Re: Future of Queensland Rail looks bleak, says Beattie

[Colin Weaver <weaver@powerup.com.au>]

The original post by David Bromage said that the "Federal Government
refused to let organisation tender for interstate contracts".  I take
this  as meaning that QR has been banned from tendering for interstate
traffic - something which FreightCorp has been permitted to do in both
SA and QLD.

If the post actually meant that QR wasn't permitted to tender for the
privatisation of NR or FreightCorp then I am in agreement - one
Government railway shouldn't be permitted to buy out another. On the
other hand, if this really means what it appeared to say, ie. that QR
was not being permitted to tender for an interstate contract (for some
traffic on offer), then there is a clear double standard as Government
owned FreightCorp and NR both operate in multiple states already,
furthermore FreightCorp has already been permitted to submit a tender
for AND WIN a contract in QR's own territory.  (Incidentally, ignoring
$billions worth of infrastructure investment by deciding to run diesels
under the wires, as well as operating over someone else's already paid
for upgrade to a very high standard of mainline indeed).

I'm not sure if we've been talking about the same thing - specifically,
is QR being banned from buying out interstate operators, or is QR being
banned from operating interstate.

cheers,
Colin

Maurie Daly wrote:
> 
> In article <9X1p5.124$QQ5.7988@news0.optus.net.au> dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage) writes:
> >From: dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage)
> >Subject: Re: Future of Queensland Rail looks bleak, says Beattie
> >Date: Thu, 24 Aug 2000 04:57:41 GMT
> 
> >Colin Weaver (colingw@my-deja.com) wrote:
> >> What an amazing double standard!  When FreightCorp, owned by the NSW
> >> Government, tenders for QLD and SA coal haulage that is permitted,
> 
> >Don't you think it's ironic that the 82s now hauling coal in SA were made
> >in Fahey's electorate?
> 
> >Cheers
> >David
> 
> Im sorry, just what is the double standard.
> There is nothing to stop Queensland Rail from entering the interstate freight
> business right now.
> They dont need to buy NRC to do it, indeed since NRCs creation ,there has
> existed open access regimes thru out Australia which allows any other operator
> to run trains on the interstate rail network.
> They (QR)  have simply chosen not to do it.
> Why the interest now.
> 
> The major reason for banning other Government Railways from bidding for NRC ,
> and indeed for Westrail,is that the owners want someone with a proven track
> record of operating a railway in a competetive market environment,something
> that State owned Railways have no expertise in whatsoever.
> 
> MD