GROWERS and others involved in the grain industry may have to pay up to ensure the controversial grain branch lines in NSW stay open, a long-awaited report of the Federal Government into NSW grain freight has recommended.
The NSW Grain Freight Review, released today – at least four months late – says the State Government should finance the stabilisation of nine lines as Class 5 tracks through non-recoverable grants for three years, then seek access charges from users.
These are the North Star-Moree, Walgett-Burren Junction, Warren-Nevertire, Merrywinebone-Narrabri, Tottenham-Bogan Gate, Coonamble-Troy Junction, Lake Cargelligo-Temora, Naradhan-Ungarie and Hillston-Griffith lines.
That classification would limit axle loads to 19 tonnes and speed restrictions of just 20 kilometres an hour, which would mean running relatively light wagons and locomotives.
For the Weemelah-Camurra and Boree Creek-The Rock lines, the federal task force recommended the NSW Government seek immediate cost-sharing arrangements with users.
The task force recommended an independent study into potential use of Cowra-Demondrille for containers and other non-grain traffic, before making a decision whether to re-open it.
This should include an assessment of the Cowra-Blayney line.
It also proposed a grains industry co-ordination body examine whether selected lines be upgraded to Class-3 standard in future, but with industry rather than government funding.
This would allow heavier mainline locomotives to use the lines and provide the potential for trains to run from branch lines direct to port.
The task force also called for studies to identify a strategic “grain road network” where future road investment would be concentrated to make the roads usable by HPVs (high productivity vehicles).
The Federal Government’s response to the report flicks most of the responsibility for the changes back to the NSW Government.
The task force said once the government-funded stabilisation works had been completed on the nine nominated lines there should be a review to determine the appropriate level of user contribution to maintenance.
This should take into account progress with parallel road transport pricing reforms so future increases in branch line network access ensures charges do not have the unintended consequence of shifting freight to road.
Any future branch line closures should be accompanied by a clear definition of preferred road routes and a funding plan to improve these roads.
Other key recommendations included that the branch line network stay in public ownership, and that responsibility for management of the NSW branch line network be consolidated in the hands of the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
The Commonwealth and NSW governments should also investigate options to address train pathing constraints to Newcastle (where coal traffic dominates) to ensure there is some capacity for opportunistic or intermittent demand.
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