Re: (Vic)Mildura passenger service plan

["Dave Proctor" <thadocta@spambait.dingoblue.net.au>]

Vaughan Williams wrote in message <874bb6$mlj$1@nnrp1.deja.com>...

>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.

You are kidding, aren't you? Three trains a day to Mildura? What drugs are
you on, I want some!

>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?)

Oh dear oh deary me.

This would be better than what is in NSW, which has the best medium
distances services (in terms of frequency) in the country. The only medium
distance services here that operate at a frequency of two per hour are the
Mental Coast - and even then, only Woy Woy, Gosford, Tuggerah and Wyong get
them.

The Illawarra and the Blue Mountains (both of which are conurbations with a
much higher population than that on the Ballarat line) make do (quite well
too) with an hourly service.

>* 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 (?)

Do these centres warrant an hourly service, all day, every day?

Why not just have an hourly service to Ballarat, comprised of two sprinters,
and then have every second service dividing, with one car to Maryborough and
one to Ararat? This would give a service every two hours beyond Ballarat.

>* 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

I don't mean to be rude here, but have you taken leave of your senses? :-)

To even suggest that two or three trains per day is a STARTING point is
bordering on the absurd.

>* Comprehensive local bus networks to connect with the trains

Finally, something we agree upon.

>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? :)

I would - if they do what British Rail do and leave the cars in the platform
until a reasonable hour. A nice wake up call at 0700 with a light breakfast,
with the train having been stationary since about 0300 would be nice!

>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.

Absolutely agree that some services should be restored, but we need to be
realistic here.

Who holds the electorate around the Geelong area? Labor, Liberal or
National? Is it marginal?

Perhaps Labor could fund the Geelong electrification (something which should
have happened a long time ago, IMHO).

Dave