Victoria...it begins!

["Rod" <berlina@bigpond.com>]

Well its all started, the good and the bad....
    After years of being walked over , by traffic types who ruled the coop
these last 15 years or so of serious decline, it has been easy to think that
V/Line's Locomotive Engineers[..eh sorry, doesn't that Yank accent rub off
easy!!]  eh...Train Drivers may have a little bit of joy in this whole
thing. Today we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
    Seems the broom is sweeping and the first to feel it is Collins Street.
Marinus is CEO and he retains it,

 no Yank will run the Australian operation, although we expect plenty to
come visit us, but wont stay over six months [or they pay Tax]
Four Regional Managers will report directly to Marinus
1.Western Line ,Dimboola, Murtoa and Portland will extend to Adelaide, and
we will run full trains to Adelaide or we will send it with our competitors!
whoever offers the best rates.
A new Block Bulk Commodity Train is about to start from Adelaide to the
Docks as soon as wagons can be converted.
2.South Eastern includes Warnambool to Bairnsdale New timber train will be
announced soon.
3 Central [not correct name] includes Mildura Swan Hill ,but not Echuca
4 North East which will be managed from Shepparton and will include Echuca
Tocumwal Wodonga.
and Junee!
A new grain service  will commence soon from Junee to the  Brand New Private
Grain Terminal at Appleton Docks .
Austrack will be friendly or they will be closed down! I'm sure it was not
told as bluntly as that, but the new owner is a little bit pissed with
Austrack, as they are taking a lot of containers away from our Toc. Service.
Austrack are also our partners in a service to Melbourne three days a week .
We will bid for and win any traffic within our region. If the "New Train can
run loaded profitably both ways we will run it. If not we will contract with
the Railway that is running that route to take it on.
Paul Moore will probably do well with the new company, as long as he knows
his place, what ever that is.
    A little bit about our Railway, as described by Marinus:
V/Line is a Class 3 Railroad, by US standards, and if anything they consider
it over maintained.
Track Work will be out sourced to Private Companies, and we expect all the
specialised machinery will be sold off and most of the men will move to
these "new" operators.
Our Railway will be maintained to 80 kph, those tracks that have Pass
Services will be maintained to 115 kph standards with the help of a 25
million assist from the Government.
Where ever a goods can use a Freight only line without significant cost or
time defaults, it will be taken.
As an example, it is expected that the Echuca Rice train will now run via
Toolamba and Seymour.
The BG Seymour to Albury track will remain in service and stay BG, account
Pass Operations.
Negotiations are in hand to reduce daily services to as required, that is
run them as a full train. But Government promises about Freight Centres may
complicate this.
    Will post more as it comes along....The new owners are expected to take
over on Mayday...maybe thats an omen, as the workers day, will be a bad one
or a good one and only time will tell.
    Rumours abound but it seems some of the idiots that have stuffed around
riding V/Line into the ground have somehow managed to suck themselves into
top jobs.
    Cant name them, but we have got one of the real triers in North East,
the rest were Station Master types, and one Shunter type who hated Drivers
so badly,   he attempted to get his shunters driving the Y Class at
Tottenham. It would have been better for everyone if he had kissed the
underside of one of those Y classes, in particular for our customers, who
will now have to deal with this idiot. And so that goes badly for the new
company!
    Despite the press releases there will be no more New Engines, unless
enough new sustainable business can be found to guarantee their usefulness.
A survey soon to be completed will return many stored and disabled engines
to service, would be nice to see the remaining T and Y class back in
running. They could do it too because parts from their US operation could be
sourced to lower costs that the old railway found just too high for this
task, previously. These engines will be left round the State, and the
mainline engine can be abandoned, and the smaller engine can go on down the
branch to shunt and when returned to the train, put away till next time.
this should extend the G Class Life etc.
    Our New colours will be Green and Gold, designs will be available soon.
Driver Only is not a priority, but where useful will be used. The second
Driver will now be required to do a little more than press a VC!
[his words] and we suspect that the Totty Shunters have stolen there
last......eh..eh... have possibly been earmarked to move on, and the train
will be shunted by the crew. Most of Tottenham's work will move to Nth Dynon
[where is a good ?] and Tottenham will be block transfer only.
    Dynon will lose Junee running, but will probably rest Wodonga DO, and
Wodonga run to Junee and return two man! May mean a couple of extra drivers
in the long run.
OK fellas I believe thats the guts of it, more as it unfolds.
Rod;o)