Re: Why RAIL 2000 went down the drain!

["Arthur Marsh" <arthur.marsh@adelaide.edu.au>]

Hi, Rail 2000 was in fact supportive of the daylight Overland service, but
were unable to find out details from AN(R) of the initial trials which were
not well publicised. They also highlighted the problems with the Adelaide -
Melbourne line and what needed to be done to fix it (eg Max Michell's ~$70
million proposal to realign the track between the Yantaringa tunnel and
Monarto South, proper upgrading of the Victorian SG section, more efficient
safeworking...) which would benefit all services on the track.

Rail 2000 was also always supportive of passenger rail services, urban,
regional and interstate, and have had speakers from various passenger rail
operations at their conferences. I also remember raising the issue of a SG
platform near Geelong with a speaker who later became the federal transport
minister at a Rail 2000 meeting.

In the end, there were too few people too thinly spread to maintain the
organisation.

Regards,

Arthur (a former member of Rail 2000).

"John Coyle" <nospam@newsranger.com> wrote in message
GfmO6.3010$r4.159061@www.newsranger.com">news:GfmO6.3010$r4.159061@www.newsranger.com...
> Over the years, I wrote to RAIL 2000, suggesting that they urge that the
> "Overland" be operated as a DAYLIGHT train in both directions, but I was
> ignored. I also pointed out that if the group expanded it's focus to
include
> URBAN public transport, they would draw more members and office
assistants, etc.
> Freight trains are just not part of the concerns of MOST people, but urban
> transport IS of vital concern to MANY people. Take a look at APT in NSW
and the
> PTUA in Victoria. They are alive and well, whilst RAIL 2000 has gone "down
the
> drain", due to a total lack of understanding about HOW to avoid that
situation.
> This is all too bad, as the people who formed and operated the group are
> OTHERWISE, inteligent, "sharp", well meaning people. They held major
> conferences, and had the CEO's of rail systems address their meetings. The
loss
> of a good PT lobby group has left SA people without an effective means of
> gaining better PT services. Whether, rail, or road. A sad fact.