Victoria’s rail plan stuck in the pipeline

<p>Pacific National’s interim protocols for Victorian rail access for third parties will remain for some time.</p> <p>The State Government plans more consultations with industry players next month (November) before overhauling the access regime.</p> <p>Toll Holdings and Patrick Corp’s rail joint venture, Pacific National, has implemented a set of interim access guidelines.</p> <p>The State Government will release today (Friday, October 29) more than 30 submissions collected as part of its plan to improve access and improve competition on the network, reported the <em>Australian Financial Review.</em> </p> <p>The government will consult key players in the industry next month before releasing a draft response to the submissions.</p> <p>Describing the old access regime as "dysfunctional", transport minister Peter Batchelor said it is vital to get the access rules right and ensure sufficient capacity, including terminal space, for other operators to run train services in Victoria, and into the port of Melbourne.</p> <br />