There has been a mixed reception to the plan for a tolled 10km traffic tunnel under Melbourne, linking the Eastern Freeway with the western suburbs.
Peter Debnam's likely election as NSW Opposition Leader today will be followed with keen interest by a Maitland group lobbying to retain the rail line into Newcastle.
Bendigo's Tramway stopped today after a truck knocked down power lines along High Street.
The $4.6 billion battle for Patrick Corp turned poisonous yesterday with explosive allegations that the Toll-Patrick joint venture Pacific National was short-changed of $510 million in future revenue.
Tension between Patrick Corporation and its unwelcome suitor, Toll Holdings, has spilled into the boardroom of their joint venture, Pacific National, with Chris Corrigan calling for a board investigation of a deal between the rail freight company and Toll's Queensland subsidiary.
The Queensland Government is inviting Queenslanders to have a say on the scope of an environmental statement on the proposed Northern Missing Link rail line in Central Queensland.
The release of unconfirmed train line closures has led V/Line to accuse Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder of confusing passengers.
Ballarat commuters will again be forced onto buses with the Melbourne railway line likely to be closed for more than two months.
The Victorian Government says both country and city commuters will be well catered for under new fast rail timetable changes next year.
THE NSW Government admits there will be teething problems with Sydney's rail timetable changes - the first major restructure since 1992.
A driver has been taken to hospital with serious injuries after his car and a tram collided in Melbourne today.
A safety crackdown has uncovered drug use by the state's rail workers, some of whom are directly involved in passenger care.
Transport Minister John Watkins has foreshadowed "teething problems" when Sydney's new train timetable starts today.
Today's train journey to Ross for Father's Day may be the last after it was announced the railway line would close because of safety concerns.
Commuters need to forget the glory days of the Sydney Olympics and accept that the trains will never run as smoothly as they did for several weeks in 2000, says the Transport Minister, John Watkins.
Rail ommuters face a double blow today – potential chaos with the introduction of a new timetable and the prospect of a fare increase if it succeeds.
As if the irony of slower trains and a reduced level of service being introduced to make Sydney's train network more efficient is not ridiculous enough, now comes the CityRail warning of a future fare increase.
A new railway venture on the Southern Darling Downs is expected to inject $1.5 million into the economy in its first year.
The developer of a proposed inland rail line says he hopes to complete a section between Toowoomba and Gladstone within four years.
The new Cityrail train timetable appears to have passed its first peak hour test with few hiccups in Sydney this morning but the Government faces its biggest hurdle yet, with this afternoon's peak services.
Few commuters expect a train to be on time on the notoriously late East Hills line, let alone get them home early. But last night the unexpected happened on that troubled evening peak service from the city.
Transport companies Patrick Corp and Toll Holdings continued to throw punches in their takeover fight yesterday as co-operation over their joint-venture national rail operation looked increasingly fragile.
PATRICK Corp has raised the prospect of breaking up its rail joint venture with Toll Holdings, Pacific National, if they cannot resolve a dispute over Toll's use of PN services in Queensland.
Chris Corrigan has fired another shot across Toll Holdings bows by threatening to force company chief Paul Little to a face-to-face meeting.
Patrick Corp boss Chris Corrigan has made another attempt to undermine Toll Holdings' $4.6 billion takeover bid, challenging the calculations in the cash-and-scrip offer.
Despite a few teething problems, the new train timetable in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong had got off to an encouraging start, the NSW government said today.
Furious rail users who say they have been duped by CityRail's timetable are right, Sydney's trains are dawdling.
WIMMERA residents could face a further 10 weeks without a train service from Ballarat to Melbourne.
A parliamentary inquiry today will review the efficiency of regional road and rail networks.
Train travellers from anywhere between Melton and Ararat who normally have trains all the way to Melbourne will face delays for a further 10 weeks according to State Opposition Transport spokesman, Terry Mulder.
CONSTRUCTION of the Mandurah train station has finally started and the project should be completed by December next year.
Residents are encouraged to get behind Pichi Richi Railway, which is struggling to find local volunteers.
THE competition watchdog has ruled against Patrick Corp taking over freight forwarder FCL Interstate Transport Services, creating uncertainty about Toll Holdings' $4.6 billion bid for Patrick.
ACCC opposes Patrick Corporation Ltd's proposed acquisition of FCL Interstate Transport Services Pty Ltd
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has decided to oppose the proposed acquisition of FCL Interstate Transport Services Pty Ltd by Patrick Corporation Ltd, ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today.
A new Rail Safety Bill has been proposed
commence in Victoria in 2006.
This Department of Infrastructure, September 2005, bulletin contains a summary of policy proposals for rail safety regulation in Victoria.
TRANSPORT body Metlink is hunting for a new patron to get Victorians home on New Year's Eve after banking firm ING Direct declined to renew its sponsorship this year.
The regulator's opposition to Patrick Corp Ltd acquiring a smaller player in the freight business does not spell an end to Toll Holdings Ltd $4.6 billion takeover plans for the transport logistics group.
THE competition regulator's decision to block Patrick Corp's acquisition of FCL has left the vendor incredulous - but it still believes a deal may be possible, if Toll's takeover bid is also rejected.
Toll Holdings managing director Paul Little has rejected any notion his $4.6 billion takeover bid for Patrick Corp is on shaky ground, despite the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's rejection of a much smaller deal casting serious doubts on his bid.
TOLL Holdings chief executive Paul Little is confident his $4.6 billion bid for Patrick Corp will be upheld by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
Leighton Holdings Limited (LEI) today announced that John Holland Group’s Australian Rail Consortium had been selected as the preferred proponent for one of the subprojects in the Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd (ARTC) Major Works Program. The program involves the upgrade of the Main South Line from Sydney to Melbourne.
The head of a major rail freight company says he is concerned about rising fuel prices despite predictions it may lead to more freight going by train rather than road.
RailCorp has abandoned a planned introduction of platform tickets across the CityRail network.
"I'm so excited about the new train timetable," you enthuse with genuine trainspotter's glee.
The Iemma Government yesterday hailed the first week of the new train timetable but warned "the achievements needed to be sustained over coming months".
A goods train has derailed in the north Queensland city of Townsville after hitting a semi-trailer at a crossing.
Catastrophe was narrowly avoided when a semi-trailer collided with a goods train in Stuart last night, forcing it from the tracks. The derailed train stopped just metres short of a live high voltage power transformer.
The Queensland Government will close the Jericho-Blackall-Yaraka railway line at the request of locals who a decade ago fiercely opposed Labor plans to pull up the central-western Queensland spur.
VLP Media Release
12 September 2005
New timetable for Marshall Station
from Monday 26 September 2005
Marshall Station has a new timetable which will see 58 services a week operating to and from Melbourne, V/Line announced today.
General Manager Stakeholder Relations, Ursula McGinnes, said that the second stage of the new station was now complete, resulting in some existing services now starting at Marshall.
STRESS and injury claims by Victoria's train and tram drivers have jumped significantly in the past four years, leading to millions of dollars in payouts each year.
Tired of fumbling for change? Forever losing your weekly ticket? Not for much longer, because soon your mobile phone or wristwatch could be paying your train and bus fares.
Five historic steam engines pulling classic carriages will arrive at the Moss Vale Railway Station this Saturday as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of NSW Railways.
A bidder's statement to be released by Toll Holdings as early as today is expected to focus on boss Paul Little's track record of successfully integrating transport acquisitions and slashing costs, as it seeks to persuade Patrick shareholders to accept a hostile cash-and-scrip takeover offer.
Patrick Corp is promising to make good on threats to break up Pacific National, its rail joint venture with Toll Holdings, as part of its strategy to fend off a hostile takeover bid by Toll.
Yarra Trams is standing by three ticket inspectors who grappled with a suspected fare evader and dragged him to the ground outside Melbourne University on Tuesday afternoon, arguing it was self-defence.
XSTRATA plc, the world's largest exporter of coal used in power plants, says Australia may be overspending on rail and port infrastructure for coal exports.
The development of a transport hub in Parkes will be detailed during a transport and logistics forum in the town today.
Approximately 50 people attended this week's transport and logistics forum in Parkes that attracted participants from sea and airfreight councils, the three main NSW ports and the Transport and Logistics Centre.
THE controversial redevelopment of Spencer Street Railway Station has claimed another victim with the appointment of a liquidator to wind up Oak Park Constructions Pty Ltd, which built several bridges on the site.
CityRail has a secret weapon in the fight to keep its new timetable: ordering its drivers "to run early all the way to town".
The long-mooted Warrnambool to Port Fairy rail trail received a positive response from the State Government this week.
Moves to sell the assets of the Derwent Valley Railway have begun as the organisation prepares to close down as an operating railway.
Rollingstock of the Great South Pacific Express is to be sold to Orient-Express Hotels/Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and moved overseas.
There were no plans to slash 400 frontline jobs at CityRail stations around Sydney, the state-owned New South Wales train operator RailCorp said.
SUPPORTERS of a ferry service from Wallaroo to Eyre Peninsula met Premier Mike Rann yesterday in an attempt to fast-track the project.
PATRICK Corp chief executive Chris Corrigan has accused joint venture partner Toll Holdings of a conflict of interest over their jointly-owned rail business, Pacific National, where key executives remained on the Toll payroll while negotiating deals with the company.
A 14-year-old girl has been hit and killed by a train near Geelong this morning after apparently rushing to catch a train, halting services to and from Melbourne.
Two Adelaide trams have left the tracks at Morphettville, near the Glengowrie tram depot.
A new 60 metre long, 300 tonne Sandgroper tunnel boring machine was today installed in Perth to bore an underground link between two railway stations in the city's central business district.
The national rail operation venture between Toll Holdings and the Patrick Corporation is expected to dissolve as Patrick chief Chris Corrigan yesterday revealed an ongoing dispute had placed the project at risk.
Tram services will run as normal this morning after two trams derailed yesterday near Morphettville in Adelaide's southern suburb.
Railway operator Connex has told the State Government it wants Melbourne's station platforms to be entirely smoke-free.
V/LINE is trying to hide sensitive documents about Victoria's troubled fast rail project by claiming the part of it that runs trains is not subject to freedom-of-information laws.
A distraught mother has spoken of her pain at witnessing her daughter's death this morning as she was hit by a train.
FCL Interstate Transport Services Managing Director, Bill Gibbins, calls on the Federal Government to suspend all spending on Australian rail infrastructure until a policing system can be put in place to detect over-weight wagons
A nine month study to find an inland or coastal route for a proposed north-south rail corridor between Brisbane and Melbourne will begin this month.
Train station display panels have a hard life, whether rattled by icy winds, baked in summer heat, or soaked by rainstorms. Not the best environment for sensitive electronics.
The feud between transport giants Patrick Corp Ltd and Toll Holdings Ltd has spilled into the courts as Patrick sought to resolve a long-running dispute over the pair's rail joint venture Pacific National (PN).
A major breakthrough has been achieved in the Portland Cable Trams Inc. public liability insurance premium crisis following positive advice from the Department of Sustainability and Environment's insurer.
Pacific national have had a serious derailment that occured at 1554 yesterday 20-9 at Warragoon(nsw) nth of Yarrawonga.9392 up Oaklands grain collided with semi trailer on Savanake Rd causing lead loco XR551 and trailing loco G532 to become derailed both locos ending up on there side,early reports have XR551 'written off'. Only 4 wagons of 40 also derailed no injuries to train crew but badly shaken as you can imagine approx 80m of track damaged re railing to start Thu22 pending investigation truck driver esacaped with only back injuries.
Police in London say three of the city's suicide bombers staged a dry run to the capital, just over a week before they blew themselves up on the transport network and killed 52 commuters.
A 40-car freight train and a semi-trailer collided at a level crossing in south-west NSW on Tuesday.
When David Bramwells heard the news of a 14-year-old girl's death near a level crossing at Geelong this morning, his reaction was: "I told you so".
A teenager's tragic death provokes questions about the dangers of exposed railway tracks.
Warrnambool will finally get a second railway platform in the city's east at an estimated cost of more than $1 million.
Police will interview a truck driver involved in a collision with a freight train near Mulwala yesterday afternoon.
Australia's biggest rail freight operator, Pacific National, has obtained orders from the Federal Court stopping a national strike in the industry set down for tomorrow.
An 18-year-old man is recovering in a Sydney hospital after being hit by a train while running from Cityrail transit officers.
The deaths of two teenage girls in less than a year at railway stations might not have happened if safety standards had been maintained and the program of separating level crossings had not been abandoned in the 1970s to create "savings" to help finance freeways.
Some council projects will be axed as the City of Greater Bendigo foots an unexpected $250,000 bill to repair damaged tram lines.
Public transport ticket inspectors could be given greater authority as part of the State Government's counter-terrorism plans.
GRAPHIC, drink-driving-style television advertisements could be used to frighten Victorians into changing their behaviour at railway level crossings.
Efforts to appeal an injunction on a nationwide freight strike have been unsuccessful.
Spencer St bosses plan to axe 50 staff who were hired to help passengers find their way around the station.
Queensland Rail (QR) will investigate a fatal accident north of Mackay yesterday involving a coal train and a cane tractor.
The High Country Rail Trail is expected to boost the North East economy significantly as more people discover its appeal.
The Northern Territory Environment Centre says not enough scrutiny has been given to the approval of transporting yellow cake uranium on the Adelaide to Darwin railway line.
The 16-year-old, who is believed to have a form of autism and is obsessed with public transport, had spent three-and-a-half months in custody.
PATRICK'S court battle against hostile takeover suitor Toll Holdings has been delayed until next week as the companies continue to debate the future of their rail joint venture Pacific National.
Federal Treasurer Peter Costello has given his complete support to Victorian Opposition Leader Robert Doyle and his half tolls Mitcham-Frankston freeway policy.
Dr Eric Wigglesworth, Monash University, Australia's leading expert on level crossings, told The Age newspaper (24/9/05)that level crossings were virtual museum pieces designed to allow trains to share the city with horse and carts, decades before the motor car was invented.
The Queensland Services Union says a planned trial of 24-hour Citytrain services in Brisbane will fail unless the safety of passengers and rail staff can be guaranteed.
I am the Author of an online petition, their has been a lot of talk, too much talk, so to make matters clear you be the judge.
http://gopetition.com AUSTRALIAN Section Stop Look Listen Don't Put Your Life on the Line.
Transit police are appealing for witnesses to the attack, which happened after a man was approached by a Connex staff member and asked to produce a ticket about 9.30pm.
Commuters frustrated by delays, cancellations and overcrowding are quitting the state's rail system in droves, shadow transport services minister Barry O'Farrell said yesterday.
Auckland rail will receive $66 million for a crucial duplicate track to boost services between New Lynn and Henderson - but faces a nine-month delay before it is ready.
Government funding agency Land Transport New Zealand has added $34.8 million to a preliminary grant of $4.8 million for the project, to which the Auckland Regional Council will also contribute $26.4 million.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union says Tasmania's rail system is worn out. The union says a lack of funding from governments and other major players has left the state's rail system a long way from national standards.
There are more changes for V/Line travellers between Melbourne and northern central Victoria. Coaches will temporarily replace all trains on the Bendigo-Echuca route from October 6, to allow signal testing and driver training for the fast rail project.
Passengers on NSW regional train services face a rise in ticket prices from November. Fares on CountryLink services will increase by 8 per cent on November 1 and most ticket booking offices will be closed to make the struggling rail service more viable
A leading pensioner group has welcomed the New South Wales Government's changes to CountryLink but says problem areas still remain with the service.
Don't believe all you read in the newspapers!! Father bentleigh train victim to sue! Leader newspaper Moorabbin
A huge overhaul of New Zealand's 15-year-old railway communications system and the installation of GPS units in locomotives is set to result in better passenger information, increased fuel efficiency and improved safety for the rail network.
There were 96 sightings for the week which is ten less last week. Making a total for the year to date at 3559* sightings (* One weeks sightings missing in March) (Total sightings up to day 267 last year was 4686).
Trains have not been allowed to cart pine out of the Fingal Valley and Burnie this month because of a crumbling rail network and locomotive breakdowns. Other rail lines are also in poor repair and have forced companies to turn to road transport, with Hobart zinc producer Zinifex using trucks to cart up to 15 per cent of its product to Bell Bay.
Pacific National will slash its container freight services in Tasmania in a move that unions say could cost up to 160 jobs. Traffic is likely to increase on the Midland Highway too because the company has predicted it will take 2000 extra truck trips a week to replace the rail service.
The Government will not scrap any country rail services but will cut jobs and close ticket offices in changes it says are a last-ditch effort to lure passengers away from cheap airline deals and back on to trains.
Ask almost any resident here what they think about the rail line running along the harbour foreshore and prepare yourself for a lengthy, fervent conversation. Since the NSW Labor government first proposed the closure of the Newcastle rail line in 2003, few other issues have stirred such passionate debate.
A national conference in Tamworth is to be told today tourism remains as a relatively untapped source of revenue and development for Australia's railways.
T'S difficult to know what Chris Corrigan's Patrick Corp hopes to achieve from its legal action against Toll Holdings in relation to their joint-venture rail operation, Pacific National.
Pacific National's (PN) decision to cut and run from the container market in Tasmania is a symptom of a nation-wide under-investment in the rail network, according to the rail lobby. Bryan Nye, the CEO of the Australian Railways Association (ARA), says PN was right to cease services in the state.
The Tasmanian Government has admitted it has known of the need to upgrade the state's rail infrastructure for some time.
THE fourth tram derailment in six weeks has occurred on the city-to-Glenelg line and investigators are at a loss to explain the spate of accidents
The Federal Government will not contribute any money towards upgrading rail infrastructure in Tasmania unless the State Government signs up to AusLink.
Melbourne's tram drivers have been ordered to hit the brakes in busy St Kilda Rd to make way for mother birds crossing with chicks.
A State Government plan to overhaul CountryLink rail services has drawn widespread criticism from pensioner and union groups over the threat to services in the Dubbo region.
The State Government has asked the Federal Government to absorb the Tasmanian rail network to stop it grinding to a halt and choking the State's roads with trucks.
TO CELEBRATE 150 years of rail in Australia, Tamworth residents are being invited to take part in All Aboard! – a travelling display from the National Museum in Canberra.
SOMETHING big needed to be done to celebrate 150 years of rail in Australia and the National Railway Heritage Conference in Tamworth this week seems to fit the bill.
A Tasmanian request for the Federal Government to take over the Tasmanian rail line has fallen on deaf ears.
The uncertainty surrounding rail container services in Tasmania is causing concern for the Local Government Association.
Construction on the $775 million Gladstone to Toowoomba inland rail project is expected to start next year.
The tracks outside TransAdelaide's depot where a tram derailed on Tuesday were cleared last week by an independent engineer, it was revealed yesterday.
It'S difficult to know what Chris Corrigan's Patrick Corp hopes to achieve from its legal action against Toll Holdings in relation to their joint-venture rail operation, Pacific National.
The assets of Pacific National, the rail freight business owned jointly by Patrick and Toll Holdings, could be split between the warring companies in as little as six weeks following court action aimed at sabotaging Toll's hostile takeover bid for Patrick.
A MAJOR overhaul of country rail services by the State Government has angered local elderly rail users, who are faced with increased ticketing costs for train travel.
There's anger from Australia's rail union over a situation in Tasmania, it says represents a significant failure of privatisation.
AUSTRALIAN Transport & Energy Corridor has invited a range of potential mining sector partners to join its proposed $775 million Toowoomba to Gladstone railway which would open up the coal-rich Surat Basin.
VICTORIAN judge has been given details of behind-the-scenes sniping which threatens to break-up the Toll Holdings-Patrick Corp joint rail venture, Pacific National.
Train drivers still traumatised by last week's death of a teenage girl on a rail track near Geelong refused to work this morning until they could discuss the matter with V/Line management.
The Victorian Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision on Friday or early next week that could affect the future of the Pacific National rail network.
A row over rail freight threatens to jeopardise plans by timber company Gunns Ltd to build a $1.5 billion pulp mill in northern Tasmania.
"Thinking rail, lessons from the past, the way of the future" is the motto of this week's National Railway Heritage Conference being held in Tamworth.