Inland Rail has tourism appeal

WHENEVER the staff of the Inland Rail are asked about the possibility of passenger use, they run for cover.

Obviously, they have very strict instructions to concentrate on the transport of goods on a large scale. However, yours truly is under no such restrictions and we are certain that the Inland Rail will be a major tourist attraction.

No business person would think of using it in preference to planes.

There are two iconic rail journeys in Australia, the Indian-Pacific and the Ghan. It would appear that they are extremely popular judging by the huge number of carriages involved.

Sydney, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin are greatly helped but Brisbane and Melbourne have been ignored. Inland Rail appears to be on target for completion in 2025.

The passenger linkage of Melbourne to Brisbane across the most heavily populated rural area of Australia probably covers more than one quarter of Australia’s population and

‘‘ IN FACT, THE INLAND RAIL COULD ALMOST BE JUSTIFIED ON THE TOURIST VIEWPOINT ALONE.

has the numbers to make it politically wise not to ignore. In fact, the Inland Rail could almost be justified on the tourist viewpoint alone.

Of course,we are a little bit biased towards Toowoomba but there are probably a dozen other towns on the route which have significant tourist attractions.

It would open up all these areas to the overseas tourist market, a market which is almost non existent for these areas at present.

Consequently, a passenger train would have to stop fairly frequently. This is of no consequence as almost all the passengers would be tourists where time is of minor significance.

There is one problem, a pleasant one. Both the iconic trains cover vast uninteresting areas overnight but there is no such convenient area between Melbourne and Brisbane.

Toowoomba would be significantly improved by this train as many train buffs would appreciate the alternate fast train to Brisbane involving a huge tunnel and about six kilometres of viaduct along an attractive valley.

They could easily be enticed to stay the night here.

Toowoomba has much else to offer the tourist and such a train would give the region the publicity which the State Government has omitted to date.

There would be a tremendous amount of planning involved in such a project and six years is not a long time to start such planning.

Such an organisation could easily be swamped by Melbourne and Brisbane so it is up to the local councils along the whole of the route to ensure they are heard and even initiate it. PETER and BETTY SHERIDAN, Kearneys Spring