Re: And the winner is.....

[pcc@ocean.com.au (Les Brown)]

mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly) wrote in aus.rail:

>Another factor going for Tasrail , is that a lot of the rail freight is bulk 
>commodities like forest products and mining .
>VLF has only got grain, and a fair amount of this has to be carried over ARTC 
>tracks for which it will have to pay track access charges.
>Tasrail doesnt pay track access charges to anyone.
>
True, but it has to pay 100% of any infrastructure maintenance and
improvements. At least with VLF/FV it can share the cost with other
users.

I don't think that Tasrail would be that much better off and because
AN fell well behind in track maintenance, more would have to be spent
by Tasrail to bring it up to any sort of reasonable standard. I saw
the track in Tassie the same year it was sold. The Main Line was
hardly up to even branch line status, and no wonder considering the
declining freight being carried. Not now, thank heaven.

Les Brown