News in Brief – 1-7 September 2010

Mining consortium to make formal bid
The consortium of Queensland miners seeking to negotiate with the Queensland Government for ownership of QR National’s below rail network will make a formal offer for the assets this week.

“We're conducting due diligence at the moment. We'll be in a position [this] week to review the outcome of that,” consortium member and Anglo American chief executive Seamus French reportedly said.

The Bligh Government has until the end of September to accept the bid or take QR National to a public float, it was reported.

The mining companies initial bid of $4.85bn was recently upped to $5.25bn

Connecting SEQ 2031
The Australasian Railway Association has welcomed Queensland Premier’s release of the re-drafted Connecting SEQ 2031: An Integrated Regional Transport Plan.

The plan outlines significant improvements to South East Queensland’s public transport system including 207km of new rail lines, Brisbane’s Cross River Rail project, a dual gauge freight line from the Port of Brisbane to Acacia Ridge and more trains for outlying areas

Under the plan, passenger rail capacity would triple by 2031.

For full analysis of the plan, see the November edition of the Rail Express magazine, free to all Rail Express newswire subscribers.

Upgrades for Dubbo-Coonamble line
$33m in funding has been earmarked for upgrades to the Dubbo to Coonamble railway line, Councillor Dawn Fardell and member for Dubbo reportedly announced last week.

The upgrades would increase efficiency for the movement of grain and other agricultural products along the line, it was reported.

The Country Rail Infrastructure Authority will reportedly spend $18.5m on resleepering and renewal of the Coolbaggie Creek rail bridge at Eumungerie, to commence later this year, and $14.5m on re-railing the line in 2013-14, it was reported.