Queensland rail lines reprieved

Queensland rail lines reprieved

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — The Goss government has agreed to retain 17 rail lines threatened with closure several months ago (some conditionally), to lease one as a private siding, to mothball five and close seven from January 1.

However, the state Labor government has warned rural communities to "use or lose" their railway lines, where those lines remain open for the present.

The plan came from a task force, set up as a result of a public revolt over threats to close all 30 lines last July. Train occupations and protests from rural communities and rail workers forced the government to back off at the time.

While the new decision has been generally welcomed by leaders of rural groups and rail unions, the state opposition warned that not one of the threatened rail lines has been removed from the danger of eventual closure.

Task force head and deputy premier Tom Burns said about 127 rail jobs would be lost by cabinet's decision.

Public Transport Union state president Trevor Campbell has called for an inquiry into the management of Queensland Rail.

Saying the task force decision did not end problems with QR management practices, he added: "The public should be given the reasons why the railways are not accepting traffic when they should be".

From GLW issue 125