Great Southern Rail today have released their 2016 program and the Overland will no longer be operating into the year 2016. The last scheduled journey is the 29th of December 2015 from melbourne to Adelaide. Also the than will be wound back not operating between 18th december 2016 to the 18th of january 2017.
Already mentioned and discussed in a few threads already.
As previously mentioned the SA government is pulling their subsidies for the Overland as of the 31st December 2015
I posted a prediction here https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1980555.htm#1980555
Also discussion here https://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11382213.htm
The announcement from GSR seems to confirm that the subsidy is going.
At a time when the Grampians Region in particular is trying to drive up mobility, tourism and sustainability they have been pressing for better rail links not the abandonment of what little there is.It goes to show that nobody is listening.
So NSWGR8022 you can confirm for us that the Victorian Government have offered to continue with their larger subsidy?
You did @Pressman you did. Sterling work.
I still do not quite believe it. It could be an excuse to request higher a higher subsidy. Adelaide and South Australia just do not care about rail. It is foreign. Both sides of politics just do not have the intelligence to see a way forward.
It could be an excuse to request higher a higher subsidy.It couldn't possibly get higher though, the subsidy alone (not the total price, i.e. subsidy+fare) is already at the point where giving people free plane tickets would be cheaper.
You did @Pressman you did. Sterling work.
I still do not quite believe it. It could be an excuse to request higher a higher subsidy. Adelaide and South Australia just do not care about rail. It is foreign. Both sides of politics just do not have the intelligence to see a way forward.
So NSWGR8022 you can confirm for us that the Victorian Government have offered to continue with their larger subsidy?
Giving people free plane tickets is all well and good when there's an air service available.Whoosh!
Regional public transport is still needed in this country. That it cannot be provided commercially is determined by our low population density and large geographical area. It should therefore be budgeted for by the state or federal administrations and we all then pay a (very) small amount towards it by way of taxation.And I am in favour of modest public subsidies continuing to be available to be most cost efficient form of regional public transport, but not to luxury travel operators like GSR.
It's been said many times that not everyone can (or can afford) to drive and that certain sectors of the market often prefer land transport ...
Road coaches don't appeal ...Cry me a river. I pay taxes for public services, not for luxury indulgences.
The point was obviously not to literally suggest that free plane tickets be handed out
Picking up a few second-hand Meridian DEMUs from the UK (due to be cascaded as an electrification program rolls out)
That project has been cancelled. As well I'm not sure the class 222 ("Meridian") sets are suitable for gauge conversion. Why not buy new and support Australian jobs?Why would they need to be converted? With Mildura going SG (let's humour them for a minute), Ballarat having an SG connection and the Adelaide line already SG, where would the need for conversion come from?
I'm not skeptical about it all. It's a happening thing.You did @Pressman you did. Sterling work.
I still do not quite believe it. It could be an excuse to request higher a higher subsidy. Adelaide and South Australia just do not care about rail. It is foreign. Both sides of politics just do not have the intelligence to see a way forward.
So NSWGR8022 you can confirm for us that the Victorian Government have offered to continue with their larger subsidy?
Can you confirm that they haven't?
I myself am skeptical of this story, but that's my nature.
I'm not skeptical about it all. It's a happening thing.
My post was just a retort to another interstater on the "bash SA" bandwagon who as usual omits the other part of the story. If saving the Overland is such a good deal then why isn't the Vic Govt rushing in to fill the void or at the very least screaming from the rafters?
It's not due to occur for over 4 months, wait till the pressure is on just before the service is scheduled to end.No, the decision has occurred already and the time for "pressure" is now 3-4 months in the past.
The track is in appalling condition; imagine the Meridians (or similar modern DMU's) speed-restricted to 110km/h - there would be absolutely no point in having them.Cruising around Australia would be perfect 'light duties' for such DEMUs which would otherwise be coming up on mid-life refurbs to keep them up to standard for the hard work they are subjected to in Britain. We would be able to get another 10 years out of them before a major refurb just by de-rating the engines.
I laughed when I read your comment. 'Pressure'? From who?
It's not due to occur for over 4 months, wait till the pressure is on just before the service is scheduled to end.
Mike.
Why would it be in the media...the train is still running and will be for the next 4+ months...Ummm... so that your people who are apparently going to be applying the 'pressure' can have adequate time to get OUTRAGED and apply their 'pressure' to have the service kept at all costs.
Cruising around Australia would be perfect 'light duties' for such DEMUs which would otherwise be coming up on mid-life refurbs to keep them up to standard for the hard work they are subjected to in Britain. We would be able to get another 10 years out of them before a major refurb just by de-rating the engines.I don't think its as simple as some second-hand DMU's from the UK. Rail either has to provide timings comparable or better than driving (at least on interurban/short trips) or a reasonable catchment of country passengers headed to or between destinations on trips where it goes head to head with air travel. In order to do either/or, it has to have a third ingredient, which is a modern, fast alignment that is subject to an ongoing improvement program.
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