Transrapid gives up on Canberra

[David Bromage <dbromage@omni.com.au>]

Page 1 of Wednesday's Canberra Times sayd Transrapid has decided that the
Sydney - Canberra route is uneconomic for them. An unnamed Transrapid source
(Phil Sellars?) took the journalist to lunch to advise of this new finding,
and state that Transrapid would be seeking Federal, New South Wales and 
Victorian government funding to build a Sydney - Wollongong - Melbourne
line 
via the coast.


My comments:

By Transrapid's own estimates, a coastal Sydney - Melbourne maglev line 
would cost around $28 billion, excluding trains. No wonder they want
government funding! 

What strikes me is that the market (or governments, except maybe Premier Carr)
won't support a service which is more than double Speedrail's cost, especially
without significant performance benefits. There is very little schedule benefit
(2h 45m hours coastal maglev vs 3 hours inland TGV) on which to base
that extra
profit, and certainly no comfort factors considering Transrapid's sardine-like
accomodation.

I can't see the current Federal government chipping in any money. The
National 
Party has its hold on transport policy and won't support any spending on rail
unless it goes on the national rail infrastructure to the benefit of farmers.
Transrapid won't be carrying bulk wheat, so no funding. Premier Kennett
is 
pro-Speedrail, lobbying to have the Sydney - Canberra  project extended to
Melbourne by 2009. Premier Carr is the only possible supporter, at least in
spirit, as the line would run through the Labor heartland of Wollongong.
Even 
so, I can't see NSW coughing up any money for this.

Cheers
David