Re: Speedrail

["WhaleOilBeefHooked" <daproc@sd5.mailbank.com>]

Eddie Oliver wrote in message <37855A32.81981FDC@efs.mq.edu.au>...

>The strongest evidence of this is the total lack of any assessment
>anywhere - whether in this latest document or anywhere else - of the
>number of air movements which could be eliminated at Mascot by one or
>more VFT operations, and of the cost-efficiency of investing money in
>VFTs vis-a-vis Badgerys Creek.

You only need to look at Europe - air traffic between Paris and Lyon is
almost non-existent, and Eurostar beats British Airways hands down -
although it *does* depends on which part of London you are in, and your
proximity to Heathrow or Gatwick.

There are other reasons why people may use a VFT - a three hour trip from
city centre to city centre gives three hours to work. A three hour air trip
gives you some time in the lounge before departure, can't really work in the
air - not enough room - and can't really work to and from the airport. A VFT
trip would be far more productive.

>Any responsible analysis of this whole issue would have comparisons
>calculated on financial grounds - e.g. how many VFTs can be built for
>the same money as Badgerys Creek, and how many air movements would they
>eliminate (firstly if pure market forces were operative, and secondly if
>there were a compulsory elimination of air journeys which could equally
>be served by a VFT).

Market forces would prevail - they have elsewhere. There would still be some
air movements but I owuld hazard a guess that they would mainly be
international flights.

>There would then also be environmental factors added in, since even the
>most avid airport admirers seem to admit that VFTs are environmentally
>more friendly in a city area than aircraft movements can be.
>
>However I suspect that even without environmental components, a VFT
>network would be seen to be financially and transportationally more
>effective than a new airport, and in particular that it could eliminate
>the need for a second Sydney airport long into the future.

I actually wrote to my local member about this - Jackie Kelly, Member for
Lindsay (based around Penrith). The reply was the normal one - full of
platitudes - "your comments have been passed on to the Minister for
Transport" (she was really saying "there there, dear boy, go take your
medication and stop bothering us").

DaveP