issue ??

There were suggestions that a private operator, thought to be Austrac, but
possibly someone like Silverton, was looking at operating services from Mudgee
to Lithgow (and possibly the Metrop.), and that enough traffic could be
generated from sources such as the local meatworks to justify the proposals,
quite apart from a thought that they had the potential to secure contracts
presently held by FreightCorp (such as the Kandos cement traffic, and possibly
the Charbon or Baal Bone coal traffic).  Any further information known on these
issues, since it all seems to have gone a little quiet, even though it is
thought that a number of track inspections have been undertaken to determine the
condition of the track.

Regards
David Donald.