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Amid ridership drop, Australian railroad cuts services
The Great Southern Railway will lose even more revenue with the drastic fare increase. Its trains were priced out of market for most travellers to begin with. Like American passenger trains in the1950’s and 60’s, the thirty-plus car lengths of the “Ghan” and the “Indian-Pacific” may shorten.
GSR should follow the more lucrative example of Queensland Rail’s new higher speed train, the “Queenslander”, a metre gauge luxury higher speed train that cruises on a 5 day/a week one thousand mile schedule with sleeping accommodations between Brisbane and Cairns. The “Queenslander” is the fastest narrow gauge train in the world.
With the vast expanse of the Outback traversed by the “Ghan” and the “Indian-Pacific” on standard gauge tracks, train speed can be increased from 70 mph to beyond 100 mph with regeared locomotives.
Along with lower fares and a 5 to 7 day/a week schedule, the trains can regain popularity.
New Zealand has a national bird, the Kiwi. Now Australia has one: the Loon. Well, maybe the Dodo or the Booby.
Correction: The proper name of Queensland Rail’s premier train is the “Spirit of Queensland” operating between Brisbane and Cairns.
“However, officials in the federal government say that state governments should pick up the slack and pay for some subsidies.” Looks like the Aussies are taking a page from the U.S. fed’s and Amtrak’s playbook.
Someone is trying to kill this train and all rail service on this line.
The center-right Australian Liberal government under prime minister Hawke is trying to cut back expenses when they have to realize that passenger train service is a necessity on some places in that remote country. It sounds like Hawke is trying to privatize all passenger train service in Australia. I would not be surprised if his government would rather to invest on newer airports throughout Australia to ensure that flying will become much more cheaper anywhere in that country that all intercity passenger train service in Australia will be for exclusive luxury service only. Whereas the only affordable train service in Australia will be urban commuting purpose only.
Queensland is 3ft. 6in. gauge. Hawke was a Labor prime minister back in the early 80’s. The prime minister now is Tony Abbot a right wing Liberal minister who has no idea about anything to do with transport.
Thanks Rod for the correction. I meant to say prime minister Tony Abbot. I might of misread the website of history of Australian politicians. Yes Abbot sounds like he is not much of a fan of intercity trains…