Can Aurizon revive a 40-year-old rail line in central Australia?

Aurizon acquired the rights to operate the rail line - which began running from Tarcoola to Alice Springs in 1980 and extended operations to Darwin in 2004 - as part of its $2.35 billion purchase of One Rail Australia in late 2021. Getting imported goods on to the central Australian rail line (which is mostly used to transport consumer goods and construction materials from South Australia up to the Northern Territory) would boost Aurizon's earnings - if contracts can be struck at profitable prices. Harding has claimed that up to seven days could be knocked off transport times by sending…