Government railways in Australia operate in all mainland States and Territories. Interstate movement of freight over the rail network is a potentially important method of transportation within the nation. However, intersystem railway arrangements operate against a background of State railways providing predominantly intrastate freight services. This report presents the results of a study of intersystem railway freight rating practices as they apply to a particular area of New South Wales.

• Study of Intersystem Railway Freight Rating Practices
  
  report_025.pdf
  (9.57 MB)

Because of separate development by the individual States, the Australian railway network contains links of a number of different gauges.

For this reason bogie exchange facilities have been established at several locations including two in South Australia, at Port Pirie and Peterborough, where the State broad gauge system meets the interstate standard gauge system.

The intention of these exchanges is to allow ready transfer of loaded and unloaded freight wagons from one system to the other. Traffic through the exchange at Port Pirie has increased to the extent that difficulties are being experienced in handling it.

• Study of Port Pirie Bogie Exchange
  
  report_026.pdf
  (3.77 MB)

This is the fourth report prepared by the BTE on capital investment needs of transport in urban areas. It differs in a number of important respects from the earlier reports in that it deals with investment needs for roads as well as for public transport; it analyses the demand for and supply of urban transport as a whole rather than simply presenting the results of evaluations of specific capital investment proposals; and the report includes some consideration of urban areas outside the State capital cities.

• Urban Transport: Capital Requirements 1977–78 to 1979–80
  
  report_027.pdf
  (9.75 MB)

In April, 1976, the Minister for Transport, requested the Commonwealth Bureau of Roads to report on "the justification and timing for the construction of an Eastern by-pass of Launceston, including the question of whether such a bypass would warrant inclusion in the Declared National Highway System". After identifying the most desirable of a number of alternative Eastern by-pass routes, the report states that at this time there is no economic warrant for an Eastern by-pass.

• Eastern By-Pass Routes for Launceston: Evaluation
  
  report_028.pdf
  (1.33 MB)

This study is one of a series concerned with the evaluation of upgrading options for inter-capital rail links in Australia.

Analysis indicated that the Sydney to Brisbane line is already exhibiting signs of congestion and, given the expected traffic growth, will become seriously congested in the mid-1980s unless upgrading action is taken. The range of upgrading options considered include grade easement, centralised traffic control and crossing loop extensions.

• Mainline Upgrading–Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Sydney–Brisbane Rail Link
  
  report_029.pdf
  (2.18 MB)

In this Report a number of options for the railway line between Adelaide and Serviceton have been evaluated. This work complements that previously undertaken on the Melbourne to Serviceton link.

There appears to be little likelihood of congestion on this link sufficient to justify major upgrading within the next twenty years although some minor loop extensions and the introduction of Centralised Traffic Control are justified now. There is no economic justification for any of the Project Peregrine schemes considered for the Adelaide Hills sections.

• Mainline Upgrading–Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Adelaide to Serviceton Rail Link
  
  report_030.pdf
  (2.18 MB)

The Government rail systems in Australia provide a number of intersystem rail passenger services which cater for intra and interstate travellers. These services are potentially important sources of income for the rail systems concerned.

This Report presents the results of a study of the profitability of the East-West rail passenger services specifically covering the Indian Pacific and Trans Australian trains.

• Study of East–West Rail Passenger Services: The 'Indian Pacific' and 'Trans Australian'
  
  report_031.pdf
  (4.89 MB)

The difficulties associated with defining and funding an acceptable transport system to serve the needs of Australians living in the Centre and North of the continent have proved a continuing area of concern to successive Commonwealth and State Governments.

In this study an attempt has been made to define a broad network of supply links to the major population centres of the Northern Territory and identify priorities for investment which would provide a satisfactory level of service at minimum total cost. The basic criterion of acceptability was taken as the provision of all weather links between the Northern Territory centres and their major sources of supply.

• Darwin and Northern Territory Freight Transport Study
  
  report_032.pdf
  (7.4 MB)

In recent years, increasing attention has been focussed on the question of charges for services provided by governments. In particular, the Commonwealth Government's 'cost recovery' policies have been the subject of wide debate, especially in their application to air transport.

This Report contains results of a study of cost recovery in Australian transport generally in the year 1974–75. Each major mode of transport is included, and the analysis is comprehensive in the sense that different areas and classes of transport operations within each mode are analysed wherever applicable or practicable.

• Cost Recovery in Australian Transport 1974–75
  
  report_033.pdf
  (19.42 MB)

As part of the National Highway System the Bureau of Roads nominated the Hume Highway as the National Highway linking Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. However, the route of the National Highway from Goulburn to south of Albury was, in the opinion of the Bureau of Roads, a matter for detailed examination.

The Bureau of Roads began work on such a study and reported on the section between Goulburn and Tabletop in 1975. This second report is concerned with the section between Bowna to Barnawatha in the vicinity of Albury.

• National Highways Linking Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, 1978 Second Report
  
  report_034.pdf
  (4.26 MB)