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Re: GSR-Latest




Terry Burton wrote in message
<6a8q6l$nd6$1@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...
>scorpion <"Scorpion"@SE Net.com.au> wrote:
>>Internal sources have been talking about a $2M loss so far for the Great
>>Southern Railway.  The second Ghan is well behind cost recovery. Cost
>{snip}
>>S
>
>The second Ghan was always marginal, that is why AN
>only ran that service during the peak season.
>
>What intrigues me, is the fact that CR-ANR-AN always
>lost money on its pass services, just like all the
>other State systems.
>But our political "privatisation spin doctors" actually
>believe that private operators can make a profit and
>maintain high standards, without the infrastructure and
>revenue earning freight operations.
>
>If private passenger trains in the USA disappeared
>years ago, why will they survive here, without direct
>tax payer subsidy.?
>
>// facetious mode ON
>With Beazley and Kernot already telling us they are as
>good as in and more government intervention high on the
>agenda we may see the National Passenger Corporation.
>// end facetious mode
>
>
>----Tell
>Alice Springs NT
>

Ha ha! Good one, Tell. I'll bet most federal pollies would be flat out
identifying a train these days.

As for your first point, unless they can develop the "rail cruise" market I
can't see them making any money. Also, don't forget that most of the rolling
stock must be over 20 yrs old and was set up for point to point
transportation. To give an example, my father travelled on the IP to Broken
Hill for some scandalously low price during the last of the AN days (Note -
not pensioner bashing - my dad can afford full fare) and he and my mother
travelled in an economy twinnette. He complained that it was too small etc.
This would not have been an issue if you wanted to get from Syd to Perth
cheaply which is what the car was built for in 1969 but for a high price
tour -- well I can't see a lot of popularity. Can these cars be easily
rebuilt??


Barry Campbell