Re: Sydney Rail strike tomorrow

[Eddie Oliver <eoliver@efs.mq.edu.au>]

WhaleOilBeefHooked wrote:

> 
> You then have the same train running at 2330, with 10 passengers on off-peak
> fares, with the crew on time-and-a-half - losing money hand over fist. What
> they make in the peak, they lose in the off-peak. Or are you suggesting they
> only run during the peak?

Granted that 

(a) the infrastructure, train fleet and staffing levels are all designed
for peak capacity

(b) they would all (with the possible exception of some subset of the
staff) be sitting around doing nothing if off-peak services were not
running

a SENSIBLE approach to PROPER management (I realise that's a rather
strange concept on many government railways) would regard off-peak
services as the icing on the cake, from which all income is a valuable
contribution providing that it exceeds direct avoidable costs.

Your example is an extreme one; the great bulk of off-peak services cost
very little to run, and anyone who travels on any of the Australian
commuter rail systems (except maybe Adelaide) in off-peak times knows
that they are very well patronised.

Eddie Oliver