GSR - honest evaluation

Riccardo · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:35 pm

When AN Passenger was privatised - terrible prophesies were uttered.

Wolves were eat their young
Comets would be seen
Great dynasties would fall and cities would be laid waste

In fact the market seems quite healthy and the trains continue to run with occasional tinkering to suit market tastes

I would suggest this is one of the better privatisations.

If you need to get in touch, drop a comment at the Transport Textbook or on my blog.

KEVIN ROEHR · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:06 pm

I do not agree that GSR services have improved since they took over from AN in 1997. There are still only two trains from Perth to Sydney, and during the Christmas period, there was only one. I think they work their staff to hard, on the Adelaide to Sydney section, if the train is in on time, they only get 4hrs break.

standard_gauge · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:12 pm

As much as I wish to have daily Overland , GSR is a good thing, AN passenger division cost alot to operate, and had subsidy from all over the states/Fed gov. They still get it but at much less cost than before, Ghan, Indy Pac get well known domestically and internationally.

Let's not forget passengers have choices, why would they go on Indy Pac, pay 10 times as much as what VirginBlue/Jetstar/Tiger offers? why would they want to get on train when Virgin/Jetstar/Tiger can get there in an hour?

Ghan/Indy continue to get polish and product enchance/food-package gets better. Overland...well it gets attention finally.

Hey?..whatever happen to my warning level?

luznug · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 12:49 am

Not having a motorail between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane?
Could be a conspiracy between Airlines, Car Rental firms, Country Cops and US Oil.

Privatisation: owning your countries assets, you.

mjja · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 5:12 pm

I voted "good" but of course it's highly subjective.

What was the object of privatising? What did AN (and the people who decided to privatise them) want the Ghan, IP and Overdue to become? If they wanted a public transport service, they didn't get it. And it would be stupid to want one - who's going to take a four day train over a four hour flight?

If they wanted a tourist icon and a "must do" experience for well off couples on their golden anniversary, they got it - and it's world class.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

luznug · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 6:43 pm

Most if not all people want safety and time saved, so planes are that.
But Social Times are also important and travellers spend money at important quiet places like Australia!!
And all businesses know word of mouth helps. Tourists and Pensioners are dull but travellers catch buses or drive around to see our lovely sights.
Driving around is the Culture of Down Under so more Moto-Rail services and divert those services on to newly bulit Coastal Routes.
So lets hope Bloody Well Privatised Beautiful Exiting Australia gets its head out of the ASX!!!!!

ParkesHub · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:23 pm

AN had already pretty much destroyed their network so I guess GSR were starting off on a low base anyway. Hard to go lower than low.

standard_gauge · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:26 pm

ParkesHub · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 6:11 am

MD · Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:04 am

Gasp.
Doesnt anyone have any knowledge of rail history.
AN were the Australian national railways Commission, note the word
Commission.
The feds simply withdrew the Commission and repealed the Australian national railways Commission Act.
This effectivley abolished AN with the stroke of a pen.
AN wasnt privatised.
It was abolished.
The assetts on AN became the property of the Federal dept of Transport who offered some of them for sale.
GSR bought the passenger operation.

Riccardo · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 3:16 pm

PClark · Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 10:54 am

Overall I agree with Riccardo that GSR operation of the IP and Ghan has been a success although I do question the amount of subsidy paid by the Commonwealth, ostensibly to compensate GSR for "lost" revenue in continuing to provide concession fares for pensioners (and MPs!) as was done by the previous government owned operators.

The out-of-pocket fares that concession passengers have to pay (even in Red Kanga) are often more than generally available air fares.

I read somewhere that, a couple of years ago, Treasury was considering dropping this ill-targeted piece of middle class welfare and that the response from GSR's CEO was that, without the subsidy they would cease to operate. Guess who backed down?

I well remember a Sydney to Perth trip back in the days when government operation was in it's death throes. There were only about 40 passengers in the "through" section out of Sydney (There were also a couple of "segregated" RUB set type cars for local NSW traffic)

We were all rushed through an indifferent meal at about 5:30pm after which most of the staff changed into mufti, took over one end of the lounge car and proceeded to spend the evening playing soccer and rugby videos. It was obvious that the train only existed to provide jobs for these overpaid bludgers - the presence of paying passengers was just an annoyance.

On the same trip I shared a lunch table out on the Nullarbor with an OAP from Newcastle who spent the time moaning about how much she hated the journey; she had come from Newcastle on the morning Flyer and had "had to" hang around Central for nearly six hours, she hadn't slept a wink since Sydney, she didn't like the food or service etc, etc, etc.

When I pointed out to her that she could probably have flown in half a day at less cost she flatly refused to believe me. "Oh no, I'm a pensioner and I get "THE CONCESSION" and that MUST be cheaper than flying!

A phone call to Qantas or Ansett would have proved otherwise but she was obviously out to get every benefit that she could wring out of the government (for which read taxpayers)

Edith · Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2008 1:42 pm

I was a bit disappointed while travelling on the Overland during the school holidays when they overbooked the 'economy' seats and, rather than add a carriage, squeezed some uncivilized bogans into first class (why did I pay all that extra money hoping for some quiet and extra space ?). The kids ran up and down screaming and pressing the toilet open/close button.

However, overall I think that GSR are doing a good job. If I want to get somewhere cheaply, then I will fly. The value proposition for long distance trains has to be more about the experience than the destination.

Dreams are not something to wait for
They are something to work for

Riccardo · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:53 am

Which all goes to show - if we gave the OAPs and ferals the welfare as cash instead - they could spend it how they please and would probably not spend it on rail travel.

Can someone please explain (put on your best Pauline voice)

-when I've been in Germany and other civilised places, people order alcohol from the buffet car and behave well. Nothing nicer than some Bratwuerstchen with a beer for lunch.

-I thought it was the Aborigines who according to white prejudice have an alcohol problem, yet the lilyest white ferals also seem to regard the train as an opportunity for a boozeup. Aren't these lily whites the same genetic stock as the Germans (who can hold their drink at lunch?)

If you need to get in touch, drop a comment at the Transport Textbook or on my blog.

PClark · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 10:35 am

I hardly regard the "new" Overland as a GSR service anymore. Rather, it is a half caste result of miscegenation between a private "for profit" company with it's eye on the top end of the leisure travel market and DOI bureaucrats who regard trains as a form of welfare for the less well-off but (of course) don't use them themselves.

Edith:-

Are you sure that the "uncivilised bogans" in Premium class were only paying Red fares?

You are probably right as we had a similar experience travelling from Sydney to Melbourne on the day XPT when we paid three Adult First class fares to ensure double occupancy of a day-sleeper compartment and the trip was ruined by a screaming, swearing harridan and her three brats travelling to visit her partner in a regional gaol. Since then I have never used Countrylink and badmouth it at every opportunity.

The new Overland started out with two Red and two Red Premium cars. Given that the difference in fares is at least 55% it was not credible that nearly 40% of the passengers would be willing to pay the Premium fare and it was obvious that, at busy times, a lot of Red class passengers would be "upgraded". One wonders what percentage of the 4-6,000 passengers per month are really paying the higher fare.

As a lot of those who actually pay the higher fare are really doing so to try and avoid travelling in close proximity to riff-raff and trailer trash this is unacceptable.

Did you consider applying for a refund of the difference between the fares?

My opinion is that the train should have had one GOLD class car (forget this Premium Red nonsense) fitted out like a UK or European First class car or Pullman with it's own galley and a food and beverage service using real linens, cutlery, crockery and glassware inluded in the fare of about $200+ O/W.

This car would have offered travel as an "experience" and it's use would have been restricted to those paying the Gold fare. It would have been the day equivalent of a journey in Gold Kanga class on the IP or Ghan. Still, given the nature of the Melbourne-Adelaide market, the slow, indirect journey and the dull or even ugly scenery one wonders if it would have been a lemon.

And Riccardo:-

Remember that, for a variety of reasons, medium to longer distance trains in Germany, the rest of Western Europe and the UK were never deserted by the "better classes" to anywhere near the extent that they were (and still are) in Australia.

I remember my first trip to Europe in the late '60s. Because the (regulated) $A was then very high I travelled throughout the UK by First class Intercity and around Europe by Wagon-Lit or TEE (Night Ferry, Blue Train, Mistral, Palatino, Settebello, Cisalpin and Rheingold)

The most striking thing thing to a 22YO first time Aussie traveller was how well dressed, groomed and behaved the typical passengers on these trains were (all very Toorak, South Yarra and Brayton) compared to those on home trains like the Overland, Intercapital Daylight and even the Aurora.

the only slightly shabby pax were usually Aussies, Kiwis or Yanks on Eurailpasses.