An interesting side result of the Stanwell Viaduct closure only days before the official electrification opening resulted in a few single deck interurbans trains being isolated in Wollongong to perform suburban services there..

When maintenance was required they were diesel hauled up to Moss Vale.

Regards,

> On 27 Jun 2017, at 12:03 pm, 'Noel Reed'noelreed10@... [TramsDownUnder] TramsDownUnder@...> wrote:

>

> I have heard about that proposed tunnel for the Illawarra railway years ago

> when there was a major failure of the Stanwell Creek viaduct causing a

> closure of the line when the electrification to Wollongong was about to be

> introduced.

>

> Freight trains to and from the Port Kembla area have to travel through the

> Sydney metropolitan area to access the Illawarra line or to travel via the

> Moss Vale - Unanderra line.

>

> The Maldon - Dombarton railway would seem the best route for freight

> traffic. The 25Kv electrification system was proposed but then stopped after

> preparatory work was done.

> It could still be completed and used for diesel hauled trains by use of a

> ventilation system as installed for the Otira Tunnel in New Zealand.

> Noel Reed.

> -----Original Message-----

> From:TramsDownUnder@... [mailto:TramsDownUnder@yahoogroups.com]

>

> Sent: Tuesday, 27 June 2017 10:22 AM

> To:TramsDownUnder@...

> Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Wollongong-Sydney train tunnel could slash

> commute, report to NSW Cabinet says - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting

> Corporation)

>

> On 27/06/17 10:07, Tony Gallowayarg@... [TramsDownUnder] wrote:

> >

> >

> > Deceit and corruption - core values of the NSW kleptocracy :

> >

> >>

> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-27/secret-rail-tunnel-from-wollongong-to-

> sydney-revealed/8653008

> >

>

> An EIS was done for that tunnel when I was a teenager. And then buried

> to be forgotten about.

> One of the issues was the freight trains would have to be electrically

> hauled, and even in the 80s, the electrics were not favoured any more.

> Also there was the issue of what to do with the old line - it wouldn't

> be viable to keep it running (one of the reasons for the tunnel was to

> bypass unstable geology), so a handful of stations would close and the

> locations loose their rail service.

>

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