Re: Rail vs. Road Timing?

[mdaly@pcug.org.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <8abt1o$5s0$1@nnrp1.deja.com> james_ccj@my-deja.com writes:
>From: james_ccj@my-deja.com
>Subject: Re: Rail vs. Road Timing?
>Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 22:30:15 GMT


>> Yes its quite possible that where FA is running over their own
>lines , ie
>> where they dont have to pay track access charges you could get really
>low
>> rates.
>> Freightcorp in SA on the Leigh Creek line are acheiving rates of just
>$3 per
>> tonne for coal from leigh creek to Pt Augusta.
>> This works out at around 1.2 c /ntk ,much less than trucks and much
>less than
>> the rest of the Govt run railways , including Freightcorp in NSW.
>>
>> MD
>The rates might be cheaper then trucks but what about running time and
>puntuation for rail freight versus truckers??


As there arnt any trucks carrying coal from Leigh Creek to Pt Augusta its hard 
to make any comparison between road and rail.
Just about everywhere else truck running times are far less than rail,mainly 
due to much better roads and pretty well a guarantee that you wont get stopped 
along the way.
Unless a highway is closed due to an accident then trucks simply dont stop.
Trains can get put away to cross other trains on a regular basis , and this is 
quite often totally out of the hands of the train operator.
Its amazing how often on time freight trains are put away at Yass Junction to 
allow a late running XPT to catch up time.

MD