No surprise there, the 3 broad gauge freighters that PN still operate are all subsidised. Probably about the only reason they are still operating them.
Id almost gaurantee without the subsidy there'd be no BG container freight in Victoria at all.....
Pity they cannot access SG fleets which are cheaper and have more competition...
Qube Maryvale? Theres Competition with BG alright its just you can't be picky. It reality it should be run by the government not cashed up corporations like PN
I think James was referring to "general goods" rather than containerised bulk, which the Maryvale essentially falls into along with the Deni rice (though possibly not for long there). Oh, and of course the new "make hay while the sun shines" service.
But you're both right to an extent. In the current regulatory context, unsubsidised BG freight is unviable. And I have long argued that heavily subsidised operations, like those being discussed here, should be operated by the government directly to maximise the use of the dwindling asset pool, and to capitalise on opportunities for other "public interest" services that might not be economically viable in the traditional sense.
