Rick
First off, Freight Trains breaking down is VERY common?!....Sorry, but ANY train can break down ANYWHERE! And as mentioned, if the train was to break down between Seymour and Melb, what will happen then? The line doesn't have the option of doing bi-directional running like the Bendigo Line. And what if a VLP train breaks down and screws up the rest of the services? Many times an ON TIME running freight train has been pushed back several hours all because of a broken down suburban train or VLP. In my short few years on the footplate I have NEVER caused delays to traffic due to a break down. If your going to make accusation's like that, at least do your research.
Also, Confidential (which you spelt wrong anyway) means exactly that....so why are you putting it up on a public forum?!
Thumbs up for a top effort!
Hi Grosso - understand what you're saying but the only time now a breakdown won't affect V/Line trains is if the breakdown occurs between Echuca & Toolamba. Between Toolamba and Seymour you'll hold up the Shep's and south of Seymour you'll hold up the Seymour's as well. Having said that, there's probably more Bendigo trains so it's probably still the right decision.Correct mate,
It would be good if you could quote the source of your statistics because at the moment it's really just hearsay. Lately all the derailments and breakdowns seem to be in the Melbourne Terminal area.
Grosso,
DO you think Vline has an agenda to remove or curtail freight on their existing lines?
Regards
Brian
I. would take a guess and say its the old staffing problem?The Bendigo line is controlled out of Melbourne at Centrol. Sunshine signaller for Metro, Brooklyn Area Controller for Tottenham. There are two signallers at Echuca.
In my day you had many trains running up and down the Bendigo track all night long. You spread the cost of signal men and train controllers over all of them. Obviously I am out of date, and wonder how many staff need to be employed to run a goods train after the last VLP service, but I am guessing some?
So adding the trains to the NE, is simply a cost saving device.They say you save. two and a half times the paid wage, if you can rid yourself of employees. so about $150k p a for each person you don't have to hire.
Cheers
Rod
It's like some archaic throw back to another time - it would be funny, except for the fact that its now 2014 (almost), and this underperformance of train control seriously affects the freight task (given it has to run at night for path availability) if parts of the network are 'closed' due to no staff being on.
One would expect "train control" to be manned 24 hours per day, and let the train crews attend to the physical safeworking (like points / signals) in field...
The train ran via Toolamba this morning. Down service rattled through Koyuga at 1000
G515, S303 & Steamrail T on the rear. Didn't count the wagons, though a lot were emptyG515, S303 - 9 Empty Container Wagons then 19 Empty flats followed by T395.
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