Re: VLP sold

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

David McLoughlin wrote:
> Why would they run it into the ground? Private transit companies these
> days stand to gain the most by attracting passengers with better
> services and modern vehicles.

National Express operates Gatwick Express, Central TRains, Midland Main 
Line, Silverlink and Scotrail in the UK, as well as several coach lines 
and airports. DMUs have been ordered from Adtranz and EMUs from Alstom.

This might suggest Adtranz for the new railcars for VLP, but NE would
probably want them to be compatable with the Sprinters. 

Goninan designed a 2 car articulated Sprinter for V/Line back in 1992.
At the time, V/Line was considering increasing the order from 22 to 40
when Goninan suggested this new design for the additional 18. While the
PTC was deciding what to do, there was a change of government. IIRC,
they 
held about 150 people. I wonder if NE might revive this idea?

> Certainly that has been the experience in
> New Zealand where another UK company, Stagecoach, has bought the main
> bus services in Auckland and Wellington.

Staegcoach doesn't have an impressive record with it's rail franchises
in the UK. They decided it was cheaper to cop fines for cancelled trains 
rather than hire more drivers!

Cheers
David