Re: Latest news on Speedrail

[david <david@nmit.vic.edu.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote:

> >Probably not, when it still has to be moved by truck at each end.
> >
> >
> Yes, the double handling costs of having to transship goods from rail
> to road at each end in order to deliver to the final customer makes
> rail even less attractive than it could be.
> Ive often wondered why rail operators dont also own truck fleets so as
> to eliminate part of this problem.
> It doesnt solve the double handling,but it does solve the hassle of
> the customer having to deal with both a trucking company and a rail
> company.
>

Yes, employ these truckies in the cities doing the transfer work, and let the
railway carry the goods : )
- but seriously you are correct in the double handling. Containers help - but
the time to transfer them to/from a truck  adds a lot of the time.



> Currently , there is very little incentive for anyone to use rail,as
> the differantial between road freight rates and rail freight rates are
> so low , especially on the eastern coast..
> This is due to mainly extreme competition in the trucking industry,and
> the fact that trucking doesnt pay its way.
> As neither of the major political parties seem in the slightest bit
> interested in fixing the 2nd problem,the only fix for rail is for the
> track owners to abolish their access fees.
> Fat chance of that hapenning either.
>

How cheaper would the rates be ???
Yes, Can the rail operators block the roads  to demand equal ( cost of travel )
with the road and truckkies ??

Regards,
David