The P2N EIS makes for some light reading

https://inlandrail.artc.com.au/26628/documents/59416
This is hardly a great leap forward as the Parkes to Narromine line has been there since 1910 -1914.Has it been touched since?
Looks like alot of work reading the scope of works.This is hardly a great leap forward as the Parkes to Narromine line has been there since 1910 -1914.Has it been touched since?
Dare say it will take a bit of work to bring it up to DS 115kph standard. This project also covers three passing loops, culverts, some reworked curves and around 5km of track for the Broken Hill connection. Construction is outlined here
https://majorprojects.accelo.com/public/fa67db0d89051135167b8f23e6465f28/06%20P2N%20EIS%20Vol%201%20Part%20B%20Chapter%208_Construction.pdf
P.S. Who seriously expects great leaps forward in this country's rail infrastructure![]()
To go all the way you need the bigger hump back concrete sleepers and 68kg/m rail . Expensive yes but pays off forever after .And remember the Yanks use short tons (2000 LBS) whereas we use Tonnes which works to something like 2200 LBS or something like 10% more. So 32.5 TAL works out at 35.7 TAL US. Not so far away. I believe the loading gauge is more the problem. Just imagine if we could buy off the shelf US locos at much reduced costs than our she horned designs (and we aren't making them anymore).
Re the US - you can't really compare.Read the latest Trains magazine, October 2017. Intermodal in the USA nearly didn't happen when serious problems arose with early double stacks. There is massive market share to be had Melb-Bris if the economics of DS can be captured. My guess is that the market should be greater than Melb-Perth?
The US intermodal lines are carrying something in the same order of magnidute that the Australian Heavy haul lines are carrying, i.e. the Hunter, Pilbara and Qld Coal Network.
Our total intermodal freight task for any given route (e.g. SYD-MEL) is considerably less than that and so doesnt warrant that axle load. Im pretty sure if you built it, the traffic wouldnt come, i.e. the additional weight wouldnt be enough to lower the costs of rail to make it still competitive against road. The cost to do so would be significant.
Re the US - you can't really compare.Read the latest Trains magazine, October 2017. Intermodal in the USA nearly didn't happen when serious problems arose with early double stacks. There is massive market share to be had Melb-Bris if the economics of DS can be captured. My guess is that the market should be greater than Melb-Perth?
The US intermodal lines are carrying something in the same order of magnidute that the Australian Heavy haul lines are carrying, i.e. the Hunter, Pilbara and Qld Coal Network.
Our total intermodal freight task for any given route (e.g. SYD-MEL) is considerably less than that and so doesnt warrant that axle load. Im pretty sure if you built it, the traffic wouldnt come, i.e. the additional weight wouldnt be enough to lower the costs of rail to make it still competitive against road. The cost to do so would be significant.
Neill Farmer
If there is going to be a requirement for greater than 21 TAL why couldn't this be achieved by three axle bogies on the heavier trains.More expensive to buy, too expensive to maintain and you lose a fair amount of the axleload benefit in the heavier bogie.
If there is going to be a requirement for greater than 21 TAL why couldn't this be achieved by three axle bogies on the heavier trains.More expensive to buy, too expensive to maintain and you lose a fair amount of the axleload benefit in the heavier bogie.
Any track built now should be at least 25 tonne axleload capacity and probably more.
Specifically what improvements have been included for the Melbourne area to ease freight in and out of the port?Considering the project is about forming a spine between Melbourne and Brisbane, probably very little. Are you perhaps thinking of this project?
Anyone who thinks that after spending 16 billion bucks for Inland Rail that there'll be money around 10 years or whatever later to give it another upgrade is totally ignorant of how things work in practice. Government will consider the job done when it's complete and simply will not entertain additional funds. That's how it is. So whatever you lock in, will be locked in forever basically.Agreed.
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