Re: Daylight Overland

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Wed, 02 May 2001 07:51:17 GMT, "Roderick Smith"
<rodsmith@werple.net.au> wrote:

>A daylight Overland is completely useless for weekend travel.  Remember,
>the current timetable was introduced with a fare reduction and good
>publicity: who knows which of the three elements was responsible for the
>patronage increase?
>Really, an intercapital service should have 7 day trains and 7 night trains
>per week, and this is now quite feasible Melbourne - Adelaide with current
>running times.
>Melbourne - Sydney has it; Sydney - Brisbane half has it.
>
>-- 
>Regards
>Roderick Smith
>Rail News Victoria Editor
>
Rods quite right .
Running intercapital trains on only some nights per week doesnt make
them very useful as a genuine alternative to planes or busses which do
run every day and night.
On  the other hand , its unfair to compare GSR services to Countrylink
as Countrylink are able to operate services at a loss forever simply
because they are Govt  owned and GSR isnt.
GSR has to run trains profitably or not at all, and are no doubt doing
the best they can .
It seems to me strange that the Vic Govt pays NXP subsidies to run
country rail services in Victoria , but GSR who are arguably also
providing country rail services in Victoria dont get any subsidies.
Why is NXP not required to provide rail services to Ararat, Stawell
Horsham and Dimboola , like Vline pass used to do before the guage
conversion.
Simply arguing that they dont have any SG rolling stock isnt much of 
excuse.


MD