Great Northern Rail Services
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Great Northern Rail Services is a former railway operator in Victoria, Australia. Great Northern Rail Services was incorporated in July 1993 and provided locomotives and train crews to other rail operators, ran general train operations (freight and passenger) and operated rail vehicle maintenance services in Victoria. By 1998 it has purchased 25 locomotives, and refurbished 12 of them to incorporate many updated features. The company was the first fully accredited and operational private rail operator in Victoria.[1] The company ceased operations in November 2002 due to the increased public liability insurance costs. [2]
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[edit] History
Great Northern Rail Services had its start in the leasing of locomotives, in particular to the National Rail Corporation, but later expanded into other rail and rail related areas. The main areas of operation were:[1]
- Infrastructure maintenance (ballast spreading, rail recovery, sleeper distribution etc)
- Maintenance of locomotives and Wagons – In-Field and Depot.
- Locomotive leasing (with own crew, or pure leasing)
- General train operations (provision of locomotives, crews and crew hire)
- Hook & pull operations
- Terminal shunt and transfer
- Intermodal terminal operation
In November 1997, the company was the first private company to sign an Enterprise Agreement with the Public Transport Union - Locomotives Division and became the first private company to operate locomotives with its own crews on the Victorian rail network.[1]
[edit] Timeline
A timeline of the company:[1]
- July 1993
- Great Northern Rail Services incorporated
- July 1994
- First locomotives hired to National Rail Corporation
- November 1994
- First privately owned and operated locomotives on Public Transport Corporation network
- Operation of the first private commercial diesel hauled train in Victoria
- T373 converted to standard gauge by GNRS for operation on the One Nation project
- T381 based "in-field" on the One Nation project
- Great Northern undertake in-field maintenance of the Victorian One Nation ballast wagon fleet
- June 1995
- Contract with Australian National commences for the shunt, cleaning, train examination and full servicing of The Overland in Melbourne
- Four Westrail J class locomotives acquired, and extensive modifications undertaken for Driver Only (DOO) shunt duties
- December 1997
- The first ever track access agreement signed with VicTrack for access to the Victorian Network
- January 1998
- First private locomotive and crew operated
- August 1998
- Purchase of 1800hp locomotives for rebuilding
- September 1998
- Leasing of intermodal Terminal at Dynon, Melbourne ( ex TNT Contrans )
- November 2002
- Public liability insurance costs force the the operator to cease operations.[2]
[edit] Demise
The locomotives and operator accredition of the company were acquired by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, who retains the locomotives today, and sold the operator accredition to Southern Shorthaul Railroad.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Australian Productivity Commission: "Inquiry into Progress in Rail Reform" - SUBMISSION by GREAT NORTHERN RAIL SERVICES PTY LTD - OCTOBER 1998
- ^ a b Department of Transport and Regional Services - Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics - "Rail Infrastructure Pricing: Principles and Practice" The level of public liability insurance required to run over rail lines in Victoria is reported to have led Great Northern Rail to cease operations in November 2002. (The Australian, 18 November 2002, p. 29.)
- ^ NEWS RELEASE From the Office of the Minister for Transport - "$10 MILLION INVESTMENT IN BALLARAT FROM WORKSHOP SALE" - 13 August 1999
- ^ Southern Shorthaul Railroad homepage
