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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Melbourne Publiic Transport Infrastructure
- Thread starter Ian4
- Start date
ZeroGame said:
lets see:
- the rail tunnel from footscray to caulfield
- electrification of the melton line
- werribee to deer park regional rail loop
- new line to doncaster
- epping line duplication and extension
- glen waverley extension to rowville
- sydenham extension to sunbury
- extra tracks through the dandenong corridor
- multiple grade separations at dangerous railway crossings
- new train stations in developing areas of existing lines
- change timetable configuration to metro style system (ie. werribee to sandringham, sunbury to frankston, melton to glen waverley, etc)
Why are they more important than an airport rail link? Something that will be used by all local, interstate and international travellers.Ian4 said:
Having used the Heathrow Express, the RER in Paris and others around the world it contantly astounds me that we haven't even got a normal train line out to the airport like even Sydney has. In London expecially, pretty much everyone uses the Heathrow Express, I've never used anything else.
There are over 26 million passenger trips taken out of Melbourne airport every year (72,000 per day) and that is expected to more double in the next 8 years to 55 million (150,000 per day). This isn't just some rail link to cater to one particular suburban area of Melbourne, it's something that could completely change the way people get to Melbourne airport given the expensive car parking, expensive cab rides or slow bus that's affected by traffic conditions.
Tiger74 said:
yep i know, but the govt are having problems educating the public that it's a good thing... coz when the metro system is fully operational it'll mean only 4 of the 16 train lines will run through the loop. eg. werribee line passengers were pretty p!ssed off when they stopped running all their peak hour services through the loop earlier this year... but the upside is that it has enabled them to run more frequent services on all west suburban lines.
ZeroGame said:
because our current rail system is in such a poor state, it needs to be fixed first. skybus is a 20 min bus trip from the city to the airport. of course a train line would be better, but its adequate for now
Ian4 said:
Never will be. Damage has been done for too long.
Total disaster is building in this city with pathetic train services and road congestions.
Using the same logic, the bus services in regional areas are adequate alsoIan4 said:
Sorry, but for an estimated 50 million travellers per year in the next 8 years, we need to start on the rail link to the airport very soon, it should have been done years ago. I realise that some of those rail projects should be looked into also, but there's nowhere near enough travellers to justify some of those projects over the airport link.
As far as I'm concerned, any city without a rail line to their airport is missing a vital link in their public transport infrastructure.
Plus what is the case for a rail tunnel from Caulfield to Footscray? The size of that project alone would be astronomical. There's far greater need for a tunnel linking the Eastern Fwy to Citylink over something like that. The Burnley tunnel cost around $500 million back in 1996-2000 when it was built and is only 3.5km, the cost of a tunnel from Caulfield to Footscray would be in the billions.
Ian4 said:
Wait for this Ian.....drum roll............I agree....(now you can pick yourself up from the floor).
The airport is well serviced by SkyBus. It runs mostly every 10 minutes. It is express in to the city. Only takes approx 20 minutes. I wonder if a train would run that efficiently. Can understand a call for an airport train but don't see it as the highest priority we'd have.
Buses to the burbs take round about routes often up and down back streets with lots of stops.
One area I'd love to see have some public transport, and I don't know what's happened to plans to do it, is Whittlesea. If not a train to there at least something to the Mill Park area. That road is getting awful to travel on. Heaps of estates going up everywhere, and the massive population influx, is leading to congestion and road rage.
ZeroGame said:
you make some good arguments ZG. regional services are terrible. maybe some of our regional PREnders can share some of their issues...
as for there not being enough travellers... it depends on the routes you're referring to. eg. services to melton are disgraceful at the minute and the population along the western freeway corridor between deer park and melton is expected to double in the next 10 years.
the caulfield to footcray tunnel is vital imo. it will basically take train services from melbourne uni all the way down swanston st and st kilda rd to st kilda junction. it really is the main missing piece of the puzzle for inner melbourne and will end up being the busiest line in melbourne by far. it will also streamline the 9 tram lines that go down swanston st and st kilda rd which i believe is a bit of a dogs breakfast.
as for a tunnel linking citylink and the eastern freeway, no arguments from me there. although this thread is more about on public transport infrastructure as opposed to our road networks.
and once again, i'll state that i am not against an airport rail link, i just think skybus can do the job for now while the rest of melbourne train lines are fixed.
rosy23 said:
wow rosy, hahaha. didn't the epping line used to go to whittlesea at one stage? i know the epping line extension to south morang is starting very soon (may have started already). the cost will be $300 million... such a high cost because the track will be duplicated from keon park to epping (more failures from previous state govts). i have heard rumours of plans to extend it in later years but not sure if it'll go as far as whittlesea or if any timelines have been set.
Say what?Tiger74 said:
Doncaster hill presinct is about to become one of the highest density living areas in Melbourne's middle ring. They have rezoned about 10 km area along Doncaster road and the other main arterials that feed to it.
Right at this moment they are building a 10 story housing commision appartment block in the shaow of Westfield shoppingtown. There are another 10 buildings of similar size started or slated to start in the next 6 months. It is one of the most underserviced middle ring areas in Melbourne.
Agree clevo.
Most East North Easterners (Bulleen, Templestowe, Balwyn, Doncaster) desperately need trains considering how bad Manningham Road and others close by get badly congested every morning and night.
Failures from previous state govts....yes.....but what about this hack Dumby who's had a decade to do something??
Sth Morang extension is another rubbish idea. This line needs to extend further into Whittlesea (as Rosy said) because now Dorreen and Mernda are becoming populated.
There's no point planning for just 20 years ahead, we must plan for 50 years ahead to save any further major problems in 20 - 30 years time.
Most East North Easterners (Bulleen, Templestowe, Balwyn, Doncaster) desperately need trains considering how bad Manningham Road and others close by get badly congested every morning and night.
Ian4 said:
Failures from previous state govts....yes.....but what about this hack Dumby who's had a decade to do something??
Sth Morang extension is another rubbish idea. This line needs to extend further into Whittlesea (as Rosy said) because now Dorreen and Mernda are becoming populated.
There's no point planning for just 20 years ahead, we must plan for 50 years ahead to save any further major problems in 20 - 30 years time.
evo said:
they have the Eastern Freeway, which they don't pay tolls on unlike us who copped them with citilink in the SE.
Also because of the yarra and local geography, they cannot push out any further. their numbers are going up, but they are elsewhere with the rise of medium density housing.
Its only a short drive to the Box Hill station from Doncaster anyway
better infrastructure is needed much more desperately out west. the lack of transport out there is appalling in some suburbs
Sure. But isn't the modern mantra to reduce green house emissions? Best way to do that is get people into trains.Tiger74 said:
As I have mentioned here before, and it was cited in today's Domain magazine in the Age, the "'Melbourne@5 million" government research paper predicts that Melbourne will gain another million people in the next 10 years. That's shitloads.
Given that land isn't being released in the outer suburbs quick enough a lot of those people are going into medium density in the middle ring suburbs such as Doncaster. There just isn't enough forward public transport planning at the moment
I was reading in the local paper there's a couple State Greens pushing hard for it; or failing that extension of the North Balwyn tramline. It makes sense.
Tiger74 said:
Station street's a disaster in the mornings.
There's other suburbs in the ENE that need more than just buses.
As a relative newbie to Melbourne I think it's transport infrastructure is vastly superior to that of Sydney if that's any consolation.
However perhaps that is due to where I am living currently.
Good idea but a bit slow on the uptake I believe due to strict helmet laws for cyclists in Australia (you think that they'd have taken that into account before spending millions.
).
Last I heard they were looking at the possibility of some disposable protective headwear but can't see that being particularly good for the environment.
Not sure where it's at since..
However perhaps that is due to where I am living currently.
Con P said:
Good idea but a bit slow on the uptake I believe due to strict helmet laws for cyclists in Australia (you think that they'd have taken that into account before spending millions.
).Last I heard they were looking at the possibility of some disposable protective headwear but can't see that being particularly good for the environment.
Not sure where it's at since..
Vastly superior than Sydney? No where near it Oldie.Tigers of Old said:
Give me no railway crossings, manned stations, connecting lines and double decker trains anytime.
Hitachi trains look like a 90 year old woman with make up.
