A SOUTH Australian rail lobby group is “stoking the boilers” to push for a return of passenger rail to the South East’s mothballed rail tracks.
The South Australian Regional Rail Alliance is renewing its call for the State Government to invest in the Limestone Coast rail infrastructure given it is the second largest city in the state.
“We believe it is possible to bring passenger rail back to regional South Australia,” alliance spokesperson Russell Stiggants told The Border Watch.
His comments come as Regional Development Australia (RDA) Limestone Coast commissions a ground-breaking CSIRO study into freight rail opportunities in the region.
It is understood the study will be crucial in determining whether a bustling rail freight sector can be returned to the region.
If the study stacks up for a return of rail freight, it could give the green light to an inquiry into passenger rail opportunities.
Mr Stiggants said regional South Australia could be serviced similar to the “VLocity” passenger trains operating in Victoria and foreshadowed the services would be “well patronised”.
He said rail services were vital infrastructure for regional South Australians and would be a “regional booster”.
But he said both the former Labor Government and now the Liberal regime had shown little interest in the proposal.
“The State Government is deafening in its silence,” Mr Stiggants said.
But he said the alliance would not be deterred and would continue to lobby the government.
“The alliance is climbing back onto the footplate and stoking the boilers to carry our campaign for rejuvenated and reinvigorated regional and rural passenger and freight rail services into 2019,” the alliance said.
Applauding the RDA Limestone Coast for putting rail back into the regional spotlight, Mr Stiggants said it was vital rail freight returned to the region.
“But any resurgence whatsoever of rail must include passenger services,” the rail advocate said.
Over the border, he said the Victorian Government was pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into upgrading regional rail services.
Mr Stiggants said the alliance was pushing for a modern fast passenger rail services, similar to those operating in Victoria.
“We are not talking about bringing back steam trains, but bringing rail into the 21st century with fast modern trains,” he explained.
Mr Stiggants also fired a warning against using rail infrastructure – such as rail tracks – for bike trails or community spaces.
“We want to see the rail tracks remain in place in Mount Gambier and Millicent,” he said.
He mooted the former site of the razed railway roundhouse could be an ideal location for a rail terminal in Mount Gambier.
Meanwhile, fellow alliance member Stephen Domo said the most cost effective solution was restoring the link to Heywood, which would connect to the deep sea port at Melbourne.
He said only 90km of track needed to be upgraded, which could cost around $40m to get it operational.
Mr Domo urged Australian Rail Track Corporation to investigate the proposal.
