Night trains

Night trains to replace domestic flights up to 1,000 kms

Example Malaysia: Singapore – Kuala Lumpur – Butterworth (Penang Ferry)

Train travel in Singapore and Malaysia

http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm

In Australia:

XPT power car

Number in service: 19
Weight: 76 tonnes
Length: 17.3 metres
Width: 2.89 metres
Height: 4.03 metres

The XPT power car features a Paxman VP185 12-cylinder, turbo-charged diesel electric engine boasting 1492 kW or 2000 horsepower. There’s a power car at each end of the train, one pulling and the other pushing.

Sleeping car

Number in service: 8
Weight: 48.3 tonnes
Seating capacity: 18 (sleeping) or 27 (seated)

Saloon – first class car

Number in service: 9
Weight: 40.1 tonnes (Comeng); 39.6 tonnes (ABB Transportation)
Seating capacity: 56

Buffet and saloon – first class car

Number in service: 9
Weight: 43.6 tonnes
Seating capacity: 21 plus one wheelchair space (disabled toilet also in this carriage)

Saloon – economy class car (XF)

Number in service: 25
Weight: 40.1 tonnes
Seating capacity: 68

Saloon – economy class car (XFH)

Number in service: 9
Weight: 40.1 tonnes
Seating capacity: 44

Note: dimensions for all XPT passenger cars are 24.2 x 2.91 x 4.04 metres (length x width x height).

http://www.countrylink.info/travelling_with_us/our_fleet/xpt

A 7 car XPT would carry 18+56+21+44+3*69=346 passengers fully booked

XPT departing Coffs Harbour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2pzujCFyNU

Main rail line Sydney-Brisbane North of Coffs Harbour – single tracked!

Examples on how to replace air traffic

Coffs Harbour air traffic to/from Sydney stagnated since 2005/06 when crude oil started to peak

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/air/passenger-stats.html

75 K passengers per quarter is 833 per day. One additional train in each direction would give 692 seats

Air traffic projections done in 2008 were completely unrealistic due to peak oil ignorance

www.ballina.nsw.gov.au/cp_themes/default/em_res.asp?id=5329

The jump in 2004/05 was caused by the introduction of Low Cost Carriers

Ballina had a quarterly air traffic in Dec 2010 of 76 K passengers to/from Sydney, Lismore another 14 K, together 90 K PAX or around 1,000 per day = 3 XPTs per day

Where is the rolling stock for these additional trains? Drivers? How many years will that take to implement?

Grass growing over rail line from Casino to Lismore