Railway Digest Magazine Mar-15 Back Issue

Renewal or Retreat:
NSW country passenger rail at the crossroads
After more than 30 years of XPT service, and more than 20 years of service from the Xplorer fleet, the NSW TrainLink’s long distance passenger train fleet is rapidly approaching an important decision point. Ken Date and Dominik Giemza take a close look at whether there really is a viable future for the long distance passenger rail services in the form currently provided, and if not, what may be some practical alternatives.

Newcastle Non-Flyer
The controversy surrounding the NSW State Government’s decision to truncate the Newcastle railway, with services suspended beyond Hamilton from New Years’ Day 2015, is now well known. In late January, Sydney resident John Beckhaus took a trip north to see for himself how the government’s plans are working out so far.

Fletcher International Exports joins the rail club
Previously a customer of Qube Logistics’ intermodal service to Sydney’s Port Botany, Dubbo-based family-owned company Fletcher International Exports, a major exporter of sheep meat, skins and associated by-products, decided the time was right to get into the rail business themselves. John Hoyle looks at how they went about it.

Aboard the VLocity Simulator
Rod Avery ‘takes a ride’ on one of V/Line’s two VLocity 160 DMU driver training simulators that are revolutionising driver training with “a full three-dimensional multi-sensory experience”.