Re: good news for The Overland

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

So, removing the now to be expected spin-doctor crap from this announcement -
this is a reduction in service frequency from five to four per week. 
(Remembering that until this announcement the frequency was scheduled to be
restored to 5 per week).  And for this privilege, we the taxpayers are paying
$1.5mill extra.

Having said that - if this serves to enable the train to survive then I'm for
it.


Lachlan Smith wrote:
> 
> The Overland may yet survive -
> 
> (This article on ABC site today)
> 
> Timetables will be changed for Overland
> 
> The Overland train service to Melbourne is to become a daylight trip.
> 
> Great Southern Railway is trialling a new schedule with more than
> $1.5-million in assistance from the South Australian and Victorian
> governments.
> 
> Chief Executive, Stephen Bradford, says track improvements mean that the
> trip has been reduced to 10.5 hours, allowing the same train to travel to
> Melbourne during the day and to make the return trip overnight.
> 
> Mr Bradford says the train will now travel four times a week, in an effort
> to increase patronage to the break-even mark of 85,000 people a year.
> 
> "At present, 72.000 people use the Overland, and we're hoping the day train
> out of Adelaide will result in that increasing."
> 
> "Our objective is, with rising fuel prices, to get people off the roads and
> out of buses and enjoy rail going into Melbourne, and vice versa."
> 
> Lachlan Smith