Re: April Digest - congrats Max Michell

["Paul News" <pnichol4@bigpond.net.au>]

Most of the factors examined in Max's wonderful article appear to be the
result of decisions made by men.
Perhaps things have been different if women had a greater influence in
earlier times.
Just a thought...
Paul in Melbourne.


"Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au> wrote in message
3ade5986@nap-ns1.netconnect.net.au">news:3ade5986@nap-ns1.netconnect.net.au...
>
> Maurie Daly wrote in message <3ade15df.980651@can-news.tpg.com.au>...
> >Im not convinced that the only model is to hand the whole show over to
> >the Feds ,(as everyone else seems to beleive) .
> >Whats really needed is major rail reform , which doesnt also mean
> >federal control.
> >What is needed is a single common set of rules which all the Railways
> >(irrespective of who owns them ) , operate by.
> >Given that there is a trend now by each State Govt to privatise parts
> >of its Rail network maybe its possible to head in the direction of the
> >US rail model.
> >In this case the only role of the Feds would be to set national
> >standards, which all rail operators ,either State owned or privately
> >leased would operate by.
> >No one can convince me that having separate rules and differant access
> >regimes and differant safeworking in every state is a good thing for
> >the country.
> >
> >How about this as a starter.
> >1/ The NSW suburban rail network (ie Maitland / Lithgow / Goulburn) be
> >handed back in its entirety to Cityrail, to be run as a vertically
> >integrated rail network.
> >Cityrail in turn must agree to implement a certified publicly
> >accessable track access regime .
> >The Feds must agree to build a dedicated goods route thru the suburban
> >area.
> >
> >2/ The parts of the National Network in NSW (as defined by the AROU)
> >be LEASED to ARTC .
> >ARTC must agree to spend a certain amount of its total income over the
> >next 5 years fixing up the worst bits of the NSW country network.
> >The Feds must agree to privatise ARTC .(This is rumoured to happen
> >anyway after the NRC sale is completed.)
> >All the States are permitted as a consortium to bid for ARTC as is
> >anyone else.
> >The ACCC is given the power to make determinations regarding anti
> >competetive within the Rail industry.
> >
> >3/ The sale of Freightcorp be modified to include a 50 year lease on
> >all the NSW track not defined as being either Cityrails or the leased
> >ARTC track.
> >(This would increase the sale price of Freightcorp.).
> >
> >Eventually we will end up primarily with either a privately owned
> >national rail network , or a State owned national rail network .
> >Either way it gets awat from the current problem of each State simply
> >wanting to play trains in its own state and not caring at all about
> >the National good.
> >
> >If and when the above is achieved , then the Feds inject 1.2 billion
> >into upgrading and improving the worst bits of the Eastern Coast Rail
> >Network.(They have indicated they will do this , provided that a
> >single network operator for the national network exists.)
> >
> >
> >Comments
> >MD
>
> Maurie, your points are valid.
>
> My point is not so much for the Commonwealth to have ownership of
interstate
> railways, rather a single regulatory control which sections 98 to 104
> provide for.
>
> In the US the Federal Railroad Authority and the Surface Transportation
> Board are the regulatory authorities, not the owners of the railroads.
>
> The National Transport Safety Board investigates breaches in rail safety.
>
> Common rules, common radios and a single interstate authority allow for a
> seamless railway.
>
> A truck owner driver only needs a licence and registration from one state
to
> drive all over Australia, but a rail operator needs accreditation in every
> state, and to pay access fees at each change of track ownership, plus
> another radio set.
>
> In the US all locomotives have a common 100 channel VHF radio which allows
> them to communicate anywhere in the US.  The individual channels are
> allocated by the Federal Railroad Authority to each railroad.
>
> The federal Dept of Communications should ahve originally allocated as per
> the US.
>
> Regards,
>
> Grahame
>
>