Re: Sydney-Adelaide services

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In article <01bdb515$1da90a00$06ed38cb@default> "Lachlan Smith" <lsmith@senet.com.au> writes:
>From: "Lachlan Smith" <lsmith@senet.com.au>
>Subject: Sydney-Adelaide services
>Date: 22 Jul 98 02:05:30 GMT

>Does anyone know if Countrylink (or anyone for that matter) have ever
>considered a direct Sydney-Adelaide service? They already have a regular
>Sydney-Broken Hill service (how can this be viable?),

I wouldnt call a train that runs once per week a service?
This issue has been discussed before on this newsgroup and its realistic from 
an operational sense to run such a service.
The problems that arise are who should pay for the service and who should run 
it.
In the case of the XPT services to melb the Victorian Govt had to fund some 
part of the cost of the extra XPT sets to make it viable , so it seems only 
reasonable that the SA Govt would be required to fund some part of the cost of 
the extra car sets required.
The SA Govt in the past have shown zero interest in funding or providing any 
sort of country rail services in their state.
The real problem in this country is the total lack of any national rail 
transport policy which means that issues like who is responsible for the 
provision of interstate passenger rail services are simply not addressed.

I doubt very much that Countrylink of their own volition would initiate such a 
service simply because they dont have any responsibilty too, and their arnt 
any other operators on the horizon who appear to want to compete with GSR.

cheers
MD


 and seeing as Broken
>Hill is literally 3 quarters of the way to Adelaide, it would seem sensible
>to extend this service all the way through. It would also receive patronage
>from Adelaide-Broken Hill passengers, (up until the 1980's, AN operated
>regular services Adelaide-Broken Hill, but they of course killed this off
>with all other SA country rail services).

>Lachlan