Mount Gambier Seeks Rail Revival Amid Flight Suspension

0:00It's April 20th. This is Adelaide News today, AI-powered stories from your city. Quantus just announced its suspending flights to Mount Gambier in definitely starting May 18th, blaming low demand and sky-high fuel costs. Folks in this South Australian city, the state's second biggest regional spot, are now pushing hard for passenger and freight rail to make a comeback, after decades without it. The rail lines been mostly shut down since the 1990s, with parts of the track turned into other uses. Right now, only regional express flights in state-liner coaches connect the limestone coast to Adelaide, leaving local scrambling for reliable. Options amid rising road freight pressures. Mount Gambier residents, including local leaders and a former regional development figure, see booming timber factories as the perfect reason to. Revive freight trains first. They argue it would ease truck driver shortages, cut road wear, boost safety, and burn less fuel overall, with passenger service may be following.

1:01Later. Experts like a University of Sydney transport lecturer point out railfaded due to sparse populations, twisty tracks, and road upgrades that stole the show. A local independent MP backs the idea of a warrants at a cost millions or even billions and take five to ten years, needing full government buy-in. Meanwhile, the state government's watching the flight fall out closely, reviewing regional transport to plug gaps in health, education, and job access. As fuel prices climb, coach expansions might test a man first, keeping hopes alive for rails that could reshape the region's future.