North West Transportation Corridor - 4 Tracks Please!

Screenshot: BCC

Brisbane City Council (BCC) is currently running a survey on options for the North West Transportation Corridor (NWTC), also known as the Trouts Road corridor. This corridor runs from Everton Park to Carseldine. BCC state that "The Australian Government has committed up to $10 million to the development of the north west transport network business case. Funding through the Major Project Business Case Fund is supporting Council to investigate the transport needs of this growing region, including opportunities to utilise the existing North West Transport Corridor, to inform future government investment in road, public and active transport". Concerningly, whilst this corridor appears to be BCC owned land, the policy for its long term use should really be under the Queensland State Government jurisdiction. At least it is good that discussion is finally happening for this vital transport corridor, but making the wrong decision due to multiple levels of government would be highly detrimental for SE Queensland.

Thankfully the two most popular options are for either the NWTC to be utilised for a train line and bikeway, or mixed use - train line, bikeway, and road. The "1960s style" road only options appear to thankfully be lacking in popularity - sorry Tim Mander! The road options would also just feed more traffic to the bottlenecks of South Pine Road/Wardell Street,  Samford Road, and Stafford Road. BrizCommuter does not support roads along the NWTC corridor other than (single lane per direction) local roads, and roads serving train station car parks.

The NWTC is vital for rail for two reasons:

• It allows local train services to serve Northern Brisbane Suburbs that are currently lacking in decent public transport. This could easily support an estimated 8 trains per hour per direction (tph) worth of local peak period services, which would initially be routed via the Ferny Grove Line from Bowen Hills to Alderley. This was expected as the Ferny Grove Line is likely to have full use of the Suburban tracks through Brisbane post-Cross River Rail.
  
• It allows more frequent and faster express services (Fast Regional Rail) from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane via a future rail tunnel from Everton Park to join Cross River Rail near Victoria Park. Currently the Caboolture Line has capacity for 10tph, so allowing for future rail to Caloundra and Maroochydore, provision for at least 16tph would be required. 

Unfortunately the plans provided only show 2 tracks along the NWTC. If there were 5 local stations,  express services would get stuck behind the local services if there were more than 6tph express and 6tph local services (12tph total). As stated in the dot points, the line would need to be able to cater for at least 24tph. Thus it is a no brainer that the NWTC needs to be designed to allow 4 tracks to be constructed along the corridor so that express services can overtake the local services. This may not be required at opening, but it is critical that the design allows a pair of express tracks to be easily added without having to knock-down or re-build any infrastructure along the corridor at a later date.  

Cross section only shows 2 tracks

 

Another concern (particularly for property owners) is how will the junction with the Ferny Grove Line at Alderley be configured? This area has complex road, rail, and stormwater limitations.  It is likely that many properties in this area will need to be resumed, and road layouts changed. Whilst this is required for progress, the authorities need to come clean now on what will need to occur in this area. 

To conclude:

• It is vital that the NWTC is used for rail, for both local services, and fast rail from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. 
• It is vital that the NWTC corridor is designed for 4 tracks, and for the additional tracks to be easily added at a later date if not constructed at opening. 
• Infrastructure requirements and property resumptions at Alderley need to be clarified to the public.
  

Cross River Rail - Anything But "Robust"

 Whilst Queensland's politicians have recently had a hard hat photo shoot in front of Cross River Rail's (CRR) Tunnel Boring Machines, CRR is headed to be yet another Queensland public transport disaster. The media releases are currently stuck on repeat saying "Queenslanders can have a high level of confidence that the project’s design and planning is robust" Unfortunately, BrizCommuter and many other rail experts are concerned that the project's current design is far from robust, and is not fit for purpose. 

Southern Constraints

CRR was primarily designed to increase capacity from the Gold Coast and Beenleigh Line corridor. Currently, the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, and Cleveland Lines operate 20tph (Trains Per Hour Per Direction) into Brisbane (via South Bank) in the am peak, though 24tph could be possible with European Train Control Signalling (ETCS) and associated infrastructure improvements. The original CRR designed has the tunnel surfacing at Yeerongpilly, which allowed for 4 tracks into Brisbane's CBD (plus a freight track). If this design has continued, it would have allowed for up to 48tph from the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, Cleveland, and future Salisbury-Beaudesert Lines into Brisbane, of which 36tph would have been able to operate between Salisbury and Dutton Park instead of the current 12-16tph.

CRR's Southern Constraints

Unfortunately, Cambell Newman's BaT Tunnel design curtailed the Southern Portal to Dutton Park, utilising the existing 3 track constraint between Dutton Park and Salisbury. When the BaT tunnel turned into CRR Mk2, this 3 track constraint stayed in the design. Only having 3 tracks means that express and empty services cannot overtake the all stations trains in the contra-peak direction. As the design changes at Mayne now mean that up to 24tph from Caboolture and Redcliffe will be heading South out of CRR in the am peak, then there is no capacity for via South Bank services in the contra-peak direction. Thus unless there is a peak direction "tidal flow" of services via South Bank (which would be operationally challenging and confusing to the public), the lack of 4th track limits the Salisbury to Dutton Park section to 24tph - that is 50% less capacity than the original design of CRR. This design flaw also means that only the Ferny Grove to Cleveland Line will be operating via South Bank, with a significant reduction in services along this busy section that serves businesses, apartments, hospitals, hotels, universities, and leisure destinations. It also means that contra-peak Gold Coast Line services may have to slowed down as they will be stuck behind stopping services.

Northern Constraints

Whilst Northside train services were not the primary driver behind the original CRR design, the subsequent construction of the Redcliffe Line and future proposals for serving Caloundra and Maroochydore mean that increased capacity is also required. The problem is that whilst Cross River Rail will add a 3rd track pair through Brisbane's CBD, north of Mayne (Bowen Hills) there are only 2 track pairs, plus the Ferny Grove Line. Due to recent track layout changes in CRR's design (Project Change 7), it now looks like all train services from Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, and Redcliffe will run via CRR. Combined with ETCS, this will allow an increase from 18-20tph to 24tph. CRR was not required to achieve this! This is only a 20% increase in maximum capacity, which may not even last a decade. 

CRR's Northern Constraints

The services from Doomben, Airport, and Shorncliffe Lines will be shifted to the Main Tracks (the tracks that hee Caboolture/Redcliffe to Ipswich/Springfield Lines currently run on). Whilst this track will allow for 24tph from Bowen Hills to Ipswich/Springfield with ETCS, the turnback constraints of the Doomben, Airport, and Shorncliffe Lines will not allow any more than the existing 14tph peak services on these lines. Thus the extra 10tph of Ipswich/Springfield services will start/terminate from sidings at Mayne. 

This leaves the Ferny Grove Line to be connected to the Cleveland Line. Without any level crossing replacements on both lines, and duplication of the Cleveland Line, there will be just 8tph running on the Suburban Tracks through Brisbane's CBD and South Bank. This track pair will be operated at just 33% of its maximum capacity, a massive reduction from the existing 22tph.

Cross River Rail is going to deliver zero extra train services to/from the North that couldn't be achieved by just installing ETCS. Cross River Rail should have been designed with tunnel stubs at Roma Street to allow for future extensions via a quad track line along the North West Transportation Corridor (NWTC/Trouts Road Line). This would have allowed for an additional 24tph from the Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, and Redcliffe Lines. This would have enabled Fast Regional Rail and also allowed for local services to many northern suburbs which are currently public transport black holes. So what now? "Fast Regional Rail" via the Ferny Grove Line?

It is quite obvious why Cross River Rail's Rail Operations Plan is being hidden from the public. It would expose serious shortcomings of Cross River Rail's design, which the politicians don't want you to know. Cross River Rail's design is anything but "robust"!

Cross River Rail - Score Card Q4 2020

3 Tracks = Bottleneck

This is the third of BrizCommuter's scorecards looking at the progress of Brisbane's Cross River Rail (CRR).  This score card looks at whether the proposed am peak service frequencies will be achievable when CRR opens to train services in 2025. These proposed am peak service frequencies are based on the information provided in the "Check Mate" section of CRR's website in 2019. Strangely,  everything related to proposed rail operations went missing from CRR's website in early 2020. Possible scores are No Improvement, Achievable, Concerning, and Critical.

Gold Coast Line 12tph - CRITICAL - requires either the Kuraby to Beenleigh track upgrade or 3rd platform at Loganlea. May result slowing down of some Gold Coast Line services between Loganlea and Beenleigh. Lack of 4th track between Dutton Park and Salisbury may also slow down services.

Beenleigh Line 4-6tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - unlikely to be an overall increase in services on this line, and Beenleigh Line services may get cut back to Loganlea. 

Salisbury (future Beaudesert) Line 7tph - CRITICAL - requires suitable turn back facilities and a grade-seperated junction at Salisbury that don't appear to be in the design. There may be scheduling concerns due to an out-of-sync frequency with interacting lines (6tph is more realistic). Limited possibility of service improvements after the Beaudesert Line opens as the lack of a 4th track from Dutton Park to Salisbury will limit counter-peak and off-peak services. Also, these services are now likley to be routed via CRR instead of via South Bank as previously proposed resulting in a significant decrease in train services via South Bank.

Ipswich and Springfield Lines 12tph (each) - CRITICAL - requires European Train Control Signalling (ETCS) from Darra to CBD, and ideally 4th electrified track and platform through Oxley. So not looking good. Not dependent on CRR being built.

Ferny Grove Line 8tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - no planned improvements to services, despite it looking like the Ferny Grove Line will have the suburban tracks to itself through Brisbane's CBD.

Caboolture and Redcliffe Lines 12tph (each) - CRITICAL - it now looks like all of these services will be routed via CRR, which will be highly dependent on ETCS from Northgate to CBD. Even then, there will only a maximum of 20% increase in services.

Shorncliffe Line 6-8tph - CONCERNING - 6tph requires duplication between Sandgate and Shorncliffe (or erratic and unreliable scheduling). 8tph from Northgate to CBD is no improvement. Shorncliffe Line will be the test line for ETCS in 2022. Will become critical if planning does not start soon.

Airport Line 4tph - NO IMPROVEMENT -  It is currently looking like Airport services may run to/from Ipswich or Springfield.

Doomben Line 2tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - to not extend to Northshore Hamilton is a absolute disgrace.

Cleveland Line 11tph - CRITICAL - 11tph from Manly to CBD would require a 3rd platform at Manly or Lota, and possibly a partial duplication or which no planning work appears to be underway.

15 minute off-peak services - CRITICAL - off-peak service proposals are not even published by CRR, and running 4tph throughout the suburban network would be constrained by multiple infrastructure limitations.

Sufficient Trains - CRITICAL - approximately 40 new trains are required to optimise peak services on the existing train network (e.g. pm peak frequencies to match am peak) and for additional peak services for CRR. These have still not been ordered, which means that this category has been raised to critical. 

Sufficient Train Crew - CONCERNING - sustained driver recruitment and forward planning is required.

Tunnel stubs for linking to future NWTC / Trouts Road Line - CRITICAL - not in current plans. and looking like it is too late to add them to the plans. To attach these tunnels at a later date would require a closure of CRR for many months, or an indirect routing of NWTC tunnels. NWTC is the optimal way of improving journey times and capacity from the North. 

Project Governance - CRITICAL - having a board of Queensland Government "Yes Men", and no external rail experts is not conductive to a successful project.

Project Transparency - CRITICAL - the "hiding" of the Rail Operations Plan is very concerning, as it is clear that CRR in its current design, and lack of associated infrastructure projects, will result in very limited network capacity improvements. Right To Information requests are also being denied.

To conclude, other than train lines where there will be no service improvements from Cross River Rail, most other rail lines and project performance indicators are now in the CRITICAL status:

• Project design is flawed - essentially a tunnel between two bottlenecks, with limited capacity improvements.
  
• Multiple associated track infrastructure projects have not started design or construction.
• New ETCS signalling - testing won't occur until 2022, which is cutting it fine for CRR implementation in 2025.
• More trains have yet to be ordered.
• Additional train crew have yet to be employed. 
• Project governance (Board) is not fit for purpose.
• Rail operations plan is being hidden as it will expose the design shortcomings.
  

CRR's expected opening may be less than 5 years away, but the clock is ticking and none of these are quick fixes. It is now looking highly unlikely that CRR will meet the previously proposed am peak train service proposals for 2026. Poor project design and integration with the rest of the network will result in very limited capacity increases - in fact the suburban tracks through Brisbane's CBD are likely to have 66% of capacity unused. The failings highlighted by Rail Back on Track, BrizCommuter, Minerva, and the Rail Supporters Association of Queensland appear to have been ignored by the Queensland Government. Unless these issues are rectified very soon, expect a Commission of Inquiry into Cross River Rail's failings in 2026.

2020 Queensland State Election

CRR is heading towards being a disaster

It's that time, when Queenslanders will be forced to polls again to vote for the "Destructive" LNP, or "Incompetent"ALP. 

"Destructive" LNP Track Record:

• The Newman Government axed the well designed original Cross River Rail (CRR), for the ludicrous BaT Tunnel, which added the network bottlenecks that persist with the current Cross River Rail design (such as shortening
  the Southern portal from Yeerongpilly to Dutton Park).
• Gave up trying to make Brisbane's Bus Network more efficient.
• Ordered the New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trains without guard positions, and toilets that did not meet disability legislation, resulting in a delay in entry to service, and expensive rectification work. It is likely that there was a "secret" plan to privatise NGR operated train services.
  
• Did not order enough NGR trains to optmise the existing rail network. 
  
• Axed driver trainers, and froze driver recruitment, when services were planned to be increased, resulting in Rail Fail. Likely also part of the "stealth" privatisation plan.
  
• Very limited new rail policies announced so far, and lacking public transport vision. 
  

 "Incompetent" ALP Track Record  

• Painfully slow response to fixing issues caused by the LNP Newman Government including Rail Fail, NGR design flaws. 
• Resurrected CRR, but with serious flaws in how it connects to rest of the network.
• Severe lack of transparency surrounding CRR, notably the "hidden" Rail Operations Plan.
• Involved in political fights that removed the underground Cultural Centre station from Brisbane City Council's Brisbane Metro. 
• Failed to order more NGR trains. 
• Lack of action on CRR associated infrastructure projects such as Beenleigh and Cleveland Line enhancements.
  
• Limited new rail policies announced so far, and lacking public transport vision. 

Sydney, Melbourne, and Auckland are also building new rail tunnels, with easily available information on how it will improve train services. Unfortunately, in Brisbane, the ALP Palaszczuk government are trying to keep voters in the dark over the severe design flaws of CRR, missing rail operations plans, whether Dutton Park station will be axed, and staging of infrastructure required to support CRR. The LNP led by Deb Frecklington, appear to be cut from the same cloth as the Newman government, so expect another attempt to privatise Queensland Rail by stealth, and road centric policies. It's not looking good for Queensland.

Cross River Rail - Board Stupid!

 

 

Cross River Rail's Board

 

Brisbane's Cross River Rail (CRR) project appears to be heading from bad to worse. BrizCommuter has published many articles covering the following issues:

• Bottleneck at Mayne limiting CRR's ability to increase train services from the North.
• Bottleneck (3 tracks) between Dutton Park portal and Salisbury potentially slowing down contra-peak Gold Coast Line services, and reducing train services via South Bank.
• No provision for connecting with the North West Transportation Corridor. 
  
• Poorly designed interchange at Park Road/Boggo Road.
• Lack of progress on associated infrastructure, new trains, and ETCS signalling. 
• Project changes bypassing the Auditor-General. 
  
• Secrecy around proposed rail operations.
  

It has now been reported in the press, that the extreme track gradients and curvature of the Southern portal at Dutton Park may result in trains slipping on the tracks. Of course, this would not have been an issue if the Newman government had not moved the Southern portal from Yeerongpilly to Dutton Park, and then sold back the acquired land. 

With all of these issues, you would hope that CRR would have a Project Board with independent experts on rail who can question these problems? Lets have a look at CRR's Project Board:

- Mr Damien Walker, Director-General, Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation (Chair)

- Mr Dave Stewart, Director-General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet

- Ms Rachel Hunter, Under Treasurer, Queensland Treasury

- Mr Neil Scales OBE, Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads

- Ms Liza Carroll, Director-General, Department of Housing and Public Works

- Dr Sarah Pearson, Deputy Director-General, Department of State Development, Tourism and Innovation

-Mr Matthew Longland, Deputy Director-General, Department of Transport and Main Roads

As you can see, CRR's Project Board is 100% Queensland senior public servant "yes men". Not even the rail operator Queensland Rail is represented on the Board. Thus there is absolutely no one on the Project Board who is likely to question the disastrous direction in which CRR is heading. The Cross River Rail Delivery Authority is also exempt from most Right To Information requests.

Unless the CRR Project Board pick their head out from the sand, then expect a Commission of Inquiry into Cross River Rail Fail sometime after its opening in the mid-2020s. 

Cross River Rail - The Gold Coast Line Slow Down

One of the main benefits of building Cross River Rail (CRR) is an increase in train services between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Unfortunately, due to neglected Gold Coast and Beenleigh Line infrastructure that is "not fit for purpose", it is looking like Cross River Rail could also result in slower journey times between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. So what might slow down the journey times?

3 tracks between Dutton Park and Salisbury + 6 minutes
CRR Mk1 (in 2011) had 5 tracks (3 at surface and 2 underground) between Boggo/Park Road and Yeerongpilly, which required some property acquisitions. The Newman Government's BaT tunnel moved the tunnel portal to Dutton Park to cut costs, and the acquired land was irresponsibly sold back to developers. Unfortunately, CRR Mk2 kept the Dutton Park portal location, resulting in a restrictive and "not fit for purpose" 3 track layout between Dutton Park and Salisbury.

If all peak direction train services from Caboolture and Kippa-Ring are routed via CRR, then the single contra-peak track between Dutton Park and Clapham Yards near Marooka will need to convey a mixture of express services, and empty trains heading to Clapham Yards, which will all get stuck behind the all stations services. The likely outcome is that contra-peak express services (Brisbane to Gold Coast in the am peak, and Gold Coast to Brisbane in the pm peak) will need to be slowed down in this section by 4 to 6 minutes. This may also result in inconsistent clock face timetables between contra-peak and peak/off-peak periods. This could all be resolved with 4 tracks (and just 2 platforms at each station) on this section, but it looks like it is now too late for a sensible, if more costly, infrastructure design.

CRR Mk1's portal at Yeerongpilly was much more sensible

Due to limitations of timetabling on each side of CRR, not helped by this 3 track section, it is possible that some trains may need to be held at stations in the CRR tunnel during the off-peak period. This could cause a worse case increase of journey time of around 5 minutes. This hasn't been included in these figures, as it is likely that services will be "bunched together" on both sides of CRR.

Interchange at Salisbury + 1 minute
An additional stop may be required at Salisbury for connections between Gold Coast, Beenleigh, and the the future Salisbury-Beaudesert Line. In the interim period, inner-Beenleigh Line services may terminate at Salisbury. This extra stop will add an extra minute to journey times, unless a stop elsewhere (such as Altandi) is bypassed. If the junction at Salisbury is not grade separated, then there will be an increased chance of delays due to conflicting moves (trains crossing the path of other trains). 

Beenleigh Line curtailed to Loganlea + 3 minutes
The two track section between Beenleigh and Kuraby is a major bottleneck, preventing Gold Coast express trains overtaking Beenleigh Line all stations trains in both directions. A submission is with infrastructure Australia for upgrades between Beenleigh and Kuraby which could solve this issue (ideally with 4 tracks). However, the only project that is currently funded is a third track and platform at Loganlea. There are multiple possible rail operations using this additional infrastructure. One option allows 12tph express and 6tph all stations in the peak direction, and 4tph express and 4tph all stations in the contra-peak direction (and off-peak). However, this would involve curtailing the Beenleigh Line to Loganlea (as per the "Connecting SEQ2031" document). This would result in alternate (50%) peak period, and possibly all off-peak Gold Coast Line trains having to additionally call at Holmview, Edens Landing, and Bethania, adding an extra 3 minutes to journey times.

Curtailing the Beenleigh Line to Loganlea isn't a new idea.

3 New Gold Coast Line stations + 4 minutes
Three new Gold Coast Line stations are planned for Pimpana, Helensvale North, and Merrimac.  If Gold Coast Line trains are to additionally stop at all three stations, then this will add an estimated 4 minutes to journey times. Gold Coast Line services may be tiered, so as to not serve all Gold Coast stations, but this would reduce frequency at the skipped stations.

Conclusion
A worst case scenario is that the neglected and "not fit for purpose" Gold Coast and Beenleigh Line corridor could result in journey times slowed down by up to 14 minutes. No wonder the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Queensland Government's Department of Transport and Main Roads, and Queensland Rail appear to be hiding Cross River Rail's rail operations plan.

Unlike London, Sydney, Auckland, and Melbourne where rail operations plans for new tunnels are easily accessible to the public, Queenslander's are being kept in the dark on how SEQ's rail services will be changed when CRR opens. It is time for the aforementioned authorities to stop spending ludicrous amounts of taxpayers money on adverts full of meaningless spin, and come clean on proposed rail operations, and staging of infrastructure projects that will help improve rail operations before and after CRR's opening.  

Cross River Rail - The Rail Operations Secret

Cross River Rail's tag line is "More Trains, More Often". Despite this, the proposed rail operations i.e. how often the trains will run, appears to be a state secret. There has been no significant mention of proposed rail operations for Cross River Rail (CRR) in publicly available literature since 2017, and this only covered am peak services. Proposed off-peak, and pm peak services have never had a mention. This diagram from 2017 is likely to now be obsolete due to the removal of the grade-separated junction at Mayne in Project Change 4.

2017 Proposal for am peak services in 2026

Only through trawling the "Check Mate" spin section of CRR's website in 2019, was there any mention of proposed peak services, and again no mention of off-peak services. The proposed servivce frequencies appeared to have changed slightly from the above diagram, and sadly for many lines there was no proposed increase compared to the current service provision. The line pairings were also not documented:

• Ferny Grove Line - 8tph
• Caboolture Line - 12tph (4tph from Sunshine Coast)
• Kippa-Ring Line - 12tph
• Shorncliffe Line - 6tph (8tph from Northgate to CBD)
• Airport Line- 4tph
• Doomben Line - 2tph
• Ipswich Line - 12tph
• Cleveland Line - 11tph (4-5tph from Cleveland to Manly)
• Beenleigh Line - 6tph (4tph Beenleigh to Kuraby)
• Gold Coast Line - 12tph
• Salisbury/Salisbury-Beaudesert Line) - 7tph

Concerningly, the above data has now been completely removed from CRR's website, ringing even more alarm bells that CRR is turning into a $5.4b white elephant. A generic statement stating "more trains, more often during peak, across the whole of South East Queensland" does not fill BrizCommuter with any confidence. Either the rail operating plan is being purposefully hidden from public view, possibly to avoid embarrassment, or the CRR project has designed the infrastructure with minimal thought to rail operations.

Given CRR's achilles heel of removing of the grade seperated junction at Mayne, and restrictive 3 track section between Dutton Park and Salisbury, BrizCommuter is currently predicting the following am peak period rail operations for when CRR opens in 2024. The frequency in trains per hour varies from best to worst case scenarios depending on associated infrastructure projects being completed:

• Ferny Grove Line (via Suburbans through CBD) - 8-12tph
• Cleveland Line (via Suburbans through CBD) - 8-12tph
• Caboolture Line (via CRR through CBD) - 10-12tph (incl. 3-4tph Sunshine Coast Line)
• Kippa-Ring Line (via CRR through CBD) - 10-12tph
• Gold Coast Line (via CRR through CBD) - 6-12tph
• Beenleigh Line (via CRR through CBD) - 6tph (4-6tph Beenleigh to Kuraby)
• Salisbury-Beaudesert Line (via CRR through CBD) - 0-6tph
• Ipswich Line (via Mains through CBD) - 10-12tph
• Springfield Line (via Mains through CBD) - 10-12tph
• Shorncliffe Line (via Mains through CBD) - 8tph (4-8tph Shorncliffe to Northgate)
• Airport Line (via Mains through CBD) - 4tph 
• Doomben Line (via Mains through CBD) - 2-4tph

This operating plan is interesting as it makes for maximum, or almost maximum use of CRR from opening. This will keep the spin doctors happy! It balances the frequency for the line pairings fairly well, minimizes conflicting train movements, and maintains sectorization. Additionally, most lines can potentially receive a frequency increasing pending associated infrastructure projects being completed. On the down side, anyone from the Gold Coast and Beenleigh Lines trying access South Bank and South Brisbane will have to change trains at the poorly designed Boggo Road/Park Road interchange.

Interestingly, the Suburban tracks through the CBD will only be running at 33-50% capacity (down from 92%), and services via South Bank will be less than at present. So what might this spare capacity be used for? A clue is in the statement that CRR will "support a future rail link between Alderley and Strathpine". This would be via the North West Transportation Corridor (NWTC) / Trouts Road Line. This would have the benefits of using the NWTC for a frequent (up to 12tph) suburban train service to serve many Northern Brisbane suburbs that are currently devoid of half-decent public transport including Everton Park, McDowall, Chermside West, Albany Creek, and Bridgeman Downs. However, due to the routing via the indirect inner-Ferny Grove Line instead of a more direct tunnel from Enoggera area to the CBD, it would poorly serve the NWTC's second purpose of being used for fast regional rail from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane.

Without associated infrastructure, CRR is not fit for purpose. Making optimal use of the extra capacity provided by CRR requires the following infrastructure projects to be completed:

• ETCS - Level 2 Signalling - anywhere where trains need to spaced less than 3 mins apart.
• Beenleigh Line upgrade (Beenleigh to Kuraby section).
• Salisbury-Beaudesert Line.
• Grade-seperated junction and temporary turnback facilities at Salisbury/Acacia Ridge.
• Cleveland Line duplication/3rd platform at Lota.
• Sandgate to Shorncliffe duplication.
• Doomben Line duplication (with possible extension options such as Northshore Hamilton). 
• 4th electrified track and platform at Oxley.
• Removal of most Road/Rail Level Crossings.
• Additional train stabling.
• 40-45 more 6-car trains (and enough train crew).
• NWTC - Alderley to Strathpine.

Tunnel stubs for NWTC to plug into CRR at Roma Street, and 4 tracks (instead of 3) from Dutton Park to Salisbury would allow for a more optimised rail network in SEQ, but it looks like it is now sadly too late to save these infrastructure projects.

It is time that the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Government, and Queensland Rail come clean on how the train network will operate after CRR opens. The authorities also need to come clean on the timeframe and priority for each associated infrastructure project required to optimise use of CRR's extra capacity. Questions include:

• What are the proposed am peak service patterns at CRR opening?
• What are the proposed pm peak service patterns at CRR opening?
• Will the 4tph daytime off-peak network be increased, and on which lines?
• Which lines will be linked through Brisbane's CBD?
• When will the required associated infrastructure projects take place, and how will they enhance services?
• What are the current proposals (including route safeguarding for rail) for the NWTC?

These questions need to be answered, otherwise CRR will continue to look like it will be the next project to join the large catalogue of Queensland Rail Fails. 

Cross River Rail - Southside Bottleneck

BrizCommuter recently discussed Cross River Rail's (CRR) Northside bottleneck at Mayne junction. At this location, merging 6 tracks into 4.3 (the .3 is the Ferny Grove Line) may result on a net gain of zero train services that can be attributed to Cross River Rail. This won't be alleviated until Cross River Rail can be diverted onto the North West Transportation Corridor to connect with the North Coast Line at Strathpine, which doesn't seem to be on the radar of the Queensland Government.

Southside Bottlenecks 

Unfortunately, there are also multiple major bottlenecks on the Southside, the worst of which is the "not fit for purpose" limitation of 3 tracks between CRR's portal at Dutton Park and Salisbury. In the Bligh Government's Cross River Rail Mk1, the tunnel ran to Yeerongpilly, allowing for 4 tracks south of Park Road/Boggo Road. Unfortunately the destructive Newman Governments's BaT Tunnel shortened the tunnel to Dutton Park, with only 3 tracks south of the portal, the same as at present. Properties purchased for resumption under CRR Mk1 were sold, making it harder to re-purchase. When the Palaszczuk Government replaced the BaT with "cut price" Cross River Rail Mk2, the portal remained at Dutton Park, with the same 3 track constraint.

There are also bottlenecks along the Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line corridor due to the line having 3 tracks between Salisbury and Kuraby, and 2 tracks between Kuraby and  Beenleigh.These are visited later in this article.

The Problem with 3 Tracks

Rail Operations 

The problem with 3 tracks is that it only allows express trains to overtake all stations / stopping trains in one direction. In the opposite direction, express trains can get stuck behind slower all stations trains. Whilst the rail operations plan for CRR is a closely guarded secret, it is assumed that it will be a choice of two am peak period operating paradigms:

1. Split - From the South approx. 12tph Gold Coast and 6tph Beenleigh peak services will run through CRR, and 6tph Salisbury/Beaudesert Line services will run via South Bank. From the North approx. 12tph from either Caboolture of Kippa-Ring will run via CRR, and 4 to 6tph will run from a Northside destination to Salisbury/Beaudesert via South Bank.
2. All via CRR - From the South approx. 12tph Gold Coast, 6tph Beenleigh, and 6tph from Salisbury/Beaudesert will run via CRR. From the North a combined 24tph from Caboolture and Kippa-Ring will run via CRR. 

Contra-peak/off-peak services are expected to comprise of 4tph Gold Coast, 4tph Beenleigh, and 4tph Salisbury/Beaudesert services. The Gold Coast and Beenleigh services will run express from Dutton Park to Salisbury, and the Salisbury/Beaudesert services will stop at all stations taking 6 minutes longer to traverse this 3 track section.

The inner-Beenleigh Line Problem
The 3 tracks between Dutton Park and Salisbury will not cause a problem in the peak direction and off-peak in the near future. However, in the contra-peak direction, it is a major problem. All trains travelling South from CRR in the am peak have to run as far as Clapham Yard, just south of Yeerongpilly. Thus with the "Split Paradigm", this single contra-peak track will need to handle 16-18tph. With the "All via CRR Paradigm" the single contra-peak track will need to handle up to 24tph, the maximum capacity of this track! Unfortunately, a single express service eats up 3 of these track slots. The result of this is as follows:

• Up to 16tph - trains will need to have extended dwell times at Boggo/Park Road for correct sequencing and/or reduction in express running.
• 17-20tph - trains will need to have extended dwell times at Boggo/Park Road for correct sequencing and/or reduction in express running. A 4th platform at Salisbury is required. 
• 21-24tph - a 4th track is required between Dutton Park and Salisbury, otherwise express running will not be possible. 

Unfortunately work has already started on this section, and urgent project changes will be required to add the 4th track to the design and build (note: 4 tracks, but only 2 platforms are required at most of these stations). The failure to build 4 tracks will result in contra-peak train services being slowed down by up to 6 minutes. It would mean that there would not be consistent clockface timetables between contra-peak and off-peak services. There may also be long term peak period capacity constraints when the demand on this rail corridor exceeds 24tph.

Poor project management and cost cutting has resulted in a 3 track layout between Dutton Park and Salisbury, that will slow down train services from Day 1 of Cross River Rail. 

 

The 3 track sections needs an urgent redesign

The Outer Beenleigh Line Problem

There are currently 3 tracks between Salisbury and Kuraby which allows peak direction overtaking, but only 2 tracks between Kuraby and Beenleigh (expect for Bethania inbound). It is expected to that in the am peak CRR will handle 12tph from Gold Coast, and 6tph from Beenleigh. For any peak increase over 8tph Gold Coast and 4tph Beenleigh services, there needs to be infrastructure improvements.

In the contra-peak and off-peak, then assuming 4tph Gold Coast and 4tph Beenleigh Line services, the trains will need to overtake on this section. This is most likely to occur at Loganlea, though the exact location depends on the sequencing of Gold Coast and Beenleigh Line services on the Dutton Park to Salisbury section (note: based on the existing timetable they would overtake at Altandi). Thus there are two upgrade options:

• Triplication from Holmview to Kuraby, 4 tracks/platforms at Loganlea, and improved turnback/stabling facilities at Beenleigh. This would be more expensive, but not slow down Gold Coast express services,and would be more reliable.
• Curtail the Beenleigh Line to turnback facilities at Loganlea (3rd track and platform for turnbacks, plus a siding to buffer 4tph counter-peak vs 6tph peak direction frequencies). All off-peak, and 50% peak Gold Coast Line services would stop at all stations between Beenleigh and Loganlea. This would be cheaper, but would slow down some Gold Coast express services, and will be less reliable than the previous option.

Beenleigh may need a redesign

Salisbury to Beaudesert Line

The Salisbury to Beaudesert Line (also known as the Flagstone Line) is a beneficiary of extra track capacity due to CRR. This will run along the interstate train line corridor at join the Beenleigh Line near Acacia Ridge, south of Salisbury station. A grade seperated junction would eliminate any conflicting train movements. As this line may not be open at CRR's inception, then turnback facilities will need to be provided at, or south of Salisbury station, and with a design to avoid conflicting train movements. Unfortunately CRR's plans stop at Salisbury, and it is unknown how this junction and turnback facility will be designed. 

Other alternatives

Fast regional rail would allow for faster train services between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, possibly by building an elevated train line along the M1 corridor, and plugging into the Gold Coast Line around Yatala where an interchange with the (extended by one stop) Beenleigh Line could be constructed. Unfortunately CRR has not been designed with any tunnel stubs to allow this to be connected, so it would be easier to plug this line into the via South Bank Line at Park Road. There is no funding for this plan, but if it was somehow expedited, it would reduce the requirement and cost of adding extra tracks on the Beenleigh Line. However, given that this is probably decades away, then it should not prevent the required capacity enhancements mentioned in this article.

There is also the possibility of extending the CRR tunnel to Yeerongpilly or Moorooka in the future to bypass most of the restrictive inner-City section, however this would be expensive and result in the closure of CRR for at least 6 months to allow for the extended tunnels to be plugged in.

So what is required?

Cross River Rail is currently a $5.4b tunnel being build between two bottlenecks. To avoid long term capacity issues that will be difficult/expensive to rectify, the following design changes are urgently required:

• Provision for a 4th track between Dutton Park and Salisbury.
• Tunnel stubs for North West Transportation Corridor (Trouts Road Line) at Roma Street. 

To maximise track capacity on the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, and Salisbury/Beaudesert Lines, so as to maximise use of CRR, the following is also required:

• Grade seperated junction at Salisbury, with turnback facility at Acacia Ridge. 
• Beenleigh Line upgrades between Beenleigh and Kuraby. 
 

 

Cross River Rail - Boggo Road - A Change for the Worse?

Whilst the rail operation plan for Cross River Rail (CRR) is still being kept a state secret, there is no question that many passengers will need to change trains at Boggo Road / Park Road Stations. Depending on the rail operations (which are not helped by the diabolical 3 track layout South of the Dutton Park Portal) all Gold Coast/Beenleigh/Beaudesert Line services will run through CRR, or approximately 6tph local services will run via South Brisbane, whilst the rest will run via CRR. This effectively means that up to 10,000 passengers a day will have to change from the Gold Coast, Beenleigh (and eventually Beaudesert) Lines to the Cleveland Line to access South Bank and South Brisbane stations. There will also be the requirement for passengers to change between Eastern Busway/Brisbane Metro bus services and train at this location. In fact, CRR's website states that this will be the second busiest public transport interchange in Brisbane. So you would expect a well integrated interchange station then? Sadly, no...

Park Road & Boggo Road - no direct interchange

As you can see in the Diagram, Boggo Road and Park Road stations are not quite adjacent. Now this wouldn't be a huge issue if there was an elevated walkway within the "gated" area between the two stations (not that Park Road has any fare gates), linking Boggo Road station with the South end of Park Road station. This is entirely possible, but for some bizarre reason has been left out of the design. Instead, these 10,000 passengers will need to walk over 200m outdoors to change trains. This won't be fun in Brisbane's hot, humid, and often stormy summer weather. As passengers will have to change outside of the "gated" fare area, the mix of ungated Park Road and gated Boggo Road stations is also likely to confuse many go card users resulting in fixed fares. The interchange between Boggo Road and Park Road stations needs an urgent rethink, to allow a shorter distance transfer, protected from the sun and rain, and within a gated fare area.

This dysfunctional interchange will annoy rather a lot of commuters who currently access South Bank and South Brisbane stations from the Gold Coast and Beenleigh Line corridor without having to change trains. Just to make the change worse, there is still little understanding of how frequent train services will be from Park Road to South Bank and South Brisbane. If there are no capacity enhancements to the Cleveland Line at Cross River Rail's opening, then the worst case scenario is these passengers will be trying to cram their way onto just 8tph worth of already busy train services to get to their final destination. These passengers will expect a more frequent connecting train service if they are to be forced to change, and the rail operations on the South Bank section of the network needs to meet this demand. It is critical that CRR, Queensland Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads and Queensland Rail, come clean about the rail operations to be expected at CRR's opening.

Cross River Rail - Mayne Capacity Constraints

BrizCommuter has previously discussed the bottlenecks at both ends of Brisbane's Cross River Rail tunnel, and this post looks in more detail at changes to the Northern end where Cross River Rail (CRR) plugs into the rest of the rail network at Mayne (near Bowen Hills).

CRR adds 2 extra tracks (CRR Up and Down) for passenger services through Brisbane's CBD for a total of 6 tracks, however at the Northern end, those 2 tracks need to plug into the existing 4 tracks (Mains Up and Down, and Suburban Up and Down) just south of Albion. Concerningly, information on proposed rail operations is extremely limited on CRR's website. It is assumed that up to 24tph services will run on the existing Mains between Albion and Northgate. This will split into the Mains and CRR tracks at Mayne. For example 12tph am peak from Caboolture/Sunshine Coast will run via CRR, and 12tph am peak from Kippa-Ring will run via the Mains through the CBD. Due to this frequent peak service merging or splitting at this junction, it would be expected that a grade seperated junction would be provided at Mayne. Unfortunately, it seems that this is no longer the case.

The other problem with plugging 6 tracks into 4 (technically 4.33 if you include the Ferny Grove Line), means that CRR will not provide any capacity increase for train services to/from Brisbane's Northside. All of the service improvements will be due to implementing European Train Control System (ETCS) - Level 2 signalling, and not from spending over $5b on building a new tunnel. To increase Northside capacity, extra tracks will need to be constructed North of Brisbane, of which the Trouts Road Line / North West Transportation Corridor would be the most sensible option.

In Project Change Application 1 (2017), there was a grade seperated junction, with the Up CRR line running in a trench under the Up and Down Mains lines. Track layouts also placed stabling in-between the CRR Lines at Mayne, and Mains at Mayne North to reduce conflicts. This layout seemed quite logical, aside from lack of track connections between the Mains and Suburbans (on which the Airport/Doomben/Shorncliffe Line) services run on for operational flexibility.

Project Change 1 - Mayne

Project Change 1 - Mayne North

Then came along "cost cutting" Project Change 4 (2019). This removed the grade seperated junction, and replaced it with a track layout that seemed to defy any operational logic as it prevented the Down Mains at Bowen Hills (services from Ipswich/Springfield) from plugging into the Down CRR (at Albion). This may have been a major design mistake. Alternatively the operational plans may have been to run all 24tph services from Caboolture/Sunshine Coast/Kippa-Ring via CRR. However there is insufficient track capacity at CRR's Southern portal to allow this unless all Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line services are run via CRR, and none via South Bank.

Project Change 4 - Mayne

Project Change 4 - Mayne North

The most recent version is Project Change 7. This has no accompanying information in the Request for Project Change 7 documentation. This is operationally much better than the illogical Change 4 track layout, as it allows services from Up and Down Mains, and Up and Down CRR to merge into the Up and Down CRR/Mains near Albion. However, as junction this is not grade seperated, it is less likely that services will now be split at this junction. It also allows services from the Up and Down Mains to connect into the Up and Down Suburbans which allows for more operational options.

Project Change 7 - Mayne

Project Change 7 - Mayne North

The downside of the Project Change 7 track layout is that there is no grade seperation, between the merging or splitting CRR and Mains services (nor services being switched between the Suburbans and Mains). This means that a train service running from Ipswich/Springfield to Kippa-Ring via Central, will have conflicting movements with a train service running from Caboolture/Sunshine Coast to Gold Coast via CRR. Whilst this can be timetabled out, either train service running late will cause knock on operational issues to the rest of the network. Changes to track layouts should have sufficient merit to have publicly available documentation on why the changes have been made.

The bottleneck and track layout at Mayne raises a list of serious concerns:

• Why was the grade seperated junction at Mayne for Mains/CRR tracks removed from the plans?
• Why are the proposed rail operations for Cross River Rail being kept a secret? Surely this is one of the most crucial parts of a project that is designed to increase rail capacity?
• Why is there no mention of the track layout changes at Mayne in the Request for Project Change 7? Is the Coordinator-General even aware of these changes?
• What are the long term plans for connecting Cross River Rail to the Trouts Road Line / North West Transportation Corridor, and is this route safeguarded for rail transport?

Note: all screenshots from http://statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/coordinator-general/assessments-and-approvals/coordinated-projects/completed-projects/cross-river-rail-project/project-changes.html

Brisbane Metro - Now Half-Baked

Cultural Centre - half-baked upgrade

Brisbane City Council's Brisbane Metro project has had a rocky history. The original idea, possibly drawn up on the back of a napkin after a few alcoholic drinks, was to convert the core of the SE and Inner Northern Busway to a Paris style rubber tyred metro system. It was fundamentally flawed as it stopped short of key trip generaters such as UQ, PAH, and RBWH, and any savings in journey times would have been eroded by forcing most passengers to have to change from bus to metro (or vice versa), sometimes twice. A much more sensible decision was made to replace this with a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system with specially designed "Metro" buses on the core routes (including to UQ, PAH, and RBWH) whilst also allowing many existing bus routes to also traverse the busway.

The key part of the Brisbane Metro Mk2/BRT project was fixing the most serious mistake of the original SE Busway design - the Melbourne Street/Grey Street intersection at Cultural Centre. The plan was to underground this section, removing the congested and dangerous grade junction with road traffic. Unfortunately it seems that now, possibly due to silly LNP vs ALP political games, that this idea had been dropped. Whilst there will be some improvements at this intersection, it will be remain a bottleneck for busway traffic. This bottleneck lengthens journey times, can make journey times very unpredictable, and reduces capacity.

This move is very disappointing, as multiple Brisbane public transport projects are watered down to the point at which they are barely worth building. The Northern Busway tunnel along Gympie Road was recently replaced by proposed bus lanes, which was then replaced by peak period only bus lanes This is a repeat of the delay inducing road running of the Northern Busway between Windsor and Lutwyche. Cross River Rail has been watered down so much that it is now a tunnel between two serious bottlenecks at both ends. Whilst Melbourne, Sydney, and Auckland are all constructing well designed infrastructure allowing for huge increases in transport capacity, public transport planning in SE Queensland continues to be a half-baked disaster. 

Social Distancing on Trains

COVID-19 has caused a massive reduction in public transport patronage in Brisbane, as with most other cities around the world. BrizCommuter commends TransLink and Queensland Rail on continuing to run a full train service during and after the lockdown period, which allowed commuters to continue safe social distancing.

Now that patronage is slowly returning, it is time to think about how COVID-19 and its fallout may affect public transport and services. It is likely that due to the slow recovery from high unemployment, a permanent shift to working from home for some workers, and fear of catching viruses on public transport, that patronage will not recover to pre-COVID levels for many years. However, BrizCommuter doesn't think that now is the time for authorities to see this as an excuse to do nothing. In fact, now may be a good time to optimise the train services on the existing train network, not only to make using public transport for attractive to commuters, but also make some services less crowded to increase consumer confidence. Due to social distancing becoming the new normal, the goal posts have moved on what is deemed a "too busy" train service by the general public. It's impossible to cost effectively run public transport whilst achieving "safe" levels of social distancing, however public transport systems should making the most efficient use of their resources to reduce crowding. So what needs to be done to optimise the existing train network?

• Improve pm peak frequencies - whilst most lines generally have a good am peak service, the pm peak service is still unattractive to many commuters. For example the Ipswich, Springfield, Redcliffe, and Caboolture lines have up to 6 min frequencies in the am peak, but generally 12 min frequencies in the pm peak, with the "peak of the peak" services being overcrowded. Likewise the Ferny Grove Line has 7.5min frequencies in the am peak, but has 15 min gaps in the pm peak, including at the busiest part of the pm peak. The Cleveland Line's express service finishes too early in the pm peak, resulting in crowded services and slower journey times. Improving pm peak services should be approached on a case by case basis, with an aim to ultimately have similar service frequencies in the am and pm peaks.
• Improve counter and off-peak frequencies - counter peak services should be improved to 15 minute frequency network wide (where possible) to encourage use of public transport to suburban employment and education centres. 15 minute off-peak frequencies should be extended to most of the suburban rail network where infrastructure permits to encourage the use of flexible working hours.
• Improve shoulder frequency services - there are a few shoulder peak services which are busier than optimal, and peak service frequency periods should be extended on a case by case basis on a few lines. Again, this may help encourage the use of flexible working hours.

So how can the existing rail network be optimised?

• More train crew - lack of train crew is still a limitation to improving train services in SE QLD, and driver recruitment needs to be sustained.
• More trains - whilst an enhanced off-peak service can be run with the existing rolling-stock, most of the above peak period improvements will require more trains. To fully optimise the existing (pre-CRR) train network - approximately 7 more 6-car trains are required. The NGR rectification works, and ageing EMU trains do not help this situation. 

The sad reality though is that the  COVID-19 situation is more likely to result in inaction  on improving public transport, increasing the risk of Brisbane's rail network falling further behind other Australian and New Zealand cities, and increasing the likelihood of Cross River Rail Fail.

Cross River Rail: Score Card Q2 2020

Cross River Rail - a tunnel between 2 bottlenecks

This is the second of BrizCommuter's scorecards looking at the progress of Cross River Rail (CRR).  This score card looks at whether the proposed am peak service frequencies will be achievable when CRR opens in 2024, or more realistically in 2025. These proposed am peak service frequencies are based on the information provided in the "Check Mate" section of CRR's website, which appears to be modified from the Changed Project Indicative Service Plan. Possible scores are No Improvement, Achievable, Concerning, and Critical.

Gold Coast Line 12tph - CONCERNING - requires the Kuraby to Beenleigh track upgrade (or slowing down of Gold Coast services). 8tph more likely. Will become critical if planning does not start soon.

Beenleigh Line 4-6tph - NO IMPROVEMENT to train services due to there being no plans for 4 tracks on the shared Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line corridor.

Salisbury (future Beaudesert) Line 7tph - CONCERNING - requires suitable turn back facilities and a grade-seperated junction at Salisbury. There will be scheduling concerns due to an out-of-sync frequency with interacting lines. Limited possibility of service improvements after Beaudesert Line opens as the lack of a 4th track from Dutton Park to Salisbury will limit counter-peak and off-peak services. Will become critical if (re-)planning does not start soon.

Ipswich and Springfield Lines 12tph (each) - CONCERNING - requires European Train Control Signalling (ETCS) from Darra to CBD, and ideally 4th electrified track and platform through Oxley. Not dependant on CRR.

Ferny Grove Line 8tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - ETCS would improve reliability on the core section, and evening peak service should be increased from 6-8tph - see sufficient trains section! 

Caboolture and Redcliffe Lines 12tph (each) - CONCERNING - dependent on ETCS from Northgate to CBD, and improved track layout at Kippa-Ring. Not dependent on CRR. 4tph on Sunshine Coast Line.

Shorncliffe Line 6-8tph - CONCERNING - 6tph requires duplication between Sandgate and Shorncliffe (or erratic and unreliable scheduling). 8tph from Northgate to CBD is no improvement, though ETCS would improve core system reliability. Shorncliffe Line will be the test line for ETCS in 2022. Will become critical if planning does not start soon.

Airport Line 4tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - ETCS would improve reliability on core system. Airport Line needs an extended 4tph off-peak service.

Doomben Line 2tph - NO IMPROVEMENT - to not extend to Hamilton Northshore is a absolute disgrace.

Cleveland Line 11tph - CONCERNING - 11tph from Manly to CBD would require a 3rd platform at Manly or Lota, and possibly a partial duplication. Will become critical if planning does not start soon.

15 minute off-peak services - CONCERNING - off-peak service proposals are not even published by CRR, and running 4tph throughout the suburban network would be constrained by multiple infrastructure limitations including lack of 4th track between Dutton Park and Kuraby.

Sufficient Trains - CONCERNING - approximately 40 new trains are required to optimise peak services on the existing train network (e.g. pm peak frequencies to match am peak) and for additional peak services for CRR. These have yet to be ordered. Will become critical if the train order is not placed soon, especially as the NGR fleet rectification will take many years as well.

Sufficient Train Crew - CONCERNING - sustained driver recruitment and forward planning is required.

Tunnel stubs for linking to future NWTC / Trouts Road Line - CRITICAL - not in current plans. To attach these tunnels would require a closure of CRR for many months, or an indirect routing of NWTC tunnels. NWTC is the optimal way of improving journey times and capacity from the North.

To conclude, other than lines where there will no service improvements from Cross River Rail, all other lines are currently in the CONCERNING category as they require either:

• New track infrastructure that has not started construction.
• New ETCS signalling - testing won't occur until 2022.
• More trains that have yet to be ordered.
• Train crew that have yet to be employed. 

CRR's expected opening may be 4 to 5 years away, but the clock is ticking and none of these are quick fixes. Many of these scores may change to CRITICAL if there is no action by the end of 2020. An additional concern is that the temporary patronage decline due to COVID-19 may be an excuse for authorities to do the "do nothing" option on projects that are required for CRR to not be a $5.4b White Elephant. BrizCommuter is currently predicting that CRR is unlikely to be able to meet the proposed am peak service frequencies at opening, and that Cross River Rail Fail is looming.

Brisbane 2032 Olympics - Transport Legacy Required

South East Queensland authorities are currently putting in a bid for the 2032 Olympics. Given SE Queensland’s mediocre public system, this is raising a few eyebrows. The is no question that there has been under investment in SE Queensland's public transport for decades. Significant infrastructure is required to move people around Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast during the Olympics and provide a well utilised legacy after the games. 

An argument against SE Queensland holding the 2032 Olympics is that Brisbane gets more than its fair share of government spending. This is actually false, as most regions get more spending per capita than Brisbane. Thus there is little argument to oppose large investments in SE Queensland’s inadequate public transport system if it was chosen to host the games. 

Multiple stadium sites have been proposed - re-building the QE2/QSAC stadium in Nathan, and various locations in the vicinity of (RNA) Brisbane Showgrounds, above Mayne Yards (Bowen Hills), and utilising the site of the Albion Park Raceway. QE2 does not have any nearby rail transport, and thus would rely on buses via the SE Busway and from Banoon station on the Beenleigh Line. This would be inadequate for Olympic sized crowds. The Exhibition/Mayne/Albion options would be within walking distance of (at least 2 stations out of) either Exhibition, Bowen Hills, and Albion with between 36 and 48 trains per hour per direction possible.  These stations may need capacity enhancements and dedicated walkways to the venues. The Mayne Yards option may be restrictive if any track layout changes are required in the future. It is likely that other venues would be spread throughout SE Queensland, in particular Suncorp Stadium, and multiple venues on the Gold Coast which hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games. 

Infrastructure that is essential for an Olympic legacy for SE Queensland (roughly in order of priority):

- North West Transportation Corridor (NWTC) / Trouts Road Line - this line would connected with Cross River Rail north of Roma Street and allow for a significant increase in capacity (24tph) to/from Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, and Redcliffe, as well improving public transport to many Northern Brisbane suburbs. If constructed with 4 tracks, it would allow for express regional services to/from the Sunshine Coast. 

- Quadruplication of Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line corridor - parts of the Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line corridor should be quadruplicated to allow both express and local services to operate in both peak and counter peak directions. This would avoid the embarrassing closure of Beenleigh Line services that occurred during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and allow for a high frequency express regional train services to/from the Gold Coast. Track re-alignment options also need to be considered in the Logan area where there are many low speed bends. 

- Gold Coast Line Extension - the Gold Coast Line should be extended to Coolangatta Airport as originally proposed over a decade ago. 

- Multiple network enhancements - to maximise network capacity the following projects need to occur - Cleveland Line duplication and use of freight track in peak direction; Sandgate to Shorncliffe duplication, 4th electrified track Corinda to Darra with 4th platform at Oxley, duplication of the Doomben Line with extension to Hamilton Northshore.

- Caloundra/Maroochydore Line - this line (CAMCOS) has long been talked about, and the NWTC would allow for a frequent express train service from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane. Optimally the line would terminate at Sunshine Coast Airport, but this may not be cost effective. 

- Multiple level crossing removals - significant effort needs to be put into eliminating a large number of high priority/dangerous level crossings as has recently occurred in Melbourne. 

- Salisbury to Beaudesert Line - this would allow for train services to many South Brisbane suburbs and the new developments along this rail corridor such as Greater Flagstone. A grade separated junction would be required at Salisbury.

- Springfield Line extension - the Springfield Line should be extended at least as far as the new town of Ripley. Optimally it should be extended to Ipswich. 

- Purpose build bus interchanges are critical for Olympic venues. To avoid the farcical bus queues that occurred during the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, there needs to be purpose build bus interchanges serving the venues and nearest train stations (where applicable). Suncorp Stadium is a good example of well designed infrastructure, where pedestrians and buses are grade separated. The Eastern Busway should be extended as a transitway to service Chandler where multiple Olympic sports are likely to be held. 

Let’s hope that if SE Queensland is selected to host the 2032 Olympic Games, that it results in Brisbane and SE Queensland getting the public transport infrastructure that an Olympic hosting city deserves.