I'm the former Track Manager for the area. I originally started my career at Wallerawang in 86 at age 18 as a fettler, working on the Western Line from Orange East Fork through to Sydney Central on the Blue Mountains and Bell tunnels, in both a sleeper upgrading gang and rail adjustment and Thermit welding.

I've travelled the state on major concrete sleeper upgrade projects from Sydney to Albury, Moss Vale to Uniderra, Canberra-Breadalbane line and the Tumut line.

I progressed up through the ranks from fettler, to Track Supervisor, eventually to Track Manager at Harden before accepting a generous redundancy package in 2003. From there I went on to be a local bus and coach operator, the second largest based in Cowra, and Mid North Coast.

My father was a train driver in Cowra for over 30 years. He saw the transition from steam to diesel when railmotors travelled to Grenfell and Eugowra, Blayney to Demondrille, Sydney and Mudgee.

My area of responsibility based at Harden encompassed almost 500km of track infrastructure, from Yass to Cootamundra, Galong to Boorowa, Demondrille to Blayney, Koorawatha to Grenfell, and Cowra to Eugowra.

My delegated authority was $15m. I had 33 staff. My role was to manage the asset, cost, budget and program work.

I see figures of $20m and $40m mooted for the re-opening in disbelief.

Blayney to Cowra could be recommissioned for under $100,000 same for Demondrille to Bendick Murrell.

There is the potential for concrete sleepers to be manufactured in Cowra, not only for local lines, but sold and potentially exported.

My plan would be to establish a company structure, employing former rail staff on a contract basis with their own ABN's.

Councils already carry out vegetation control and fire hazard reduction.

We could re-engage local timber mills at Grenfell and Eugowra to re-supply sleepers, bridge transoms and turnout timbers employing local people, revitalising the local towns.

Local councils could be engaged to perform earthworks drawing upon their civil engineering expertise and resources.

All of the lines could be re-opened for a relatively low cost including Galong to Boorowa. Koorawatha to Grenfell, Cowra to Eugowra.

Rather than the gold plated, big bang approach engaging a multinational to reopen the lines as proposed by the politicians, it could all be done for a relatively small cost, with low risk, reinvesting as momentum of utilisation builds.

With the aid of local councils, we could reconstruct the earthworks at Scenic Road Crossing, Crowther and Pipe Clay Road, Koorawatha.

The only reason these sections washed away in the floods to the extent they did, is because they were originally constructed using reclaimed ash from steam trains. Ash has good water absorption properties but is a non cohesive material highly susceptible to erosion.

Replaced with granite based materials including spall, it's unlikely it would happen again in our lifetime.

The Class 3 mainline could be cascaded to the Class 5 lines in track panels on the back of semis and rail wagons.

Flashbutt welded to convert to long welded rail reducing track geometry defects associated with the current high maintenance short loose rail with 20'000 mechanical rail joints in place atm.

The main line upgraded to concrete sleepers locally produced and second hand rail purchased from the US and locally.

Upgraded to concrete sleeper track, maintenance would be reduced to resurfacing with a production tamper and ballast regulator.

The Class 3 line would become Class 1 line, the Class 5 lines such as Cowra to Eugowra and Koorawatha to Grenfell lines would be upgraded to Class 3 lines with larger locomotives able to travel over the lines efficiently.

For under $200,000 we could see trains operating between Cowra and Blayney, and Demondrille and Bendick Murrell, servicing Cowra and Young.

Then build from their reinvesting track access fees obtained from train operators.

Triangles and bi-directional running reinstated at Demondrille and Blayney coinciding with the inland rail project, could revitalise inland and country NSW.

- Brian Fisher.