ney , ▁Cow ra , ▁Wed din , ▁H arden ▁and ▁Young ▁coun c ils ▁signed ▁a ▁Mem or and um ▁of ▁Under standing ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁sust ain able ▁and ▁integrated ▁regional ▁road ▁and ▁rail ▁fre ight ▁infrastr ucture ▁model . ▁ ▁A ▁Reg istration ▁of ▁Interest ▁process ▁conducted ▁in ▁late ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁identified ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁market ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Cow ra ▁L ines ▁from ▁suit ably ▁qualified ▁and ▁experienced ▁private ▁sector ▁pro ponents . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁NS W ▁Government ▁moved ▁to ▁hold ▁an ▁‘ open ▁tender ’ ▁for ▁the ▁Cow ra ▁L ines . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁NS W ▁Government ▁opened ▁a ▁Request ▁For ▁T ender ▁process ▁for ▁the ▁Cow ra ▁L ines . ▁The ▁tender ▁invited ▁subm issions ▁from ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁to ▁restore , ▁operate ▁and ▁maintain ▁the ▁Cow ra ▁L ines ▁on ▁a ▁commer cially ▁sust ain able ▁basis . ▁The ▁Request ▁For ▁T ender ▁process ▁closed ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁The ▁tender ▁process ▁was ▁completed ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁A ▁compreh ensive ▁tender ▁evaluation ▁found ▁that ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁propos als ▁received ▁ade qu ately ▁met ▁the ▁tender ▁criteria . ▁It ▁concluded ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁too ▁much ▁uncertainty ▁in ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁the ▁tender ers ▁to ▁return ▁the ▁lines ▁to ▁full ▁service ▁and ▁run ▁a ▁commer cially ▁sust ain able ▁business ▁without ▁significant ▁government ▁support . ▁▁ ▁The ▁L