Cross your fingers on Cross River Rail

Simple back of envelope sums reveal we have spent and plan to spend something like almost a quarter of a million dollars per user. In reality, that cost should be spread across the increase in travellers we will achieve as a result of this investment. A 50% increase – itself almost fanciful – would mean the cost of each additional user is half a million dollars.

Yes, this isn't very scientific and no, it isn't very fair. There are network wide implications. Benefits to road users (which it seems they will pay for via increased registration fees anyway), freight (although I am told that freight – which is where heavy rail can be so effective moving bulk goods long distances – could actually be worse for some users under the CRR proposal), and the economy generally.

We absolutely need to reinvest in infrastructure to keep our cities and regions functioning. Efficient transport infrastructure is central to that. But with so many competing needs and money so scarce (or so we're told) the business case for each needs to be robust, economically justifiable and transparent. The money for Cross River Rail needs to compete with plenty of other projects, and their merits weighed equally in terms of greatest public benefit.

There are some legitimate questions the public might feel entitled to ask:

- What is the true full cost of the Cross River Rail, including stations, rolling stock, marshalling yards etc?

- What key assumptions have been made about how many additional rail users will be serviced as a result, and how many vehicles will come off the road network as a result?

- What is the cost of not proceeding with the project as envisaged? How were these assumptions arrived at?

- Were alternative infrastructure proposals considered? (This 2012 report for the SEQ Council of Mayors "proposes a new vision for SEQ Public Transport that puts the commuter at the heart of the system." It suggested that rather than a Cross River Rail, there were better alternatives to create a more efficient regional public transport system).

- How much is planned to be raised from motorists via registration fee increases to fund the project? How much is planned from parking levies? How much is planned for by way of property taxes and who will be asked to pay these property taxes?

As taxpayers, you would think we're entitled to a bit more transparency when it comes to spending some $15 plus billion dollars on an outfit that forgets about train drivers or matching rolling stock to stations. It reminds me of that famous episode of "Yes Minister" when Jim Hacker opens an empty hospital.

Sir Ian Whitchurch (hospital chief): "First of all, you have to sort out the smooth running of the hospital. Having patients around would be no help at all."

Sir Humphrey: "They'd just be in the way."