Re: Alice Springs to Darwin.

["Alan Luchetti" <luchettii@hotmail.com>]

Maurie Daly <mauried@commslab.gov.au> wrote in message
mauried.220.37381297@commslab.gov.au">news:mauried.220.37381297@commslab.gov.au...

> Interesting article in this months Digest about the progress / lack of it
and
> the financial problems that still have to be overcome by the 3 bidders.
> Of interest is the fact that for the first time the projects commercial
> viability is questioned,ie it will never make a profit for the successful
> bidder based on corridor projected tonnage.
> Mind you the above is hardly surprising ,you dont need to be a financial
> genius to figure out how trains per day such a line would need to make it
> viable, around 20 in each direction per day just to pay the interest bill.
> Also it seems the Federal Govt will tax the capital grants of $100 M
> each put  in by the NT and SA govts ,thus effectively raising the
> projects total cost by around $100 M .
> In a word , dont hold your breath.

A friend currently doing some historical research unrelated
to rail was rather taken by a question asked in the NSW
parliament in the 1880s -
"Will the honourable minister please inform the house when
work will commence on the St.Leonards to Eastwood line?"