From RAILPAGE
Updated yesterday by www.
The 35-kilometre long partially-constructed rail line between Maldon and Dombarton south of Sydney was abandoned in 1988 after significant earth works and land acquisition had already been done.
But with the burgeoning aerotropolis springing up from around Western Sydney Airport, business leaders in the Illawarra are calling for renewed investment from the state and federal governments to get the line up and running.
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said the aerotropolis was a “game changer” requiring a new rail link between the Sydney’s west and the key transport hub at Port Kembla.
“If you look at it in that context, the Maldon Dumbarton line is absolutely critical,” she said, adding the current line between Sydney and the Illawarra which hugs the coast didn’t have capacity to handle the freight required to build a new city in the west.
The partially built Dombarton to Maldon rail bridge. Picture: NSW Government
“Going up the south coast line then going out west from there is not going to be an option going forward because there isn’t the capacity in the line.”
“The western Sydney area is going to have three million people – you’ve got to get cement there, sand, all those products to build housing and infrastructure – if you don’t have rail connectivity from Illawarra to western Sydney, all of that has to go by truck.”
“I think it has come off governments’ agenda – and it needs to come back on the agenda.”
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said the aerotropolis needed a new rail link between the Sydney’s west and the key transport hub at Port Kembla. . Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Then-Federal infrastructure shadow minister Anthony Albanese pledged $50m to completing the line ahead of the 2019 election, but following that election loss the Commonwealth has no plans for the project.
Hectic weather events which knocked out the Moss Vale-Unanderra rail line which links the south and west of the state with Sydney for months last year, further exposing the need for a southwest rail link, Business Illawarra’s executive director Adam Zarth said.
The unfinished Dombarton to Maldon rail bridge. Picture: NSW Government
A 2021 study by the group found a south west Illawarra rail link would deliver an economic benefit of $2.8 billion by 2036 to the region.
“It’s been really endorsed as the only future rail solution to connect the Illawarra to Greater Sydney because of the frailty of the south coast line,” he said.
“If we’re to get real about economic development and growing our freight and supply chain, we need to utilise this.
“Once that western Sydney airport comes online, there’s a massive … employment and demand for better freight connectivity to keep our economy moving. It’ll support two cities.”
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NOTES WTC:
Completion of the 35 km Maldon Dombarton rail link would improve separation of freight and passenger trains within Sydney and get them off the congested Sydenham Sutherland line
In 2014, the NSW Department of Planning gave approval to Boral to increase road haulage of quarry products from its Dunmore quarry, and stated that "Boral is unable to increase the amount of product supplied by rail ...as it is unable to gain access to additional rail paths or utilise longer trains;..."
This situation of rail congestion has recently repeated itself in regards to Manildra wishing to open an export facility at Port Kembla for ethanol. The Company has claimed in advice during 2022 to the NSW Government and others, that Rail paths to Bomaderry are allocated to rail operators by Sydney Trains, which is a NSW Government Department. Manildra’s rail operator has been allocated 14 rail paths to Bomaderry, which are fully utilised. The Main Line Network Owner (Sydney Trains) is adamant that no further rail paths are available due to the requirements of the passenger service which operates between Kiama and Bomaderry on a frequent operational schedule.
The South Coast line linking Sydney to Port Kembla was by the mid 2010s operating at near full capacity during the day and for some of the night. The Moss Vale Unanderra line has severe speed-weight restrictions and extra distance for freight moving between Port Kembla and Western Sydney. It was also not operating for several months during 2022.
1 comment:
This will never happen now that the Federal and State Labor Govts are heavily subsidising and fast tracking the Offshore Wind Energy Projects and Hydrogen production and market driving to decarbonise heavy vehicle transport associated with coal, steel, and port related industries because hydrogen is going to be a lot cheaper than Freight so the business case just won’t add up. It’s time these business leaders call on a complete picture of all the govt and industry plans to intensify industry, intensify construction and push for heavy vehicle use to convert to Hydrogen that will be so heavily subsidised by Govt that industry will continue to want to use the Already at capacity road network in the Illawarra. The cumulative impact and how can we ensure that the Renewable Energy zones on and offshore do not progress until this long awaited much needed infrastructure is actually completed. Stop spit and dribble planning in Illawarra and stop business leaders from making comments about everything without them knowing anything about good planning and cumulative impacts.
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