The Brisbane to Cairns tilt train service will resume on Monday.
Two teenagers were taken to hospital after a group of 90 brawling youths descended on a railway station carpark in Sydney's west last night.
Police said they were called to the carpark at Kingswood railway station about 8.30pm following reports up to 90 people were fighting there.
More than 2300 people have been arrested on the rail network, including a man with a loaded firearm, during a six-month blitz by police and transit officers.
Charges were laid against 2216 people following the arrests after specialist commuter police patrolled more than 100,000 trains during the operation, which ended last Sunday.
THEY must use a different dictionary in Premier John Brumby's office.
In its December transport plan, the Government announced $440 million to upgrade Melbourne level crossings, "starting immediately" with the notorious Springvale Road bottleneck at Nunawading.
But it seems "immediately" actually means later, with work not starting on the crossing until later this year.
Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network will expand to the growing northern suburbs with the 2009 State Budget to commit $562.3 million to build a rail extension of the Epping line to South Morang.
The Premier John Brumby today said with funding now committed, tenders for the South Morang Rail Extension project would be called later this year and construction would start in 2010.
“Our Government is taking action to build a world-class transport network as we deliver our $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan,” Mr Brumby said.
“The South Morang Rail Extension is about putting the infrastructure in place to cater for the 90,000 people expected to settle in the Plenty Valley growth area and importantly, it will deliver jobs now, securing up to 460 jobs during construction.
Transport and logistics company Toll Holdings has signed a deal to take a 40 per cent stake in India's BIC Logistics.
A statement from Toll Holdings on Friday said the company had acquired the stake, with an option to become majority owner within two years.
The latest figures from Connex show that only about 88 per cent of Melbourne's trains ran on time in April.
Last April about 91 per cent of trains ran on time.
Connex spokesman John Rees says the key reason for the poor punctuality is the speed restrictions on its Siemens trains entering platforms.
But he says a solution is imminent.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says the State Government cannot release a safety report into the Brisbane-to-Cairns tilt train because of an ongoing investigation.
The rail service was suspended three weeks ago after the Queensland Rail Safety Regulator (QRSR) raised concerns amid an investigation into last year's fatal crash near Cardwell in far north Queensland.
The train drivers union says it is still concerned about tilt train safety despite the Brisbane-to-Cairns service getting the go-ahead to resume.
The all-clear has been given for Queensland Rail to resume operating the Brisbane-to-Cairns tilt train service from Monday.
The tilt train service between Brisbane and Cairns was suspended three weeks ago when the Queensland Rail Safety Regulator (QRSR) raised concerns amid an investigation into last year's fatal crash near Cardwell in far north Queensland last year that killed two train drivers.
Green groups are unconvinced by BHP Billiton's argument that the expansion of its Olympic Dam mine will have minimal impact on the Upper Spencer Gulf.
BHP Billiton has released the long-awaited draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the mine in South Australia's north.
There were 85 sightings for this week. This is nine sighting more than last week, making a total of 1305 sightings for this year to date. On day 115 last year we had recorded 1593 sightings.
We have seen eleven sighting on the B/G this week, which are four sightings more than last week. We have seen 9140 from Mildura three times this week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with G525(FA)+X39(FA) twice and XR553(FA)+X49(FA) on Friday. And we have seen five PN grain trains; a down train was seen on Monday night with BL32. Early Wednesday BL32 came in on the up and returned on the down late the same evening.
On Thursday XR554(FA)+XR557(PN) came in on the up and returned on the down at lunch time. And on Friday BL32 came in on the up early in the morning and went out on the down late in the night. And we saw one sighting of diverted 9141 to Mildura with X49?(FA)+XR553?(FA) on Friday night.
The Victorian government will spend $4 billion to improve the state's transport systems in Tuesday's state budget.
The Herald Sun newspaper says the record transport spend will be split evenly between roads and public transport and aimed at cutting overcrowding and delays on the rails and easing road congestion.
Figures supplied by the New South Wales Transport Minister's office show that the planned CBD Metro could run nearly 90 per cent empty when it first begins operation.
The CBD Metro is designed to run between Central and Rozelle, but figures show that when it opens it will not be hard to get a seat, with the Metro to run up to 87 per cent empty.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) has accused the Queensland Rail Safety Regulator (QRSR) of downplaying a fatal tilt train crash that killed two train drivers in the state's far north last year.
The Brisbane-to-Cairns tilt train service resumes today, after the QRSR cancelled services for more than three weeks because of safety concerns.
Next Tuesday's Victorian budget will allocate $562 million to extend the Epping railway line to South Morang.
The project will include three kilometres of new track, upgrades to the existing line and a new station.
The single track between Keon Park and Epping will be duplicated and a new double track from Epping to South Morang will be built.
US President Barack Obama has announced details of a new rail strategy for the United States, including plans to build high-speed passenger rail lines in at least 10 regions across the country.
Mr Obama says the US Government must make the investment to relieve congestion and help the environment.
He told a press conference that America's rail system will rival those in Europe and Japan.
NEW DELHI: The GMR group-led consortium that manages New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has approached the civil aviation ministry seeking more time to pay Rs 448 crore to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for constructing a metro rail corridor linking airport terminals to the city centre.
The group had agreed to pay 10% of the cost of building the 23-km metro rail link.
South-west Victorian councils are calling for millions of dollars to improve road and rail infrastructure.
The State Government hands downs its Budget tomorrow.
The message to the State Government is that the region's councils want the increasing freight burden to be carried by trains, not trucks travelling on local roads.
Melbourne rail operator Connex has been criticised after a driver failed to stop a train to help a guide dog that was trapped in a door.
The incident happened after the dog and its owner got on the train at Hallam Station, in the city's south-east, around 6:00pm AEST.
Queensland Rail (QR) says passengers can be assured of a safe trip on the Brisbane-to-Cairns tilt train service when it resumes this evening.
The service was cut last month due to safety concerns after a crash near Cardwell in the state's far north that killed two train drivers last year.
THE Victorian Government now spends less than any other state government in Australia relative to the needs of its state — despite above-average spending in areas such as health, education, roads and emergency services.
The Commonwealth Grants Commission estimates that in 2007-08 Victoria spent $97 for every $100 the states spent as a group, relative to the needs of constituents.
PASSENGERS on the first Cairns Tilt Train service since the train was pulled from the tracks were still none the wiser about the cause of the concern.
Last night 149 passengers boarded the train from Roma St, almost a month after it was taken out of service following a fatal accident in Cardwell last November.
Safety concerns raised during the investigation into the accident, which killed two train drivers, prompted Queensland Rail to remove the diesel train from service.
Sydney Ferries services will be shut down for seven hours on Thursday as union members vote on a new enterprise agreement.
More than $8 billion will be spent this year by on major projects in Victoria from a state budget meant to sustain 35,000 jobs through the continuing global economic slump.
Treasurer John Lenders said the budget was focused on making Victoria "recovery ready" by bringing forward spending on major projects, including the first stages of the state's 12-year transport plan.
However, new forecasts in the budget project unemployment in Victoria will jump from 5 per cent this year to 7 per cent next year. By 2011, unemployment is now expected to rise to 7.75 per cent and remain there until 2013.
The Victorian Government has handed down a Budget focused on infrastructure spending and jobs creation in the midst of the global economic downturn.
Treasurer John Lenders has released the 2009-2010 Budget, which centres on a record $11.5 billion infrastructure injection to the state.
Melbourne rail operator Connex is investigating an incident in which a guide dog's tail was stuck in a train door last night.
The incident happened after the dog and its owner got on the train at Hallam Station, in the city's south-east, around 6:00pm AEST.
A federal National party MP says $500 million is urgently needed to upgrade the Warrego Highway in southern Queensland.
Angry commuters have accused train and tram ticket inspectors of being bullies with bad attitudes.
Excessive force, intimidating behaviour and a heavy-handed approach were among readers' grievances following news of a surge in complaints against inspectors.
The Age last week reported the number of complaints against authorised officers to the Public Transport Ombudsman had soared more than 60 per cent in 12 months.
A feasibility study says a rail trail at Gundagai would cost $3.3 million and prove to be a valuable asset for the local economy.
Gundagai Shire Council director of engineering services Leon Patterson says federal and state funding would be sought for the trail between Coolac, Gundagai and Tumblong.
Mr Patterson says the trail could proceed even if the Tumut to Cootamundra rail line reopens for freight.
Victoria's peak motoring body says it expects to see more funding for regional road and rail infrastructure across the state.
Several major road and rail projects were announced in the State Budget, including the duplication of the Western Highway from Ballart to Stawell and improvements between Stawell and the South Australian border.
There is disappointment at a lack of funding in the State Budget for some local projects in north-east Victoria.
No funds were allocated to fix mould and termite problems at the Wodonga Senior Secondary School and some local members feel local government, roads and tourism projects have been neglected.
The Victorian Minister For Regional Development, Jacinta Allen, says north-east Victoria is well catered for.
A LONG-mooted 1900-kilometre inland railway connecting Brisbane and Melbourne and running though western NSW would not be financially viable, according to an analysis prepared for the Federal Government.
Preliminary findings from the analysis by the Australian Rail Track Corporation shows that the cheapest version of the inland railway, which would run through such towns as Parkes, Dubbo and Moree, would cost $2.8 billion to build.
Logistics services group Toll Holdings Ltd has made its second acquisition in Asia within a week, buying the remaining 49 per cent of Shenzhen-based ST-Anda Logistics it does not already own.
Toll is acquiring the stake from China Merchants Group for an undisclosed sum to expand its Chinese logistics operation.
A FIRE at a cargo railway station in Vietnam's capital Hanoi killed five workers and injured five others, an official said today.
The fire in the Giap Bat area of southern Hanoi destroyed a lot of goods in a station warehouse, said Nguyen Xuan Thuc, an official at the Vietnam Railway Cargo Transport Company.
New England's north-west features strongly in the preferred route for Australia's inland rail corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane.
The first stage of the study has been completed and is recommending the $3 billion route follow existing rail lines north to Werris Creek, Narrabri and Moree.
The Victorian Government has been condemned for a city-centric focus on infrastructure planning and failing to deal with Victoria's rapidly growing freight task.
The Alliance of Councils for Rail Freight Development says the Government has unveiled plans to spend $3 billion on transport infrastructure, but it will do little for regional Victoria.
There is disappointment in food production areas at the proposed route for the Melbourne to Brisbane inland rail route.
The Food Bowl Inland Rail Alliance wants the railway to go via the Narrandera, Jerilderie, Berrigan, Moira and Greater Shepparton shires.
Townsville City Council believes an upgrade for the Mt Isa to Townsville rail line should be a top priority in next week's Federal Budget.
Mayor Les Tyrell says roads are already an issue in north Queensland, and the lack of capacity on the rail line is making the problem worse.
The NSW Transport Minister, David Campbell, says the state Government will eventually go ahead with the planned west metro rail line, with or without federal Government funding.
The state Opposition says the Rees Government has again been snubbed, with speculation that it will only get a fraction of what it asked for from the Commonwealth for the west metro.
However, Mr Campbell says the line will go ahead.
A woman has died after her car was hit by a V/Line train south-east of Melbourne this morning.
The Melbourne-bound train hit the car on the railway tracks about 10.30am between Garfield and Bunyip.
Securities in ports an rail operator Asciano rose by around 18% following a media report that a takeover bid could be in the wings.
Asciano securities jumped 38 cents, or 27%, to close at $1.81.
GIP was part of a consortium last year that made an offer for Asciano but may now be going alone with a bid.
TPG Capital and GIP approached Asciano last August with an indicative, non-binding takeover offer of $4.40 per security, valuing the target at $3.07 billion.
Train services have resumed on the Caboolture line after a truck crashed through boom gates at a Bald Hills level crossing this morning.
Ten trains were backed up along the line from Bald Hills station north as police and Queensland Rail technicians attended to the accident on Telegraph Road about 8am.
A TransLink spokesman said the incident caused delays of up to 35 minutes on the Caboolture line, with only minor delays elsewhere on the network as a result.
More than $25 billion will be invested in key rail, road and port projects as part of next week's federal budget.
The spending will include a major heavy rail freight corridor linking Melbourne and Brisbane, The Australian newspaper reports
There were 84 sightings for this week. This is one sighting less than last week, making a total of 1474 sightings for this year to date. On day 129 last year we had recorded 1791 sightings.
We have seen nine sighting on the B/G this week, which are two sightings less than last week. We have seen 9140 from Mildura three times this week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with G525(FA)+X39(FA) on Monday and X49(FA)+XR553(FA) on Weds & Fri. And we saw two sighting of diverted 9141 to Mildura with XR55X(FA)+Xxx(FA) on Monday night, and with XR553?+X49?+XR?(F)+XR55X(P) on Wednesday night. And we have seen four PN grain trains; three up and one down trains, one of the trains had BL32(NR) and the other three had double XR’s.
VICTORIANS will pay millions of dollars more from July in a bid to improve the performance of Melbourne's beleaguered train service.
After paying $398 million a year for metropolitan train services for the past two years, the price of running the city's trains will increase by $35 million from the coming financial year. The big increase has been attributed to a new private contract to operate the trains, more services and better maintenance. Maintenance issues have plagued Melbourne's trains this year, with hundreds of trains cancelled.
AN INDIAN student was bashed and robbed by a racist gang in front of passengers on a train home on Saturday, adding his name to a growing list of young Indian victims in Melbourne.
Sourabh Sharma, 21, who came to Australia a year ago to study hospitality, found just the opposite when six thugs confronted him on the train home to Werribee.
A GO-AHEAD for the $170 million Seaford rail line will be a key boost for South Australia in the Federal Budget as Treasurer Wayne Swan unveils big-spending programs.
Southern commuters have been calling for years for faster, and more efficient, public transport for new growth areas. The latest move will extend the Noarlunga line by a further 7km to the Seaford shopping centre.
A rail union says the Queensland Government should reject a proposal to allow trains to operate with just one driver between Townsville and Cairns.
Freight company Pacific National has received approval by the Rail Safety Regulator to trial single driver trains from Townsville to Cairns.
The company says it completed an 18-month risk assessment and has used single drivers between Brisbane and Townsville since 2005.
Rail operator Connex is alarmed by a dramatic increase in the number of people train surfing in Victoria.
Connex says there is now nine reported cases a month with the Frankston, Pakenham and Lilydale lines proving the most popular.
The New South Wales Government is under increasing pressure to release a report on the future of Newcastle's CBD.
Newcastle Alliance chairman, Paul Murphy says the group has launched a freedom of information application to speed up the release of the report.
The Hunter Development Corporation's report investigates ways to rejuvenate Newcastle over the next 20 years.
The Port of Portland says this week's Federal Budget must invest in better ways to move freight around south-west Victoria.
The Victorian and South Australian Governments have asked the Commonwealth to fund a $340 million freight action plan for the green triangle region.
The Federal Member for Farrer in New South Wales, Sussan Ley, says road and rail projects should be given priority in tomorrow night's Federal Budget.
Ms Ley says while she hopes the Budget will have something for the Far West's struggling health system, the Government is more likely to fund infrastructure projects.
Debt-laden Australian ports operator Asciano Group said four parties were in talks to bid for the whole group, but warned that any offer might not be pitched above its share price.
"It should not be assumed that any of these discussions will result in a transaction or that if a change of control and/or recapitalisation transaction were to occur that it would be priced at a premium to recently traded prices in Asciano's securities," it said in response to a stock exchange query, after its shares jumped 27% last Friday.
A train journey of a different kind will take place in the lower Hunter today as a languishing coal locomotive with prized historic significance starts a new life.
Rail commuters can expect lengthy delays on the Werribee and Williamstown lines over the next three days after a V/Line train ruptured a diesel fuel tank yesterday afternoon.
Connex spokesman John Rees said the Environmental Protection Agency is cleaning up the contaminated diesel spill near Spotswood station in Melbourne's inner west.
"The EPA needs to dig out that section and replace it," Mr Rees said.
A consortium behind a multi billion dollar port and rail project in Western Australia's mid west says construction will start in 2011.
PORTS and rail freight operator Asciano Group is closer to reaching a deal to sell all or part of its businesses to lighten its crippling debt.
It is continuing discussions with four potential bidders, who are in the second stage of due diligence, Melbourne-based Asciano said in a statement.
The statement was in response to a stock exchange query about a 27 per cent jump to a six-month high of $1.81 of its stapled securities last Friday on big trading volumes.
The redevelopment of the Moe Train Station precinct has received a $2 million funding boost from the Victorian Government.
The project will include a new retail area, improved pedestrian access, public spaces and community facilities.
Adelaide will see several big transport projects funded from the federal Budget.
Treasurer Wayne Swan says $650 million will be provided from the Infrastructure Australia fund to upgrade rail services in Adelaide and the O-Bahn busway which serves the north-eastern suburbs.
Melbourne is the big winner under the Rudd government's plan to support jobs with more than $8 billion in spending on new roads, rails and ports across the nation.
Of the $8.5 billion in new transport investment, Melbourne will receive $3.2 billion for one project alone - a 40km dual rail link from West Werribee to the city's Southern Cross Station.
Construction is expected to commence next year with the project the be completed by 2014.
Brisbane's inner-city rail study has got the green light in tonight's federal budget with a $20 million investment to work out an underground route and a preferred way of funding the ambitious $14.2 billion project.
In a federal budget in which Treasurer Wayne Swan acknowledged a 2009-10 deficit of $57.6 billion or 4.9 per cent of Australia's gross domestic product, a $22 billion infrastructure hit in 2009-10 is the Federal Government's big push to save jobs.
Perth's stalled Northbridge Link project has a new lease of life after tonight's federal budget invested $236 million to kickstart the long-stalled city heart development.
Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese, who visited the site two weeks ago, said the project would "end the divide" in Perth's heart.
A NEW rail line, linking Melbourne's western suburbs with the city, has won $3.2 billion in federal funding, despite many of the big-ticket items in the Brumby Government's $38 million transport plan missing out on budget cash.
The 44 kilometres of new track disentangles regional and metropolitan trains and will run from west Werribee and Southern Cross station. The rail line or "regional rail express" is the biggest project funded nationally from the Building Australia Fund. It is expected to provide capacity for an extra 9000 regional and suburban rail passengers an hour when completed in 2014.
AUSTRALIA'S largest and most congested city has missed out on billions of dollars in funding for improved rail services after Sydney's long-term transport plan was shelved and the sector turned upside down.
Barely more than 1 per cent of the $8.5 billion the Federal Government will spend on road and rail projects will go to the State Government's promised $13 billion metro network, which includes the CBD Metro to Rozelle and the West Metro to Parramatta. And only $91 million for planning will go towards the projects.
The West Australian Premier, Colin Barnett, says $339 million the Commonwealth Government has committed to the Oakajee port in the Budget should mean construction of the project will start in 2011.
The company building the $4 billion project, Oakajee Port and Rail, hopes to complete the development by 2013.
Treasurer Wayne Swan and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd have begun selling their nation-building budget to the public this morning with a round of TV and radio interviews.
But the budget already has a big fan in Victorian Premier John Brumby, who says it has delivered the state the largest infrastructure spend it's seen.
The Mildura Development Corporation says it is disappointed plans for a rail link from Mildura to the transcontinental line near Broken Hill were not mentioned in the Budget.
Urgently required Tamper operators for IMMEDIATE start, FIFO Perth, more details please email tarps@extraman.com.au
Commuters boarding Melbourne's overcrowded trains will be confronted by a jungle of armpits as new overhead handrails are installed in a quarter of the Connex fleet. The 720 handrails, fitted to the ceiling in the entrance areas of 40 trains, are in response to demands from passengers for something to hang on to when they are packed into carriages.
The clean-up is continuing after a freight train derailed this morning near Colebrook in Tasmania's south-east.
No-one was injured in the incident but the Pacific National has confirmed it was carrying dangerous goods.
he Hepburn Shire wants a guarantee from the Victorian Government that small towns between Ballarat and Maryborough will benefit from the return of passenger trains.
The Queensland Property Council says it welcomes Federal Government funding for a light-rail system on the Gold Coast.
The Treasurer Wayne Swan committed $365 million for a rapid transit system when he handed down his Budget on Tuesday night.
The Property Council's executive director Steve Greenwood says the commitment shows the Federal Government views the Gold Coast as a major city in need of infrastructure.
Adelaide's rail yards have been rezoned to allow for the proposed new Royal Adelaide Hospital to be built there.
South Australian Planning Minister Paul Holloway says the rezoning allows for links to be developed to the River Torrens and linear park from West Terrace, as part of the hospital plan.
The Lithgow City Council is calling for the immediate release of findings from a study into the transport needs of the Central West.
The Commonwealth funded study has been completed but is yet to be made public.
Local councils have raised concerns the region could miss out on infrastructure funding because the findings are to be used to advise the Government on required road and rail upgrades.
Oxley MP Andrew Stoner says the commitment for a Kempsey by-pass is welcome but funding for the region has been short-changed by this week's Federal Budget.
Mr Stoner says it looks like plans to create an inland freight rail corridor have been abandoned and that will mean more heavy traffic on the Pacific Highway.
The Federal Government has acknowledged some Tasmanian infrastructure priorities missed out on economic stimulus funding in this week's Budget.
The government insists the projects are still in line for future funding and that Tasmania did get a fair deal.
Queensland Rail says it is concerned some motorists are still not heeding safety warnings at level crossings.
The concern comes as a bus driver has been issued with a notice to appear in court after allegedly ignoring flashing lights at a southern Queensland crossing.
The NSW Minerals Council says a $135 million rail project at Singleton is further proof key stakeholders are committed to eradicating bottlenecks on the Hunter region's coal chain.
Supporters of the campaign to return rail services to the Casino-to-Murwillumbah line are rallying in Lismore this morning.
Andy Gough from the Northern Rivers Greens says while he was disappointed the project was overlooked in this week's federal Budget, it is still alive.
Britain began construction work on a landmark Stg16 billion ($A32.03 billion) rail line through London from west to east, 35 years after plans for the project were first mooted.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and London Mayor Boris Johnson trumpeted the launch of Crossrail, which will notably link Heathrow airport to the Docklands financial district, as a much-needed economic shot in the arm.
There are more problems for Tasmania's rail system.
Another freight train derailment at Colebrook early this morning has put the focus back on the network's condition and whether it deserved a bigger slice of the Federal Budget.
The track's disrepair is likely to make the job of finding a new operator even harder.
The Commonwealth has already put millions of dollars towards upgrading Tasmania's rail network.
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An Age journalist overlooks validating her Metcard at the start of her journey. In contrast to the regular blogs on ticket-inspectors, she recounts her story of what happened after she asked the attendant at the ticket barrier at her destination to validate it for her.
There were 90 sightings for this week. This is four sightings more than last week, making a total of 1564 sightings for this year to date. On day 136 last year we had recorded 1894 sightings.
We have seen 12 sighting on the B/G this week, which are three more than last week. We have seen 9140 from Mildura three times this week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with X49(FA)+XR553(FA) on Monday and G525(FA)+A85(FA) on Weds & Fri. And we saw three sighting of diverted 9141 to Mildura with G525(FA)+A85(FA) on Monday and Wednesday night, and with G525(FA)+X39?(FA)+XR558?(PN)+XR554?(FA) on Friday night. And we have seen six PN grain trains; four up and two down trains, two of the trains had BL32(NR)+XR557(PN)+XR552(FA) and the other four had double XR’s.
LIKE hundreds of thousands of Melburnians, Brendan Elvey depends on public transport to get to work.
But while others struggle to find a seat on trams and trains, Mr Elvey never has that problem. Because the only public transport for the 4500 people who live at Lakeside Pakenham estate runs just once an hour in each direction during peak times, few are willing to put up with the inconvenience. So there's always room.
THE dual railway line to Flemington Racecourse and Royal Melbourne Showgrounds is being wasted and should be extended three kilometres to a planned new suburb on the Maribyrnong River, a former lord mayor says.
Kevin Chamberlin said extending the line would allow it to service 3000 homes planned for the suburb and the Highpoint Shopping Centre, potentially taking thousands of cars off inner-city streets.
The federal government handed out an appropriate level of infrastructure funding to each state in the budget, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese says.
NSW received a quarter of the newly announced federal spend on rail, road and port projects, getting $2.2 billion of the total $8.5 billion outlay.
The chairman of Infrastructure Australia (IA) has refused to be drawn about the quality of submissions presented by New South Wales for consideration by the Federal Government for last week's Budget.
A train that derailed in the Barossa Valley yesterday is expected to be removed from the tracks during the day.
Eleven of the train's 23 carriages derailed at Nuriootpa about 1:00pm ACST.
Thousands of commuters ran late for work this morning as a sick passenger and points failures caused major delays across the entire metropolitan train network.
City-bound trains on all lines were kept waiting for more than 20 minutes before they crawled into the city loop as Connex tried to clear a build-up of services caused by several incidents on the Cranbourne-Pakenham and Frankston lines earlier this morning.
The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is close to getting a commitment from mining companies and other stakeholders to jointly fund the $1 billion Murrundi rail tunnel.
Last year the Commonwealth allocated $300 million to the Liverpool Ranges tunnel as part of a major infrastructure package.
CountryLink says its rail services through the north-east New South Wales will operate as normal this week after a rail crossing accident.
A ute driver and his passenger had a lucky escape near Uralla when the vehicle collided with the northbound Xplorer at the Wollun Road Crossing on Friday evening.
A new report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau shows there was an increase in the number of trespassers hit by trains in New South Wales last year.
In the eight years from 2001, the state's railway system accounted for a third of the nation's train travel, but recorded half the national number of people hit by a train.
Tasmania's north-south rail line is to be closed for several weeks after a major derailment at Colebrook in the south three days ago.
Infrastructure Minister Graeme Sturges says the suspension will affect container cargo trains and newsprint from Boyer.
The South Australian Government has appointed US transport expert Fred Hansen as its next Thinker in Residence.
The Government says Mr Hansen, who served in the Environmental Protection Agency under former President Bill Clinton, has recently been asked to oversee sustainability operations of the American Public Transport Association.
An Australian textile manufacturer says the New South Wales Government has overlooked local companies for a multi-million dollar upholstery contract for 600 new train carriages.
The public-private deal states that a fabric called moquette must be used for the train's seats, but moquette is only made overseas.
A Bondi man allegedly threatened a commuter with a sword while travelling on a train to Central Station yesterday.
The 36-year-old was on a train from Helensburgh when he allegedly brandished the one-metre long weapon about 2pm, police said.
A Connex train driver administered CPR to a man who was found dead on a peak hour train yesterday morning, according to a commuter.
Passengers found the body of a man, thought to be in his 60s, as their train pulled into Flinders Street station from Sandringham just after 7.30am yesterday.
The New South Wales Opposition has vowed to push ahead with plans to scrap the $5 billion CBD Metro system if it wins office at the next state election.
But the head of the Metro Authority Les Weilinga says a binding contract will be locked in before the 2011 vote.
The next stage of the New South Wales Government's review of train station staffing has been postponed for an urgent union meeting with RailCorp.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union called this morning's meeting to seek more community input into the review process.
RailCorp was due to begin reviewing staff levels on the Western, North Shore and Northern lines from today.
TRANSPORT experts feared Melbourne trains found to be riddled with rust last year might have come apart during peak periods.
New documents show Government transport experts had no confidence that the seven Hitachi trains affected by rust could "withhold a crush load".
The Government classifies a crush load as more than 798 passengers in a six-carriage train, which occurs regularly during peak-hour services.
ALMOST a third of long-distance truck drivers have used stimulants such as amphetamines, research shows.
Work pressure is a key factor, it shows.
Ann Williamson of the University of NSW said use of stimulants was higher among drivers who were paid on how productive they were rather than by the hour.
A survey by the university showed drivers on stimulants worked an average 71.4 hours a week and those who were not averaged 65 hours.
Miner Coalworks Ltd says a bankable feasibility study (BFS) is underway for the development of its Oaklands North mine in New South Wales.
Coalworks said engineers Minarco-MineConsult would act as study manager of the BFS for the Oaklands North project near Albury in southern NSW.
he Rail, Tram and Bus Union has accused Railcorp of lying about changes to staff numbers on the Illawarra-South Coast rail line in New South Wales.
Railcorp says up to 50 extra staff, which includes 28 relief staff, will be employed along the line after a review of station staff was finalised.
SICK commuters are the leading cause of late trains, sparking calls for all railway stations to have staff.
A Connex analysis of late trains seen by the Herald Sun shows that trains were delayed while staff looked after ill commuters.
But with no staff on most stations, caring for passengers is the responsibility of the driver.
The documents reveal that more than 3000 train services were delayed by ill passengers in four months last year.
Connex has denied any link between overcrowded trains and commuters becoming unwell.
The next most common causes of delays were overcrowding, major events and rail network congestion.
Australia's multitude of urban commuters should count themselves as winners in this year's federal Budget, writes Greg Harvey, national secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.
This Federal Government has become the first in Australia's history to commit significant funding to urban rail passenger transport.
Planners for the Wollongong City Council on the central New South Wales coast have recommended multi-storey developments around a number of the city's railway stations.
Queensland Rail (QR) has confirmed it is considering the future of some rail services to central Queensland.
Banana Shire Mayor John Hooper has expressed concerns that QR may be planning to withdraw some freight rail services from Biloela.
Short-term stimulus is crucial, but so is long-term growth, writes Wayne Kayler-Thomson.
THIS month's federal and state budgets have brought the short-term stimulus effect of infrastructure spending into focus.
The Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry supports these measures but believes it is essential for government to maintain perspective in its rush to inject economic stimulus via the infrastructure syringe.
The teenage train surfer who risked his life by hitching a ride on the back of a speeding train has defended his actions, saying he did it because the Connex service was too packed to get a seat.
Horrified onlookers near Camberwell station, in Melbourne's east, photographed the 19-year-old riding on the back of the Belgrave-Lilydale train on Friday night.
THESE are the French-made trams with a Spanish connection that the State Government hopes will help ease the passenger crush on Adelaide's line.
The Sunday Mail understands the Government is close to sealing a deal to import up to six trams from Madrid to run on the City-to-Bay tramline. The French-made Alstom Citadis trams are scheduled to be in service by December. The Government last year announced a worldwide tender to lease or buy extra trams to run alongside the existing 11 Bombardier Flexity Classic trams. The Madrid trams will bolster the current fleet, which has recorded a drop in punctuality since the State Government spent $31 million extending the tramline north from Victoria Square to the city's West End in October, 2007.
LAST week's column about being nabbed by Connex's inflexible ticket inspectors hit such a nerve that a second instalment seems necessary, which won't at all please straight-talking George from Grovedale who believes I should consider the trees before I write, or Len from Box Hill, who said that if I decided to speed down the emergency lane of the "Monash freeway car park" and got sprung I wouldn't be blaming Roads Minister Tim Pallas for traffic congestion. Too right, I'd expect to be fined for endangering people's lives. Reckless driving doesn't compare — in any case, speeding fines vary according to the size of your vehicle and the speed at which you are caught, starting with $141.81 for cars going no more than 10 km/h above the limit. With Connex it's one fine fits all — $167 for "making a journey without a valid ticket".
A plan to extend Sydney's inner-west light rail line will be examined today by the New South Wales Government.
The light rail line currently runs from Central station through to Lilyfield in the city's inner-west.
It is understood the Transport Minister David Campbell will today take a plan to extend the line to a cabinet committee.
The trial of the truck driver involved in the 2007 fatal level crossing crash in Kerang will begin in Bendigo in central Victoria today.
There were 85 sightings for this week. This is five sightings less than last week, making a total of 1649 sightings for this year to date. On day 143 last year we had recorded 1996 sightings.
We have had a few problems seeing some sightings this week with three nights and mornings with no wind and thick fog.
We have seen 10 sighting on the B/G this week, which are two less than last week. We have seen 9140 from Mildura three times this week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, with Fridays train having a four loco lash up of, XR553(FA)+X43(FA)+XR554(FA)+XR558(PN). And we saw one sighting of diverted 9141 to Mildura with G525?(FA)+XR55X(FA) on Friday night. And we have seen four PN grain trains; two up and two down trains, three of the trains included BL32 in three loco lash ups. We also saw two unidentified trains, one may have been a 9141 on Wednesday and the other could have been an up grain on Friday?
The historic Q150 train has arrived in Mackay without the iconic steam engine.
Problems with overheating and water pipes meant the engine could not leave Rockhampton.
A heritage diesel engine pulled the the fully restored carriages into the Mackay station yesterday afternoon.
Teresa Keleher from the Q150 crew says it is always exciting when the train pulls into a new stop.
Construction of a multi-million dollar deep sea port at Barry Beach in South Gippsland will begin in two weeks.
Korumburra company Ancon is spending $8.5 million on the project after a 10 year planning process.
Managing director John Anthony says Gippsland industries will be able to export and import goods from a local port.
LATROBE Valley's rapidly growing clean coal industry has helped instigate a $100,000 study to identify future transport infrastructure improvements.
The State Government will provide the funding to the newly formed Gippsland Resource Infrastructure Development (GRID) organisation to help undertake the study.
The study will examine potential road, rail, pipeline and ports development projects needed to ensure the region is well-equipped to drive industry growth and expansion.
A truck driver failed to heed flashing lights and warning bells when he ploughed his semi-trailer into a train near Kerang killing 11 people, the Supreme Court has heard.
Christiaan Bernard Scholl, 50, is standing trial in Bendigo, facing 11 counts of culpable driving and eight of negligently causing serious injury.
He was driving a semi-trailer that crashed into a Melbourne-bound V/Line passenger train at a level crossing north of Kerang on June 5, 2007.
The New South Wales opposition has slammed a RailCorp advertising campaign that encourages commuters not to huddle together like penguins on train platforms.
The ads aim to get people to spread out so that it takes less time to board a train.
An education blitz is underway at Town Hall station, which is one of the Sydney's most crowded.
A SECRET State Government document has revealed the reasons Melbourne's train system has all but ground to a halt.
Faulty brakes, broken doors, signal problems and level crossing incidents have caused delays as have vandals, drug-affected and drunken passengers and trespassers wandering near train lines.
The information comes from a Public Transport Safety Victoria document obtained by opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder.
Plans for the 25th anniversary of Hunter Valley Steamfest could put the eyes of the world on Maitland.
An ambitious proposal for next year’s program is a four-train parallel run that would see a quadrella of gleaming steam engines hurtling along the tracks, side-by-side.
A rail crossing where 11 people died after their passenger train was hit by a truck was a "time bomb" that had recorded six near-misses before the fatal crash, a court has heard.
Christiaan Scholl on Tuesday faced the opening day of his Supreme Court trial over the crash in northern Victoria in 2007.
Prosecutor Peter Rose, SC, said Scholl had failed to keep a proper lookout and failed to slow his heavily laden Kenworth truck as he approached the crossing near Kerang, despite bells and warning lights.
Tasmania's north-south rail line could remain closed for another month.
The State Government and Pacific National have agreed to a works program that will include re-laying more than 1,000 lengths of rail and thousands of sleepers.
Highly-paid senior management at RailCorp are being protected while station staff jobs are axed, according to the rail workers union and the NSW opposition.
The opposition says it has obtained leaked documents detailing the government's plans to axe 600 rail staff across the CityRail network.
According to the documents, the NSW government is proposing to cut staff numbers at 58 stations to improve service delivery by turning stations into automated platforms.
Almost 300 new services will be added to Melbourne's busy rail network from July as the Government and Connex strive to keep up with strong demand.
But the new services will offer little relief for struggling peak-hour commuters, with most of the new services being added to the Werribee line between 9am and 4pm.
Train services during the day on the Werribee line, which is one of Melbourne's most crowded, will increase from three trains per hour to six trains per hour.
A woman has told of a noise like an explosion when the train she was travelling on collided with a semi-trailer, killing 11 people.
Adreinne Rowell gave evidence during the Supreme Court trial of truck driver Christian Scholl, 50, who is facing 11 counts of culpable driving and eight counts of negligently causing serious injury over the 2007 crash at a level-crossing north of Kerang in Victoria.
Rail passengers have been delayed by more than five hours due to a fire on board the Indian Pacific train in outback South Australia.
A fire in the cabin forced the locomotive to stop at Wynbring, west of Tarcoola, on Thursday night.
A Western Queensland mayor says he is worried about how the small town of Alpha will cope with massive coal mining projects being planned for the area.
Waratah Coal has announced a $7.5 billion project which will create 6,500 jobs during construction.
Sydney mayors say they are calling the state Government's bluff by agreeing to help fund a feasibility study into a light rail extension through the inner west.
Earlier this week, the Government said it would examine the cost of the proposal - as long as inner-city councils that had lobbied for light rail chipped in.
A legal dispute between the contractors on the Perth to Mandurah rail line and the State Government has been settled.
The Minister for Transport, Simon O'Brien, says Leighton Contractors had sought more than $270 million to settle all outstanding matters relating to the project.
The Queensland Council of Unions (QCU) says Treasurer Andrew Fraser did not mention the sale of rail, power or port assets during a meeting earlier this month.
Mr Fraser says he met union officials two weeks ago and told them privatisation was on the table.
There is a call for Griffith's rail freight terminal to be moved after a train derailed yesterday, stopping just short of houses.
Four carriages of a heavily laden goods train came off the track shortly after 10:00pm AEST, knocking down trees and blocking Wakaden Street well into last night.
It had been reversing into the yard and nobody was hurt.
A campaign against Queensland Rail's (QR) decision to call for international tenders for a major train building contract will be launched by workers in Maryborough today.
More than 500 employees from regional manufacturers Downer EDI and Bombardier will meet their union to discuss QR's decision to open the tender process for the construction of 500 rail passenger cars to overseas companies.