Watco is currently in the process of opening a crew depot at Roma and ran a test cattle train to there last week.
Aurizon is still indicating it can haul cattle from Quilpie as required and it has the Queensland Transport contract to serve that line.
Apart from drought, cattle transport from this region has been impacted by South Australian and New South Wales abattoirs buying stock and moving them by road across the border.
The most likely scenario once Morven opens is that Watco will capture a reasonable percentage of the cattle currently moving by road from the North West, Central West and South West (Quilpie), which may mean a decreased need for the Quilpie line.
QR has been doing some resleepering on the Quilpie line, but there's no indication there will be axle load increases. The rebuilt Aurizon 1720s assigned to the line now weigh 66.3-tonnes with an axle load of 11.05-tonnes.
If Watco was to obtain the contract to serve the Quilpie line, its first option might be to lease or possibly purchase two or three 1720s from QR. During the last year Watco has leased 1720s for brief periods from QR, so this option would appear to be possible.
Another alternative would be to purchase Kiwirail DBRs, which are two tonnes heavier than the 1720s and are more or less A1A-A1A versions of the 1720s. Considering the costs involved with purchase, overhaul and import, Watco would have to be very keen to pursue this last option.
