Greg Conkey updated the members on the details and the status of the Inland Rail Project. The following are the Notes Greg used for his talk:
A rail project that connects Melbourne and Brisbane inland and not via Sydney ...
The biggest cost of getting farm produce to market in Australia is the cost of freight from the farm gate to a port ..
Inland Rail will slash that cost savings of around $10 per tonne, making Australian agricultural products, as well as our manufactured goods, more competitive on the world stage.70 percent of the freight will be for domestic consumption. Inland rail connects Melbourne with Brisbane, Cost in excess of $15b.
Length 1700 km ....1100 km of track upgrades and enhancements 600 km of new track
Train travel time .... less than 24 hours compared with 34 hours via Sydney ...
Work started in 2018 .... Due to finish around 2027 ...
Major cost ... 80 percent ... from Toowoomba to Brisbane
Train length ... up to 1.8km
Speed .. up to 115kph ...
200,000 fewer trucks on our roads by 2050 ...
One train is equivalent to 108 B double trucks ... fuel savings are considerable ...trains use less than a third
Estimated to have two extra trains going thru Wagga Wagga by 2025 and another six by 2040 ...
Tenders for the work between Albury and Parkes close early November
Work in this area includes:
Albury:
Murray River Bridge .... Greater clearance
Albury Station ... replacement of foot bridge
Albury Station yard clearances
Riverina Highway Bridge Lower the track for greater clearance
Billy Hughes Bridge ... track lowering
Table Top Yard ... clearances Culcairn:
Culcairn Yard .. clearances
Culcairn foot bridge removal
Henty yard clearances
Yerong Creek .. clearances
The Rock .. clearances
Wagga Wagga:
Uranquinty yard .. clearances
Pearson St bridge .. track lowering
Cassidy Footbridge .. replacement
Edmondson St Bridge ... replacement Mothers Bridge ... replacement Wagga Station yard ... clearances
Bomen Yard ... clearances ...
In Junee the Kent Street bridge will need to be replaced ...
Plus 34 km of new track between Illabo and Stockinbingal ...
Estimated cost of the project .. Albury to Parkes .. between $200m and $300m
Wagga Wagga issues ...
By pass ... not going to happen ... Docker Street level crossing