A draft plan of the changes obtained by The Advertiser shows dozens of routes will be discontinued, some replaced and others significantly modified. The managing director of Torrens Transit, Neil Smith, said the plan was "97 per cent complete" but was still undergoing fine tuning during "intense" discussions with the Transport Department's Public Transport Division.
CHINA has completed a staggeringly difficult railway across high-altitude terrain to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.
The New South Wales Government is denying claims it has grossly overestimated the cost of returning rail services to the Casino to Murwillumbah line in the state's north.
Smoking areas in pubs and clubs will be halved, train fares will be dearer and some people will pay more for water in NSW from next week.
THE modern train interchange at Mawson Lakes gives the impression that Adelaide's rail system is on the mend.
A SUBMISSION to beef up bus services for the burgeoning Adelaide Hills community is still on Transport Minister Patrick Conlon's desk - six months after it was first lodged with his office.
France, the country which invented the philosophy café, has just had another smart idea: the train of thought. From this week, passengers who book by internet on certain long-distance French trains can arrange to sit next to other passengers with similar interests.
Would you like to travel from Paris to Marseilles while discussing Nietzsche or football or prospects for next year's presidential elections? Would you like to exchange 90 minutes of conversation in French, for 90 minutes of conversation in English? Would you like to learn to knit? Or play snap? Or combine forces to defeat diabolical sudoko puzzles?
A FATHER of three was king hit, then kicked, punched and had his leg broken as he lay unconscious in front of two of his children. They were travelling home by train from a rugby match at Telstra Dome.
PASSENGERS left Beijing for Tibet yesterday on the first run of the world's highest railway. There were some critics of the two-day, 1140-kilometre service that reaches altitudes of more than 5000 metres. Many Tibetans fear the train will spur an influx of tourists and migrants who will erode Tibet's cultural identity.
The New South Wales Government says commuters are getting value for money despite an increase in train fares today.
The New South Wales Government had missed a golden opportunity to raise public transport usage in the wake of rising petrol prices, the Opposition said today.
New South Wales Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal has ruled out imposing a congestion tax on cars entering Sydney's central business district.
MORE than 200 passengers were evacuated from an express train in southern NSW after smoke filled one of the front carriages.
At least 37 people were killed when an underground train ran off the tracks in a tunnel and overturned at high speed in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, officials said.
Albany MLA Peter Watson says he would love to see passenger trains travelling to Albany but doubts they would be economically viable.
Yellow lines painted on freight trains as a visibility measure are a "cheap cop-out", member for South West Coast Denis Napthine said yesterday.
EXHAUSTED passengers stumbled out of China's inaugural train from Beijing to Lhasa yesterday.
THOUSANDS of Melbourne commuters were stranded yesterday after a blackout shut down almost half the rail network.
The Tasmanian Government and rail operator Pacific National have again failed to sign a memorandum of understanding over a $128 million rescue package.
Toll Holdings, the transport and logistics conglomerate, expects to raise more than $1.5billion from a string of asset sales, including divestment of a half-share in rail freighter Pacific National before year's end.
New figures reveal more people are travelling by train on the New South Wales south coast and southern highlands lines.
A nephew of the Dalai Lama has likened a new railway linking China and Tibet to a second invasion of his homeland that will make its people "an endangered race".
One of Australia's biggest retailers has thrown its weight behind a plan to build an inland rail link focused on getting freight into eastern seaboard cities faster.
New figures show there has been a significant increase in the number of Hunter people travelling on the region's rail services over the past year.
There were 130 sightings for this week, which are 18 sightings more than last week. Making a total of 2970 sightings for this year to date. On day 182 last year we had seen 2445 sightings.
On the B/G we saw another increase in traffic with a total of 28 sightings, which were 10 more than last week.
Western Australia's major construction union is reassessing its industrial campaign tactics after the nation's new building industry watchdog issued writs against more than 100 workers.
TIMBERTOWN Steam & Oil Engine Club (TSOEC) is hosting its 7th Annual Rally "Steam Festival" at Timbertown on July 8 and 9 (opening times are Timbertown opening hours 9.30am – 4.30pm).
A Ballarat company has secured a $3 million contract to refurbish Australia's longest running interstate passenger train - The Overland.
It is amazing how quickly nature reclaims the land we take from her. Barely more than two years have passed since trains were removed from the Casino to Murwillumbah branch line, but in parts it may as well have been 20.
The prospect of an inland rail corridor from Melbourne to Brisbane has been hailed as "commonsense" by Dubbo rail enthusiast Gordon Tindall who can see nothing but good things coming from it for Dubbo.
Maitland residents are swapping their car keys for train tickets as rising petrol prices and improved timetables spark a return to public transport, new figures reveal.
A decision to fast-track legislation postponing Adelaide City Council elections for a year came after the State Government was warned any change in the make-up of the council could have "catastrophic consequences" for its $21 million Glenelg tramway extension in the city.
Transport conglomerate Toll Holdings Ltd says it may reach higher than expected cost savings from its $6 billion-plus takeover of Patrick Corp Ltd - and ahead of schedule.
EVEN by RailCorp's rubbery standards the state's latest train project - the $440 million outer-suburban car (OSCAR) - is seriously late.
TRANSADELAIDE has admitted its train services are at bursting point, with passengers forced to stand for journeys as far away as Noarlunga - the furthest station south of the city.
RISING fuel costs have been blamed for a new surcharge on the price of a ticket on main Australian passenger trains.
BOTTLENECKS in providing water, rail and housing in the Queensland coalfields could hamper efforts to lift exports, despite planned major port expansions.
TRANSPORT Minister John Watkins' new rail timetable is a failure, with on-time targets missed for afternoon peak-hour suburban trains in 40 weeks out of the 43 since its introduction.
BENDIGO'S heritage tram service is back on track, thanks to some lucrative restoration projects and the dedication of its paid staff and volunteers. With trams from all over Australia and even parts of the United States being sent to its depot to be repaired or rebuilt, the Bendigo Tramways is about $40,000 ahead of its budget for external works.
THE decision by Perth rail workers to strike illegally earlier this year could cost them and their militant union $11.4 million in fines, not including court costs.
AN AMBITIOUS project to link Queensland with WA via a 3000km railway is a step closer after a favourable reception from major steel producers.
Central Australian Tourism says it is reasonable for Great Southern Railway to pass its rising fuel costs on to passengers.
THE SA Government has conceded it is unlikely to meet its goal of doubling weekday public transport use by 2018.
COMMUTERS have been patient with Transport Minister John Watkins but you wonder whether they are reaching the limits of their tolerance.
BENDIGO'S heritage tram service is back on track, thanks to some lucrative restoration projects and the dedication of its paid staff and volunteers.
NSW remains locked in a death match with its long-running public transport smartcard project, but Western Australia has won the race to install the first major system in Australia.
Emergency Services Minister Tony Kelly is hopeful there will be proper hazard reduction on rail lines in future, to prevent fires like the one near Cootamundra early last year.
There is a call for the Riverina to look to Victoria and South Australia for examples of successful rail trails.
There were 105 sightings for this week, which is a drop of 25 sightings on last week. Making a total of 3075 sightings for this year to date. On day 189 last year we had seen 2545 sightings.
QUEENSLAND Rail has lodged a formal bid to buy freight forwarding company FCL Interstate Transport Services in a deal likely to be worth about $140 million.
IF YOUR train arrives five minutes late, the Government says it is on time, no matter how accurate your watch.
Farmers between Wagga, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Batlow have voted overwhelmingly against the proposed Riverina rail trail.
No new roads would be built under the Greens Victorian transport policy, which instead calls for $10.5 billion to be pumped into the state's public transport system over 10 years.
There has been a commitment to address farmers' concerns about the proposed Riverina rail trail in the next stage of planning.
A proposed rapid transit system for the Gold Coast has moved a step closer.
The SA Parliament is about to debate a motion calling for the metropolitan rail network to be electrified.
MELBOURNE'S public transport woes could be fixed by large cash investments from the Federal Government, according to leading Liberal Malcolm Turnbull.
The state's public transport authority says a proposal to replace half of the south-west's passenger train services with buses is the most cost-effective way to service the region's transport needs in the future.
Being state-owned doesn't mean QR is run by cardigan-wearing bureaucrats.
Special rail trolleys designed to help emergency workers dash to the scene of train disasters were put on show by the NSW government.
A 52-year-old woman has been charged with dangerous driving after she took a wrong turn and followed a train 300m along a railway line, police said today.
The value of copper cable stolen from railway installations around Lithgow and Portland over the past two weeks has now topped the $30,000 mark.
Construction of a $10 million freight centre to the west of Parkes is on schedule for an early October opening.
Desicated cycling routes along rail corridors are the answer to reducing the number of run-ins between cyclists and motor vehicles, according to the Bicycle Institute of South Australia.
The Victorian Government is considering cheaper off-peak public transport fares to increase patronage.
RailCorp has refused to re-sign a lease with the company for the 3801 engine and has advised them that the engine will be sent to the Rail Transport Museum in Thirlmere. This will mean the 3801 Limited business will shut down.
A campaign to resurrect a rail line linking Wollongong to south-western Sydney is gathering momentum.
VicRoads will immediately work on making the site of a fatal train crash near Lismore, south-west of Ballarat, safer.
RailCorp says proposed upgrades to Illawarra railway stations should not be affected by the discovery of asbestos.
THE NSW Government has been accused of forcing Australia's most famous heritage steam train off the rails and demolishing its home to make way for a high-rise apartment block.
A FEMALE driver has taken a wrong turn on her way home - and ended up following a train along a railway line.
The New South Wales Government is again calling on the Commonwealth to consider introducing tax concessions for public transport users.
There were 118 sightings for this week, which are 13 sightings more than last week. Making a total of 3193 sightings for this year to date. On day 196 last year we had seen 2640 sightings.
The federal government has categorically ruled out funding state based public transport networks.
QR needs to expand nationally to both protect existing customers and grow a balanced portfolio of transport businesses, QR National Manager Commercial Development, Darrin Rawson-Harris told the AusIntermodal conference in Melbourne yesterday.
CONTAMINATED former railways land at Islington will be remediated and developed into housing for students and retired people.
MORNING commuters at Adelaide Railway Station were yesterday greeted by new drug-sniffing dogs on a training run.
A tussle over the control of the historic 3801 steam locomotive is threatening to shut down the company that has brought it to Maitland for the past 20 years.
A developer will clean up heavy metal pollution at the old Islington railway yards in Adelaide's inner north, and turn the site into housing for students and retirees.
A $6 BILLION underground rail line could carry commuters from Brunswick to Windsor through the City Loop, under Melbourne City Council's latest transport proposal.
The Minister for the Illawarra, David Campbell, has dismissed the suggestion that the Maldon-Dombarton rail project should be resurrected.
Southern Cross railway station management have defended air quality levels at the station following a draft study showing air quality is well within the required safety standards.
THE Barossa Wine Train, one of South Australia's most-loved heritage drawcards, has been saved and will run again for the first time in three years.
MORE Victorians are paying their way on public transport, figures released today show.
Three men have been detained in India and a fourth, one of the country's most wanted terrorist suspects, was picked up in Kenya in the first arrests in connection with the Mumbai train blasts that killed 183 people this month.
THE Queensland Nationals have elected as their new president a businessman who was brought into the party 12 months ago to determine its electoral and financial future.
TOMORROW, when you're waiting in the freezing cold at Strathfield station, wondering where the 7.15am service to Wynyard is, console yourself that there is a train operating on NSW railways that runs on time, where the staff are hospitable and serving tea and scones to happy passengers who arrive at their destination with a smile.
The construction union in New South Wales has launched an appeal to help 107 workers from Perth who are facing fines of up to $28,000 for breaching new workplace laws.
SOARING petrol prices and hefty mortgages are forming tracts of financial pain around Melbourne. Many are hurting from a double whammy, a study warns.
The State Government is being urged to match Federal Government funding of $2.4 billion to improve rail infrastructure.
CENTRAL Victorians complained to State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu about train travel when he visited the Australian Sheep and Wool Show at Bendigo Showgrounds yesterday.
FOR a vicious battle, the railway dispute between BHP Billiton and Fortescue Metals had a surprisingly tame beginning.
The blockade of a sugar cane rail line in Fiji could force some farmers out of the industry, according to the Sugar Cane Growers Council.
ECHUCA is a step closer to having passenger trains running from Echuca to Bendigo, with line testing to start today.
TRAIN drivers will next week pinpoint the state's "hidden blackspots" - railway level crossings with a high frequency of near misses between trains, vehicles or pedestrians.
THE State Government has been accused of political expediency by selling contaminated land at Islington for student and aged housing.
There are doubts surrounding plans to resurrect the Barossa wine train service.
AN international planning expert has supported calls for the completion of a rail link between Wollongong and south-western Sydney.
AN $8 MILLION high-tech solar-powered ultra light rail system could connect Healesville to Lilydale, running via Yarra Glen and Coldstream.
Thick fog has delayed flights to and from Melbourne Airport this morning.
HIGH petrol prices are believed to be responsible for luring 16,000 new passengers back on to the rail network in the Wollondilly shire, new figures have shown.
There were 119 sightings for this week, which was 1 sighting more than last week. Making a total of 3312 sightings for this year to date.
John Geber plans to have the Barossa Wine Train sitting in front of Chateau Tanunda, overlooking the cricket pitch as Old England takes on Old Australia in the 'Masters Ashes' on Thursday, November 30.
DESPITE putting on fewer and slower trains, the Iemma Labor Government's own figures show on-time running performance of trains on the western line, which includes the Richmond line, has been getting progressively worse.
AFTER a run of almost 100 years, the only passenger train service between Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand is at the end of the line.
The Australian owner of New Zealand's rail network has signalled the end of one of the country's last long-distance passenger train services.
WESTPAC has trumped Macquarie Bank to emerge as the preferred buyer for Sydney's struggling Airport Rail Link.
A suspicious fire damaged a railway station and disrupted train services in Melbourne's south-east overnight.
Eastern suburbs bus services were disrupted this morning over an industrial dispute involving emergency release buttons.
AP - Hundreds of passengers were evacuated from a rush hour train after it struck a landslide, London's public transport operator says.
The State Government says the long-awaited "missing link" in Queensland's rail system should be finished in five years.
Passengers were delayed along route 109 when a tram derailed at Yarra Trams' Southbank depot this morning.