News
Showing stories from February 2005
Murder charges brought in US rail crash
A suicidal man who authorities say caused a chain-reaction train derailment in the US that killed 11 people has been charged with multiple counts of murder and could face the death penalty, the district attorney said.
Vic: Train safety move still months away
An emergency braking system that could have prevented two train crashes in Melbourne in the past four years is still at least six months away from use on all Melbourne trains.
NT: Darwin rail freight 'too costly'
THE $1.3 billion Adelaide to Darwin railway was "simply uncompetitive" for international freight, according to the first shipping company to trial shipments from Shanghai to Adelaide using the transport corridor.
Darwin rail link deemed uncompetitive
A shipping company says using the Darwin rail link to ship goods from China to Adelaide is not competitive.
WA: Investigators probe train derailments
An investigation will continue today into the cause of two train derailments east of Perth.
Authorities attend two train derailments in WA
Fire and rescue personnel are at the scene of two separate train derailments in Western Australia.
SA: Govt rejects claims of slow rail safety response
The South Australian Government says it is doing all it can to improve railway safety in South Australia, despite claims that its efforts have been unsatisfactory.
SA: Govt reviews rail safety laws
The State Government says it is reviewing rail safety legislation in South Australia after the death of a Port Augusta rail worker last year.
NSW: Lobby group says rail replacement 'nonsense'
A lobby group says it is glad the new Transport Minister wants to see how the bus service that replaced the Casino to Murwillumbah train is working.
NSW: War of words erupts over rail line
The Federal Member for Page, Ian Causley, says the NSW Government has no intention of ever reopening the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line.
Qld: Rail proposal boost for coal industry
The company behind the Dawson Valley rail link proposal says the project is vital for developing the coal industry in south-east Queensland.
Vic: Rail line to close
The Ballarat rail line will close for up to four weeks from later this month.
Vic: Traffic and rail chaos in fire
A FIRE in a commercial building in Melbourne's south-east today disrupted traffic and suburban trains.
Yarra Trams pulls out all stops
Three of the nine tram stops along Collins Street would be scrapped under a $30 million State Government plan to reduce travel times along popular inner city routes.
SA: Man loses legs in train accident
A man had his legs amputated when he was run over by a train in Adelaide today, police said.
Vic: 'Tough regulator' needed for rail
A key port and rail operator has called for a tough and independent regulator to ensure the owner of Victoria's rail network, Pacific National, does not monopolise the track with its own trains.
UK: East Coast line 'had 200 faults'
There were more than 200 faults overdue for repair on the East Coast Mainline in the months before the Hatfield train crash, the Old Bailey has heard.
Forget Virgin blues, Patrick plays ships and trains
Patrick's $1.1 billion bid for Virgin is top of mind, but the logistics giant also has big plans for the Port of Melbourne, writes Philip Hopkins.
WA: Train carrying chemicals derails
 DAMAGE DONE: Part of the wreckage (left) after the train derailment. Damaged carriages were strewn for 100 metres around the area. |
Vic: Bracks stands by rail closures
The Victorian Premier has defended unscheduled rail closures of the Ballarat to Melbourne line set to take place later this year.
Governments urged to approve rail safety legislation
Federal and state governments are being urged to reach an agreement on overdue national rail legislation in the wake of yesterday's accident at Regency Park in Adelaide's north.
Vic: Train delays to continue in evening
There will be little respite for Melbourne commuters tonight with storm damage still crippling the Frankston, Sandringham and Werribee train lines and forcing significant delays on the rest.
Over 30 killed in Indian train crash
At least 30 people were killed when an Indian passenger train collided with a farm tractor pulling a trailer full of people at an unmanned crossing in central India.
NSW: Government urged to go underground with rail line
The New South Wales Government is being urged to build its new south-western Sydney rail line underground.
NSW: Pressure put on minister to overturn plan to cut rail
Maitland Greens' campaign to retain the Newcastle rail line stepped up as Greens Upper House MLC Sylvia Hale called into Maitland Station on Thursday to show her support.
UK: Rail line to link London and Manchester in 90 minutes
A high-speed rail link that could take passengers from London to Manchester in less than 90 minutes - a reduction of at least 50 minutes - was in prospect after the Government revealed it is to undertake a feasibility study of the project.
WA: East-west rail line back on track
The east-west railway line between Merredin and Kalgoorlie has reopened. The line has been closed since Sunday when two freight trains were derailed in separate incidents.
Death toll in Indian train crash jumps to 52
Fifty-two people, mostly women and children, were killed when a passenger train collided with a tractor carrying people back from a wedding in central India, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency said on Friday.
UK: QC attacks rail privatisation
The Conservatives' privatisation of the railways left Railtrack unable to police maintenance work on its lines adequately, according to a barrister defending the company against charges relating to the Hatfield train crash.
Rail lines, roads and power cut with snow and gales
The wild weather uprooted trees, ripped off roofs and flooded coastal caravan parks. Mt Sabine in the Otway Ranges, north of Apollo Bay, recorded the state's highest rainfall -- a staggering 190mm in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.
Vic: Wodonga Council says rail CBD agreement looms
Wodonga City Council believes an agreement to move the railway line out of the central city area is only months away.
Qld: Cheap airfares drop rail customers
Australia's ongoing discount airfare war is being felt on the ground, with long distance passenger numbers falling dramatically on Queensland Rail (QR) regional services.
Vic: Man hit by tram
A 29-year-old man, seriously injured when he was hit by a tram in Melbourne, may have been on his mobile phone at the time of the accident, police said today.
Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan to discuss railroad connection
Transport ministers from Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan will hold talks on connection of their railroads next month.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 5/2/2005
NSW: Diamonds stolen in train robbery
Police are hunting a female thief who stole a cache of diamonds and other valuables from sleeping passengers on a Brisbane-bound train.
UK: East coast rail franchise bids go into extra time
The bid deadline for the Edinburgh to London rail franchise looks certain to be extended after an 11th-hour intervention by the Treasury.
Vorsprung durch Technik? Not on Germany's railways it isn't
It was meant to be the embodiment of Teutonic design prowess, "Vorsprung durch Technik" on rails, yet Germany's latest high-speed train has instead proved a costly embarrassment.
NZ: Manawatu loses historian and rail enthusiast
Manawatu has lost one of its most respected historians with the death of Kenneth Ross Cassells on Wednesday at the age of 80.
NZ: Lights, bells, barriers - but it's go anyway
Cars, trucks and even a school bus ignored flashing lights and lowered barrier arms yesterday when a Te Kowhai Rd railway crossing developed a fault.
Man killed after struck by train
A man has died after being hit by a train in Melbourne's south-west.
Vic: Olympian killed by train
Jack Webster, 87, was struck by the train as he crossed the tracks at Hoppers Crossing station.
Vic: Interest in railway lease
Six entrepreneurs and organisations have expressed interest in redeveloping fire-ravaged sections of the Ballarat Railway Station.
Saudi railroad link plan unveiled
Plans to build a railroad linking the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea were revealed at a Saudi Railways Organisation investors briefing yesterday.
NSW: State Rail sued over son's death
A Chinese mother today sobbed in court as she recalled how she was informed by fax that her only son, an aspiring doctor, was killed after being hit by a Sydney train.
NT: Woman survives train ordeal
A 38-year-old woman is expected to remain in Alice Springs Hospital for up to two weeks after she was hit by a freight train near Alice Springs on the weekend.
NSW: Minister braced for fallout
New Transport Minister John Watkins will visit the Illawarra today to listen to the frustrated voices of the South Coast rail service.
German Railways on track in move to Linux
Deutsche Bahn is switching to Linux step by step and expects the process to be finished by the end of 2005 when such critical systems as databases, application servers, Web servers, mail servers and network infrastructure will be running on Linux.
Canada teams up with U.S. group to build Russian railway for weapons disposal
Canada is providing US$25 million and teaming up with a U.S. group to pay for a short railway in central Russia that will carry nearly two million chemical weapons to a U.S.-built destruction facility.
NSW: Train driver 'no time to react'
A Sydney train driver had no time to react before hitting a 21-year-old man walking beside the tracks, a court was told today.
US: JFK airport rail link link included in budget
President George W. Bush’s budget plan, which he sent to Congress today, allows $2 billion to be used for a rail link connecting lower Manhattan to the Long Island Rail Road and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
NSW: 99,000 refuse to pay rail fines
NEARLY 100,000 CityRail commuters fed up with the State Government's "no-tolerance" infringement policy are refusing to pay their fare evasion fines.
NSW: Minister gets taste of rail frustration
Transport Minister John Watkins yesterday had a taste of what Wollongong rail commuters put up with every day - he was late for a very important engagement.
NSW: Residents declare war on decision to cut line
Rutherford resident Antoinette Griffiths is determined that her anger over the State Government's plans to cut the rail line into Newcastle will be felt.
NSW: New rail services at the expense of southern travellers
Southern Highlands rail travellers will gain five weekday services between Campbelltown and Moss Vale under a draft rail timetable for 2005 released this week.
ZA: Money set aside for East Cape rail project
The Eastern Cape Roads and Transport Department has set aside R50 million for the overall completion of phase 3 of the Kei Rail Project in the next financial year.
IE: Committee backs reopening Dublin-Dunboyne line
A high-powered steering committee has recommended that the old Dublin to Dunboyne rail line be re-opened at a cost of €156 million after their feasibility study concluded the line would be economically viable.
US: Court overturns $6.6 million award in rail crossing death
A court has overturned a $6.6 million judgment against Fort Worth-based Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway in a deadly traffic accident.
NSW: Watkins highlights $1b rail revamp
NSW Transport Minister John Watkins has arrived on a late train from Sydney to inspect first-hand work at Thirroul railway station on the state's south coast.
V/Line defends Ballarat rail line efforts
V/Line says it has worked hard to minimise inconvenience for passengers on the Ballarat rail line during the next shut-down for work on the regional fast rail project.
NT: FreightLink to invest a further $30m
FreightLink, the operator of the Darwin-Adelaide rail service, will revise its forecasts and invest a further $30 million.
NSW: Goulburn commuters high and dry
A draft Southern Highlands CityRail timetable was "small comfort for local travellers as it goes nowhere near replacing the depth of services lost over the last seven years in the wake of Labor's rail salami slicer," says the Member for Southern Highlands, Peta Seaton.
NT: Opposition hits out at rail claims
Northern Territory Opposition Leader Denis Burke has told Parliament the Martin Government should have established an airline if the object of the Alice-to-Darwin railway was to carry tourists.
Tas: Rail firm pays regatta costs
Rail company Pacific National has agreed to pay the cost of shepherding regatta-goers across the train tracks this long weekend but insists its freight trains must keep rolling throughout the event.
WA: MP questions Kalgoorlie rail line safety
A Goldfields' MP says the railway line between Kalgoorlie and Esperance is an "accident waiting to happen".
Qld: Bert's private railway
When some people retire it's bowls or bridge that begins to occupy their time. For Bert Toogood, retirement meant a chance to built the railway of his dream - Cape York Lines.
Firing a steam locomotive, for the first time
Our resident preservation hobby horse, Maikha "V" Ly, has spent a great deal of time in preservation circles ever since finishing his schooling. Although in his role mainly as a Train Guard, he has since progressed onto other roles like Trainee Signalling, yet his latest progression is one most desired by all with the common aspirations.
Here, Maikha details his first experiences in firing a large and heavy steam locomotive and the many trials and tribulations he experiences as a trainee, but all as a means of a start to reach every little boy's dream of working on a steam locomotive.
VIC: Tram fan draws inspiration from local landscape
Patrick Brady's exhibition of his tram paintings may cause quite a stir in Williamstown.
V/Line plays down 'near-miss' as safe procedure
Train carrier V/Line has described a "near-miss" at Murchison this morning as a normal operating procedure.
NSW: Rail chief denies 'CityRail siesta' claims
The head of New South Wales' rail agencies has defended proposed cuts to services, after claims the changes will result in a 'CityRail siesta' during the middle of the day.
Qld: Dying man admits to train heist
A deathbed confession has reopened a 66-year-old unsolved train robbery which had become folklore in northwest Queensland.
US audit slams rail regulators on safety
A U.S. federal audit has criticized the Federal Railroad Administration for significant safety problems in the country's four biggest railroads.
UK: Ministers gagged SRA over rail closures
The British government told the Strategic Rail Authority not to publish a document estimating a quarter of the rail network would need to close to fit the government's rail budget, according to documents released yesterday.
UK: Rail travellers may be force-fed TV
Hundreds of thousands of rail commuters in Britain could soon be forced to watch - and listen to - television.
Vic: Changes allow pensioners cheaper regional rail travel
Interstate pensioners will get cheaper V/Line travel to country Victoria, after an overhaul of concession rates.
NZ: Tranz Rail cost Solid Energy $200m
State coal miner Solid Energy has lost $200 million in coal exports through Tranz Rail's running down of the rail networks.
Vic: State growth prompts call for second rail loop
A leading Victorian business group has urged the State Government to start planning for a second underground rail loop, between Melbourne University and St Kilda.
The phat controller
THE digital revolution has reached model trains and an increasing number of the mini locomotives have sound modules that imitate original sounds.
UK: Rail chiefs eye satellite navigation
The rail industry is investigating the use of satellite navigation technology to improve Britain's rail safety.
SA: Quick-thinking averts train disaster
Drivers on the Overland train avoided a major accident by urgently stopping before hitting a steel pipe placed on railway tracks in northern SA, the Sunday Mail reports.
Vic: Tram trap horror
The incident happened as the woman tried to cross in front of the tram at the corner of Collins and Elizabeth streets about 3pm. Yarra Trams spokeswoman Naomi Helleren said the woman was trapped under a bar at the front of the tram.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 12/2/2005
UK: Crossing signs 'can be ignored'
The public should ignore a ban on access to private level crossings, according to an official from a leading Scottish heritage body.
NSW: Road train access to Parkes rail hub
Business interest in utilising the Parkes rail hub is expected to increase considerably, following the announcement of unrestricted roadtrain access from Condobolin to the Parkes rail terminal.
NSW: A wet and hungry wait for stranded rail travellers
A carefully planned outing to Sydney ended dismally for a Bowral family recently when the late arrival of their train left them stranded late at night at Campbelltown Railway Station.
Qld: Train drivers meet to discus speed-limiting plan
Bundaberg train drivers will meet today to discuss their response to an agreement about a back-up speed-limiting device.
UK: Crossrail link 'to get go-ahead'
The £10bn Crossrail transport plan, backed by business groups, is to get the go-ahead this month, according to The Mail on Sunday.
Qld: Coal train drivers walk out
Coal trains have been brought to a halt in central Queensland by a train drivers' strike.
Qld: Tilt tain drivers call off strike
Bundaberg train drivers have called off a strike planned for Wednesday.
US: Police help teach drivers to respect rail crossings
Drivers, bicyclists, pedestrians and others routinely try to beat trains. From January to November last year, 19 people were injured and one person died in 55 accidents at grade crossings across Virginia, according to the Federal Railroad Administration’s safety analysis office.
NZ: Funding approved for study of Auckland passenger rail
Land Transport New Zealand has agreed to contribute over $760,000 to fund an evaluation of different power modes for Auckland passenger rail services.
Propaganda in SMH Business Section about London Congestion Charging
Australian listed property trust developers and retailers Westfield and Multiplex - which have increasing exposure to the London market - are keeping a close watch on reports that nine out of 10 retailers in London's controversial congestion zone view the introduction of the congestion charge as having an adverse affect on their business.
TGV Méditerranée continues to beat air travel
Build high-speed trains right, and they will come. And the trains will quickly win leading market share over airlines on trips of 3 hours or less.
NZ: Safety appeal as rail services expand
Extra trains which started running in Auckland yesterday have brought an appeal for greater public safety awareness to curb a growing death toll at crossings and stations.
UK: End of the line for railway food trolleys
Travellers on the new C3K trains being planned for the Northern Ireland's main rail routes could find themselves going hungry well before they reach their destination.
BE: Railways and post offices join forces
Customers in Belgium can look forward to buying stamps at the train station and rail tickets in their post offices, it was announced on Monday.
US: Passenger rail needs help, Transport Secretary says
Amtrak "is dying and everyone knows it," U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Monday, but President Bush is committed to reforming the nation's passenger rail system.
US: Metra should compete with Amtrak
Metra and other railroads would compete with Amtrak to run long-distance passenger trains under a concept the nation's top transportation official announced today in Chicago to replace the "fundamentally irrational" intercity rail system
Opposition questions Qld rail project
The Federal Government is again under fire over its regional grants program, with the Opposition raising concerns in Parliament about a $600,000 offer to a bankrupt rail project in the Queensland seat of Forde.
PM defends govt role in rail project
Prime Minister John Howard will write to Labor leader Kim Beazley, defending the government's involvement in a bankrupt rail project.
NT: MLA seeks rail freight price cut
A central Australian MLA wants the Northern Territory Government to pressure Freightlink to reduce its rail freight prices between Alice Springs and Adelaide.
Qld: Call for talks on port, rail logjams
QUEENSLAND'S largest coal port operator has called for a special meeting of state and federal ministers to better co-ordinate infrastructure investment and boost Australia's export performance.
Labor questions bankrupt Qld rail grant
Several questions needed to be answered in parliament about how a bankrupt rail project in Queensland was given a $660,000 federal grant, Labor said.
New study urges railways not roads for freight transport
In the battle between road and rail in Australia, the railways have for decades seen themselves as the poor relation. Now Australia's rail transport operators are putting up a fight against what they say are massive cross subsidies for the heavy trucks on the nation's roads.
Vic: State may appeal on ticket inspectors
The State Government is considering a Supreme Court appeal to try to overturn a magistrate's ruling that public transport ticket inspectors have been improperly appointed and have no legal authority.
WA: Scavengers raid tip for train booty
THE Merredin refuse site has been broken into by scavengers searching for goods from the recent train derailment.
New projects to upgrade Moroccan railway network
The Moroccan Office of Railways (ONCF) will direct a budget of 2.9 billion Dirhams (290 million Euro) in 2005 to upgrade the railway services, security and infrastructure, said, the director general of ONCF, Mohamed Rabie Khlie.
Rail industry seeks national strategy
Australia's rail industry wants a new national strategy to boost rail freight services between the state capitals.
Qld: ATSB releases interim report into tilt train derailment
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau today released an interim report on its investigation into the derailment of Queensland Rail's tilt train last year.
V/Line admits Melbourne-Ballarat rail efforts below par
V/Line admits its performance on the Melbourne to Ballarat rail line is well below standard.
Qld: Report finds speed factor in tilt train crash
An interim report into the tilt train derailment near Bundaberg in south-east Queensland last year has confirmed speed was a factor.
Rail reform needed for exports: ARA
Australia's future as a competitive exporter would be jeopardised unless there was comprehensive reform of the national rail system, a key industry representative has said.
Howard defends grant to Qld rail project
Prime Minister John Howard defended a decision to grant $600,000 to a bankrupt heritage railway in Queensland, saying there was nothing improper about trying to rescue the project.
Qld: PM admits rail line was not viable
Prime Minister John Howard has defended his government's decision to provide a $600,000 grant to a company that was trading as insolvent.
Qld: Tilt train investigation rolls on
A final report into last year's tilt train derailment near Bundaberg in south-east Queensland is expected within 12 months.
Calls for halt to regional rail decline
An industry group is calling on governments to stop the decline of rail freight infrastructure in regional areas.
US: CSX files suit against hazmat transport ban
CSX Transportation, Inc. today said that it filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court, asking the Court to declare invalid the District of Columbia's ban on the transportation of hazardous materials by rail.
US: 'Ghost train' causing delays on BART
A computer glitch caused lengthy delays throughout the morning at a number of BART stations, stymieing the commute for more than three hours.
SA: Buses and trains to run on biodiesel
Mustard seed and canola oil sound like kitchen ingredients, but they are part of a recipe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Adelaide from next month.
Linfox and Queensland Rail to challenge Pacific National over access
Linfox, the Fox family's giant trucking company, has teamed with Queensland Rail to challenge Pacific National's rail freight dominance in Victoria, but Victoria's rail access regime is stymieing their efforts.
Qld: Tilt train drivers maintain silence
The two men who were driving the Spirit of Townsville tilt train the night it skidded off the rails near Bundaberg last year are still refusing to give statements to police.
Vic: Blood tests upset train drivers
Train services could be hit by driver shortages because of a dispute over mandatory blood tests.
NSW: Expanded cargo terminal too big, say planners
The state's top planners have cast adrift an ambitious plan to massively expand cargo facilities at the Port Botany container terminal - arguing its size should be reduced by 25 per cent to avoid traffic gridlock.
Labor questions Govt over Beaudesert railway tax debt waiver
Despite having financial troubles the Beaudesert railway project in Queensland appears to have had a charmed life.
NSW: Flood concerns about new rail loop development
Singleton Council may have approved the Wambo to Warkworth coal rail loop without a proper environmental impact statement, according to a local lucerne farmer.
NFF backs calls to boost rail funding
The National Farmers Federation (NFF) is backing a call by rail freight operators for Australian governments to pump more money into the rail system.
QR sued by 20 tilt train injured
Twenty passengers who were injured when the City of Townsville tilt train careered off the rails near Bundaberg last year are suing Queensland Rail for personal damages.
NSW: Brogden's fury over rail inquiry
Premier Bob Carr is under fire for failing to provide the funds and political commitment to improve rail safety in the wake of the Waterfall and Glenbrook disasters, which claimed 14 lives.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 19/2/2005
Light rail plan to ease Sydney's congestion
An extensive light rail system to relieve inner Sydney's traffic congestion is affordable, would reduce commuting times for city workers and would halve the number of buses on clogged streets, the State Government will be told.
Vic: Anger over train delays
V/Line has blamed the fast rail works for recording its lowest punctuality result on the Ballarat corridor in the past six months.
Vic: Poor track record
One in five Albury-Wodonga-bound V/Line trains ran more than five minutes late last month.
Vic: Grim future for transport
A leaked report has called on the State Government to invest in public transport.
Sri Lanka: Southern rail line restored after tsunami
Train operations on the tsunami-hit coastal railway were fully restored yesterday nearly two months after the disaster.
Man pleads guilty to tram rock attacks
A 22-year-old Flemington man has pleaded guilty to a spate of rock attacks on Melbourne trams in late 2003.
SA:Bus Drivers to target MPs in campaign
SATURDAY'S strike by Serco bus drivers was just the first step in a campaign for job security, their union warned yesterday.
NSW: Carr's rejection may spell the end for light rail plan
The future of light rail in central Sydney appears doomed to just the existing single line after the Premier, Bob Carr, poured cold water on plans for its expansion.
Catching the train, at last
The number of ships waiting at Australian coal ports again emphasises our failure to develop our rail infrastructure.
US: Amtrak may finally be at the end of the line
From red state and blue, from left wing and right, from big coastal cities and small heartland hamlets, from Republican and Democratic parties, Congress banded together this month to protest President Bush's proposal to strip Amtrak of its funding in the next federal budget.
Reform of ports, rail and road urged
The Mineral Council of Australia has urged the Federal Government to step up reform of ports, rail and roads in order to avoid bottlenecks forming that could slow exports and reduce income.
NSW: Premier rejects 13 rail probe plans
The New South Wales Government today refused to adopt 13 of the recommendations of the independent inquiry into the Waterfall train crash.
NSW: Getting off track: the Premier's rail safety plan is running late
The ever cautious Premier, Bob Carr, is caught in a classic political squeeze over rail safety.
Toll loses patience with Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail's "abysmal service" had cost Toll Holdings millions of dollars, Toll chief Paul Little said yesterday, but the transport group still reported a record profit of $109 million for the December half year.
Rival takes its toll on QR
Quensland Rail has been dumped by its major container freight customer which criticised the state-owned railway's "abysmal" service and high charges.
NSW: Carr refuses to implement all Waterfall recomendations
The State Government has baulked at implementing a key safety recommendation on railway signalling from the Waterfall train crash inquiry because it is untested and potentially too costly.
NSW: Groups bid for major rail reform
Lachlan Regional Transport Committee has endorsed a call by the National Farmers' Federation for full-scale reform of the rail industry.
Toll NZ posts December half profit of over $9 million
Toll New Zealand today posted a December half year net profit of $9.06 million, against a $346,020 loss in the same period last year, it said.
NSW: Hunter train commuters rally for rail protests
Maitland public transport commuters are encouraged to bring a baby, buggy, bike or board to Newcastle today to protest against the planned cutting of the rail line at Broadmeadow.
UK: 11,000 years of train delays
Passengers have suffered a total of 11,000 years of delays since the railways were privatised.
Police wrap: Train hits abandoned car
A goods train smashed into an abandoned car in Adelaide's northern suburbs last night.
China: Bidding starts on high-speed railway
International rail engineering companies are expected to bid next week on the planned Beijing-Tianjin high-speed railway project, a well-placed source from the Ministry of Railways said yesterday.
UK: Tram network prepares to spread its wings across southern region
In its first year of operation more than 13million passengers used Croydon's trams. Five years on and the tram link now carries 22million passengers a year
India: Plant becomes world’s longest rail maker
Bhilai Steel Plant, the world’s largest rail-maker, has now become the only unit in the world capable of despatching 260m long rails.
US: Amtrak says budget cuts would derail business
assenger train service through Central Texas could come to a screeching halt if Congress passes President Bush's budget cuts. In an effort to cut the deficit, the President wants to cut all of Amtrak's federal funding for 2006.
Vic: Decision looms on rail line move
A decision on whether to move the railway line out of Wodonga's central business district is expected by the end of next month.
Vic: Rail safe but sloppy: Auditor-General
Victoria's Auditor-General has issued a damning report on the State Government's regulation of rail safety, leading to claims from the Opposition that the Government has been sloppy in its running of the rail safety system.
Qld: Break-in at controversial railway
Queensland police are investigating a break-in at the offices of a bankrupt heritage railway project the federal opposition has used as an example of alleged government rorting of a regional grants scheme.
Vic: Marshall on track
Marshall Railway Station is expected to finally open next month.
NSW: Rail protestors hold up bus system
About nine buses were held up for 15 minutes outside Newcastle railway station on Wednesday as Maitland and Newcastle Save Our Rail (SOR) members protested against the State Government's plan to cut the rail line.
Vic: Tram stop anger
City businesses have joined commuters in opposing the closure of tram stops.
NT: Darwin rail operator loses freight to road
One of the Adelaide-to-Darwin railway's largest customers will return some of its freight to road, in a major blow for the $1.3 billion project and its struggling operator.
Inquiry told of suspected sabotage in Beaudesert rail project
A Senate inquiry into the Federal Government's regional grants program has heard a tourist train project in south-east Queensland was suspected of being sabotaged.
Qld: Mayor plays down council role in tourist train failure
The mayor of Beaudesert Shire, south of Brisbane, says the local council is not to blame for the failure of an historic tourist train venture.
National unification needed in rail reform
Mr Stephen O'Donnell, speaking at the National Press Club, has called on the Prime Minister and all Premiers to launch a full scale reform agenda for the rail industry.
Trams in strife
A SERIES of setbacks and the recent dumping of the tram extension project at Lake Weeroona has cost jobs.
NSW: Grinding to a halt
Sydney is in the unenviable position of being a major city in a First World country with no transport plan. The city creaks under the weight of decaying and inefficient public transport and still it has no plan. It is surprising, then, that the Premier, Bob Carr, feels able to simply dismiss the City of Sydney's light rail study while offering no alternative solutions. And the city clearly needs solutions. Buses are the backbone of our public transport and they are close to breaking point.
NT: Old Ghan back on track
The Old Ghan Train Museum in Alice Springs is in the hands of a new and vibrant management committee and plans are well underway to get the museum and the railway fully operational again after many years of sitting in the doldrums.
NT operator defends rail-link performance
The operator of the Adelaide-to-Darwin railway has defended its trade performance saying it is still in "ramp up mode".
NT: Darwin rail still in 'ramp-up mode'
HE operator of the $1.3billion Adelaide-Darwin railway has defended its trade performance, saying it was "still in ramp-up mode" after revelations that only 989 containers had crossed the Port of Darwin since the rail link opened for business.
Vic: Spend on roads, rail: Pratt
Victoria's richest man, business leader Richard Pratt, is urging the Bracks Government to use this year's state budget to greatly increase spending on roads, railways and other "nation-building" infrastructure.
Vic: Trams cannot afford to fail
On October 11, 1972, The Advertiser published an editorial discussing the merits of a proposed tourist tram in Bendigo.
NT: Chief Minister defends freight line
Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin says a portrayal of the Adelaide-to-Darwin freight line as a white elephant is a slanted interpretation of the facts.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 26/2/2005
Vic: Association of Tourist Railways reports mixed half year
The Association of Tourist Railways Inc (Victoria) reported a very mixed half-year (sept 2004 - Feb 2006) to the delegates heading towards the six-monthly meeting of Association of Tourist & Heritage Rail Australia (ATHRA). Whilst there were notable sucesses with 15oth anniversary celebrations and the Castlemaine line re-opening, there were significant difficulties on the reulatory front.