Christmas rail line closure
26th December, 2009
Federal Member for Wide Bay and Shadow Minister for Transport Warren Truss has expressed disgust at the decision of the Queensland Labor Government to permanently close the Theebine to Kingaroy rail line. Mr Truss said that abandoning the moth-balled railway line is further evidence that the Bligh Labor Government has given up on rail.
“Labor has completely failed the State’s railways and now wants to sell of what little is left to corporate profit seekers. The Kingaroy line is not now even up for sale as the Government has used the cover of the Christmas season to announce its permanent closure,” Mr Truss said.
“There are already thousands of extra semi-trailers on the road every day because Queensland Rail is no longer even trying to compete for freight business. Queensland Rail now owns more trucks than trains and they fight with motorists for space on an overtaxed road system.”
Queensland’s freight task is expected to double by 2025 and unless the rail system plays a more effective role in delivering freight around Queensland, the number of trucks on our roads will more than double over the next 20 years.
“The State highways including the Wide Bay Highway simply cannot cope with these extra truck movements,” Mr Truss said.
“The run down of the one hundred year old Theebine to Kingaroy branch rail line is a tragedy and an appalling example of the mismanagement of the Queensland Rail system over recent years.
“When services were terminated several years ago scores of rail wagons were left stranded on the line and had to be carried out by truck!
“In this era when people are concerned about climate change, vehicle emissions and a shortage of liquid fuels we should be running more trains and building more rail lines — not pulling up the few that are left. The Queensland Labor Government is just hypocritical when it demands action on climate change but closes down its railways.”
Mr Truss called on the Queensland Minister for Transport to put the Kingaroy branch line back to work - don’t pull it up.
