Reply to Tim Logan’s letter to the editor (The Courier, October 15).
Do you really think that they will listen to a sensible, practical cost-effective idea, Mr Logan?
No. They have long ago selected a route on the Google map. They will cross Bohena Creek on the Newell Highway, south of Narrabri, onto unstable speedway ground.
They will have to move the Newell Highway over to get on to solid stable ground clear of the banks of Bohena Creek.
They will then go diagonally across the small holdings development area at Narrabri West, cross the Culgoora rail line near the Yarrie Lake Road rail crossing across the Yarrie Lake Road where they will put a rail crossing right on a bend in the road (which is just not on), go through three brick homes and one weatherboard home.
They will cross the river near Schatz’s Hole where they will need a bridge, then on across flood ground just down stream from the town creating more back-up problems in flood time than we already have.
Then across the Island Road.
That may cause some problems for the residents on the down stream side, as they won’t be keen to put a rail crossing on such a small access road.
They will have to put a bend in the line between the two channels to line up with their objective routes.
This will create problems for the long fast trains which are all prone to pulling themselves off the line on bends.
This is not a good idea to have a potential accident site with trains carrying everything, chemicals, explosives, fuel etc., close to us in a town area.
They will then cross the creek channel near Logan’s pump, about 200 metres past the tyre service on the Wee Waa Road.
This will need another bridge over the creek and a very high overpass on the Wee Waa Road to allow for the large machinery used in the cotton and mining industries.
Then up past the sewerage treatment works where there is a concentration of powerlines and underground cables, across the sewage pipes/mains, which will be very prone to fractures due to the underground vibrations caused by the heavy fast trains on black soil.
Then the line will turn across a cotton irrigation farm, cutting off the bore supplying the irrigation, north towards Moree where they will have to completely re-route the Newell Highway as far as the Murrumbilla turnoff.
We won’t be talking millions – it will be billions.
Your suggestion, Mr Logan, to not cross Bohena Creek, follow a straight line down Kiandool Lane, one bend, across one small channel then across the back of the Killarney Hill to the Murrumbilla turn-off to join the Moree line.
No, much too simple and uncomplicated, not expensive enough.
The expense difference?
Hang the expenses the taxpayers are paying for it.
Bill Robinson, Narrabri
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