Edited 02 Aug 2018 08:05, last year, edited by RTT_Rules

A few comments
- 50km long heritage rail lines in Australia and indeed similar places world wide are not renown for their on going sustainability without on going 3rd party financial support, usually the taxpayer.

The so called wealthy supporters will find themselves with regular requests for more money with limited return if any.

- the cost of maintaining a 50km long rail trial is also well known with the Otago Case study available along with others in Vic. It will be less than $100k a year.

- the economic return from the likes of Otago is also well studied and produces a positive return for the community and the govt maintaining it.

- having done one if not last steam service to Scottsdale, an all day steam/diesel trip i think it's too long although starting from Turners Marsh would save alot of time.

- it's not tge Ned Kelly era, if the line is a legal rail trial, no one will be holding a fire arm at innocent and legal users and should they attempt to do so they will be arrested and charged accordingly.

- weeds will grow on cleared ROW, regardless of it's use.

- the legal status of the corridor post railway use is a matter for the courts if some intend to take legal action, so no further comment. Although I suspect win or lose for the govt there will be no further trains running.

- yes, I would love to see a regular rail service contine. However I think it's simply too long a line in too remote a location and the business case is likely full of optimistic assumptions.

EDIT: A rail trial less than 20-30km long in the near NE tip of Tas is pretty much useless to any other than locals and unless I was in the area I wouldn't travel to it and the small numbers of vistors doesn't enable sufficient service industries to support it, ie bike hire.

On the other hand a rail trial that takes 5-7 days to travel is potentially a tourist attraction in its own right, again the Otago model is well documented and proven with its recorded number of international travellers as well as Kiwi's from further away.

2nd thought
We all know once the track is ripped up, it won't come back unless there is +1mpta of freight. The govt could therefore give the rail option a go on a fixed time frame. The supposedly have well heeled backers, ok lets see them put their money where their mouth is, give them say 3 years to get a regular operation up and running, with various milestones along the way. Should they achieve this target then they keep the track until such a time they can no longer provide a regular service, at which time they default and the line is removed and converted to a rail trail. All parties must sign on such that if the rail option fails, there is no legal action or protests.

Edited 02 Aug 2018 08:03, last year, edited by RTT_Rules

A few comments
- 50km long heritage rail lines in Australia and indeed similar places world wide are not renown for their on going sustainability without on going 3rd party financial support, usually the taxpayer.

The so called wealthy supporters will find themselves with regular requests for more money with limited return if any.

- the cost of maintaining a 50km long rail trial is also well known with the Otago Case study available along with others in Vic. It will be less than $100k a year.

- the economic return from the likes of Otago is also well studied and produces a positive return for the community and the govt maintaining it.

- having done one if not last steam service to Scottsdale, an all day steam/diesel trip i think it's too long although starting from Turners Marsh would save alot of time.

- it's not tge Ned Kelly era, if the line is a legal rail trial, no one will be holding a fire arm at innocent and legal users and should they attempt to do so they will be arrested and charged accordingly.

- weeds will grow on cleared ROW, regardless of it's use.

- the legal status of the corridor post railway use is a matter for the courts if some intend to take legal action, so no further comment. Although I suspect win or lose for the govt there will be no further trains running.

- yes, I would love to see a regular rail service contine. However I think it's simply too long a line in too remote a location and the business case is likely full of optimistic assumptions.