Letters to the ed: Rail renewal or rail trail debate ongoing

I understand the passion related to trains and the hope for bringing them back. When the train line was opened in 1884, it was a major lifeline to Sydney. Cars and trucks did not exist. Had the NSW rail line joined a standard gauge rail line at the Queensland border connecting to Brisbane, its fate may have been different!

Our line actually predated the standard gauge line now linking Sydney and Brisbane via the north coast.

The biggest chance and opportunity to bring back the trains was in 2007. Back then, the Commonwealth Government was reviewing options for the route of the Brisbane to Melbourne Inland Rail. At that time, New England Local Government made a significant submission, backed by much political lobbying, to utilise the Main North Line through Armidale and Glen Innes to the border as part of the inland route.

Fast forward to 2023, the construction of the Inland Rail is underway with a cost blowout to $31 billion. A recent Government review of progress and budget has led to a major scale down of works in Queensland. Estimates now suggest the link between North Star, Toowoomba and Brisbane may not be completed until the next decade, if at all!

The current line between Wallangarra and Toowoomba required to link any New England proposal is narrow gauge and built to a low standard of alignment, much lower than that on the NSW side.

Under-investment in rail within the Eastern Seaboard, has resulted in rail freight having a very low share of the container freight market. Passenger services on the busiest corridors still operate at low speeds and struggle to compete with planes and cars.

Fast and Very Fast trains are still considered to be decades away. Wishful thinking, or the few passengers, or the current freight generated between Armidale and Tenterfield will not fund a return of trains.

Our current, publicly owned rail corridor north of Armidale is disappearing. It is gradually being absorbed into the neighbouring properties. Its integrity as a rail corridor is under challenge. The last sleepers were laid over 30 years ago. The steel rail line is of variable and generally lower standard than that required by current freight trains.

A rail trail would utilise and reinforce the corridor. The railway formation would be preserved, ready and available if in some future decade trains return. It is not a choice between a rail trail and the return of trains. It is a choice between a rail trail generating some economic and social benefits or nothing, as we currently have!

Steve Toms

It is a 103 km trip from Armidale to Glen Innes on the railway track. 20km is classified as being within endurance for cyclists who are fit one-way. 20km would be from Armidale to Black Mountain (with a further 20km required back to Armidale).

How many people will be going all the way to Glen Innes?

Armidale already has many purpose-built bicycle tracks and is fortunate as they have a train service bringing tourists to their city.

The Heritage Steam Train brings around 5500 tourists. It would be fantastic if this train could continue from Armidale to our northern towns. Puffing Billy Steam Train in Victoria for example had 50,678 passengers in 2021 despite COVID-19 with an income of $15 million.

Imagine the benefit to Glen Innes, Tenterfield and beyond. There would be scope for a variety of events to bring tourists to our region.

A train service would bring easier travel to Armidale and Tamworth to see specialists and do some sight-seeing (wheelchairs welcome). Pursue apprenticeships, employment and further education opportunities in larger centres.

What new horizons would be available for our young people now and into the future? Mr mayor, councillors and politicians; back the people to bring development, tourism and a greener NSW on a train.

Roslyn Pelchen

There is a discipline called "sociological economics" that endeavours to give an "all of society account" when looking at the cost benefits ratios of the ways, means, and effects of a given enterprise within society.

This means that when analysing a situation and how it affects society, we use a multi variable technique that expands the range of functions and externalities to include the benefits or deficits to ordinary people and the natural environment.

Today, most analysis is one dimensional, with the amenity of elite cohorts or vested corporate interests weighted higher than other cohorts such as farmers and the public. Put simply, not enough variables are included

However, through the appropriation of democratic and egalitarian language, certain elites obfuscate the negative implications of policies that are not in the communities interest. That is, by the clever use of language people are convinced that the negative is positive, or, that good is bad.

So it is that we arrive at the history of the elimination of the rail network north of Armidale in the New England region of NSW. The elimination of the Great Northern Line was presented as a positive to the people who lost their rail links. It was legitimised by the use of jargon, that money could be better spent somewhere else, that it was a waste of taxpayers money, and that society would be better off because of it.

The decision was based on a set of criteria set by the Greiner Liberal/ National Party State Government. Because of this inappropriate use of this one dimensional criteria, small government, the lives of many farmers and people were negatively effected. It made no business or economic sense, and thriving communities were left to wither due to a lack of infrastructure integrated with the wider economy.

This brings us to today, when the Director of Infrastructure Services at Glenn Innes Council is using the same limited, one dimensional criteria of old to justify a bike trail instead of the railway. Economists call this phenomenon wastage, where a valuable asset is left to waste for some frivolous reason. I believe, after much research, that if a multi variable analysis was undertaken the Great Northern line would be understood as essential infrastructure.

Peter Elliston