Re: Alice Springs to Darwin line, but wait, there is more.!

["Richo" <richardc@tpg.com.au>]

I can understand the WA govts frustration - they are being asked to hand
over the jewel in the crown of a private operation to a free-for-all of
companies competing with each other - competing the price of rail transport
between Perth and Kalgoorlie down - leaving no capacity for the operation to
pay a decent return to improve the infrastructure. This NCP rubbish has left
us in this situation. If private operation needs to be pursued (and it does)
then Tasmania, NZ (ironically small systems), QR and hopefully Westrail
light the road ahead. The decision about what is the best track standard
needs to be made by those running the trains - they will know whether they
want fast or slow, light or heavy, curvy or straight. What is the sort of
track required between say Port Pirie and Broken Hill - fast but light is OK
(GSR), heavy but slow is OK (NRC for ore cartage), fast and heavy (operators
of premium freight services)- light and slow is OK (ASR running a wheat
train very slowly over the network) - fast and heavy is obviously the
compromise but means most parties are paying for something they didn't need.

Maurie Daly <mauried@commslab.gov.au> wrote in message
mauried.346.37FEA1A6@commslab.gov.au">news:mauried.346.37FEA1A6@commslab.gov.au...
> In article <37fc7afe@dnews.tpgi.com.au> "Richo" <richardc@tpg.com.au>
writes:
> >From: "Richo" <richardc@tpg.com.au>
> >Subject: Re: Alice Springs to Darwin line, but wait, there is more.!
> >Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1999 20:55:07 +1000
>
> >Why make it that hard - most of the real culprits are driving in
competition
> >with rail on freeways between major cities. Tolling systems despite the
> >technical probs in Melbourne, aren;t such a bad idea. IIRC the abandoned
> >motorway proposal from Sydney to Brisbane wanted $100 toll for cars, and
> >some significantly greater figure for trucks. At those sort of prices
(and
> >doing nothing about rail) people would start considering rail more.
>
> >I'm not convinced that all this playing field leveling will actually
achieve
> >a lot - just better to take the QR and AN approach - invest in
appropriate
> >infrastructure and market share will soon follow. Of course these
operations
> >were/are vertically integrated.
>
>
> Yes your dead right, fixing the infrastructure by itself doesnt fix
anything
> as it wont alter the outrages charges imposed for using the
infrastructure.
> Indeed if one was a real cynic you could easily see State administrations
> increasing rail access charges on the basis of as the track is now
improved
> users should pay more.
> The horizontal access regine can work if
> 1/ There is a single access regime which is publicly accountable.
> 2/ The access regime doesnt itself have any interest whatsoever in running
> trains.
> 3/ The access charges are set by an independant arbitrator.
> 4/ There is a minimum but guarenteed level of funding for the National
Track
> (after we define what that is ) similar to the funding regime for the
National
> Highway program.
>
> Unfortunately ,there is more chance of me being elected as the new
president
> of Australia than any of the above happening.
>
> cheers
> MD
>




  -----------== Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
   http://www.newsfeeds.com       The Largest Usenet Servers in the World!
------== Over 73,000 Newsgroups - Including  Dedicated  Binaries Servers ==-----