Looks like someones spat the dummy AND thrown their rattle out of the pram
At least now many cyclists can enjoy the safety of a ride along the extended rail trail.
Mike.
Correct.
Got no choice but to cut the long legs up, it's the only way to recover them once trains can no longer runGuys, it's dead. Let it go.Looks like there are no reuse plans for the 94 LB rails as they have been butched up In to short lengths for easy transport.
Hopefully the materials are going to good homes at other tourist railways and not just the Leongatha tip.
This whole thread is a bit silly. The tracks were rooted. There’s no state government or opposition hints, even, at restoring passenger or freight service beyond Clyde. So the council is absolutely right to want the reservation to be useful to the community, VicTrack are absolutely right to hand them the lease and recover the assets which would have been of little use to a rail project anyway. And the whole thing has the enormous upside, from a railfan point of view, of protecting the corridor; and the very minimal downside of adding a couple of million dollars to a future rail restoration.There was a lobby group that had grand plans for the dilapidated railway Including running steam tourist trains, commuter trains (to Clyde) building a walking trail besides the railway and employing full time staff all with private money (their story evolved rather considerably)
Those among you who have an aneurysm whenever someone says the words “rail” and “trail” really need to have a Bex and a good lie down.
SoThis proposed rail trail may well be one of the few that is actually viable, being very pretty countryside only just beyond the metropolis.
- The local council wants to convert this rotting snake invested industrial waste corridor it a open public asset such as a rail trail
- Other local community groups also want the same
- No community group has been able to make it a viable Heritage railway (Yes, I would love to see it happen, again)
- There is no plan to use this corridor within the next two decades for commuter rail (note 18 year lease isn't very long)
Yet, despite this some of us are outraged?
- Kennet didn't rip up the rails because he was playing politics. In the eyes of the politicians, they know closing the line but leaving the rails in place seems appeases the voting peasants. Their primary goal is to stop the bleeding of money from the treasury and this is done when the last train runs, Kennet had other things to do than spend state money ripping up the rails. May have also genuinely believed there was a potential future for the line outside the constraints of the early 1990's Vic budget.
Future predictions
- the new rail trail will be a success and prove very popular
- Commuter line extension will not be funded this side of 2050.
- Bevan's will vote ALP at the next election![]()
Presumably/hopefully there will a suitable interchange, and shared facilities, at the Clyde station? If that ever eventuates?SoThis proposed rail trail may well be one of the few that is actually viable, being very pretty countryside only just beyond the metropolis.
- The local council wants to convert this rotting snake invested industrial waste corridor it a open public asset such as a rail trail
- Other local community groups also want the same
- No community group has been able to make it a viable Heritage railway (Yes, I would love to see it happen, again)
- There is no plan to use this corridor within the next two decades for commuter rail (note 18 year lease isn't very long)
Yet, despite this some of us are outraged?
- Kennet didn't rip up the rails because he was playing politics. In the eyes of the politicians, they know closing the line but leaving the rails in place seems appeases the voting peasants. Their primary goal is to stop the bleeding of money from the treasury and this is done when the last train runs, Kennet had other things to do than spend state money ripping up the rails. May have also genuinely believed there was a potential future for the line outside the constraints of the early 1990's Vic budget.
Future predictions
- the new rail trail will be a success and prove very popular
- Commuter line extension will not be funded this side of 2050.
- Bevan's will vote ALP at the next election![]()
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