Re: Booked out Melb XPTs

[Jennifer Richmond <richmond@melbpc.org.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote lots of financial stuff (which is probably quite correct), then:

> If the train has a lot of concession fares then we need 95% capacity.
>
> As you can see its marginal but possible.
> The single biggest cost is Track Access.
>
> Any comments on these figures welcome or if anyone has more up to date
> figures.

Well, as the original posting was on how the XPTs are booked out, I think that 95% is
easily achievable. But then you take into account that one car is a sleeper (much
higher rates) usually about 80% to 90% full and 1 car (or is it 1.5 cars) are first
class (slightly higher rates) usually 95% to 100% full.
If the amount of people I have to turn away at Reservoir Station from booking on the
XPT is any indication of the rest of Melbourne/Sydney (and places in the middle), then
there is a real need for bigger trains/more trains from Melbourne to Sydney.
I tried to take a booking yesterday on the TRAINS computer for a ticket to Sydney. It
was booked out for 3 days in advance!

Sam Eades
eadess@yahoo.com