Re: XPT's Reduced

["Rjaygee" <dartmouthmotel@bigpond.com>]

If Country Link want to compete they should chuck out first class and the
buffet and sleeping cars and convert them all to sit up tourist class and
charge $30 for a one way trip to Brisbane and Melbourne.  Really try and
attract the low end poor and back packer passenger.  For food put in vending
machines.  On the Nth Coast run they could even try a rave car. But under no
circumstances buy new equipment as its just not possible to make money in
face of the cheap air fares.  The passengers travelling first class are
pensioners topping up their $10 fare.  If pensioners etc didn't travel by
train who would be on them?  The caveat I place on all this is the Brisbane
and Melbourne runs only as the bigger country destinations might have some
possibilities as the volume of passengers may not be high enough to attract
a number of cheap airlines.  I believe the air fares to say Albury are still
very high.  Sorry to be gloomy but I wish there was another way out of this.
Cheers
Rod Gayford

"Michael Hendy" <spam.sucks@bigpond.com> wrote in message
3AD41E7E.3030603@bigpond.com">news:3AD41E7E.3030603@bigpond.com...
> Dave Proctor wrote:
>
> > "David Bromage" <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
>
> > news:3AD40502.1D6E996C@fang.omni.com.au...
>
> >
>
> >> Jack wrote:
>
> >>
>
> >>> From April 29 when the XPT fleet should return to 2 XP's plus 6
>
> >>> trailers, it looks as tho the sets will be further reduced to 5 cars.
>
> >>
>
> >> Thanks to the airlines for this one. Passenger numbers on the XPT to
>
> >> Melbourne and brisbane have gone through the floor in recent months.
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Well, what would you rather do, pay $55 and be there in just over an
hour
>
> > with polite, helpful staff and a meal thrown in, or pay about the same,
be
>
> > on a train for 10 hours with surly, rude and arrogant on board crew and
>
> > below standard catering? Even for pensioners using vouchers going to
>
> > Brisbane or Melbourne, the amount they have to pay from the border to
>
> > BNE/MEL makes the airlines look extremely attractive.
>
>
> Not for BNE. You can't beat $22 return no matter what way you look at
> it. (vouchered of course, but still, show me some other way to get there
> at that price!)
>
>