Re: Latest news on Speedrail

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"Tezza" <tezza2000@dingoblue.net.au> wrote in message
39c9eac2$0$24865$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:39c9eac2$0$24865$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...

> >The operator will be Qantas.
> > There will be GST on tickets,
>
> The same that would've been collected on the Train/plane tickets or petrol
> that people would've used anyway. Now that airfares have dropped (if the
> newcomers don't do a Compass), Speedrail are unlikely to get the numbers
> they've been bandying about.

I don't know about that. Business people are very careful about their
working time. I booked someone (a few years ago, when I was working in
retail travel) from London to Paris, and I presented the options (3 hours by
train, as opposed to 3 hours by plane - centre of London to centre of Paris)
and mentioned that there was 3 hours of work time on the train (use of
laptop, use of mobile, including through the Chunnel, etc) as against a lot
of time spent transferring from tube to plane and plane to local train in
Paris) the overall productive time was far superior using the train from
London to Paris.

I believe that the same would be similar from Sydney to Canberra (and Sydney
to Melbourne and Canberra to Melbourne).

The productive time would be much greater by rail than it would be by air,
and that is what would be of interest to the corporate sector, and is what
would give SpeedRail an advantage.

Mind you, I have been saying exactly the same regarding an overnight service
for a while. I truely believe that an overnight sleeper service, operating
to a 2000 - 0800 timetable would be able to capture a large part of the
business market (early meetings would not have to use overnight
accommodation, etc).

> > jobs created,
>
> Always good, but certainly nowhere near the numbers claimed.
Campbelltown's
> mayor is claiming thousands of jobs just in Campbelltown - no way. Like
the
> bullshit numbers being claimed for Badgerys Creek, where they reckoned
> there'd be multiples more employed than at Mascot.

Agree with you there.

> > and significant reduction in
> > the maintenance bill on the Hume Highway.
>
> Only if they move significant amounts of freight.

I think the truckies will jack up there. We have already seen them prepared
to stage a blockade over fuel prices, what will they do if they lose all
their freight?

Dave