Re: Sydney Rail strike tomorrow

[Don Allitt <nahgfa@zeta.org.au>]

THANK YOU.
Don.

Eddie Oliver wrote:

> 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