Re: WCR, where are the facts????
Terry Flynn (terry@cclru.unsw.edu.au)
Fri, 09 May 1997 16:07:23 -0700
Craig Haber wrote:
>
> Terry Flynn wrote:
>
> > Time tables are devised to suit locomotives used, time tables can be
> > changed. If total journey time is 10 minutes longer, so what, as long
> > as that is the advertised time, and the service is reliable and
> > connects with other services.
> >
> Timetables cannot simply 'be changed'. There are:
> Commercial factors (departure/arrival times, overall journey times,
> times for connecting services)
> and
> Operational factors (train crossing and pathing, turnaround times etc)
> to be considered (among other things).
>
> If you increase the journey time, you will lose passengers. Why do you
> think passengers prefer the express trains? Because you get to where
> you're going _faster_. Who (other than railfans (: ) want's to spend
> all day getting to where they're going?
>
> > Purley politicians balanceing budgets to get re elected next time,
> > they don't care about long term survival of railways.
>
> That's exactly right - they don't care. Private companies do. That's
> why private rail operators will be successful, while governments will
> offload as much of their rail responsibilities as they can.
>
> > Were is the new trains and railways associated with the WCR, just
> > recycling what the PTC sold.
>
> What difference does it make? We've been through all this before Terry,
> a 40 year old B class will get to Warrnambool just as fast as a 10 year
> old N class, so what difference does it make? Ditto the carriages,
> which remain safe, comfortable, airconditioned etc etc. V/Line are also
> still using S and Z type carriages, as do WCR.
>
> > In the long term this type of semi privatisation will cost more for
> > the tax payer, resulting in greater pressure to close the rail system.
> > The current victorian system will limit infracture investment thus
> > limiting the ability of rail to compete with road and air transport.
>
> Rubbish - private rail will remove a massive liability from the
> taxpayer.
>
> Terry, take a look around you....where do you propose investment in
> Victorian rail is going to come from? Haven't you noticed - the
> government is BROKE. Not only broke, but BILLIONS of dollars in debt.
> Where's the "government investment" going to come from? NOWHERE. It
> ain't coming! V/Line has new Sprinters. Just great. Yours and my
> taxes are paying for them. Does that make the investment worthwhile? I
> don't think so. Will they last long enough to every pay for
> themselves? Apparently not, they bend kind of easy......
>
> If WCR (or any other company) invests in rollingstock, the cost will
> come out of their pockets, not the pockets of taxpayers.
> If private companies have sufficiently long contracts which allow them
> to recoup their investment costs, then they'll invest....but we've been
> through all this before, and you don't seem to have understood that.
>
> Cheers,
> Craig.
> --
> Craig Haber
> albatross@harnessnet.com.au
> Manufacturing Systems Engineer (almost)
> Web Page Designer, Harness Racing, Railways, and Essendon Football Club
> fanatic
> http://www.harnessnet.com.au/