Re: Badgerys creek rumblings.

[David Bromage <dbromage@omni.com.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote:
> >A single line to Melbourne wouldn't be very useful. Too much time would
> >be lost in crossing. The Sydney - Canberra project is to be single line
> >from Glenlee to Canberra, but this would be doubled if the line
> >continued to Melbourne to have double track all the way.
> 
> I doubt that this is the case.
> If the trains are timetabled and run on time , no reason why they shouldnt,
> then the crosses can be scheduled to occur where the trains would stop anyway,
> ie Canberra,Wagga and Albury.

That would have been fine in the days of the original VFT proposal in
the 1980s, but Speedrail will be at the mercy of RAC between Central and
Glenlee. If CityRail is up to its usual standard (no offence to staff
intended), Speedrail will find its timetable thrown out on a regular basis.

> My point was that for the $7B the feds could build the line ,and not rely on
> the private sector to do it , after all , they dont seem to want to involve
> the private sector in funding and building Badgerys Creek.

As an alternative, and using that horrible S word, the Feds could give
$5b in kind to Leightons as a form of subsidy, such as land acquisition
or tax breaks.

Cheers
David