Re: RIP ASW?

[David Guymer <davidmg@optusnet.com.au>]

> > The Victorian Western SG line to Wolesley has the worst of all worlds:-
> > 1. A tortuous route from Tottenham to Newport, causing increased transit
> > times and excessive 'bottle necking';
>
> Graham I think that the point should be made that the tortuous route is between
> Melbourne and Ararat via Cressy. We ignored the obvious route (straighter and
> faster than the present) for political reasons. That is difficult to run local
> passenger trains to Horsham and Dimboola when you omit half of the traffic base
> by going the "Great Way Round". Maybe the line should be referred to as the GWR.
>

The officail reason for going via Cressy was the gradients of the lines.
It was
thought to be quicker and cheaper to run via Cressy than up the
Ingilston bank.
David G.