Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says state debt will reduce as assets are sold.
Ms Bligh visited Yeppoon in central Queensland on the third day of a tour to promote jobs and infrastructure.
Earlier today, she inspected a rail yard near Sarina that will be sold as part of Queensland Rail's coal business.
A PEAK rail service for Queanbeyan could be down the track following a call for a study that would look at more effective use of the Canberra to Goulburn rail line.
Such a service would be part of a suite of measures aimed at improving future transport services between Canberra, Queanbeyan and Goulburn as population grows and traffic congestion intensifies.
Queanbeyan-Monaro Greens member Katrina Willis said the party had approached the NSW Government to undertake a feasibility study, which would assess a peak rail service along with a number of other strategies aimed at more robust integration of Queanbeyan and Canberra bus services.
The New South Wales Government will begin work this week on developing a new transport blueprint for the state.
The Government has drawn together a panel of six experts to give it advice on long term transport solutions.
The former head of the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) Paul Forward will chair the panel which also includes the former Planning Minister Craig Knowles, who quit politics four years ago.
The New South Wales Opposition says 83 peak hour trains on the South Coast and the Illawarra lines were cancelled over the past financial year.
The information was obtained using freedom of information (FOI) legislation and shows that a number of the cancellations were unexplained.
Victorian taxpayers will pour $97 million a year into the new operator of Melbourne's tram network, Keolis Downer EDI.
Victorian Premier John Brumby said Keolis Downer EDI (KDR) had pledged to lift punctuality from 78 per cent to 82 per cent and reduce cancellations across the term of its contract.
Three men including a former Olympic cyclist were killed in a fiery car crash in Melbourne two years ago because of a truck driver's complete stupidity, a Victorian judge says.
Justice Mark Weinberg said David Lawrence Kalwig was a thoroughly experienced driver but he failed to slow down in Melbourne's Burnley Tunnel on March 23, 2007 when he saw a truck stopped in the lane ahead.
Kalwig, 44, swerved his prime mover to miss the stationary truck and in doing so instigated a chain of collisions that resulted in a fiery crash, three deaths and the evacuation of 300 people from the tunnel under Melbourne's Yarra River.
A consortium including Leighton Holdings Ltd subsidiary John Holland and United Group Ltd will operate Melbourne's passenger train network for at least the next eight years.
The Victorian government on Tuesday reached financial agreement with Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM), which comprises John Holland, United Group Rail Services Ltd and Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR).
A NEW word will soon be on the lips of rail commuters after Melbourne's train operator decided on a fresh title.
The Connex name will disappear from Melbourne's trains in favour of the name "Metro".
The name change will come into effect on November 30.
Metro has promised to cut cancellations by 24 per cent, improve punctuality by 10 per cent and have staff at an extra 22 stations
The planned suspension of the Camurra to Weemelah rail line will go ahead today as planned.
GrainCorp had hoped for further talks with the Government this week, concerned about what it felt was the lack of consultation before the suspension.
The WA Premier, Colin Barnett says he is expecting formal notification within days of BHP Billiton's plan to merge its Pilbara iron ore assets with Rio Tinto.
Mr Barnett met BHP's chief executive Marius Kloppers yesterday, for the second time since the deal was announced in June.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will send officers to the site of a derailment in north-west Queensland today.
Queensland Rail (QR) says 14 wagons on a freight train derailed yesterday afternoon - about 70 kilometres east of Cloncurry.
The Victorian Government has been accused of paying more to the new rail and tram operators, while, at the same time, reducing service obligations.
The Government officially signed-off on the seven year contracts yesterday.
New South Wales Transport Minister David Campbell has rejected the Opposition's claims the South Coast and Illawarra rail lines are suffering from an increasing number of breakdowns and cancellations.
Auckland is unlikely to get electric trains until 2014, and may have to accept a smaller fleet in time for the Rugby World Cup than the Government is buying Wellingtonians.
Onkaparinga mayor Lorraine Rosenberg says the Seaford rail extension has been a long time coming.
Work on the $300 million project is starting today.
Police say a woman in the car which crashed into a tram has been detained under the Mental Health Act after running from the scene.
Queensland Rail (QR) is continuing to clean up at the site of a train derailment in north-west Queensland where lead concentrate spilled from carriages.
Fourteen wagons on a freight train came off the track near Cloncurry earlier this week.
The future of a proposed rail tunnel or crossing in the Upper Hunter will become clearer today, with the big mining companies meeting rail officials in Newcastle.
The Liverpool Range crossing was first proposed more than a decade ago.
Newcastle business leaders are hopeful a report recommending cutting the rail line into the city will get final approval today from New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees.
Mr Rees is in the region for a jobs summit but will also meet members of the Fix our City campaign, which is pushing for his endorsement of the Hunter Development Corporation's (HDC) City Centre Renewal Report.
Two men will face a Goulburn court today charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl on a train.
The 17-year-old girl was asleep on the Melbourne to Sydney train early on Thursday, when she was woken by two men who allegedly sexually assaulted her.
BILLIONS of dollars spent building freeways across Melbourne since 1995 have failed to deliver the spectacular time savings promised to justify their construction, a study to be published today shows.
Police officers attending at the Waterfall train crash, sue over trauma arising from the crash. Reforms to liability by the Carr government mean that their injury is not one for which they're eligible for compensation.
A 28-year-old man was was stabbed in the neck with a shard of glass after he was attacked by a group of up to 10 males near a Melbourne city train station overnight.
Police are reviewing CCTV footage in a bid to identify the offender who stabbed the man outside the City Hatters shop near Flinders Street station about 1.15am today.
There were 91 sightings for this week. This is two sightings less than last week, making a total of 2960 sightings for this year to date. On day 248 last year we had recorded 3520 sightings.
We have seen six sighting on the B/G this week, which is one less than last week.
Queensland Rail says a passenger train has derailed in Brisbane's CBD.
A spokeswoman says a section of wheels on one of the carriages slipped off the tracks on the Cleveland line near Central Station about 8am AEST this morning.
The Tasmanian Government has struck a deal to buy the state's freight rail assets.
The Government announced it was buying Pacific National's local operations more than two months ago, and has since been negotiating the details.
Some Port Adelaide residents are worried about the environmental impact of a magnetite export plan.
A public meeting at Port Adelaide has given them a chance to voice concerns about possible dust pollution and noise levels.
A man has been taken to hospital after his car and a tram collided in inner suburban Melbourne.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesman said crews were called to the intersection of Bridge Road and Hosie Street, Richmond, about 9am to find the 20-year-old trapped inside his car with significant pelvic pain.
A long awaited meeting has been arranged between RailCorp and Bathurst residents pushing for a daily commuter rail link to Sydney.
The talks will be held next month to discuss concerns raised by the rail organisation about fitting the proposed service into the metropolitan timetable.
The Tasmanian Treasurer says the Government will use savings to fund its takeover of freight rail services.
The Government has finalised a deal to take over Pacific National's local operations on December 1.
The deal is worth $32 million, and needs parliamentary approval.
COMMUTERS sick of chronic overcrowding can look forward to a new underground rail service tipped to slash congestion on north and western lines.
It will come with a $100 million underground station at Parkville to service the hospital and university sector.
The new service will link Flinders St station with Melbourne Central and on to Parkville before joining up with the Footscray line.
A man has suffered facial injuries in an alleged peak-hour assault on a train in Melbourne's north-east.
Ambulance officers were called to Montmorency Railway Station just before 8am and treated a man, believed to be in his 60s, for facial injuries, an Ambulance Victoria spokesman said.
Victorian Premier John Brumby is expected to today unveil plans for a $100 million underground rail line aimed at easing congestion of train services in Melbourne's north and west.
The project is a key part of the underground rail expansion that helps to underpin the $38 billion Victorian Transport Plan.
A mining company says it has hopes for at least five new coal projects in central Queensland over the next few years.
Bandanna Energy says it is investigating a range of projects, including the Dingo, Alpha, Springsure and Emerald areas.
Scoping works will begin soon on a proposed rail tunnel under Melbourne, despite the project remaining unfunded.
The $4.5 billion rail tunnel, which includes new stations at Parkville and St Kilda Road, is part of the Victorian Government's Transport Plan.
But the plan is wholly reliant on federal funding.
Several freight companies have expressed interest in using the New South Wales central west's five rail branch lines, which are facing closure.
Consultants have inspected the tracks' condition and have rated the Cowra to Demondrille route very good, while the Cowra to Blayney is reasonably sound, despite being unused recently.
The West Australian Government says it will look for an earlier opening for the Oakajee port after granting final approval for a new iron ore mine in the mid-west.
The Environment Minister, Donna Faragher, yesterday gave final environmental approval to Gindalbie Metals for its Karara project, east of Karratha.
A fully integrated road, rail and air hub called Grand Central should be established in Scotland to help boost economic growth, a leading think tank has recommended.
Reform Scotland says the hub around Edinburgh Airport should be the centrepiece of a £25bn revolution in transport policy.
High-speed rail links to Grand Central would make journey times from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling 20 minutes or less while travel time from Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness would also be radically reduced.
The hub would serve as a terminus to any London-Scotland high speed rail line, greatly improving access to key markets in other parts of the UK. Reform Scotland puts the cost of high speed rail links between Grand Central and the country’s major cities at around £25bn.
THE construction of the CBD Metro looks set to produce five years of increased traffic, noise and the demolition of cherished heritage buildings, as the State Government embarks on the largest CBD building project since the Harbour Bridge.
An environmental assessment of the metro released yesterday revealed a series of impacts.
People living near the many construction sites will be most affected.
THE State Government's claim that the CBD Metro will carry up to 28,000 passengers an hour is based on a modelling method never used before for a big public transport project in NSW, raising doubts about the accuracy of the figures.
Four months ago the Government said the $5.3 billion link would carry just 8000 passengers during the morning peak. The environmental assessment for the project released yesterday predicts passenger figures of more than triple that number.
Queensland Opposition leader John-Paul Langbroek says rapid transit is not the answer to the Gold Coast's traffic congestion.
Mr Langbroek says a coastal light rail network will not help most residents.
Britomart Train Station has reopened following a bomb scare this [Friday] morning.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 12/9/2009.
There were 87 sightings for this week. This is four sightings less than last week, making a total of 3047 sightings for this year to date. On day 255 last year we had recorded 3609 sightings.
We have seen five sighting on the B/G this week, which is one less than last week.-
A train passenger terrified after being smashed in the face with a glass bottle at a Melbourne station has moved home and refuses to catch public transport.
The 34-year-old, who only wanted to be known as Francis, said his life had been shattered by the weekend attack.
The technology engineer was waiting for a city-bound train at Berwick railway station to take him to work around 4.30am on Saturday when he was approached by a bare-chested man carrying an empty, stubby-sized bottle, according to police.
TRUCKS could be banned from right-hand lanes on Melbourne's busy freeways.
Victorian Roads Minister Tim Pallas said he was considering whether to ban trucks from specific lanes on roads such as the Monash Freeway.
''The Government is continuing to look at all issues, and I think we do need to recognise there are genuine community concerns about the interaction between cars and trucks,'' he said.
WHEN two trucks and a ute collided on Melbourne's busiest road at 7am yesterday, the impact reverberated across the city. Thousands were late to work, businesses lost productivity and a major Melbourne transport weakness was again exposed - dependence on the West Gate-Monash freeway.
AS THE Rees Government prepares to unveil the environmental impact assessment for the CBD Metro today, documents have emerged showing the Government was advised the best way to reduce rail congestion was to build a new heavy rail line between the south-west and north-west suburbs via downtown Sydney.
The New South Wales Greens are threatening to block proposed legislation that could be used to unlock the Newcastle rail corridor for developers.
Greens' MP Lee Rhiannon says the Rees Government wants to remove more than a century of legal protection for thousands of kilometres of rail tracks in the state.
A $779 MILLION vision for a tram network across the western suburbs has been unveiled by local councils.
The plan which incorporates routes from the city to Adelaide Airport and along Grange Rd to Grange is the key feature of a report from Melbourne consultants Linqage International.
Jointly commissioned by Port Adelaide Enfield, West Torrens, Charles Sturt, Holdfast Bay and Adelaide councils, the scoping study calls for an extensive network of tracks and 36 trams to be established north and west of the city.
VICTORIAN taxpayers will spend almost $5 million hiring ''myki mates'' - customer service staff who will rove the public transport network to help confused travellers understand the new smartcard system.
The Government's ticketing authority has signed a $4.5 million contract with the Skilled Group, which will recruit, train and manage 600 casual staff to help passengers cope with myki's introduction this year.
THE Rees Government has opened the door to developers wanting to take over large tracts of the state's rail system, using legislation that would give the Transport Minister authority to sell rail land and rip up tracks.
At an estimates committee hearing yesterday the minister, David Campbell, confirmed that proposed amendments to the Transport Administration Act would allow for commercial redevelopment of rail land.
The union representing Queensland Rail (QR) workers says new safety measures introduced last week are detrimental to staff.
QR now requires barriers around on-track and mobile machinery, and vehicles must be turned off before people can enter the work area.
Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Owen Doogan says he has already received one complaint of a back injury caused by the new restrictions.
It has been revealed that commuters on some of CityRail's longest trips will not be guaranteed toilets under a new timetable.
The new south coast timetable comes with a warning that suburban Tangaras without toilets will be used on some services.
V/Line says it expects to finish repairing damaged railway tracks near Camperdown by this evening.
The tracks were damaged when a passenger train derailed after hitting fallen trees on Saturday night.
A State Parliamentary inquiry has been told that parts of the Adelaide-Glenelg tram track had to be replaced soon after an upgrade because old rails were used.
Auckland is about to gain its first rail network extension since 1930 as a $90 million branch line for Manukau's city centre moves into its main construction phase.
MELBOURNE'S busiest rail lines have hit record levels of overcrowding as operator Connex struggles to cope with unprecedented patronage.
The high numbers of people squeezing on to trains were revealed in an internal Department of Transport report in May, obtained by the The Sunday Age under freedom-of-information laws. It shows the Sydenham and Pakenham lines carry more passengers than ever, with most peak-hour services breaching the ''maximum capacity'' of 798.
Gheringhap Sightings w/e 19/9/2009.
There were 94 sightings for this week. This is seven sightings more than last week, making a total of 3141 sightings for this year to date. On day 262 last year we had recorded 3706 sightings.
We have seen ten sighting on the B/G this week, which is twice as many as last week.
Labor made big promises before being elected in 1999. Reid Sexton investigates what happened to them.
WHEN Labor unexpectedly won power in Victoria 10 years ago, its ambitious promises of a well-oiled, far-reaching, more reliable public transport system were almost enough to dry the tears of those lamenting the loss of Melbourne's tram conductors under the Kennett government.
Trains and trams had just been privatised and Labor's pre-election transport manifesto, Rebuilding the Transport Network, detailed plans for an extended rail network into the outer suburbs, a rapid transit link to Melbourne Airport and fast regional rail services.
The Age reports that a shortage of trams and drivers means that more trams are not completing their runs. Rather there is more short-shunting and fewer block-cars.
A Japanese toddler who strayed onto rail tracks got away with scratches after a train ground to a halt on top of her, police and rescuers say.
The driver spotted the girl standing on the tracks in Suzaka City, north-west of Tokyo, and applied the train's emergency brakes.
The Queensland Government says it will cooperate fully with an investigation into three companies accused of price fixing.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) alleges Queensland construction companies TF Woollam and Son, JM Kelly and Carmichael Builders colluded on four occasions when submitting tenders for projects around Queensland.
he southern Gold Coast is expected to have easier access to the Brisbane rail network by Christmas.
The line has been extended from Robina to Varsity Lakes and the Member for Burleigh says the $324 million project is expected to take about 400 cars off the road.
Some metropolitan Adelaide train services are not running this afternoon, because TransAdelaide says drivers have fallen ill.
The Grange and Tonsley services have been replaced by buses.
IN an east coast first, Swiss miner Xstrata plans to bring some competitive tension to the Hunter Valley coal railway by buying three big coal trains and hauling its own coal to Newcastle Port.
The manager of a North Queensland abattoir says QR's refusal to reinstate a rail service is creating a less competitive beef industry.
There are concerns there aren't enough trains to shift Victoria's next grain harvest.
A LACK of maintenance has seen speed restrictions imposed on trains across Melbourne as the rail network crumbles.
Speeds have been cut by up to 65km/h because the poor state of tracks would make normal limits dangerous.
The speed restrictions add up to two minutes extra to each trip, which can lead to chronically late services throughout the day.
THOUSANDS of bus stop and train station schedule displays will be changed this weekend to reflect new bus and train timetables effective from this Sunday, September 27.
Transport Department acting executive director of public transport Kevin O'Callaghan said 3500 signs had been installed at bus stops alerting customers of the changes and 8000 timetable displays would be changed over the weekend.
A DUTCH freight train has rammed into another, killing one driver, but passengers on another train which then collided with one of them were unhurt, the rail service and police say.
THE Queensland Government has proposed a major new road tunnel to ease traffic congestion in Brisbane's booming western suburbs.
A plan released today shows a bypass could be built linking the Centenary Highway underground from Toowong to Everton Park, where roads lead to the Bruce Highway.
A car driver had a lucky escape tonight after his vehicle was crushed by a passenger train on the tracks near Croydon station.
The train, travelling outbound on the Lilydale line, was derailed in the crash at about 9.15pm, but its driver and passengers were not injured.
A CULTURE of secrecy surrounding the Brumby Government's transport plans has left the public with little knowledge of how Melbourne's rail problems can be solved, a senior consultant to the Government has said.
Edward Dotson, a former Victorian transport bureaucrat and World Bank rail planner, was asked last year by the Government to assess whether a $8.5 billion, 17-kilometre rail tunnel from Footscray to Caulfield should be built.
Ports and rail operator Asciano Group still expects this financial year will be tough but says it is well placed to grow earnings, especially in 2010/11.
"Looking forward to 2009/10, Asciano continues to take a prudent approach and plan for a continued difficult operating environment," Asciano chairman Tim Poole and managing director Mark Rowsthorn said in the group's 2009 annual report released on Monday.
The removal of disused rail lines will be given an airing in the New South Wales Parliament today after the introduction of a bill by Transport Minister David Campbell.
The proposed legislation, called the Rail Trails Bill, will allow the Minister to authorise the closure of rail lines on a case-by-case basis and dispose of the assets without a special Act of Parliament.
The Rail Tram and Bus Union says there is no shortage of TransAdelaide train controllers despite disruption to peak hour services on Wednesday after three controllers called in sick.
WEEDS and grass now cover the platform. Concrete pipes are piled where the tracks once lay.