Re: Lets Standardise instead!

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <DAmG2.11$eB6.432107@news0.optus.net.au> dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage) writes:
>From: dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)
>Subject: Re: Lets Standardise instead!
>Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 05:20:35 GMT

>Maurie Daly (mauried@commslab.gov.au) wrote:
>> North of Seymour , its easy to simply close the BG line completely.

>Why? Regauge it and the Up line south of Seymour and you've almost got
>double track from Melbourne to Sydney. Just add a second track from Albury
>to Junee. :)

But we dont need a double track line from Melb to Sydney.
We dont even need double track south of Goulburn , in fact 
prior to the creation of RAC , the old SRA seriously looked at closing the 
double track and converting back to single track.

The costs of maintaining a double track line is double that of a single track 
line , thats why the SRA converted  the double track between Wallerawang & 
Tarana and between Gresham and Newbridge to single track. (simply not enuf 
trains )
When we have around 100 trains per day between Melb and Sydney then we 
could look at building a double track line , but until then its sheer 
extravagance.
Since the SG line was built in 1962 between Melb and Albury , the 
number of trains running today , is significantly less than when the line was 
first built , and as NRC move to running heavier and longer trains , the 
numbers of trains will fall again.

Rather than spend what little money rail has building or guage converting 
unnecessary tracks , lets put the money into improving what will give an 
immediate return to Rail operators.

MD