In news that will immensely displease GNC, the Australian Rail...

In news that will immensely displease GNC, the Australian Rail Corporation is suddenly stating that it 'needs to close the Unanderra - Moss Vale rail line for between four and six months'.

This line was badly affected by recent NSW floods.

Apart from being famous for the 'Cockatoo Run' tourist passenger trains from Sydney, this mountainous line is a vital link for grain from the NSW Riverina - places like Junee and Temora - to the GNC bulk ship loader at Port Kembla NSW, which is near Unanderra.

The alternative route from Moss Vale northwards on the main Sydney - Melbourne line through Bargo, Campbelltown, Leightonfield, Enfield, Sydenham NSW, Sutherland and Wollongong is very busy with some sections having high numbers of passenger and intermodal (container) trains such as the Sydney to Perths or Melbourne to Brisbanes. Plus there are five daily NSW TrainLink XPTs or XPlorer railcars each way between Sydney and Melbourne or Canberra, plus twice weekly to Griffith. Additionally, there are many aggregate (construction materials) block trains as well as the Sydney 'rubbish train' conveying household waste to just south of Tarago on the Canberra line, plus coal trains from Tahmoor north of Moss Vale.

QUB steel trains from Port kembla to Melbourne also use this crosscountry line, so again, they'll have to travel via Sydney.

Another complication is there are curfews in place that normally prohibit the operation of freight trains through the Sydney suburban area on weekdays between 0600 - 1000 and in the arvo from 1500 to 1700 hours. This isn't a problem from Macarthur/Campbelltown into Sydney, as there's a separate Southern Sydney freight line but it will be an inhibitor on the line to Wollongong.

GNC may be forced to work with rail operator Pacific National to alter the destination of some grain trains from Pt Kembla to the Carrington terminal at Newcastle NSW, or perhaps even North Geelong in Victoria. Having them travel to Newcastle is challenging due to the aforementioned freight train weekday curfews plus again, a busy line through Gosford with frequent interurban passenger services meaning freights have to be refused in passing loops to be overtaken.

Obviously these longer distances and slower deliveries increase costs for PN and presumably in turn GNC. It may be able to pass these on to graingrowers or others in the transport chain, but at a guess it'll mean less 'upcountry' grain delivered to Port Kembla.

How this affects bulk shipping schedules is anyone's guess.

So far, the ARTC, a Commonwealth Government business enterprise not subject to FOI requests, has been publicly silent if its website is any guide.

Not good, and not good enough.

You wonder how we'd go in a war but many of us have a fair idea. All over Red Rover in a few days.