Random Bollocks From A Semi-Retired Foamer!

TRAINLINE

A Highly Recommended Read.

  Readers, I draw your attention to an outstanding annual publication put out by the Commonwealth Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) on the Australian rail transport industry - Trainline. If you haven’t read it yet, please do so. Trainline provides an overview of Australian freight, urban and non-urban passenger rail.  It further analyses traffic levels, the provision of and changes to infrastructure and rolling  stock, and railway performance.  The latest edition, Trainline 6 also has a case study on the ARTC AK track inspection cars’ operations. The author, a relatively unknown to many but an increasingly prominent expert has done a truly  fantastic job recording everything rail related you need to know, not just about NSW but the whole of Australia. 


  For NSW CRN enthusiasts, It has great coverage of the resurgence of many country NSW lines that were previously so run down and decaying, a resurgence thanks to initiatives such as the NSW government’s Fixing  Country Rail initiatives and Graincorp’s Project Regeneration. Trainline  shows how both initiatives are increasing rail transport’s efficiency that is leading to a most welcome mode shift back to rail. It explains how these upgrades has allowed entry of the heavy locomotives, hauling heavier loads onto many branchlines that were  once the realm of the ageing light branchline locos hauling light loads only. (This has created fantastic photography opportunities for those so inclined at an abundance of locations.)

  The author also had the great privilege of travelling on (and sleeping aboard) the ARTC AK cars train, travelling from Broadmeadow to Roma Street Station over a period of two and half days,  an opportunity the rest of us can only dream of! His tour on the AK cars train has enabled him to write a fascinating and powerful insight into the train's task of measuring all aspects of the track’s quality and recording problems to be fixed. He has also  included several photos of the train interior, giving a ‘visual explanation’ of how the train operates. 

 Forget about all these unpaid wannabe and self proclaimed experts who spend their time traipsing around NSW, camera in hand, and writing amateur quality only reports and whose focus is not entirely on rail. The author of Trainline ‘knows his sh*t’ when it comes to what's happening in NSW, with his finger always on the pulse. His trip on the AK cars train further illustrates the extent of his good reputation and respect in the industry which allows him special industry  access where others are excluded.

  Trainline  is not written for its own purpose. Government policy decision makers and even government Ministers look to the author’s his work for guidance in making crucial policy and rail project decisions. Amongst all the other sloppy and badly written amateur work in circulation, Trainline stands out as exceptional. Trainline also highlights the importance of government investment in paid professional quality research using top quality researchers and writers – the true experts.

  I commend Trainline to you and recommend it highly. You can access the latest edition here:  https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/2018/train_006.aspx