Earlier this year the Cooma and Monaro Progress Association (CPMA) published a concept plan for a Canberra to Eden railway produced by engineer Edwin Mitchell.
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This week the progress association added Part 3A and 3B to the concept plan on their website www.coomansw.com.au Part 3A covers the financial cost and benefit analysis and 3B the socio-economic cost/benefit analysis.
The concept plan by Edwin Michell, engineer and economist addresses the engineering difficulties of a new rail route down the escarpment between Bombala and Eden.
Mr Michell has written widely on Australian railways with a feature approach of his work being cost effectiveness.
Having published the Socio-Economic Cost/Benefit analysis, the Cooma Monaro Progress Association (CMPA) has observed that a major benefit of the proposed projects is reduced congestion in major ports and on their rail and road approaches.
“Uncertainty of the magnitude of this benefit has resulted in not including it as a quantified benefit in the analysis,” CMPA spokesperson Richard Hopkins said.
“The concluding Benefit Cost Ratio is accordingly conservative, possibly very conservative.
“CMPA is continuing with activities towards the establishment of the railway.”
The rationale of the projects takes into account that from the earliest days of Canberra’s planning, it was considered essential a railway existed, so that Australia’s capital would have a direct link to the coast by railway.
A railway from Canberra to Eden would redirect millions of tons of freight per year away from the congested main southern railway and Port Botany.