Hmmm. As I said in a previous post, the New Zealand tracks are "leased"
to the rail operator/owner, Tranzrail. The state retains ownership of
the railbed but no say in who runs trains on the tracks above the
railbeds. The tracks are leased in perpetuiy (for $50 a year) to
Tranzrail and nobody else has access to them.
It would have been better had the tracks remained with a railtrack body,
as the UK has done and I urge Victoria to do.
New Zealand also gave (sorry, sold [for a pittance]) its phone lines to a
foreign owner. Same problem. Nobody else can get access except with
massively costly court action under our Commerce Act. Our government has
realised the error, and now while planning to offload the electricity
generating and supply companies, is insisting that the transmission
system (equivalent of rail lines and phone lines) be owned by separate
companies.
Dave McLoughlin
Auckland New Zealand