>In article <01bc9cf4$4bdd9f60$a42811cb@rodsmith> "Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au> writes:
>>From: "Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>
>>Subject: Re: High Speed lines in Australia
>>Date: 30 Jul 1997 14:26:37 GMT
>>When John was in Australia the fastest train as a vehicle was an XPT; the
>>next fastest was Prospector.
>>The fastest service was Prospector. For all of NSW's astute publicity
>>about 160 km/h trains, XPT's rarely hit this speed. The fastest stretch
>>for Central West XPT is between Blacktown and Penrith, in the outer Sydney
>>suburbs.
>>Even Riverina XPT rarely reaches the speed. There is a stretch south of
>>Goulburn, and some high-speed running south of Wagga Wagga.
>On the question of XPT speeds, I gather that in Victoria , between Albury and
>Melb, the XPT still runs only at 130 km/h.
>Since the track between Melb & Albury is now 60 kg, CWR rail, ie about as good
>as you can get, certainly of the same standard as Albury to Junee where the
>XPT runs at 160 km /h does anyone know why the restriction continuous.?
>In fact , has the track upgrading realised any benefit at all.?
>As far as I know , the freights still run at exactly the same speed limits as
>they did when the track was 47 kg rail,so what has been gained for the
>cost of the upgrading?
>cheers
>MD
Maurie, I was unaware that the track had been upgraded al lthe way, my
latest understanding was that the "heavy" rail only got to Seymour,
hence the spped restrictions of recent infamy. Centainly the track
"top" in Victoria is attrocious north of Seymour - hence the spate of
derailments last Summer.
I may be wrong, but that is my understanding.
Could you imagine Jeff Kennett (JC?) spending MONEY on the railway if
he could get out of it???
Ciao TIM
Timothy Arnot
e-mail to timarnot@fastlink.com.au