Re: Australian Rail Highway

[Neill Turner <sci-npt@jcu.edu.au>]

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On 10 Sep 1997, Chris Brownbill wrote:

> Can somebody please explain exactly the meaning of the TV news story titled
> "Australia's Rail Highway" I have just seen on ABC TV.  It makes no sense
> to me.
> 
> The story claims that today at a meeting of all State and Federal Transport
> ministers, an agreement was signed that would see by mid next year all
> Australian Railways amalgamated into one!  It also stated that this would
> My questions are:
> 
> What on earth is this all about?
Standrdisation of the railways I think 

> Whose idea is it?
Rail Chiefs
> What are the current 22 Australian railway systems?
ABC might be confused with the sub classes put on some of the lines 
eg Northern Railway running out of Townsville was run under a different
mangement team until recently
> Who would own this new national system?
I think that it will be like the American Same guage different owners and
interchange

> How does this fit with State track Access regimes?
who knows
> How does this sit with the recently announced sale of AN and the proposed
> sale of V/line.
> Will this be a rail operator or just a trackage owner?
> Over what period is the $250mil of Federal money to be spent and on what?
> How much extra funds will the States chip in?
> Does this include metropolitan rail systems?
Why would a private operator want to run them
> What about private mineral lines such as in WA?
Why would BHP want to sell a part of its intergrated Pilbara business
> In what dingy back room of what hotel was this plan hatched?

Try a YHA

Neill
> 
>