An amazing development for inland-rail utilisation and in my view adds considerable credibility to the investment the federal government is in the process of making with inland rail.  The idea a massive logistics area can swap wagons between routes is exactly what this country needs.

Thinking ahead how important now is the ability to run a train from Kilmore East via Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat and west?

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

'Thinking ahead how important now is the ability to run a train from Kilmore East via Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat and west?'

Think that I will go Kilmore East - Sunshine - Brooklyn - Cressy and Maroona, thank you.
Now to find something to load my train with!

Avoiding Melbourne on the Standard Gauge will save time and money and Bendigo could do with some SG access.

I suspect that this was probably a known investment in the pipeline that was just waiting for announcements to be made.  PN haven't just decided this on a whim.

A real infrastructure booster for the region bringing jobs and in a way supporting the investment already made by SCT.

What is the usual path from Parkes to Brisbane?

What is the usual path from Parkes to Brisbane?

Newell Highway (and others in Qld)

Avoiding Melbourne on the Standard Gauge will save time and money.

How ?

Does the hub allow for 3600m trains (2 x 1800m)?

The withdrawal of Aurizon out of intermodal and the Feds actually getting works underway on the Inland Rail route are probably the sorts of developments that have made PN move on developing this terminal.   I also sense that the NEW PN management seems to be more aggressive in the market.   Only last week a rail freight forum again reiterated that the freight task in Australia will treble by 2050 and there is no doubt for both east west and now north-south with the Inland Project Parkes becomes a major hub.    It's also by the looks of it a very large footprint which indicates someone looks like they've done some future proofing!!!

Avoiding Melbourne on the Standard Gauge will save time and money.

How ?

By removing the need for any intermodal traffic sources in regional Victoria to drag containers to Melbourne and then onto interstate services. A lot of intermodal comes from regional Victoria not Melbourne directly.

Connecting Bendigo onto SG would be advantageous to Bendigo and we have a proposal for an SG intermodal terminal at West Ballarat.

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

If you where crazy enough to do this, Ouyen is closer as the crow flies, to Hay, than Mildura and people keep ranting about going from North West Victoria to Adelaide.

It would seen nobody understands the huge amount of horsepower, that is required to achieve this, let alone trundling along at snails pace, through the hills and then suburbia, all the way to the North side of the city.

Any goods from Eastern Australia, is far better of barreling through Broken Hill and into Adelaide.

BigShunter.

Thinking ahead how important now is the ability to run a train from Kilmore East via Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat and west?

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

My fantasy line in that region is to go from Junee-Hay-Mildura, then through the Riverlands to Burra and then into the north of Adelaide that way....

An amazing development for inland-rail utilisation and in my view adds considerable credibility to the investment the federal government is in the process of making with inland rail.  The idea a massive logistics area can swap wagons between routes is exactly what this country needs.

Thinking ahead how important now is the ability to run a train from Kilmore East via Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat and west?

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

The line to Hay has been closed for many years. And the line from Junee to the junction at Yanco would need significant upgrading. So it would require a massive investment to operate large scale-freight trains from Junee to Hay, Mildura and Adelaide. I don't think the distance saved over the existing route from Parkes to Adelaide via Broken Hill would warrant such a massive investment.

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

If you where crazy enough to do this, Ouyen is closer as the crow flies, to Hay, than Mildura and people keep ranting about going from North West Victoria to Adelaide.

It would seen nobody understands the huge amount of horsepower, that is required to achieve this, let alone trundling along at snails pace, through the hills and then suburbia, all the way to the North side of the city.

Any goods from Eastern Australia, is far better of barreling through Broken Hill and into Adelaide.

BigShunter.

This was the original plan from the NSW Railways.

Where would the horsepower be required?

An amazing development for inland-rail utilisation and in my view adds considerable credibility to the investment the federal government is in the process of making with inland rail.  The idea a massive logistics area can swap wagons between routes is exactly what this country needs.

Thinking ahead how important now is the ability to run a train from Kilmore East via Bendigo to Maryborough to Ararat and west?

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

Back again after a hard drive crash wiped out my original account.
Perhaps you would like to look at Google Earth and explain just how you would get a new line into Hay via the west?

Just a few things in the way between Murray Street and Showgrounds road that border Hay yard on the South and north sides such as A Truck company yard and heavy engineering workshop right at the west end of the yard with opposite them the Council works depot,Purtills Fuel Depot,Dog pound,SES/RFS Huge shed then a private acreage on the tip road opposite of which is Cox,s Farms Vinyards,Workshops,packing sheds and 3 houses.
To the right of Cox,s is the waste treatment plant behind which is the 6 hectare tip and waste transfer depot.
All of this blocks any access into the Original Hay yard and Station area,So the only way of going via Hay would be to go at least 2km North of our town or by going south of town both of which would be blocked by the owners of the major size properties (Roughly 20km long by 10km wide for the smaller ones) who will not give up valuable grazing and cropping lands for a Rail corridore through their properties.
So basicly it will NEVER happen despite gunzel dreams.

How important is it now to look seriously at completing the line from Hay to Mildura and onto Adelaide via Ouyen?

National $50m freight hub proposed for Parkes

If you where crazy enough to do this, Ouyen is closer as the crow flies, to Hay, than Mildura and people keep ranting about going from North West Victoria to Adelaide.

It would seen nobody understands the huge amount of horsepower, that is required to achieve this, let alone trundling along at snails pace, through the hills and then suburbia, all the way to the North side of the city.

Any goods from Eastern Australia, is far better of barreling through Broken Hill and into Adelaide.

BigShunter.

This was the original plan from the NSW Railways.

Where would the horsepower be required?

You can't be serious !!!

Where have you been, well, there's a slight bump in the line between Adelaide and Victoria, it's called the Adelaide Hills or Mt Lofty Rangers. $ark  This requires a large quantity of horse power ( for the second time ) to haul the train up and over and the same going back to Victoria, any further questions ?

A bingley slap, required !

BigShunter.

Actually I thought you may have been referring to the proposed section between Hay and Mildura.

Sorry for the confusion.

Actually I thought you may have been referring to the proposed section between Hay and Mildura.

Sorry for the confusion.

I think most people, who are only half switched on, should know that this area, is some of the flattest country in the world.

BigShunter.

Actually I thought you may have been referring to the proposed section between Hay and Mildura.

Sorry for the confusion.

I think most people, who are only half switched on, should know that this area, is some of the flattest country in the world.

BigShunter.

Highest point for 100,s of KM is the bridge over the Murrumbidgee river here in Hay.

Actually I thought you may have been referring to the proposed section between Hay and Mildura.

Sorry for the confusion.

I think most people, who are only half switched on, should know that this area, is some of the flattest country in the world.

BigShunter.

Never been out that way so you have me at a disadvantage.

@clyde putting aside the fact that this particular idea is never going to happen a few farmers or businesses are not going to stand in the way of a government if they want to build infrastructure. Compulsory Aquisition happens all the time for road and rail projects.

Look at all the property that was bought up for the ill fated East-West link project in Melbourne (which is now all being sold off again). A couple of these were bought from people who I know and they definitely did not want to sell. Inland Rail, Melbourne Metro, future Torquay Rail line, LXRA projects and many others spring to mind.

One really interesting one is at Duneed Farm down near Geelong where the farmer is holding out against a planned V/Line maintenance and stabling facility on his land and the Gov aren't forcing his hand seemingly because it is in a marginal seat and they don't want the bad press.

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/right-to-farm/outrage-at-duneed-farm-rail-shunt/news-story/de5e4dbcdaeb578ac3a1ddcde02fc5d0

BG

@clyde putting aside the fact that this particular idea is never going to happen a few farmers or businesses are not going to stand in the way of a government if they want to build infrastructure. Compulsory Aquisition happens all the time for road and rail projects.

Look at all the property that was bought up for the ill fated East-West link project in Melbourne (which is now all being sold off again). A couple of these were bought from people who I know and they definitely did not want to sell. Inland Rail, Melbourne Metro, future Torquay Rail line, LXRA projects and many others spring to mind.

One really interesting one is at Duneed Farm down near Geelong where the farmer is holding out against a planned V/Line maintenance and stabling facility on his land and the Gov aren't forcing his hand seemingly because it is in a marginal seat and they don't want the bad press.

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/right-to-farm/outrage-at-duneed-farm-rail-shunt/news-story/de5e4dbcdaeb578ac3a1ddcde02fc5d0

BG
Exactly it is a very Marginal electorate out here and i highly doubt the huge companies that own the land out here would give in to goverment pressure without a very large and expensive fight,i also doubt that Auscott or Southern Cotton would allow the huge cotton fields out here to be brought up for a non needed rail line.

I love how we are talking about the impossibility of a fantasy rail line.....

Actually I thought you may have been referring to the proposed section between Hay and Mildura.

Sorry for the confusion.

I think most people, who are only half switched on, should know that this area, is some of the flattest country in the world.

BigShunter.

Never been out that way so you have me at a disadvantage.

I've never been to Mt Everest, either, but apparently ------------

Are you going to keep on with, this ?

BigShunter.

Shame we get diverted off a really interesting topic and get into this fantasy stuff.   There is actually a thread somewhere else on Railpage to raise and muse over what such and such might be like etc, etc.

We have on this thread ATM a very significant development getting underway that's now real and shows that what the private sector is doing in terms of a serious commitment to rail's future has been brought about as a result of the Federal Government now moving into construction of the Inland Rail.   Would be nice if we could stick to that.