The past went rolling by while travelling home recently to Shepparton from Melbourne on the late afternoon train.
Heading the other way were some 20 flat-bed rail carriages carrying roles of steel plate; unquestionably a scene from the past, but maybe, in the fading light, I had been allowed a glimpse of the future.
A future that some here might not like, as Shepparton, reputedly, has more heavy road vehicles based here, according to registration details, than any other regional centre.
And so to see a Sydney to Melbourne freight train loaded with roles of steel plate is something of an affront to Shepparton’s vibrant trucking industry.
Roles of steel plate range in weight from several up to 40 tonnes and what was being carried on just one train would have needed a fleet of trucks.
In the past, everything, or most everything, was moved by train, but as trucks became more sophisticated, more powerful, and so able to carry heavier loads, they took over from rail.
World events, however, are changing the dynamic and the movement of freight by road faces challenges, as the fossil fuel-powered vehicle is becoming a dinosaur.
Long-haul electric trucks have not yet appeared in Australia, although Shepparton’s Foott Waste recently trialled an urban garbage truck.
And Shepparton/Mooroopna dry-cleaning business Gouge has or had at least one truck running on a variety of biofuels.
Hydrogen is being discussed as an alternative to fossil fuel, and although many are excited about its potential, particularly for trucks and buses, it is still somewhat theoretical.
What I saw in that fading light was, really, the image of the future.
Traditionalists and those rooted in what was and whose thinking leaves them unable to escape the business-as-usual paradigm will argue that electric trains — freight and passenger — are utopian and will never be a major mover of freight or people.
However, a bold, courageous decision-maker who understands modern monetary theory knows that the shift to sophisticated, all-electric trains is simply a choice. The money is available, and so all that is needed is a grasp of what is best for the people.
That vision I saw in the fading light reminded me that we have more cars in Australia than people licensed to drive them, and beyond that, it was only last week that the Climate Commission released a report called Next stop suburbia: making shared transport work for everyone in Aussie cities.
The commission says: “Our car-centric transport system is polluting our cities and our climate. It has left many of us in the lurch when it comes to alternatives, with only half of the 15 million Australians living in our five biggest cities having access to frequent, all-day public transport.”
Shepparton has the same problem, as here, the alternatives to using a car — public transport, walking or cycling — have largely been ignored and border on useless.
The report says: “For decades, governments have prioritised the use of private cars in transport planning and investment, leaving too many people with no other way to get around. This is making our streets more congested, dangerous and unhealthy.”
Transportation is a major contributor to Australia’s carbon emissions and so while we have a moral responsibility to reduce that figure, we need to turn the spotlight onto what I saw in the fading light and drag such processes to centre stage.
The Climate Commission says: “We all want to live in cities with clean air and great public spaces, where we can move around in ways that suit our needs and feel safe on our streets.
“Getting from A to B with ease means having a choice of convenient, frequent, reliable and affordable transport options that seamlessly connect us to work, school, friends, family and services.
“This includes great shared options — like electric public transport, ride-share and other on-demand transport — together with active options like bike-riding, using a wheelchair or walking.”
And so maybe we all need to lift the veil and as we see the past roll past, maybe, just maybe we will get a glimpse of the future.
Robert McLean is a former editor of The News.