mmg.com.au

Murray Shire councillor Tom Weyrich is again pushing for a passenger rail service to Deniliquin.

However Deniliquin Council says it is ‘‘not a high priority’’.

Mr Weyrich raised the issue at a recent Murray Shire Council meeting, saying the service would stop in Mathoura and Deniliquin.

Cr Weyrich said a passenger service could offer ‘‘financial benefits beyond belief, if we can only get it going’’.

‘‘It may not be successful, but I’m of the belief that it would be beneficial for everybody.

‘‘I’m a little disappointed that a bigger push hasn’t come from Deniliquin.

‘‘The two greatest assets the town’s got as I see it are the railway line and the river, neither of which are being utilised to their maximum.

‘‘The push has got to come from Deniliquin.’’

Murray Shire has already been in contact with Deniliquin Council regarding its potential.

Deniliquin Council general manager Des Bilske said there are several issues to overcome before passenger services could begin.

‘‘But we are continuing to investigate it,’’ he said.

‘‘For a passenger service to actually occur, it requires a decision by the Victorian Government.

‘‘The rail service here is part of the Victorian network.’’

Mr Bilske said the cost of necessary upgrades would be ‘‘quite significant’’.

‘‘We would have to have very high passenger numbers to justify that,’’ he said.

‘‘We would also have to consider if we had a passenger rail service, what would the impact be on your existing bus service?’’

Mr Bilske said while council has had discussions with VicTrack, it would take a ministerial decision to get a service going.

Murray Shire general manager Greg Murdoch also said the proposal has ‘‘significant hurdles’’.

‘‘Our preliminary assessment of the information on potential passengers was not sufficient to justify a significant effort,’’ he said.

However, Cr Weyrich disagreed.

‘‘When this was first touted in Echuca the contractors said the numbers didn’t stack up,’’ he said.

‘‘Well, it’s been nothing but a huge success.

‘‘When the football’s on, like the AFL, sometimes you can’t even get a seat on the train.’’

The councillor said other Murray Shire councillors are also positive about the idea.

‘‘I think everyone’s in agreeance that it would be just fantastic and has a lot of benefits for Murray Shire and Deniliquin Council.’’