Re: Melton - Bacchus Marsh close revisited.

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly) wrote:


>Since no country passenger rail services in Victoria or indeed anywhere else 
>in Australia have ever made a profit , does this mean that it is not viable to 
>run them , ie should we close down all pass services just because they are 
>unviable.


Well, "never" is a long time.  Certainly many Oz. railways of the
1860-1920 era ran a profit, even when capital charges were included.
>From 1920's to 1950's they also often ran up an operating profit
(capital charges not included).  There is insufficent detail in the
accounts to determine if the country pass. subsection of their
operation was profitable.  But in the UK, which had a similar cost
structure, there is and they were.  Prior to income tax, railway
proifits were a significant funding source for state govt.
expenditure.

Geoff Lambert