Re: PT lobby groups (was John Kirk letter in May Railway Digest.)

[Tell <telljb@ozemail.com.au>]

mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly) wrote:
> 
> I think people are losing sight of what the purpose of Rail 2000 was.
> It was primarily a lobby group for the Freight Railway industry and
> for getting a better deal for Railways Nationwide .
> Public Transport advocacy groups are more interested in lobbying for
> better public transport in the area they represent.
> Not likley that a Melb based public transport group is going to lobby
> for better services in Sydney.

Just like the state railways themselves, very
parochial. :)

> I was a member of Rail 2000 for many years , and it had many members
> who like myself didnt live in Adelaide , so couldnt easily volunteer
> to perform the tasks that needed doing , as they required Adelaide
> bases volunteers.

Freight was not their only concern, Rail 2000 spent
considerable time blasting ANR/AN for quitting the
Mount Gambier Bluebird pass service many years ago,
even though there were some days when less passengers
rode the train than crew.  
I guess it never figured in the equation that the South
East services of the former South Australian Railways
were dead in the water back in the fifties/sixties,
long before ANR.
Buses and the Semi's had made sure of that.!

> The amalgamation of Rail2000 with the RTSA is a good compromise in
> that both groups had similar interests.
> 
> MD

Rail 2000 tried to combat the very vocal road lobby,
they are to be commended for that.

....Tell