Can NRs run to griffith?

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

Ive been looking at an interesting idea related to the AP to Darwin line.
Its been obviously assumed that traffic from Darwin to Melb will obviously run 
via Adelaide & the Adelaide Hills.
Ive long looked at the long closed line from Roto to griffith and wondered 
a/ Why it was ever built in the first place and 
b/ If it would ever be of any use.

You get some interesting statistics from the two routes.

Darwin to Melb via Adelaide is approx 3900 km and the max load for a single NR 
is 1200 tonnes , (limited solely by the Western approach to the Adelaide 
hills,which is unfixable.
Darwin to Melb via Roto is approx 4280 km and the max load for a single NR is
1750 tonnes, limited solely by the 1:40 short climb from Junee to Harefield 
which is fixable , for around $7 M.

The differance is distance represents 9% of the total for which we get an 
increase in load of around 30%.

Obviously this would require a relaying of Roto to Griffith.
Given the current very low train densities on the Broken Hill line , this sort 
of proposal would increase its train density and thus lower the access charges 
on a per train basis .

If we could get a std guage line from Narrandera to Seymour then this idea 
becomes even more attractive.

Comments??

MD