For a decade or more the Cowra railway has been categorised as grain only and has handled varying quantities determined by seasonal conditions and domestic grain requirements.

A recent succession of drought years has resulted in minimal rail activity and has been a contributor to the decision to suspend the services on the line.

Rail Revival Report author and expert Max Michel identified a potential bulk grain task of 100,000 tonnes per (average) year for export and 155,000 tonnes per year for mainly local domestic consumption (for flour and stock food) for rail transport.

However to bolster these figures, the report turned to the possibility of container transport, outlining the possibility of transporting almost 12,000 loaded containers per year, primarily for export.

The grain task would involve a single train set which would run from storage facilities on the line to Port Kembla, Young, Blayney, Bathurst and Manildra. This train would run over all sections of the Cowra Rail network.

A second train for containers, however, would shuffle between Cowra and Blayney to interchange with existing export container trains to Port Botany in Sydney.

This train would run on weekdays from a terminal to be established in the Cowra area.

In time it is anticipated that the train would be extended to run from Young to pick up out put from a revived Young Mill.

In his report, Mr Michel said the container terminal would need to be a commercial operation from the outset on a standalone basis, including provision of appropriate container handling equipment.

“It is expected that the facility will be fully funded by the private sector - very likely by an existing established transport operator – but with the possibility of some ‘in kind’ assistance and facilitation from local government.”

He identified a short to medium term location for the temporary terminal proposal in the old freight yard to the north of the Cowra goods shed.

“The work required to set up this area as a temporary terminal would be relatively minor.”

In the long term and as site capacity developed, he also investigated options both north and south of the town.

“The startup site would suffice to get the container traffic operational and to a level where the operation is viable overall.”