Re: More on Bishop Austrans

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

The system was given good PR but is still fundamentally flawed like all
wacko proposals for guided public transport besides conventional rail

The economics of new rail projects always hinges on the ability of project
to absorb massive fixed costs (while the economics of existing rail
infrastructure assumes the fixed costs are already sunk, and most costs are
variable costs)

the only way this system could reduce the fixed costs of rail transport
would be flimsy infrastructure - like that thing that was built at
Katoomba - not the rope railway but the other thing. So long as a ground
corridor is needed, it costs. Or you could have a monorail like Sydney. They
haven't exactly been the success they were touted to be

Conventional rail may be 1820s technology but examples in Europe demonstrate
that it still works in 1999 at design speeds far greater than the 1820s
engineers had in mind. These hovering and levitating things sound like a
good idea but still haven't "got off the ground" so to speak. Even the flash
new one in Japan seems to be stuck - and if it was going to work anywhere -
it would be Japan.

Rather than the ACT mucking around - and sums in the order of $2-3 million
being spoken of just for testing - why not spend money on systems that work.
The ACT govt are hypocrites (aren't they all) if they aren't even prepared
to consider light rail linking the town centres - what use is this system
going to be.

Roderick Smith <rodsmith@werple.net.au> wrote in message
01bf049d$66d86ee0$232d11cb@rodsmith">news:01bf049d$66d86ee0$232d11cb@rodsmith...
> David's description hints that the new system is a repeat of an old one:
> Mad Mouse, at Royal Melbourne Showgrounds and other locations.
>
> --
> Regards
> Roderick Smith
> Rail News Victoria Editor
>
>




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