Re: Goodbye Overland - We All Let You Down!

[james_ccj@my-deja.com]

> It was some kind of El Cheapo seat for sure. The real point
> here is that the train was very slow. It didn't get the name
> " The Overdue" for nothing. There must a lot of people out
> there who have tried at one time or another, reject it and
> now no amount of marketing will fix it.
>
> I have no effection for train travel. I prefer ( like most
> people I suspect ) to just get there with the least hassle.
> Currently for interstate city to city travel the least
> hassle mode is a plane.

No, plane is the 2nd most hassle right after driving, to me plane
travel is like sitting in a box without window, planes offer nothing
but get you there faster,it leave you with the hassle of getting in and
out of airport usually invlove with taxi ride that cost just as much as
the return flight ticket, taste their so call "airline food"(like
chowing a plastic bag), wait 2 hours in the concrete-wall baggage area
till they release your luggage(if it ever gets there),

The service? well I spent last Xmas eve on the Indian Pacific's
Hannan's Bar partying(party-pops, drinks etc)  with fellow staffs and
passengers, try to do that on an Qantas flight(oh yeah! there's no
space on a plane!). Price is reasonable as well. Althrough Ghan/Indain
Pacific/GSPE are usually charge higher fare then plane, they offer
luxury and comfort, something you won't find in other modes.(Unless QE2
was compared)

Currently all the interstate trains are reasonable to excellent
standard, The XPTs, attract some criticism still relatively comfotable
compare with a Qantas economic class seats, service is upto or better
then airlines, from what I see the problems are the slowlyness and
infrequent rather then "hassel". Puntuation are great as I stayed near
North Melbourne(Near the standard gauge cross over) for a while late
last year, generally I noticed interstates trains(XPT/Overland/Ghan)
are very puntual.

It seems to me you haven't travel by train lately? Since the GSR took
over, the 3 trains changed quite a bit. Similar with 5 vitoria's
private passenger train operators(V/line/Bayside/Hillside/WCR/Hoys)
which add a few more services to keep passengers happy.


Cheers
James


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