Re: NSW. North Coast XPT Service.??????

["Barry Campbell" <campblbm@ozemail.com.au>]

Dave Proctor wrote in message ...
>
>Low airfares are not a threat to Countrylink on the market that they should
>be realiging themselves to - the short distance journey, rather than the
>intercapital journey.
>
>They have a great product, particularly for the backpacker market, who like
>to travel sectors such as Sydney to Brisbane in about three or four
stages -
>this is a market that the airlines (regular or cut price) cannot compete
>with. The frequency of services is ideal for this sort of market, as it
>enables the passengers to travel a short distance (SYD-NTL for example),
>stay a few days, then travel another short distance (NTL-PQQ) and so on.
>
>But there are still people on these short sectors who would rather not
>drive, and the cost of air travel on these sectors is prohibitive, so
>driving, or using Lindsays or Pioneer Motor Service, is the only
alternative
>to rail.
>
>These are the people that Countrylink should be trying to snare, as it is
>extra real revenue to them (i.e. cash across the counter). Unfortunately,
>Countrylink seem to be ignoring them.
>
>> Whilst ever Countrylink has to accept ptvs, they will,
>
>Wanna bet? They have quotas for PTV's on all trains, I tried to get my
>mother from Sydney to Albury and return, the quota for PTV's was full on
the
>return for her desired travel date, and remained full, even though there
>were over 30 first class seats free at all times (I have friends in
>Countrylin Travel Centres who were constantly checking for me, as well as
>on-board staff - one of them on that particular trip - who confirmed how
>empty the train was) - as well as over 100 economy seats that were free.
>
>They can and they do restrict PTV's, so the argument that they have to
carry
>them just doesn't wash.
>
>But the point I was making before was that with the introduction of other
>operators into the PTV scheme, with them billing the government and the
>government paying them (like they now pay Countrylink) the attitude and
>performance of on-board staff, if it continues the way it has been (and I
>know, they have reason to be surly and arrogant, but that is not the
>passengers problem) will drive the PTV market onto the competitors, and if
>this happens, how long do you think they will run three XPT's a day on the
>North Coast with only 50 or so passengers per train?
>
I lived on the North Coast from 1980 to 1988 and travelled between Lismore
and Sydney at least once or twice a year by public transport. When I was
doing it most (1986-87) I generally used Kirklands bus rather than the Gold
Coast Motorail. The GCM was diabolically slow and uncomfortable even for a
railfan. If PTVs are available for use on buses I would think that times
will become very difficult for Countrylink on the North Coast. What with
cheap air fares between capitals what will be the point of replacing the
XPTs when they get old.


Barry Campbell