Re: East West Highway, through the Centre.

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Les Brown)]

telljb@ozemail.com.au (< Tell >) wrote in aus.rail:

>For those in aus.rail who are not aware of the
>following, I pass on something that will, without any
>doubt, severely impact upon rail in future years if it
>wins the Feds approval.
>
>There exists a lobby group, with increasing support,
>working on the Federal Government to have the road from
>Winton (Qld) to Laverton (WA) via Alice Springs and
>Ayers Rock sealed.
>
>Not much imagination needed to realise what an east
>west sealed road through the centre of Australia with
>*real* road trains running on the route, will do.
>
Terry, what's the point of a sealed road through the centre anyway?

If it's to carry livestock, then rail is hardly likely to be affected
since rail, except for QLD, doesn't carry livestock these days.

Apart from sand and beer, what else is there? Tourism?

The purpose of the road, which to my mind would be very exposed to
seasonal flooding, would be next to useless.

And since there already is a sealed east-west road that has had a
limited impact on rail freight, what could another road do apart from
being a total waste of taxpayer's money?

I admit I don't know the area that well, so what could there be to
justify sealing the road?

Les Brown