Re: (Vic)Mildura passenger service plan

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

I doubt National Express would voluntarily return the Vinelander unless
the government paid hansomely for it, so its important that the govt
screws NatEx for as much as they can. After all, NX is only interested
in making money, not providing a community service!

What Mildura really should be getting is a much better standard of
service than it had before the demise of the Vinelander. Say, two
daylight trains (fast ones - should be able to do it in say 5 or 6
hours) plus a slower overnight service.

PTUA has a small but active group of people in the maryborough region
who have been agitating for trains to return there as well. The
Vinelander isn't a good option for Maryborough because of the odd hours
it passes through there.

What PTUA would like to see:
* Half hourly trains to Ballarat with some straightening of curves on
that line to speed up trains. Scrap any plans for expensive super-
dooper high speed trains and just use sprinters or the new "super
sprinters" on repaired and in places realigned track. For example, that
curve where the line wanders off to Bungaree (was there a local member
there who wanted the line through his home town or was it just the
hill?)

* These ballarat trains would then alternate between Maryborough and
Ararat to provide each of these with an hourly service. Some M/B trains
could be extended to Donald (?)

* To start with, a twice or three times daily vinelander in addition to
the overnight service which could include, but should not be limited
to, a luxury tourist service a la The Ghan

* Comprehensive local bus networks to connect with the trains

My understanding is that the old Vinelander rolling stock (along with
plenty of old-ish but serviceable v-line trains which might need some
work but could be gotten back on the rails easily enough) is still
sitting in a shed at Newport but I may be wrong. Does anyone know any
more about this?

The daylight trip to Mildura shouldn't take 10 hours, the overnight
Vinelander used to take that long but it stopped at every little town
along the way and didn't go very fast. The restored overnight service
should do the same - it saves fuel and 10 hours is about right for an
overnight service. Who would want to take a train that left at 10pm at
night and arrived at 3 in the morning? :)

This government is going to have to restore services to country
victoria if it wants to be re-elected, and public transport services
are one such service that was decimated under Kennett.

Vaughan


In article <8741hk$fep$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,
  thalytgv@my-deja.com wrote:
> Sunday's Herald sun (page 9) had an almost full page article about
> possibility of returning of Mildura train services. Bascially nothing
> new as most of the stuff already been discussed here, but it's a good
> idea to publish in a popular newspaper hence a free advertisment for
> V/line.
>
> In the article towns that once served by Vinelander/Sunrasia all
> welcome the move, since the axed of Vinelander these towns
> experienced "massive social dislocation". Currently Freight Victoria,
> V/line, State government,  the local councils and tourist companies
are
> working together to plan for this service. No mentioned of the 2nd
> option(Via Sawn Hill and Bediego) possibly the later option which
> involved a new line construction would take longer and expensiver,
> and the "new" service may be a daylight service.
> Looks like the state government is happy to offers subsidise to run
> this service, I wish they will bring back some other service such as
> full time Echuca service/Bairnsdale/Ararat/and subsidise Overland as
> well?
>
> My Questions are:
>
> 1. How soon can they get the train back on track? I heard of after the
> failure of Bluebird railcars V/line is streching its limit to provide
> passenger services, they might need to hire some extra carriages from
> GSR/WCR and locos from elsewhere, wait for the new high-speed
sprinters
> might takes too long(2003 delivery).
>
> and if the services are going to start before the delivery of new
> Sprinters.
>
> 2. It will take about 10 hours to complete this journey(450km), the
> timing is really not attractive enough.
>
> 3. N class carriages/current Sprinter aren't very comfortable for a 10
> hour journey, some refurbishment might needed for them.
>
> --
> Cheers
>
> James
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
>


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