Advocates for the proposed Canberra to Port of Eden railway disagree a government-sponsored study has spelled the end of the project, in fact they found it adds support to their goal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Two years ago the NSW government announced $1million for a feasibility study for the project, and the study's recently-released executive summary found the railway was not viable due to "high costs and low benefits".
But on Wednesday, the Cooma and Monaro Progress Association (CMPA) released a media release stating the association believed the study "confirms the engineering feasibility of the railway, and validates its ability to help Australia meet the projected doubling of its freight task by 2036".
It states the three routes published by CMPA in the 2018 concept plan written by engineer Edwin Michell were each found to be feasible, as well as two new routes, and the Port of Eden was confirmed to have ample scope to meet future capacity upgrades.
"While the study summary restricted freight from inland of the Canberra region, the actual economic market catchment would extend to the Riverina and Central West of NSW which would result in far higher volumes than in the study," CMPA claimed.
Overall, while the feasibility study estimated the cost of the project would be $6.3billion, CMPA's concept plan put the figure at $2.95billion.
READ MORE: Concept plan for Canberra to Eden Railway
"The financially disabling benefit/cost ratios in the feasibility study were the results of restricting financial support of freight from the inland, and of using unnecessarily high construction estimates," CMPA claimed.
"Both the financial and socio-economic cost/benefit analyses in the concept plan demonstrate enabling benefit/cost ratios."
CMPA believes a separate assessment of the concept plan should be considered, as the plan can be continued with one deviation to preserve an "ancient heritage site in bushland".
The association's stance on the feasibility study is in contrast to the study's own conclusion, where it states there was "limited information provided to support the railway".
"The costs of reinstatement of the non-operational railway are significant and the cost to construct the railway down to Port of Eden are extremely high due to the topographical challenges and the environmental constraints," the feasibility study's conclusion states.
On Thursday, Friends of the Bombala Railway president Allen Simpson said the feasibility study's result was disappointing, but of no great surprise.
"It means we've lost an opportunity having tourist trains coming to Bombala," he said.
"We believe it is viable, but it is going to take a little bit of work and a bit of time.
"Somewhere down the track it will probably happen, but probably not in my lifetime.
"I don't know how you would ever change it, apart from finding a government willing to do it," Mr Simpson said.