Re: Broken Hill/Griffirh pass. cancelled.

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <8d0i7r$4c$1@nnrp1.deja.com> James C. <james_ccj@my-deja.com> writes:
>From: James C. <james_ccj@my-deja.com>
>Subject: Re: Broken Hill/Griffirh pass. cancelled.
>Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2000 01:07:17 GMT

>In article <38f3133d.42788956@news.ocean.com.au>,
>  pcc@ocean.com.au (Brown Family) wrote:
>> On Tue, 11 Apr 2000 11:30:02 GMT, bevanwall@ozemail.com.au (Bevan
>> Wall) wrote:
>>
>> >I'm afraid I've got some disturbing news:
>> >I've just been informed by a very reliable source that the weekly
>> >Countrylink loco hauled passenger services to Broken Hill and
>Griffith
>> >have been cancelled indefinately, with little or no chance of them
>> >resuming as a loco hauled train. (The Griffith service did not run
>> >last Saturday, and the Broken Hill service was cancelled today) As to
>> >what will replace them, nobody is saying. I wonder what will now
>> >happen to 42203 & 42220?
>Ends up in Sim metal yard ....as with most of the aging locos. I'm not
>surprised. A frequency like once weekly is next to
>nothing....inconvinent to user in the country...and people from the
>city who wish to stay in the country towns for a weekend visit, plus
>the slow schedule and inconvinent timing(expecially Broken Hill service)
>These 2 service are another "suicide attempt" by Countrylink, similar
>to couple of years back when there was a Canberra service arrives
>Canberra at 3 am.

>> And what will happen to the construction of new passenger cars ordered
>> for these services?
>probaily just add into current fleet of very busy XPT working diagram.
>It wouldn't work if they went into service anyway, new XPT carriages
>would still be haul by slow locos...no dramatic changes to running
>time. What people want is a train running daily . competitive fare and
>running time that is just as fast or faster then driving and convinent
>timing(best daylight running time) with good service.



>> Strange for Countrylink to suddenly stop a service without a public
>> announcement isn't it?
>It's countrylink we talking about...I'm not surprised...the same
>organisation who reckons that loco haul comofortable sleepers with
>lounges/dining car wouldn't attract passengers and welling to swap with
>XPT.




>> Les Brown
>> Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to loose.
>>

>--
>Cheers

>James


>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.


I think a bit of a reality check is needed here guys.
Broken Hill isnt by any standards a big town, (pop 21356, source ABS) which as 
a comparison makes it smaller than towns like Whyalla,Mildura,Bairnsdale all 
of which have no train service at all.
To seriously suggest that somehow Broken Hill needs a daily train service is a 
joke.
The costs of running trains to Broken Hill are huge , simply because of the 
distance and time it takes ,and the extremely low population density beyond 
Parkes.
If Countrylink however are adamant that Broken Hill needs a train service 
whether daily or at some less frequent schedule ,it would make far more sense 
to run an XPT service from Sydney to Adelaide,at least that way you tap into 
some of the towns on the SA side,and lets face it Broken Hill is really in SA 
anyway,it gets SA television , runs on SA time ,is much closer to Adelaide 
than to Sydney.
Countrylinks current idea , ie of bulk booking cars on the IP & Ghan is all 
that is needed.

MD