A Solution for Bells Line of Road Medium Term (by 2025) “A rolling highway”

Summary This concept will improve the reliability and safety of moving people and freight over the Blue Mountains. In some cases it will reduce the transit time of freight between the Central West and Port Kembla. A rolling highway for trucks and cars would be a shuttle service between Marrangaroo and St Marys. This is a drive on / drive off “piggy backing” of cars and trucks on to flat bed rail carriages. It is the fastest and most efficient kind of intermodal transfer. It also requires very little additional infrastructure initially. The complete proposal would require a new rail line between St. Marys and Liverpool / Campbelltown. This project, however, is already in the initial planning stages. This “rolling highway” strategy does not appear to have been considered by any organistion, in looking for a solution to the BLOR issue.

The major constraints on increased freight by rail from the Central West to Sydney are congestion on the Sydney metropolitan network and short passing and crossing loops as well as insufficient passing and crossing loops. Refer to main references.

This strategy overcomes those obstacles.

To overcome Sydney network congestion and increase number of passing loops the necessary infrastructure would involve: o Passing loops (new) at Marrangaroo o Extend loops at Katoomba and/or Wentworth Falls o Passing loop (new) at Faulconbridge -1,200metres long o Quad track between Penrith and St Marys o New line St Marys to Liverpool / Campbelltown (Long term, expensive) o Complete line from Maldon to Dombarton (thus to Port Kembla) Advantages o Reduction in road traffic across the mountains o Maintains a similar time for transit of freight (compensated by improved turnaround times and rest breaks) o Reduced driver fatigue (and accidents) o Allows professional drivers to more easily fit in mandatory rest breaks. o Avoids impact of freight curfews (priority to passenger rail east of Penrith)

A focus on a dual carriageway as the solution has not been able to garner widespread support

Previous Studies Previous studies have concluded that the major obstacles to the provision of a dual carriageway on the Bells Line of Road corridor are economic (low BCR, and environmental (traversing a World Heritage area).

Travel Time will be competitive The current travel times between Marangaroo and Penrith are o by car (GWH): 1 hour 30 minutes o by car(BLOR): 1 hour 40 minutes o by passenger train (Lth-Penrith): 2 hours with 12 stops, or 1 hour 45 minutes non-stop o by freight train : estimate 2 hours 15 minutes o by truck (GWH): estimate 1 hour 45 minutes

A rolling highway transit time over the mountains would be a little slower than current times. For truck shuttles the time reduction could be ameliorated by the use of new passing loops and integration of driver rest breaks. Some intermodal systems allow for loading / unloading of a full train in 15 minutes.

Car shuttle (overseas examples)

o Euro tunnel shuttle : England to France (35 minutes) o and (20km long, Simplon car train) o USA: Virginia to Florida (1,000km plus) o Slovenia (25kms. 12 trains operating daily)

Truck shuttle trains (overseas examples)

o Euro tunnel shuttle : England to France (35 minutes) o to Italy o Italy and Switzerland (Simplon)

Capacity Average Daily Traffic Count at Mount Boyce: 12,600 (trucks=12% or 1,512).

20 carriage shuttle train could take 60+ cars, 8 shuttles per day in each direction = 1,000 cars off the road over the mountains (10% reduction) 20 carriage train could take 40+ trucks1. 6 shuttles per day in each direction = 480 fewer trucks. A truck shuttle train may reduce the number of trucks travelling over the mountains by up to a third, depending on origin and destination.

Main References for this Concept • Long Term Strategic Corridor Plan (1) Conducted by the RMS for Aust/NSW Gov’ts Nation Building Program 2012,2 • Central West Transport Needs Study (2009) • Intermodal Trends – A review by Corridor, ARTC, 2008 • Bells Line of Road Corridor Study (2004).

1 maximum height 3,500mm, max length 10,000mm 2 http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/projects/sydney-west/bells-line-of- road/bells2 http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/projects/-line-of-road-long-term-strategic-plan-completesydney-report.pdf-west/bells -line-of- road/bells-line-of-road-long-term-strategic-plan-complete-report.pdf