Considerable disagreement exists on an appropriate system of road user charges and road investment policies. While some work in this important area of resourse allocation has been done in other countries, until recently little investigatory research has been carried out in Australia. This study considers all roads other than access roads with the essential objective being to show up the deficiencies in the cost responsibility approach to road pricing by emphasising the joint cost characteristics of roads. The approach of the study team has been to derive a reasonable set of relative road pricing strategies, given the cost of supplying the road network, based on the demand characteristics of road users.

• Road User Charges: Theories and Possibilities
  
  op_003.pdf
  (3.86 MB)

The majority of Australia's intercapital railway lines are single track and these all experience some degree of congestion. Various combinations of capital investment and improved operating practices are evaluated in this report, with a view to eliminating the growing congestion on the Melbourne Sydney rail link.

• Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Sydney Rail Link
  
  report_020.pdf
  (6.25 MB)

The majority of Australia's intercapital railway lines are single track and these all experience some degree of congestion. Various combinations of capital investment and improved operating practices are evaluated in this report, with a view to eliminating the growing congestion on the Victorian portion of the Melbourne to Adelaide rail link.

• Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Serviceton Rail Link
  
  report_021.pdf
  (7.73 MB)

This Report presents the results of a consumer preference survey into bus design and bus service characteristics. The survey was conducted by the BTE together with the Metropolitan (Perth) Transport Trust, and consisted of two parts: household interviews carried out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics; and questionnaires distributed to travellers using the Perth suburban bus service.

• Part A: Consumer Preferences in Urban Buses and Bus Services
  
  report_022_partA.pdf
  (1.46 MB)

• Part B: Consumer Preferences in Urban Buses and Bus Services
  
  report_022_partB.pdf
  (3.17 MB)

• Part C: Consumer Preferences in Urban Buses and Bus Services
  
  report_022_partC.pdf
  (3.48 MB)

This report investigates the current level of energy consumption by various categories of Australian transport. It examines the present Australian transport task and the associated levels of energy consumption. The efficiency of each major mode of transport is assessed in terms of energy consumption–both direct and indirect.

• Transport and Energy in Australia, Part 2–Consumption by Categories
  
  op_004.pdf
  (3.54 MB)

"The operations of a railway system can often be enhanced by the introduction of improved technology. Clearly the benefits of the new technology should more than compensate for its costs.

The introduction of the 2CM freight bogie would enhance the operations of the Australian railways, however the question of the value of the benefits in relation to the additional costs has been a vexed one. This report has been prepared with the object of clarifying the economic merits of the 2CM bogie."

• The 2CM Freight Wagon Bogie–an Appraisal
  
  report_023.pdf
  (3.47 MB)

In this report two alternatives for the provision of international facilities at Townsville Airport are assessed in benefit-cost terms. Unquantifiable factors are considered in conjunction with economic benefits and costs.

• Townsville Airport: Economic Evaluation of Proposed lnternational Facilities
  
  report_024.pdf
  (9.08 MB)

This particular Paper describes the methods used to determine sample frameworks and sizes for the National Trend Survey (NTS), and also outlines the methods finally adopted for selecting a sample.

• Sampling Processes for the National Travel Survey
  
  op_005.pdf
  (3.98 MB)

Government railways in Australia operate in all mainland States and Territories. Interstate movement of freight over the rail network is a potentially important method of transportation within the nation. However, intersystem railway arrangements operate against a background of State railways providing predominantly intrastate freight services. This report presents the results of a study of intersystem railway freight rating practices as they apply to a particular area of New South Wales.

• Study of Intersystem Railway Freight Rating Practices
  
  report_025.pdf
  (9.57 MB)

Because of separate development by the individual States, the Australian railway network contains links of a number of different gauges.

For this reason bogie exchange facilities have been established at several locations including two in South Australia, at Port Pirie and Peterborough, where the State broad gauge system meets the interstate standard gauge system.

The intention of these exchanges is to allow ready transfer of loaded and unloaded freight wagons from one system to the other. Traffic through the exchange at Port Pirie has increased to the extent that difficulties are being experienced in handling it.

• Study of Port Pirie Bogie Exchange
  
  report_026.pdf
  (3.77 MB)