Red Rag

In the Summer 04/05 issue of Dissent, Paul Mees explains that the problems facing railways on t’other side (typified by derailments and scheduling problems in NSW) were entirely preventable. Due to historical circumstances, railways departments embraced the ideological shift towards managerialism and privatisation more than other government departments. He also explains that Perth bucked the trend and has the best railways department in the country:

Rail managements became very good at closing lines, withdrawing services and reducing staff numbers, but were much less able to deal with the challenge of expansion, when it was presented. The situation was further complicated by endless corporate restructures and, in Victoria, privatisation.

The main exception to this rule is the railway revival in Perth. The state’s rail bureaucracy was as wedded to decline as any in the country: in 1979, the Fremantle line was closed as the first stage of a plan to shut the whole rail network. A strong community campaign, led by the local council and supported by key academics and Labor Party figures (many of whom lived in Fremantle), saw this decision reversed the following year. …

The Western Australian government electrified the Perth rail system by 1991, then built a completely new line to the northern suburbs. Patronage expanded from around 6 miullion annually to 30 million in less than a decade, and the rail system in Perth is again undergoing dramatic expansion to cope with a predicted doubling of patronage by 2010. Along the way, the government managed to assemble a new team of rail planners and builders untainted by the previous defeatist management culture. Perth’s rail planners are able to build lines at a fraction of the cost of their interstate counterparts, open them on time and run efficient, safe, well-patronised services.

Every step of the way, the Liberal Party has opposed the development of Perth’s railways. They tried to shut the whole rail network down in 1979, before they were turfed out. Labor Government reopened the Fremantle line, electrified the system, and built the northern line, which now runs as far as Clarkson. It is Labor that has just completed the Greenwood Station — neglected by the Liberals since the need for a new station became apparent in 1996 — and it is Labor that is building a new rail line south to Mandurah.

But most importantly, the previous Labor Government managed to overcome the defeatist attitude of the bureaucracy, turning our railways department into an efficient, visionary organisation.

A return to the Liberal Government will undermine that hard work. Colin Barnett is a firm believer in the managerialism that has caused so many problems for the NSW rail system, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wanted to privatise rail assets, either. We know the Liberals intend to slash the public transport budget, increasing fare revenue from 25% of operating costs to 40%.

They want to pass those costs on to concession pass holders, like old age pensioners, veterans and school students. Under the previous Liberal Government, concession fares increased by 50%, well above the inflation rate. They aim to set concession fares at half the full rate which, combined with their recovery rate goal, would mean a massive fare increase.

By contrast, Labor is making it easier and cheaper to use public transport. In order to reverse the Liberals’ attacks on public transport, fares have not increased by more than the inflation rate, and concession fares were frozen for four years. Fares did not increase at all in 2004. When the new smart-card ticketing system is introduced, fares for school students will be fixed at 50c irrespective of the distance travelled (pdf).

The benefit to families with school-aged children will be significant. When I was in Year 12, my two brothers and I caught the train from Warwick to Perth and back again every day. Assuming we remembered to use Multiriders, here is the cost breakdown for a similar family:

The choice is clear.

If you take public transport, you can’t afford Colin Barnett.