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