 |
| Ferny Grove |
http://services.dlgp.qld.gov.au/resources/docs/qip/queensland-infrastructure-plan.pdf
So what is in store for SE Queensland commuters in the next few years? Rail projects include more trains, which with the recent resurgence in 3-car units are desperately required. Unfortunately it will be many years until the next generation rolling stock are in service. Coomera to Helensvale second track project will start around 2014, far too late to help with the 2012 timetable. The Gold Coast Light Rail will continue to proceed. The Mayne to Ferny Grove connection will allow empty trains to access the duplicated Ferny Grove Line without needing to run through the City to improve operating efficiency. The Lawnton to Petrie triplication and Moreton Bay Rail Link are go. Construction looks to continue on the Richlands to Springfield Line, and parts of the Northern and Eastern Busways. There is also mention of the mysterious CBD bus infrastructure capacity program, and Rail Capacity Upgrades phase 1.
What is missing? Well Cross River Rail is only mentioned in terms of the planning study and property acquisition. The delay to Cross River Rail will mean limited capacity for patronage growth from the Moreton Bay Rail Link and Gold Coast Lines. Despite the Coomera to Helensvale second track allowing for more Gold Coast trains, the lack of track upgrades along the Beenleigh Line corridor may slow down Gold Coast Line trains as they cannot overtake Gold Coast trains between Beenleigh and Kuraby. The overcrowded Cleveland Line looks set for no infrastructure improvements. There are no plans to duplicate and extend the Doomben Line to Northshore Hamilton in the near future. There is also nothing for the Sunshine Coast - CAMCOS and duplications to Landsborough appear to have gone missing in action.
Oh good grief. Apart from the fact that these are a bunch of rehashed announcements from IRTP, SEQIP & Conning QLD 2031, there are also serious problems with the proposed set of projects:
ReplyDelete- Coomera-Helensvale. Fine, more Gold Coast capacity, but without CRR where are those trains going to go?
- Ferny Grove line duplicated. Normally paired with Beenleigh line, so without CRR how is a more frequent Ferny Grove timetable going to fit through?
- Springfield, Lawnton - Petrie, Moreton Bay Rail Line. MIGHT be able to get away with these via the mains & Platforms 5/6 at Central, but without CRR I think that is the limit of it.
- Cleveland line. All upgrades have fallen off the radar, but without CRR to take away the conflicting Beenleigh/Gold Coast trains I guess there is no point.
- Doomben/Hamilton - this line is on the path to closure is my guess. Unlike tinea, if you ignore a railway line long enough, it will go away.
- CAMCOS - well, obviously Sunshine Coast has fallen off the priority list. In any case without CRR and probably Trouts Rd as well, where is the capacity?
- Landborough/Nambour - evidence that this Government doesn't even care about freight efficiency, let alone passenger services. They stopped caring about anything north of Caboolture about 3 milliseconds after Carolyn Male lost Glasshouse.
Over all, a bunch of rehashed announcements that add nothing new except a confirmed timetable for The Coomera - Helensvale duplication.
But the worst part is that it glosses over the fact that a lot of desperately needed projects have fallen off the radar entirely. And I would contend that the projects NOT in this glossy spinfest are the ones we actually need, and the ones that are included are the ones that should follow on from those.
What a crock. Reckon the LNP will do any better?