Article: Train lines' condition 'unsustainable'

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Train lines' condition 'unsustainable'

Train lines' condition 'unsustainable'

    * David Rood
    * February 6, 2009

MELBOURNE'S train network is in an "unsustainable condition" and V/Line's radio communication system is past its expiry date, according to internal Government documents.

The documents, obtained by the Coalition, warn of significant disruption to the metropolitan rail system without sufficient track replacement and note "demonstrably insufficient" replacement of track crossings.

Seizing on the 2007-08 documents, Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said they detailed a history of neglect that left the Government to blame for last week's heat-related transport chaos.

He also said the out-of-date country radio system was endangering lives.

"Haven't the Brumby Government learnt anything from (level crossing accidents at) Trawalla or Kerang?" he said.

"Lives are at risk out there while this radio system that doesn't stack up to today's standards is still operating."

The V/Line document outlines its asset maintenance for 2008-09 and found it would cost $15 million to replace the radio system. "The ? system is life expired and unsupported by its manufacturers. It has lost the confidence of its providers and its users," the document says.

A second document reveals a sample from the Bayside area showing an average rail age of 44 years, with some a century old. "This combination of advancing age, increasing rail flaws and low renewal rates is symptomatic of a system in an unsustainable condition," the report says.

The document also recommends 53,700 rail sleepers should be replaced each year. In 2007-08 only 27,241 sleepers had been replaced.

In a fiery question time, the Coalition ambushed embattled Transport Minister Lynne Kosky with the scathing documents, repeatedly asking her to take responsibility for the rail problems in which hundreds of trains were cancelled last week.

Ms Kosky told Parliament the Government spent $80 million a year on rail maintenance, with this set to increase almost 50 per cent by the end of the year.

Ms Kosky said a program to replace timber sleepers with longer-lasting concrete sleepers would lead to half of Melbourne's tracks having concrete sleepers by 2015.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the documents showed not enough was being done to keep the network up to scratch.

Earlier yesterday, Coalition leader Ted Baillieu used his first major address to Parliament to attack Premier John Brumby, saying he had failed to deliver services such as power, transport and water.

"A collapse in basic services doesn't just happen overnight ? It happens because of long-term neglect, massive waste and incompetence," he said.

? Ms Kosky has locked away for 50 years documents surrounding construction of the $700 million Southern Cross Station.

The Government Gazette yesterday noted that Ms Kosky had, on December 30, put all documents concerning the project out of public sight until 2058.

With CLAY LUCAS

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Media Release 31 January 2009

Australia:  The public transport privatisation/franchise con exposed in Melbourne

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has said the chaos and chronic problems on the Melbourne suburban rail network are fundamentally the result of systemic neglect for decades.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The heat wave this week in Melbourne has brought into the focus the abject failure of the privatised and franchised public transport system in Melbourne.  Private operators will maximise their returns for the period of a contract and care not much for long term maintenance and capability."

"The problems in Melbourne with the suburban railway system are the result of poor maintenance and inadequate resourcing over a long period of time.  When essential community services like public transport are privatised or franchised there is little incentive to maintain the track infrastructure; which includes the electrical and signal systems, and properly ensure the operational readiness of rolling stock. Staff levels have been reduced to a minimal skeleton level  which has  lead to a lot of further community costs as issues surface with security, safety and the lack of a proper operational reserve."

"On Tuesday last Ms Kosky, Minister for Public Transport in Victoria conceded that decades of underinvestment in the system had left it vulnerable to failure."

"When the railway was operated by the great Victorian Railways (VR) track buckles were a very rare event, principally because VR maintained the public transport asset to a very high standard.  Heat waves in Melbourne and Victoria are not new.  The outright neglect of the rail system is now hitting home hard.  Free ice creams, free bottles of water and free travel is poor compensation for Government failures."

"The Victorian Government  has admitted it is "no cheaper" to retain a private operator such as Connex to run the system and has also said the Government wanted the "innovation and international experience" of a privatised network.  If the total collapse of the rail system is this "innovation and international experience" then rail commuters don't want it (1)."

"The Victorian Government must take back the railway into full public ownership and operation from 1st December when the present contract expires.  It is time all Governments around Australia faced up to their collective community responsibilities and got on with the public transport job."

Reference:

1.  http://www.theage.com.au/national/train-blame-heats-up-as-patrons-wilt-20090129-7t2l.html Train blame heats up as patrons wilt

Contact:
Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org