Driver Qualifications.

[mauried@commslab.gov.au (Maurie Daly)]

In these days of horizontal integration, ie where one organization owns the 
track and other organizations run trains over the tracks , how does the whole 
process get started, ie if a new operator comes along and wants to run trains 
over someone elses tracks , how do they initially get the road knowledge to do 
so?

As an example , which could become reality very soon , lets suppose that the 
new owner of the privatised Westrail decides to enter the National Freight 
market and wants to run trains from Perth to Melb hauled by Q class.
Obviously the new owner would inherit a number of ex  Westrail crews who would 
be qualified on Qs and who would know the road as far as Kalgoorlie, but there 
isnt likely to be a single person in the country who would know the road to 
Melb and be qualified to drive a Q.
Historically , there always have been drivers who are able to train other 
drivers on foreign roads , but in these days of competition its unlikely that 
another company is going to voluntarily agree to teach its soon to be 
opposition a foreign road.
Does ARTC have loco inspectors who know the road from Parkeston to Melb
who are able to train new drivers.?

Its a brave new world.
cheers
MD