<p>Transport major Linfox has told a Victorian Government review that third-party access to the Pacific National-controlled Victorian rail network must be improved. </p> <p>Linfox favours a separation of the above- and below-track operations, or a high level of regulation if this is not possible, the <em>Australian Financial Review </em> reported today (Tuesday, November 2). </p> <p>The State Government launched the review in July to look at access to the network, which was privatised in 1999 and sold to Pacific National earlier this year. </p> <p>The company said that a minimum amount of capacity at the Dynon freight terminal should be reserved for third-party operators. </p> <p>It believes that Pacific National faces a conflict of interest if it manages access to the terminal. PN could set discriminatory charges, it said.</p> <p>Pacific National told the review that there was no need to extend the track-access regime into sidings or other interchanges, and any monopoly issues should be decided on a case-by-case basis. </p> <p>Linfox believes that Queensland’s system of regulation, where the Queensland Competition Commission has to approve any access agreement with state rail operator Queensland Rail, would work better than Victoria’s Essential Services Commission. </p> <br />
