Re: Westrail Freight sale

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <mauried.472.004A66C1@tpg.com.au> mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly) writes:
>From: mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)
>Subject: Re: Westrail Freight sale
>Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 15:29:08 LOCAL

>In article <394c27b0@pink.one.net.au> "tony bailey" <mercuryworldtvl@one.net.au> writes:
>>From: "tony bailey" <mercuryworldtvl@one.net.au>
>>Subject: Re: Westrail Freight sale
>>Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2000 11:38:12 +1000

>>Maurie-

>>Is there anything in the WA terms that prevents the new owner on-selling the
>>system? (This would be very hard to prevent!)

>>Tony Bailey


>>Maurie Daly wrote in message ...

>>>
>>>The only way Freightcorp or QR have any hope in hell in getting Westrail is
>>if
>>>they are privatised first,and theres no chance of that happening.
>>>
>>>MD
>>>
>>>


>Theoritically no , but remember what is exactly being sold.
>The buyer is getting the locos and rollingstock and a 50 year lease on the 
>tracks.
>The only thing that the buyer could on sell is the locos and rollingstock.
>(This is the only thing they actually own.)
>On selling the lease on the tracks would still require the approval of the 
>track owner , ie the WA Govt.
>If for example the new buyer on sold the locos and rollingstock to QR for 
>example,which I beleive they could do,then when QR tried to operate in WA 
>they would run into the WA track access regime which is controlled by the WA 
>Govt . 
>ie we have a similar scenerio in WA as currently exists in VIC,where owning a 
>track access lease doesnt seem to be worth the paper its written on ,as the 
>incumbent Govt can still legislate to change the lease rules .

>These Rail privatizations are really pretty mickey mouse ,in that the 
>incumbent Govts still exercise real control.
>A real privatization would include selling the tracks as well.

>MD


In answer to one of my own posts,Im not sure why everyone is getting so 
uptight about who buys what or who owns what.
If QR or Freightcorp want to run trains in WA or indeed anywhere else in Aus 
for that matter,there is nothing to stop them right now.
All that one has to do is comply with the relevant states accreditation scheme 
and negotiate an access agreement .
All the States have access regimes which are Govt controlled,so one might ask 
is it really such a good idea to be a bidder.
Why not just wait until someone else puts up the big bucks and then do exactly 
 as ATN has done in Victoria.
By being second in the race its effectively saved them $164 million.
Not bad if you can get it.

MD