Re: NSW State Rail devolution

["Andrew Honan" <ahonan@zipworld.com.au>]

"Chris Reardon" <reardo@northnet.com.au> wrote in message
news:3a4f1780@nap-ns1.netconnect.net.au...
> > There was, as I recall, a report commissioned by the government in the
> > early 90s on how improvements in the quality of rail transportation
> > could be made.  The recommendation was to let the competitive forces
> > loose through disaggregation of the vertical railway into its
> > component parts and introducing competition in each part.
> >
> > It just has not happened.  When you put the politicians in charge and
> > leave the practitioners on the sideline, messes generally result.  NSW
> > is suffering from the Law of Unintended Consequences.
>
> I definatly agree with this. Devolution from what I gather has played a
> significant, although not exclusive role in degrading the rail network and
> facilities to their present low. I hope that the new Rail Infastructure
> Authority or whatever it is called, will be able to at least make what we
> have left safer than the present situation. The other big issue is to make
> sure that the funds for trackwork are shared equally between the city and
> country, and not just the main trunck lines, a novel concept it seems.
Most
> of the wheat lines especially are in a dreadful state and it would add
> insult to the injury of the farmers to see 30 wagons of Australia's best
> wheat spilled along a railway line because some penny pinching, privatise
> crazed, city centric, vote grabbing government was too self centred to
fund
> infastructure in the bush, besides the Pacific Highway, no matter what
party
> they may be from, because they are as bad as each other.
>
> There are other reasons too I guess, but the principle of allowing
> corporatisation into transportion infastructure is a disaster waiting to
> happen.

I don't agree that corporatisation per se is a disaster waiting to
happen.The biggest problem we have at the moment is that rail network and
opeartions are not being adequately provisioned. There is interfernece and
no long term plan with an adequate advocay.
Corporatisation does mean profitability (with Community service obligations)
but this is the way forward. Rail is going out backwards at the moment - It
is being marginalised by govt. The Govt. does not want to make all the
decisions themselves and wear all the risks. They will support areas with
CSO's, and try to set up proper safety and rail regulations.

> It is not about making massive profit, but providing a safe network
> for people and freight to moved upon without coming unstuck and wiping out
> the savings made because of damage to the trains, freight and the people
> themselves doing the thankless job of keeping this country on keel.
>
> Sorry... Just my two cents worth....
>
>