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Bland Report
The 'Bland Report' officially titled ''Report of the Board of Enquiry into the Victorian Land Transport System - Victoria 1971-72'', was a report prepared by Sir Henry Bland (1909-1997) for the Victorian Government in 1972. The Bland Report recommended major changes to Victorian Railway operations including closure of many of the less profitable branch lines, opening railways to competition from road transport operators, on a market basis, introduction of contract road buses, rationalisation of freight operations and creation of regional freight centres. A substantial reduction in the number of railway employees resulted from these changes. In both its scope and consequences, the Bland Report was similar to the Beeching Review in Britain. A major outcome of the report was the Railways (Amendment) Act 1972 which passed the management and operation of the railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board made up of up to seven members, with six init ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Bland (public Servant)
Sir Henry Armand Bland (28 December 1909 – 8 November 1997) was a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Department of Defence from 1968 to 1970. Life and career Bland was born in Randwick, Sydney on 28 December 1909, the son of Francis Bland. Bland's mother died from septicaemia soon after he was born. In 1925 and 1926, Bland attended Sydney Boys High School. He studied law at the University of Sydney, graduating with honours, and was admitted as a solicitor of the NSW Supreme Court in 1935. In 1940 and 1941, he was official secretary to the NSW Agent-General in London, and acted as Agent-General himself for some months. On return to Australia he advised the NSW and Commonwealth governments on civil defence.Farquharson, John, "Administrative guru of his day", ''The Canberra Times'', 13 November 1997, p. 11 Bland commenced his Australian Public Service career in 1942, as Principal Adviser to the Director-General of Manpower. In 1946 he was appointed Assista ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beeching Cuts
The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised British Rail, railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the Major Railway Trunk Routes'' (1965), written by Richard Beeching and published by the British Railways Board. The first report identified 2,363 stations and of railway line for closure, amounting to 55% of stations, 30% of route miles, and 67,700 British Rail positions, with an objective of stemming the large losses being incurred during a period of increasing competition from road transport and reducing the rail subsidies necessary to keep the network running. The second report identified a small number of major routes for significant investment. The 1963 report also recommended some less well-publicised changes, including a switch to the now-standard practice of containerisation for rail freight, and the replacement of some ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations. Most of the lines operated by the Victorian Railways were of . However, the railways also operated up to five narrow gauge lines between 1898 and 1962, and a line between Albury and Melbourne from 1961. History Formation A Department of Railways was created in 1856 with the first appointment of staff. British engineer, George Christian Darbyshire was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, and steered all railway construction work until his replacement by Thomas Higginbotham in 1860. In late 1876, New York consulting engineer Walton Evans arranged the supply of two 4-4-0 locomotives manufactured by the Rogers Locomotive Works of New Jersey, US ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ashworth Improvement Plan
The Ashworth Improvement Plan was a report that recommended a number of improvements to be made to the Railways in Melbourne, electrified suburban railways of inner city Melbourne, Australia. It was produced in 1940 by a committee headed by John Marmaduke Ashworth, the Victorian Railways Chief Engineer for Way and Works. In order to meet projected future needs, the report recommended duplication of lines, terminal improvements and underground railway connections. Background Melbourne had been a city dominated early on by suburban railways, with the system reaching its peak early in 1891 on the back of a number of speculative lines. In the early twentieth century, Melbourne easily had the best public transport in Australia. In 1907 both trams and trains carried about 62 million passengers per year. Railway electrification system, Electric operation of the suburban railways began in 1919, and patronage grew by 63.4% over just six years, from 96,797,783 in 1917–18 to 158,194,558 i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Phoenix (railway)
Operation Phoenix was a post-World War II rehabilitation program carried out by the Victorian Railways (VR) in Australia. The program commenced in 1950 and was originally planned to take 10 years and cost £80 million pounds. (VR publicity brochure) Operation Phoenix was named after the bird from Egyptian mythology. Background The Victorian Railways of the 1930s and 1940s had become run down, with years of economic depression, the war effort, and material shortages resulting in a general decline. At the time it was expected that a railway the size of VR should have been building 25 locomotives, 30 to 40 carriages, and 500 wagons per year, as well as relaying 60 miles of track. In reality VR were only able to build an average of 4 locomotives and 200 wagons per year, and these gains had been counteracted by long overdue scrappings. When World War II hit, the VR had no chance to rebuild, with resources being directed towards the war effort, only patch up work and essential mai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan
The 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan was a road and rail transport plan for Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia, instituted by Henry Bolte's state government. Most prominently, the plan recommended the provision of an extensive freeway network, much of which has since been built. Despite the majority of the printed material being devoted to non-car transport, 86 per cent of the projected budget was devoted to roads and parking, with only 14 per cent to other forms of transport. The plan recommended of freeways for metropolitan Melbourne, as well as a number of railways. Of the latter, only the City Underground Loop was constructed. Proposed lines to Doncaster and Monash University (now Clayton Campus), and between Dandenong and Frankston, were never built. The plan was described by J.M. Thompson in ''Great Cities and their Traffic'' as "clearly ... a highway plan, not – as it is called – a comprehensive transport plan", and by historian Graeme Davison a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Deal (railway)
The New Deal for Country Passengers was a timetable introduced on 4 October 1981 in Victoria, Australia which revolutionised the provision of country passenger railway services. Thirty-five little-used passenger stations were closed, rolling stock utilisation was improved, and new rolling stock introduced. The timetable and associated service changes resulted in an average patronage growth of 8.7% per year, from 3 million in 1981 to 5.6 million passengers in 1990/91. Political background The Victorian Railways had been stuck in something of a "time warp" for a number of decades. The Bland Report of 1972 recommended the restructuring of railway management, the closure of uneconomic branch lines, and the replacement of most country rail passenger services with road coaches. By the start of the 1980s, passenger numbers had fallen to around 3 million per year, due to ageing rolling stock, unattractive timetables operating at poor frequencies, and the attractiveness of private motorin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Transport Plan
The Victorian Transport Plan is a now defunct transport planning framework for the state of Victoria, Australia announced on 9 December 2008 by then Premier of Victoria, John Brumby. The plan was submitted to the Government of Australia for funding approval. It was prepared in response to and largely centred on solutions to urban transport problems in Victoria's capital Melbourne, particularly alleviating growing traffic congestion and passenger congestion on public transport (trains) as a result of a 100% increase in public transport patronage during the 2000s (decade). The plan followed several previous transportation strategies including Linking Victoria, Linking Melbourne: Metropolitan Transport Plan and Meeting our Transport Challenges as well as major studies including the Eddington Transport Report. The plan was shelved in January 2011 by the incoming Baillieu government, with the projects contained in it to be reviewed by the soon-to-be-established Victorian Public ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rail Transport In Australia
Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Australian transport system. It is to a large extent state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate network being developed ever since Australia's federation in 1901. , the Australian rail network consists of a total of of track built to three major track gauges: of standard gauge (1435 mm / 4 ft 8 in), of broad gauge (1600 mm / 5 ft 3 in), and of narrow gauge (1067 mm / 3 ft 6 in) lines. Additionally, about of 610 mm / 2 ft gauge lines support the sugar-cane industry. , around 11 per cent of the Australian heavy railways network route-kilometres are electrified. Except for a small number of private railways, most of the Australian railway network infrastructure is government-owned, either at the federal or state level. The Australian federal government is involved in the formation of national policies, and provides funding for national projects. National issues Uniform gauge Very lit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1972 In Rail Transport
Events January events * January – General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduces the EMD SD40-2. February events * February 5 – Last steam locomotive built in India, Class YG #3573 at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works. March events * March 20 – Penn Central Railroad abandons passenger service on the Harlem Line from Dover Plains to Chatham, as well as three stations in the South Bronx, and one station in White Plains, although that one was replaced. Service to Grand Central Terminal ended in the middle of the day, leaving stranded passengers with no scheduled return trip to Chatham, forcing them to only go as far north as Dover Plains. * March 24 – The Gilchrest Road crossing accident occurred on a level crossing in Clarkstown, New York, Five people were killed, and 44 injured. * March 30 – The Milwaukee Road discontinues its ''Limburger Special'' service to New Glarus, Wisconsin. * March 31 – Official last day of steam locomotive operation on Statens Järnvägar, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rail Transport In Victoria (Australia)
Rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. The network consists of 2,357 km of Victorian broad gauge () lines, and 1,912 km of standard gauge () freight and interstate lines; the latter increasing with gauge conversion of the former. Historically, a few experimental gauge lines were built, along with various private logging, mining and industrial railways. The rail network radiates from the state capital, Melbourne, with main interstate links to Sydney and to Adelaide, as well as major lines running to regional centres, upgraded as part of the Regional Fast Rail project. The government-owned VicTrack owns all railway and tram lines, associated rail lands and other rail-related infrastructure in Victoria, which it leases to Public Transport Victoria which then sub-leases assets and infrastructure as appropriate to rail and tram operators. The state has four railway netwo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1972 In Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1972 in Australia. Incumbents *Monarchy in Australia, Monarch – Elizabeth II *Governor General of Australia, Governor-General – Paul Hasluck, Sir Paul Hasluck *Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister – William McMahon (until 5 December), then Gough Whitlam **Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Deputy Prime Minister – Doug Anthony (until 5 December), then Lance Barnard **List of Australian Leaders of the Opposition, Opposition Leader – Gough Whitlam (until 5 December), then Billy Snedden (from 20 December) *Chief Justice of Australia, Chief Justice – Garfield Barwick, Sir Garfield Barwick State and territory leaders *Premier of New South Wales – Robert Askin, (Sir) Robert Askin **Leader of the Opposition (New South Wales), Opposition Leader – Pat Hills *Premier of Queensland – Joh Bjelke-Petersen **Leader of the Opposition (Queensland), Opposition Leader – Jack Houston *Premier of South Australia – Don ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
