Re: XPT to Adelaide - Whyalla!

[ajwright@ozemail.com.au (Ashley Wright)]

On Thu, 4 Dec 1997 03:18:22 GMT, mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)
wrote:

>In article <b.backway.459.3485E852@trl.oz.au> b.backway@trl.oz.au (BOB BACKWAY) writes:
>>From: b.backway@trl.oz.au (BOB BACKWAY)
>>Subject: Re: XPT to Adelaide -  Whyalla!
>>Date: Wed, 3 Dec 1997 23:16:34 GMT
>
>>In article David Bromage writes:
>
>>> It may be possible to squeeze in a day return to
>>>somewhere like Whyalla during the idle time. 
>
>>How many passengers would be on such a train?
>
>
>Probably not many, at least initially anyway,but the alternative question is 
>how much revenue is earnt by an XPT car set sitting at Keswick all day doing 
>nothing?
>
>You might also ask the same question about the car set that is used on the 
>Overland.
>Passenger trains dont make any money if they arnt carrying passengers.
>


  True that a passenger train dosn't make money sitting around. But
the question should be asked how much money is lost from running a
train near empty. There becomes a time when having a sitting train
(which in effect is loosing money as well), is cheaper than running a
loss making train.