Re: RIP ASW?

["Exnarc" <gwrly@netspace.net.au>]

Maurie Daly <mauried@commslab.gov.au> wrote in message
mauried.382.37A0EC9E@commslab.gov.au">news:mauried.382.37A0EC9E@commslab.gov.au...
> In article <379F0B01.CAC359A4@efs.mq.edu.au> Eddie Oliver
<eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au> writes:
> >From: Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au>
> >Subject: Re: RIP ASW?
> >Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 23:52:01 +1000
>
> >David Langley wrote:
> >>
> >> Maurie Daly wrote:
> >>
> >> > There are a number of other major problems in the ballarat route.
> >> > The first one is getting the SG line across the BG tracks at
Sunshine.
> >> > A simple grade crossing introduces a heap of train control / access /
whose
> >> > trains get priority arguments between the various operators .
> >>
> >> I find this very hard to believe. This is one of those problems that
can be
> >> solved by having one authority being responsible for the train control
> >> operations. Then the problem of your train or mine does not arise, each
train
> >is
> >> treated on its merits.
>
> >Surely there is plenty of room at Sunshine to build a flyover, anyway?
>
> >Whenever a problem as trivial as that one is advanced as a reason not to
> >do something, you can be sure that either there are political motives or
> >there are bureaucrats who are simply finding an excuse to avoid doing
> >anything at all.
>
> >Eddie Oliver
>
>
> Grade crossings where one organizations line crosses someone elses are
never
> trivial.
> The two most obvious examples are the SG crossings at Goodwood and Y
junction
> in Adelaide where STA trains always get priority over SG , irrespective of
the
> rights and wrongs of whose train it is, and the other obvious example is
the
> shared access into Roma St in Qld where NG trains always win over SG
> trains.
> These access issues only affect Rail Operators, Politicians and Rail
> Beaurecrats dont give a stuff.
>
>
> The entire budget for One Nation project was only $140 M and it wasnt enuf
for
> the original project, no way of funding a flyover at Sunshine even if it
could
> be built.
>
> If the concern about the Cressy Route is the loss of pass services to
Ararat
> and beyond , there is no reason why the new owners of VLP cant run a SG
pass
> service to Dimboola as used to be the case .
> I used to travel on this train quite a bit , and as Rod pointed out the
number
> of passengers getting on at Ballarat for points west was normally stuff
all.
> The majority of passengers on this train either went from Melb to
Ballarat, ie
> used the train as simply a Ballarat Train or went from Melb onto either
> Stawell or Horsham, with a handful going to Ararat or Dimboola.
> The most popular trains were the friday night down and the up Sunday
> evening excursion.
> Obviously VLP would need a couple of SG car sets to run such
> a train but theres a heap of spare carriages sitting at Keswick owned by
GSR
> doing nothingwhich Im sure they would lease to VLP. (guage converting
> sprinters would be the other option.)
>
>
> MD
 I couldn't imagine National Express would have resuming Passenger Services
beyond Ballarat high on their priority list at the moment<g>.

These private companies are in the rail business for one purpose and one
purpose only, "TO MAKE MONEY", maintaining the current services as required
under the sale agreement will be as far as they will go at the moment, and
unless someone finds oil in Dimboola and the area grows into a major
centre<another g> I don't think we will see the passes returning beyond
Ballarat (at best Ararat). Even GSR don't want to service this market and
they run through there now.

Bob.