> >1) Tickets are WAY overpriced compared to air travel.
> >2) It's crazy asking people catch a coach to Murwillumbah to catch
> >a night train from Brisbane only to find that the coach is booked out.
> >3) There are no connecting services to Melbourne (or anywhere else)in
> >Sydney if travelling from Brisbane.
> >4) Two of the major attractions of rail travel as far as most
> >passengers are concerned are the dining car and club car - both of
> >which are non-existant on the XPT.
> >5) 14 Hours to Sydney from BNE is just ridiculous
> >
> >If these issues can be addressed (especially that price and
> >availability matters) then I reckon rail travel will once again
> >become practical, profitable and fun.
> People could be forgiven for thinking that Governments and their
> railway systems are going out of their way to discourage travel
> on their systems. Is this part of an universal scheme to justify
> privatisation.?
Privatisation may be the only way that railways in Australia will
ever try to capture any sort of innovative passenger markets.
I mean, the coastal route from Brisbane to Sydney is never going
to compete with airlines because it's too snakey, and trains
just can't go very fast on that line. What is needed is a
network of fast inland routes which go to each of the capital
cities.
> It matters not whether the Government is Liberal or Labor, they
> seem to be all playing the game.
>
> I really do not know, but I have received email from two people
> who report that Great Southern Railway the new operators of
> the Ghan, Indian Pacific and Overland are attempting to cut
> wages by up to 40%.!
I sure would hate to have my wages reduced by 40%. Seems like no-one is
travelling East-West very much.. maybe because Perth is a very
small population centre, and the distance by train is just about
ridiculous when you can catch a plane just as cheaply and get
so fast. Only rail buffs do the journey. Hard to see how that
particular line could ever be commercially viable - not because
WA isn't worth visiting, but simply because the passenger
numbers aren't there.
North South along the Eastern states would certainly be viable,
especially if the ride was fast, stylish and inexpensive..
Maybe some railways need to remain public, simply as a public service,
while other more profitable ones should be run as a business.
--
o Alex Borodin B.Eng(Hons) o Queensland Rail
o Software and Systems Engineer o Ph: +61-7-3235-2482
o Signal and Operational Systems o Fax:+61-7-3235-2747
"My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife
you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher."
- Socrates (470-399 B.C.)