Well, I can not comment on that, but how many services
per week and passengers are we talking here, concession
fares included.? If this train is "always full", then
I will bet it is the ONLY train in Australia, more to
the point what percentage of people carried against all
other means on this corridor.?
Who is subsidising the Sydney to Melbourne XPT's.?
As much as I would love to see pass trains running
everywhere again, times have changed, the motor car
airlines and road coaches have seen to that.
The long distance pass train is the most inflexible
mass transport means available today. The massive
infrastructure and running costs can not be justified
for the number of people carried, without throwing
millions of dollars at it on an annual basis.
My observations are that neither side of the political
spectrum are willing to do that any more, Democrats
excluded, but then they do not make policy.
Cruise ship pass trains will survive and probably the
Queensland services whilst QR are extracting big
dollars hauling coal.
----Tell