Re: [VIC] Dreamtime2-train to Bass Coast

[Chris Brownbill <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au>]

It is hard to underestimate the number of road buses that travel Melbourne to
Phillip Island each evening to see the penguins.  I have travelled the other way
one day a couple of years ago and we passed a bus about every 30 seconds.  There
would have been about 100 buses I reckon - many of them full size and run by
major tour companies, but also mini-buses run by boutique 'interpreter tours'
for Japanese and Chinese tourists, and self-drive jobs.  If a half decent
railway couldn't muster up a trainload out of a market then large then there's
something wrong.

The most reaslistic approach, and one that could be done today without any new
trackage being built, would be to run a tourist train to Stony Point connecting
with a tourist ferry to the Pengies.  Particularly during the summer daylight
saving seasin I reckon this would be a goer.

Spare wrote:
> 
> Well the line is completely ripped up from Nyora on,and I would surmise most
> of it would be leased to adjoining land holders.
> Most % tourists would be from over seas,so are picked up from their city
> motels and bussed to the penguins and bussed straight back again and then
> fly out to Sydney for the real action.
> 
> "Michael Walker" <wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au> wrote in message
> news:8m056c$9s0$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> > How badly ripped up is the train line to Anderson (or wherever it is
> > you turn off to Phillip Island). Given the large amount of car and bus
> > traffic that goes there to see the penguins, koalas, surf, etc, what
> > would be the technical possibility (ignoring lack of political will,
> > NEX asking for subsidies to boost profits on any potential services,
> > etc) of restoring the line?
> >
> > Plus, what do people think the potential patronage would be? Would
> > tourists be interested in a steam train trip to Anderson, then swapping
> > to a much shorter coach trip? Would backpackers and locals (in the
> > Victorian sense rather than South Gippsland sense!) be interested in
> > catching a Vline train to Anderson and swapping to a short coach trip
> > rather than catching a bus all the way? (I know I certainly would
> > prefer it, coach travel is to be avoided as far as I'm concerned!))
> Yes great idea,the steam trips that used to take one train to Nyora bus to
> the island ,ferry across to Stony Point and steam to Melbourne,with that
> division returning in the opposite direction where very popular indeed and I
> dont see why its not done today,apart from the logistics of gaining access
> to Nyora from Melbourne.
> IMHO its the best use of locomotives,ferries, and rolling stock this side of
> the black stump,just think of all the options you could build into that
> little venture.
> > And to carry this even further, how much more expensive would it be to
> > extend the train to San Remo (obviously even more so than resuming an
> > existing alignment)? Or even onto Phillip Island itself (admittedly
> > probably unlikely due to the large cost of a bridge compared to the
> > short distance by road)?
> Gone,but like stock trains to Mansfield not impossible <g>
> > Merely curious as to the potential of such a line, I know it will never
> > happen.
> Never say never,They run trains to Gembrook again dont they .
> Graeme
> > Michael Walker
> > Email: wk@cgsc.vic.edu.au
> > ICQ: 78913383
> >
> >
> > Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> > Before you buy.