Great Northern Rail Services

Great Northern Rail Services is a former railway operator in Victoria, Australia. Great Northern Rail Services was incorporated in July 1993 and provided locomotives and train crews to other rail operators, ran general train operations (freight and passenger) and operated rail vehicle maintenance services in Victoria. By 1998 it has purchased 25 locomotives, and refurbished 12 of them to incorporate many updated features. The company was the first fully accredited and operational private rail operator in Victoria. [http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiry/rail/subs/sub046.pdf Australian Productivity Commission: "Inquiry into Progress in Rail Reform" - SUBMISSION by GREAT NORTHERN RAIL SERVICES PTY LTD - OCTOBER 1998] ] The company ceased operations in November 2002 due to the increased public liability insurance costs. [http://www.btre.gov.au/publications/61/Files/btre_r109.pdf Department of Transport and Regional Services - Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics - "Rail Infrastructure Pricing: Principles and Practice"] "The level of public liability insurance required to run over rail lines in Victoria is reported to have led Great Northern Rail to cease operations in November 2002. (The Australian, 18 November 2002, p. 29.)"]

History

Great Northern Rail Services had its start in the leasing of locomotives, in particular to the National Rail Corporation, but later expanded into other rail and rail related areas. The main areas of operation were:
* Infrastructure maintenance (ballast spreading, rail recovery, sleeper distribution etc)
* Maintenance of locomotives and Wagons – In-Field and Depot.
* Locomotive leasing (with own crew, or pure leasing)
* General train operations (provision of locomotives, crews and crew hire)
* Hook & pull operations
* Terminal shunt and transfer
* Intermodal terminal operation

In November 1997, the company was the first private company to sign an Enterprise Agreement with the Public Transport Union - Locomotives Division and became the first private company to operate locomotives with its own crews on the Victorian rail network.

Timeline

A timeline of the company:
* July 1993
** Great Northern Rail Services incorporated

* July 1994
** First locomotives hired to National Rail Corporation

* November 1994
** First privately owned and operated locomotives on Public Transport Corporation network
** Operation of the first private commercial diesel hauled train in Victoria
** T373 converted to standard gauge by GNRS for operation on the One Nation project
** T381 based "in-field" on the One Nation project
** Great Northern undertake in-field maintenance of the Victorian One Nation ballast wagon fleet

* June 1995
** Contract with Australian National commences for the shunt, cleaning, train examination and full servicing of The Overland in Melbourne
** Four Westrail J class locomotives acquired, and extensive modifications undertaken for Driver Only (DOO) shunt duties

* December 1997
** The first ever track access agreement signed with VicTrack for access to the Victorian Network

* January 1998
** First private locomotive and crew operated

* August 1998
** Purchase of 1800hp locomotives for rebuilding

* September 1998
** Leasing of intermodal Terminal at Dynon, Melbourne ( ex TNT Contrans )

* August 1999
** Company leases the Bendigo Workshops. [ [http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/pressrel.nsf/8a930bff646718474a2562e6000b1f2f/3c770b215df7c15a4a2567d00001c8e5!OpenDocument&Click= NEWS RELEASE From the Office of the Minister for Transport - "$10 MILLION INVESTMENT IN BALLARAT FROM WORKSHOP SALE" - 13 August 1999] ]

* November 2002
** Public liability insurance costs force the the operator to cease operations.

Fleet

The GNRS fleet was obtained second hand from other operators, some being overhauled and returned to service, while others were acquired for spare parts. The corporate livery consisted of burgundy with a broad red stripe along the side of the unit, dropping into a 'V' at the front of the locomotive, and a yellow pinstripe separating the colours.cite journal | author = Peter Attenborough | year = 2005 | month = February | title = Great Northern Rail Services | journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine | pages = pages 22-25 ]

* T373, T376 T377 and T381 were bought from V/Line.
* J102, J103, J105 were bought from Westrail.
* GM10, 12, 14, 18, 19, 22, 25, 26, 27, 33, 35 and 41 were bought from Australian National.
* S317 was bought from the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.
* T345 was bought from a preservation group.
* 4468, 4471, 4477, 4483, 4501, 4502, 4528 and 3532 were bought from Rail Services Australia in mid 2000.
* Y145, T372 and T386 were acquired from V/Line but scrapped.

Of these locomotives, only T345, T373, T376, T377, T381, S317, GM10, GM22, GM27, the J class, 4468, 4471 and 4477 were actually operational.

Demise

GNRS ceased operating trains under their own accreditation from November 20, 2002 but continued under the control of Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia until Demcember2, 2003 when a management buyout was made.cite journal | author = Peter Attenborough | year = 2005 | month = February | title = Great Northern Rail Services | journal = Australian Model Railway Magazine | pages = pages 22-25 ] The locomotives and operator accreditation of the company were acquired by Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia, who retains the locomotives today, and sold the operator accreditation to Southern Shorthaul Railroad. [ [http://www.southernshorthaulrailroad.com.au/index.html/ Southern Shorthaul Railroad homepage] ] Chief executive Geoff Tighe later became business manager for El Zorro, another small rail freight operator.cite web
url=http://business.theage.com.au/el-zorro-aims-to-make-grain-longrunning-cereal/20080413-25ut.html
title=El Zorro aims to make grain long-running cereal
publisher=theage.com.au
date=April 14, 2008
author= Philip Hopkins
accessdate=2008-04-14]

References

External links

* [http://locopage.railpage.org.au/private.html#GNRS Locopage: Great Northern Rail Services locomotive fleet]