Vic Track Now V/Line Freight

[Doug Mason <dmason@deakin.edu.au>]

Over the past few months I have noticed that Vic Track (which is again now part of V/Line Freight) has been spending a lot on fixing up the states railways.  This is good but where has all the money come from.  The lines I have noticed is the standard gauge to Adelaide, Geelong-Balarat, North Geelong pier, Toolamba-Echuca, Murch East-Strathmerton, the Northeast broad gauge line, the goods line form Newport to Dynon, and now they are starting on the northeast standard gauge.
Also something I noticed in the weekly operational notice was to speed for the standard gauge they are as follows....

Ararat to Wolseley standard gauge line
line of portion	class of	C		G, 81		X	T
of line between	train		CLP		422, 442	80	H
NR		BL, DL		GM

Ararat and Lubeck	Pass		115		115		115	100
bank			s/freight	100		100		100	100
Goods		90		90		90	90

Lubeck	bank and	Pass		100		100		100	100
Horsham		s/freight	85		85		85	85
Goods		80		80		80	80

Horsham and 		Pass		115		115		115	100
Serviceton		s/freight	100		100		100	100
Goods		90		90		90	90

Serviceton and	Pass		80		90		110	100
Wolseley		s/freight	80		90		90	90
Goods		80		80		80	80

So from theses figures wouldn't it be better for ASR to use something other then an NR on there pass to get faster speeds.