Re: Speedrail derailed?

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

On Tue, 12 Dec 2000 13:27:23 +1100, "Tezza"
<tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote:

>
>"David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
>_wfZ5.7667$Vu1.171726@ozemail.com.au">news:_wfZ5.7667$Vu1.171726@ozemail.com.au...
>
>> My personal view is that a lot could be shaved off the existing timetable
>> now using existing Xplorer sets by replacing the primitive electric staff
>> safeworking between Canberra and Goulburn with train order working (at least
>> 5 minutes at each of Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Tarago is wasted when the
>> driver has to stroll over to the signal box/communications room, unlock the
>> door, sink the peg and wrestle with the staff instrument to remove the peg
>> for the next section, ring control to let them know where he is, record an
>> entry in the book,  lock up again and saunter back to his cab.
>
>You forget - get a cuppa and adjust his tie.
>
>
>
The question that really has to be asked is exactly what is the
purpose of running the train.
If we are to run the train to meet community service obligations , ie
to provide public transport then the train does this reasonably well
but by doing so is totally unable to fullfill the requirement of
getting people to stop driving their cars or going by plane ,simply
because in the latter two cases we arnt providing public transport.
We are providing a speedy method of getting people from Sydney to
Canberra and not to Sydney ,all stops in between and Canberra.
The simplest way to reduce the running time of the existing rail
service between Sydney and Canbera is to not stop anywhere in between.
Of course , this would cause all sorts of angst from those people
along the way who used to have a train.
Its interesting to note that when GSR took over running the Overland
between melb and Adelaide , the first thing they did was to heavily
rationalize the places where the train stops.
There is no way that the Overland would stop at towns the size of
Bungendore or Tarago.

MD