Train pain, go away
Posted November 5th, 2009 by debritz
It's either a case of bad luck, or something is seriously wrong with the Brisbane suburban rail system. In the past few days, there have been serious disruptions on the Gold Coast, Cleveland and Nambour lines, and today it's the Ferny Grove line. Time, I think, for some enterprising journalist to make some freedom of information requests about maintenance and other issues at Queensland Rail, and to put some hard questions to Premier Anna Bligh and Transport Minister Rachel Nolan, who want to charge us more to use a system that is often, to use the technical term, stuffed. With a growing population, of which we are constantly reminded, it can only get worse.
If I were Bligh Brett, I'd commit to a $25 billion overhaul of the Brisbane rail network. Cross River Rail 1 and 2 being built concurrently, would be a start, easily $14 billion, then a $2 billion investment in new rolling stock, $3 billion on upgrading nearly all stations for DDA compliance, increased capacity and giving new life to a dying system, $3 billion on new lines and upgrades, including Kippa-Ring and a extension of the Springfield project to the Ripley Valley development area and finally, $3 billion on research on ten future concepts:
-Using the now obsolete Northern Freeway corridor, from Mayne to Eagle Junction for a split-level 6 track underground rail line, including separate tracks for Doomben trains, eliminating the flat junction at Eagle Junction, for passenger service.
-Investigate a corridor, from Eagle Junction to Zillmere for a 4 track underground rail line, including a spur for Shorncliffe trains, to run to Northgate, eliminating the flat junction at Northgate for passenger use.
-Investigate a underground extension of Kippa-Ring project to Redcliffe proper.
-Investigate a freight-only under-river crossing from Doomben line, to Port of Brisbane, and southside freight network.
-Investigate the development of a Y junction for the Airport line.
-Investigate 160kph running for Gold Coast trains.
-Investigate extension of electric track to Gatton.
-Investigate double-deck rollingstock.
-Investigate expansion of interurban services to Maryborough, including 160kmh running.
And finally, investigate underground extension of Gold Coast line to Coolangatta proper.