Re: Freight is booming

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

In article <6evav8$m02$3@gruvel.une.edu.au> dbromage@metz.une.edu.au (David Bromage) writes:
>From: dbromage@metz.une.edu.au (David Bromage)
>Subject: Freight is booming
>Date: 21 Mar 1998 03:08:24 GMT

>I have heard that Patrick is to add an extra train per week, bringing the
>total to 4. There may also be an increase in TNT Contrans traffic. This
>is probably going to swallow the bulk of G&W's big power not already
>leased to NR.

>Three SCT trains have departed Melbourne for Perth in the last 48 hours. 
>SCT is to start a Melbourne - Sydney - Brisbane service in the near
>future. Does this have anything to do with the supervans stored at Albury? 
>Combined with the new Toll car carrying service, this is going to see yet
>another increase in traffic between Melbourne and Sydney. 

>The big question is, where is all the motive power going to come from?  NR
>is going to have to rely on its own fleet as the hired locos are recalled
>by their owners. V/Line Freight is already stretched to the limit with its
>own traffic, and the bulk of the big power will sonn be running to Perth.


Well for a start , there are 14 ELs sitting In Adelaide doing nothing, (13 
operational).
Westrail is shortly going to offer all its remaining operational 
L class to whoever wants them, I beleive all bar two are still operational.
Freightcorp have an excess of 81 & 82 class which no doubt they would lease to 
whoever wanted them if sufficient was offered, after all they leased a heap of 
82s to NR for years.
There are 20 422s sitting around acting as shunters.
In short there are heaps of locos available for any new trains in the near 
future.
Freight will be booming when we see an additional 20 to 30 trains a day 
between Melb - Sydney - Brisbane, as this will be required to get rail up to 
at least half of what the Road freight industry carries.

cheers
MD