tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post1855412462973972848..comments2024-03-09T18:57:10.942+13:00Comments on Liberty Scott: Abandon the railways or just the facts?Libertyscotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12741049550997300680noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-44662608711428855142008-07-05T05:52:00.000+12:002008-07-05T05:52:00.000+12:00It's really fucking simple.perhaps trains made sen...It's really fucking simple.<BR/><BR/>perhaps trains made sense in NZ in 1900.<BR/>They don't in 2000.<BR/><BR/>People fly and drive; trucks drive. <BR/><BR/>Trains are completely pointless in NZ. Sell 'em for scrap, throw the lot into the sea, fire all the drivers (or send 'em to Aussie) and execute all the union reps! <BR/><BR/>Why? Because NZ businesss really need the $3 billion that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-44343000112222715342008-06-10T01:47:00.000+12:002008-06-10T01:47:00.000+12:00Hey Scott, apologies for abandoning the thread. It...Hey Scott, apologies for abandoning the thread. It was really interesting, unfortunately, things have been pretty manic since the Budget. (And as a journalist, I'm professionally obliged to have the attention-span of a gnat.)<BR/><BR/>Are you keen to have a chat (on or off the record) next time a transport issue comes up? Drop me an email via http://www.publicaddress.net/contact,onpoint.smUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13690393609960499278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-28778428066696184632008-05-19T10:00:00.000+12:002008-05-19T10:00:00.000+12:00Keith, apologies for the link, it USED to go to a ...Keith, apologies for the link, it USED to go to a full copy of the report, which I have. You ought to ask MOT to send you a copy. The study is being updated, so the information from that should be fascinating.<BR/><BR/>The figures you quote from the study are correct. However, MCVs also do not compete with rail and you need to exclude another $145.9m environmental costs, to leave HGVs. <BR/><Libertyscotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741049550997300680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-62052994139858143782008-05-17T17:28:00.000+12:002008-05-17T17:28:00.000+12:00Hi Scott,I can't find a copy of the actual report ...Hi Scott,<BR/><BR/>I can't find a copy of the actual report (MoT's site is full of broken links), so I'm just going to have to do some back-of-the-napkin calculations, sorry.<BR/><BR/>The Q&A you linked to notes that the total environmental costs of trucks in 01/02 was $492m ($195m of it was LCV). The environmental cost of freight trains was $8.5m.<BR/><BR/>Let's exclude LCVs - which do short Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13690393609960499278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-45370787251718398052008-05-16T23:19:00.000+12:002008-05-16T23:19:00.000+12:00Thanks Scott.Thanks Scott.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-49145714150577413232008-05-16T20:09:00.000+12:002008-05-16T20:09:00.000+12:00He's probably not far wrong to be fair. The double...He's probably not far wrong to be fair. The double tracking you mean involves a lot of new tunnelling through very active geology, so is expensive (and not worth it). $400m would replace sleepers, track and the most needy bridges.<BR/><BR/>That is actually the bigger issue - the bridges that need replacement which in a few cases are seriously expensive. However, don't forget the recent purchaseLibertyscotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12741049550997300680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15768887.post-69161994197986617042008-05-16T13:53:00.000+12:002008-05-16T13:53:00.000+12:00Hi ScottIn the House yesterday, Mallard was chucki...Hi Scott<BR/><BR/>In the House yesterday, Mallard was chucking around a figure of $400 million to bring the tracks up to "the sort of standard that is necessary for a half-modern railway".<BR/><BR/>I have seen a report that costed double-tracking between I think Pukerua Bay and Waikanae at between $300-$500 million (and admittedly there would seem to be some major engineering challenges on that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com