Article: Queensland Rail knocks back bookings for Inlander

[ozbob]

From the Townsville Bulletin --> Queensland Rail knocks back bookings for Inlander

THE future of the region's 60-year-old Inlander train service is on the line with tour operators being told they are not able to make group bookings beyond this year.

But Transport Minister Scott Emerson has denied calling time on the service, saying no decision had been made on twice weekly Townsville to Mount Isa Inlander service.

The State Government is currently reviewing subsidies on long-distance coach, train and air services to provide "better value", a spokesman for the Minister said.

The spokesman said changes were being considered as part of the review and were not part of the privatisation of assets in which the western rail line to Mount Isa is to be offered for lease along with the Townsville port as an integrated supply chain.

"This is off the back of our review of all long-distance coach, train and air services we announced last year," the spokesman said.

"No decision has been made to cease the Inlander service.

"The review looked at better value on western train services where the Inlander between Townsville and Mt Isa costs taxpayers more than $2000 for each passenger.

"Bookings for 2015 will be available shortly."

National rail tour operator Kevin Pearce Promotions sought a group booking for 40 people on the Inlander for May 2015 but was told by Queensland Rail's group bookings department they could not take bookings for 2015.

"They said we could book on the Spirit of the Outback (to Longreach) but they had been told by their office not to take any bookings for he Inlander," Mr Pearce said.

He said railway workers had told him they believed the service would finish in December, but if bookings were to be made available tour companies need to know as soon as possible.

"We normally want at least six months lead time because we have to advertise and print brochures," Mr Pearce said.

Rail Tram and Bus union organiser Les Moffitt said he believed the government would wait until after next year's election to close the service.

Mr Moffitt said he was not optimistic for the future of the service considering no accommodation was provided for Mount Isa train crews at a depot opened in Townsville earlier this year.

"If they were fair dinkum, they would have put the driver resources into Townsville," Mr Moffitt said.

It was his understanding that Queensland Rail was negotiating with Asciano-owned rail operator Pacific National to take on the passenger service.

Mr Moffitt said the freight haulage operator spun out of Queensland Rail in 2010, Aurizon, provided the lococs and train drivers for the Inlander service on a contract with Queensland Rail.

"No doubt Aurizon will be charging a premium price for the locos," Mr Moffitt said.

He said the union firmly believed the Government should subsidise the service in the same way urban services were heavily subsidised.

Mr Pearce said a subsidy of a few hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Inlander "pales in significance" to the hundreds of millions of dollars provided for urban services.

"It's a very sad day," Mr Pearce said.

"Queensland has been the only State in Australia which runs a number of long-distance passenger trains in an outback area.

"From a tourism point of view, it's been a great support."

[Gazza]

Yeah but there is an actual transport benefit to the suburban operations since other modes wouldn't cope.

The inlander is really just a taxpayer funded holiday service, and wouldn't be a serious transport option for the carless, since coaches run more than twice weekly.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Doesn't help that they can't put freight on the Inlander due to restrictions with the QR/QRN(Aurizon) split.

[ozbob]

Doesn't help that they can't put freight on the Inlander due to restrictions with the QR/QRN(Aurizon) split.

Indeed, the Westy freight service was highly valued by the community out West (confirmed by discussions with locals) and largely offset operating costs of the overall service ...  what might have been hey?