Re: INDIAN PACIFIC

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

casey@smartchat.net.au wrote:

snip

.Can anyone tell me why the cost off
> accompanied  car from west to east is cheaper than east to west i think
> it is one big ripp off

Because the vast majority of Australia's manufacturing is in the East Coast,
there is a major imbalance in demand for freight haulage between the East and
West coasts.  Ie heaps travels West, not so much travels East.  This means that
because there is not a major dumping ground for empty rail wagons or road trucks
in the West, many of them must travel back empty or only partly full.  Therefore
freight operators, (road and rail) often sell West to East freight loading at
discount cost rather than run at a complete loss.  Motorail gets caught up in
this to the extent that it is a component of the freight market.