RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Sent to all outlets:

21st April 2016

Trains NOT Lanes: NO to Trouts Rd Motorway!

Greetings

RAIL Back on Track is opposed to a motorway through Everton Park, McDowall and Aspley along the Trouts Road corridor, as described in a recent Courier-Mail article. If the Department of Transport and Main roads cares about capacity, speed and decongestion, a motorway is the last thing they should put in that corridor.

The Trouts Road Corridor (also known as the North West Transport Corridor) will be absolutely essential in unblocking the Queensland Rail network. It must be exclusively reserved for a regional high-speed rail service to the Sunshine Coast, and improved local rail service to Everton Park, McDowall and Aspley.

A high-speed rail line to the Sunshine Coast would have at least  10 times the capacity of a comparable motorway lane. (Rail - 12 000 passengers/hour, Road - 1200 - 1500 passengers/hour). Reaching speeds of 160 km/hour or more, it would arrive in Noosa in approximately one hour. It would be faster than what cars could legally travel at on a motorway. It would benefit Bruce Highway motorists by taking people and their cars off the Bruce Highway. A car performing a similar trip would take half an hour or more to reach Noosa in good, non-congested conditions.

We recognise the northwestern suburbs as a public transport black hole area. Brisbane City Council's bus services are totally inadequate in that area. A railway line would allow excellent bus connections to new local QR rail services. Potential new QR train stations could be located at Everton Park (Stafford Rd), McDowall (Hamilton Road) and Aspley (Albany Creek Road).

Griffith University Transport Expert Professor Matthew Burke is on the money when he says that adding more motorways isn't a real solution. A motorway would simply be too slow, take too long and would not have the capacity or comfort that a high speed rail service to the Sunshine Coast would have.

Trains NOT Lanes!

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Reference:

Proposal to build alternatives to major highways heading north and south of Brisbane
http://www.couriermail.com.au/goqld/proposal-to-build-alternatives-to-major-highways-heading-north-and-south-of-brisbane/news-story/02b8fcdce4f47cddee1208609ca2ae49

You guys should all see the Adam Ruins Everything episode about Automobiles (season 1 episode 3) and send it out to people.   It was just run on SBS2 and watching it back thru sbs on demand is a good idea.

It sums up what we all know about cars, and how they control our lives and why PT has been neglected for so long.   It does put what we try to strive for in fairly simple language that even the most hard minded politician can understand.

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's worst chokepoints identified by the RACQ

Quote... Mr Turner said investment from all levels of government was needed to keep expanding and widening major routes linking Brisbane with suburbs in the east, west, north and south.

"We also need Cross River Rail to provide a genuine alternative," he said.

"Rail is a genuine alternative to roads and people will choose it as an alternative to driving, whereas buses tend to be a grudge purchase for most commuters, according to our research." ...

Twitter

Penny Dahl ‏@Pennycopter 11 minutes ago

Still gridlocked on the Bruce Hwy southbound from Burpengary to North Lakes. Nose to tail crash at D Bay #bnetraffic

Twitter

Penny Dahl ‏@Pennycopter 4m

North side traffic woes - Elizabeth Ave jammed heading out of Redcliffe to the Ted Smout Bridge #bnetraffic

Sent to all outlets:

30th April 2016

More Roads Isn't Working

Greetings,

More roads isn't working. Tony Moore in the Brisbane Times rightly points out that 'new solutions' are required for Brisbane's western suburbs. Roads are hopeless during peak hour - the capacity simply isn't there. Busways, which can carry 12 000 passengers/direction/hour have ten times the capacity of a single road lane. Rail is in excess of 24 000 passengers/direction/hour.

There are many solutions, ranging from low-cost bus reforms to higher cost infrastructure spends. At the low-cost end of the scale. It is time Brisbane City Council allowed bus reform to proceed and CentenaryGlider buses to be introduced into Brisbane's west. Unbelievably, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk ruled out a CentenaryGlider just days before the last council elections!

A green bridge linking Bellbowrie to Riverhills is also a good idea. Buses could then feed into Darra station, connecting to trains every few minutes in peak hour. The Queensland Government and Queensland Rail could introduce all day express trains between Ipswich and Brisbane. Trains would leave Milton and run express to Darra, stopping only at Indooroopilly. Gold Coast passengers already enjoy a similar all-day express service.

At the more expensive end of the scale, there are rail and busway solutions. A potential rail solution is to take the Springfield line and extend it through the Centenary Suburbs. Stations could be built at Mt Ommaney, Jindalee and Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, for example. Alternatively,  a Western Busway would allow buses to bypass traffic on Moggill Road and the Centenary Motorway, and feed into Indooroopilly Station, bypassing Coronation Drive Congestion.

Governments at State and Local level have been far too complacent for far too long. Every western suburbs resident should hassle their state and local representatives for public transport upgrades. It is an embarrassment that the Centenary suburbs are a public transport black hole.

Time it was sorted.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Reference:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/new-solutions-needed-for-western-brisbane-traffic-chokepoints-20160429-goins4.html

Couriermail --> Legacy Way toll cost set to soar with two price rises by July 1

Quote from: ozbob on May 02, 2016, 03:26:12 AM
Couriermail --> Legacy Way toll cost set to soar with two price rises by July 1

They may as well make it $15 each way.   If you have enough money to regularly spend $5 for a toll that barely saves you any time, spending $15 isn't going to much more of a dent into your pocket. 

Quote from: tazzer9 on May 02, 2016, 11:01:07 AMThey may as well make it $15 each way.   If you have enough money to regularly spend $5 for a toll that barely saves you any time, spending $15 isn't going to much more of a dent into your pocket.

Now that's a pretty stupid statement. $15 is three-fold increase on $5. Given how bad Coro Dr/Milton Rd can be in peak, I can't really blame anybody spending $5 to use Legacy Way. At $15 nobody would use the tunnel aside from people needing to get somewhere in an emergency.

Quote from: James on May 02, 2016, 17:24:26 PM

Quote from: tazzer9 on May 02, 2016, 11:01:07 AMThey may as well make it $15 each way.   If you have enough money to regularly spend $5 for a toll that barely saves you any time, spending $15 isn't going to much more of a dent into your pocket.

Now that's a pretty stupid statement. $15 is three-fold increase on $5. Given how bad Coro Dr/Milton Rd can be in peak, I can't really blame anybody spending $5 to use Legacy Way. At $15 nobody would use the tunnel aside from people needing to get somewhere in an emergency.

Yes, I pay almost $1 per km on a bus to get to town.

Quote from: newbris on May 02, 2016, 19:21:32 PMYes, I pay almost $1 per km on a bus to get to town.

Pretty irrelevant. If you looked at travel demand solely based on price, you'd have people using PT 100% and car 100%. Also, basic life demands force you to use transit to travel to/from the CBD. Nothing forces you to use Legacy Way - it is just another route.

In transport engineering, the cost of making a trip (car v PT) is based on a variety of factors. The cost of using a toll road is generally considered vs. the cost of not using a toll road.
If you pay $4/PT-trip to get into town, those costs will be incurred regardless of what route you take, assuming you take a logical route (not via Chermside!). If you pay $5/car-trip in tolls, you can avoid those costs by not using the toll and incurring the additional time penalty.

Quote from: James on May 03, 2016, 09:57:33 AM

Quote from: newbris on May 02, 2016, 19:21:32 PMYes, I pay almost $1 per km on a bus to get to town.

Pretty irrelevant. If you looked at travel demand solely based on price, you'd have people using PT 100% and car 100%. Also, basic life demands force you to use transit to travel to/from the CBD. Nothing forces you to use Legacy Way - it is just another route.

In transport engineering, the cost of making a trip (car v PT) is based on a variety of factors. The cost of using a toll road is generally considered vs. the cost of not using a toll road.
If you pay $4/PT-trip to get into town, those costs will be incurred regardless of what route you take, assuming you take a logical route (not via Chermside!). If you pay $5/car-trip in tolls, you can avoid those costs by not using the toll and incurring the additional time penalty.

"Pretty irrelevant. "...FYI, I think you assumed a point I wasn't making. I was agreeing with your point that people will pay $5 far more than they will $15. I sit next to someone who pays it and thinks it is worth it but at $15 I presume it would be empty.

Queensland Times --> Morrison slates $200m for Ipswich Motorway upgrade

Quote

FEDERAL Treasurer Scott Morrison has confirmed the government will spend $200 million to upgrade the Darra to Rocklea stretch of the Ipswich Motorway between now and 2020.

Budget papers showed the government has vowed to spend $50 million on the project in the coming financial year.

The Queensland Times first reported the 3km stretch between Oxley Road to Suscatand St would be funded on Monday.

The project would also improve the road's flood immunity.

The money is part of a $50 billion focus on critical infrastructure to be delivered over the next four years.

LNP candidate for Blair Teresa Harding said it showed the government understood the importance of the region, even as it attempted to cut debt.

"I have campaigned non-stop for this funding on behalf of the thousands of local residents who use the motorway each day and the government has listened," she told Queensland Times this week.

The Queensland Government also promised $200 million to the project earlier this year, which amounted to a 50% stake in the upgrade.

^
Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 29th April 2016 page 13

Funding for upgrade is welcomed

Twitter

Dave Andrews ‏@chopperdaveqld

Centenary & Ippy both jam packed IB from Wacol 😳 #packapicnic #bnetraffic #chopperview 🚗🚕🚙🚌🚚🚛🚜🏍

^^ Clearly the Interchange just wasn't big enough. You know, if it had like 100 lanes it would still be free flowing even with prangs.   

Sent to all outlets:

11th May 2016

SEQ Needs Trains NOT Lanes!

Greetings,

Take a look at this video from New Zealand. More roads isn't working there, and it's not working here either.

Keeping Auckland Moving : NZCID  >



When roads are expanded, traffic simply expands to fill it. Brisbane and SEQ is in for profound transport failure unless we change tack.

RAIL Back on Track is not aware of any major city in the world that has managed to abolish the peak hour by outbuilding it.

Locally, bus reform must proceed. The Queensland Government is absolutely frozen at the wheel on this issue. Lack of funding is not an excuse because bus reform is  essentially cost neutral. And when it comes to motorways, upgrading existing railway lines to a regional rapid rail , the hi-speed rail answer to motorways, should also be considered. Motorway lanes simply do not have the capacity during the critical peak hour. Trains carry 10x what motorway lanes can carry. Cars on motorways are limited to around 100 km/hour and slower as congestion impacts. A regional rapid rail could and travel at speeds (160-200 km/hr) far above  what is legal to do in a car.

The answer is clear: South East Queensland needs more trains, not only more lanes!

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 12th May 2016 page 15

Give us rail not roads

A letter to the Editor Queensland Times 13th may 2016 --> LETTER: Railways are key to beating traffic blues

Quote A FORMER CEO of Queensland Rail was doing a retirement interview on ABC Radio and was asked what advice he would give his replacement.

He said it would be to listen to and take heed of Robert Dow of Rail Back on Track, "because he knows his stuff".

It seems the incoming CEO, and everyone since, failed to heed the advice, as Dow has kept hammering on.

I am no expert, but Dow airs opinions that seem reasonable and sensible; as he did again QT May 12.

When the Ipswich motorway is widened from Darra to Rocklea that should be the end of the matter. From then on, the concentration should be on rail expansion; including the building of secure, covered vehicle parking at selected rail stations such as, on the Ipswich line, at Booval, Dinmore, Redbank or Goodna, Darra etc.

Surely commuters and other rail passengers would be prepared to pay a reasonable fee to ensure their vehicles are secure and under cover. Every effort must be made to encourage people to use rail travel between suburbia and Brisbane CBD. More frequent services, secure/covered parking seems a no-brainer; along with appropriate feeder bus services. To expand the thought, a freight line from Melbourne to Cairns by whatever is the best route, thus reducing the number of large trucks and the associated costs from our highways and byways, appears just as obvious.

KEV PEARCE

Raceview

^ Thanks for the ' vote of confidence ' Kev.

It really is no-brainer stuff, our elected representatives are seriously failing.

 

JOINT STATEMENT

Premier and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

First stage of Ipswich Motorway one step closer to construction

Jobs and solutions to traffic congestion on the Ipswich Motorway are one step closer following the release of invitations to industry to bid for work in one of South East Queensland's most significant road projects, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said today.

"My government committed $200 million towards the first stage of upgrading the Ipswich Motorway, to ensure this project became a reality," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"I'm pleased to announce Stage 1of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade between Rocklea and Darra contract procurement has begun with the call for proposals and registrations of interest.

"The Ipswich Motorway is currently a major source of frustration for more than 85,000 motorists who use this section of the motorway daily, including up to 12,000 trucks.

"The sooner the longstanding congestion and safety issues on the Ipswich Motorway are alleviated, the better it will be for road users and the community.

"This project will provide a safer and quicker journey for motorists and improve national and local freight movements.

"In addition, during construction 470 jobs will be created with the knock-on effect helping out local business."

Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports Minister Mark Bailey said Stage 1had drawn strong interest from the construction industry.

"Industry has a keen eye on the project which ensures there will be healthy competition between proponents," Mr Bailey said.

"We're asking for innovation and capability from industry to make certain we get a solution that serves road users and delivers value for money.

"The contract to design and construct Stage 1 of the Ipswich Motorway Upgrade: Rocklea to Darra project will be awarded in early 2017."

"In the meantime, we are well underway with preconstruction and have identified early works activities which can start before awarding the major construction contract for the project."

"Some early works include the safety improvement works on the motorway's eastbound off-ramp to the roundabout at Oxley and Blunder roads starting in June.

The works at this location will improve the safety of the off-ramp and roundabout by reducing queuing from the ramp extending back to the motorway through lanes.

The project includes:

    upgrading motorway from four to six lanes
    Seven new bridges and major culverts including higher bridges at Oxley Creek to improve flood immunity
    new southern service road connection from Rocklea industrial precinct to the Oxley commercial and retail areas
    new traffic signals at the Suscatand Street intersection.

Expressions of interest will close on June 17, 2016.

Major construction is scheduled to start in 2017, weather permitting.

Stage 1 is funded equally by the Australian and Queensland governments.

Couriermail --> State Government costing delays stall hopes for an election gift to Boost the Bruce between Brisbane and Sunshine Coast

QuoteMOTORISTS won't get an election gift from the Turnbull Government to "Boost the Bruce" as State Government costings for 60km of roadworks delay improvements for the rutted highway.

The Commonwealth and Queensland last year paid $8 million for a planning study to add lanes and fix flooding and safety issues between Pine Rivers and Caloundra and at the Deagon Deviation.

LNP MPs who have been relentlessly lobbying Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Treasurer Scott Morrison and Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester, hoped it would lead to a funding commitment this campaign.

The group, which includes Longman's Wyatt Roy, Petrie's Luke Howarth, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Senator James McGrath, vowed last year to make the road a key election issue.

But money won't be pitched up before polling day, as initial estimates around the long-term project are not yet ready.

The Courier-Mail understands the LNP decided it would not commit money to the Bruce Highway without at least preliminary planning information into the full cost of the upgrade and what needs to be done.

Mr Chester said preliminary information could start flowing as early as the second half of the year, with the full study to run until 2018.

"The planning study is critical to determining how the Commonwealth and Queensland Government can best deliver upgrades between Pine River and the Caloundra Road interchange," he said.

"We are delivering on our commitment to fix what has long been recognised as one of the most dangerous highways in Australia."

More >> http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-government-costing-delays-stall-hopes-for-an-election-gift-to-boost-the-bruce-between-brisbane-and-sunshine-coast/news-story/0a21f2942dfcd3694912e6b6d3bdd8dd

Couriermail Quest --> Legacy Way: Price hike takes toll

Brisbanetimes --> RiverCity IPO investors secure $121m in successful Clem7 class action

QuoteInvestors who bought shares in Brisbane's Clem7 tunnel, which went into receivership in 2011, have won a $121 million payout following a successful class action lawsuit by Maurice Blackburn against traffic forecaster AECOM and owner operator, RiverCity Motorway.

The settlement, which is conditional until it is approved by the Federal Court and includes costs, has taken more than four years to secure.

More > http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/rivercity-ipo-investors-secure-121m-in-successful-clem7-class-action-20160601-gp8qu4.html

Media Release
Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply
The Honourable Mark Bailey

$110 million Port Drive upgrade

A $110 million upgrade of Port of Brisbane's Port Drive and local roads will start next month.

Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports Mark Bailey and Member for Lytton Joan Pease today joined Port of Brisbane CEO Roy Cummins to announce the $110 million upgrades which will duplicate Port Drive, delivering a more efficient, safer access to the port.

"The Port of Brisbane handles more than $50 billion in trade annually and these road upgrades are vital to meeting the Port of Brisbane's future growth, providing income and jobs for many Queenslanders" Mr Bailey said

"Each year, more than 3.1 million vehicles access the port and this project will improve safety especially for the large number of workers travelling here every day.

"The project will also support almost 390 jobs during its two-year construction and is essential to maintaining the Port's competitiveness and productivity."   

Mr Cummins said the $110 million Port Drive upgrade project was essential to ensuring the Port of Brisbane remains a world-class facility well into the future.

"Port of Brisbane takes a long-term view to infrastructure planning and safety, which is why we are bringing forward this significant investment ahead of capacity demand. This will deliver safer port roads for all users" said Mr Cummins.

"The Port Drive Upgrade is a necessary and early step in ensuring the Port continues to play its role in supporting Queensland's trade growth and delivering supply chain efficiencies for decades to come.

"Port of Brisbane is pleased to announce Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd as the successful Design Development and Construct Contractor for the Port Drive Upgrade Project and looks forward to working with them to deliver this vital road infrastructure."

Member for Lytton Joan Pease said the design would incorporate a segregated cycle path from Pritchard Street to Port Gate.

"A new segregated cycle path will provide a safer outcome for cyclists and increase the cycle network across South East Queensland," Ms Pease said.

"This upgrade is great news for the local community – it will provide a safer road, better active infrastructure and support jobs."

The Port Drive Upgrade project involves:

    Duplicating Port Drive, including the concrete separation barrier for the full length of the road for additional safety
    Constructing a four-lane overpass over the Port Drive/Kite Street intersection
    Improvements to the Tanker Street/Osprey Drive road networks
    Duplicating the Lucinda Drive Bridge on Fisherman Islands.

The Port of Brisbane has worked closely with the Department of Transport and Main Roads to achieve a seamless connection to the state network via this section of Port Drive.

Early works are expected to begin next month with construction anticipated to be complete in May 2018.

ENDS

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 14th June 2016 page 23

Road investment will improve flow

Sent to all outlets:

12th July 2016

Cancel M1 Funding: Fund Rail Instead!

Greetings,

M1 funding is again an issue in the media. Federal and State Governments cannot seem to agree on how much each should put into the funding pool for this traffic inducing upgrade.

We think that money would be better invested in rail projects. Why are the Queensland and Australian Governments wanting to pour yet even more money into the motorway when they cannot even find two cents to rub together for Cross River Rail, the State's so-called "highest priority project"?

A modernised regional rapid rail service would blow the Pacific Motorway out of the water. Trains can carry around 10 times the people that a motorway lane can. Cars are legally limited to 100-110 km/hr on motorways, whereas trains can travel at twice or three times this speed.

If the Government was actually serious about solving congestion issues to the Gold Coast, a motorway upgrade would be the last thing one would choose. It will never offer the speed or the capacity that a regional rapid rail service would offer.

We need Cross River Rail to allow more people to work in Brisbane. However, separating the Gold Coast Line from the Beenleigh line would allow 160 km/hr or faster trains to be used on the Gold Coast line, slashing travel times. Realigning the Gold Coast line to run along the M1, similar to how Perth runs trains along freeways could slash about half an hour off a trip to the Gold Coast.

There are more than enough lanes on the Pacific Motorway. If you value speed and capacity, you can't beat a regional rapid rail train. Just ask the Victorians.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Reference:

M1 traffic: Queensland calls on Malcolm Turnbull to honour 80:20 roads funding
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/m1-traffic-queensland-calls-on-malcolm-turnbull-to-honour-8020-roads-funding-20160712-gq40xz.html

Couriermail Quest --> Would you like to see any M1 funding allocation redirected to a Gold Coast-Brisbane train network?

QuoteRail Back On Track administer Rober Dow has called for M1 funding to be scrapped and instead directed toward railway infrasturture.

In an unwelcome twist in the M1 debate, Mr Dow said because the Federal and State Governments "cannot seem to agree on how much each should put into the funding pool'' then any upgrade should be placed on hold.

"We think that money would be better invested in rail projects,'' Mr Dow said.

"Why are the Queensland and Australian Governments wanting to pour yet even more money into the motorway when they cannot even find two cents to rub together for Cross River Rail, the state's so-called highest priority project.''

He said a modern, regional rapid rail service would "blow the Pacific Motorway out of the water''.

"Trains can carry around 10 times the people that a motorway lane can. Cars are legally limited to 100-110 km/hr on motorways, whereas trains can travel at twice or three times this speed.'' Mr Dow said.

"If the Government was actually serious about solving congestion issues to the Gold Coast, a motorway upgrade would be the last thing one would choose. It will never offer the speed or the capacity that a regional rapid rail service would offer.

"We need cross river rail to allow more people to work in Brisbane.

"However, separating the Gold Coast Line from the Beenleigh line would allow 160km/hr or faster trains to be used on the Gold Coast line, slashing travel times.

"Realigning the Gold Coast line to run along the M1, similar to how Perth runs trains along freeways, could slash about half an hour off a trip to the Gold Coast.

"There are more than enough lanes on the Pacific Motorway. If you value speed and capacity, you can't beat a regional rapid rail train.''

The M1 debate was an election bun fight with first the federal ALP and then the federal LNP weighing into funding commitments.

The ALP Federal Government reached an 80-20 split with the State Government to fund a small section southbound from the Eight Mile Plains merge.

The LNP's election upgrade was more substantial, incorporating improvements from Eight Mile Plains to Springwood and also around Reedy Creek on the Gold Coast. But the LNP Federal and ALP State Governments cannot come to a funding split agreement, with Federal Government demanding a 50-50 split.

That was fast, lol!! 

Just like regional rapid rail!   

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 14th July 2016 page 13

Forget the motorway and go rail instead

Couriermail --> M1 upgrade: Convoy of Queenslanders to demand Malcolm Turnbull commit funds to fix highway

Sent to all outlets:

15th July 2016

Re: Cancel M1 Funding: Fund Rail Instead!

Good Morning,

We read of the ' pseudo-heroic ' efforts of a grab-bag of politicians  off to Canberra to demand more funding for the M1. How noble.  Hope they do the same for Cross River Rail and the essential duplication of the Sunshine Coast railway line.

Couriermail --> M1 upgrade: Convoy of Queenslanders to demand Malcolm Turnbull commit funds to fix highway

Does anyone really think that the answer is adding yet more lanes and capacity to our road system whilst ignoring better medium and longer term options to properly address congestion?

All that will happen with the M1 is more induced traffic will clog it up, even worse than now.  What then?  Off to Canberra to again to plead for yet more funding?

Transport planning in SEQ is at disaster level these days.  Doing the same thing over and over has not worked anywhere in terms of congestion management.

We are especially thick in Queensland. Very thick.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Quote from: ozbob on July 12, 2016, 16:24:15 PM
Sent to all outlets:

12th July 2016

Cancel M1 Funding: Fund Rail Instead!

Greetings,

M1 funding is again an issue in the media. Federal and State Governments cannot seem to agree on how much each should put into the funding pool for this traffic inducing upgrade.

We think that money would be better invested in rail projects. Why are the Queensland and Australian Governments wanting to pour yet even more money into the motorway when they cannot even find two cents to rub together for Cross River Rail, the State's so-called "highest priority project"?

A modernised regional rapid rail service would blow the Pacific Motorway out of the water. Trains can carry around 10 times the people that a motorway lane can. Cars are legally limited to 100-110 km/hr on motorways, whereas trains can travel at twice or three times this speed.

If the Government was actually serious about solving congestion issues to the Gold Coast, a motorway upgrade would be the last thing one would choose. It will never offer the speed or the capacity that a regional rapid rail service would offer.

We need Cross River Rail to allow more people to work in Brisbane. However, separating the Gold Coast Line from the Beenleigh line would allow 160 km/hr or faster trains to be used on the Gold Coast line, slashing travel times. Realigning the Gold Coast line to run along the M1, similar to how Perth runs trains along freeways could slash about half an hour off a trip to the Gold Coast.

There are more than enough lanes on the Pacific Motorway. If you value speed and capacity, you can't beat a regional rapid rail train. Just ask the Victorians.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Reference:

M1 traffic: Queensland calls on Malcolm Turnbull to honour 80:20 roads funding
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/m1-traffic-queensland-calls-on-malcolm-turnbull-to-honour-8020-roads-funding-20160712-gq40xz.html

Sent to all outlets:

17th July 2016

Regional Rapid Rail Brisbane <> Gold Coast: Cancel M1 Motorway Funding!

Greetings,

RAIL Back on Track has stepped up calls for M1 motorway upgrade funding to be cancelled.
It is time to accept that further expansion of the Pacific Motorway will never ever meet our growing region's needs for speed, capacity, safety or reliability.

Motorways are simply too slow - cars are legally limited to 100 - 110 km/hr. Trains are not.
Motorway lanes do not have the capacity - a rail line can carry ten times more people per hour. A double railway line can move the equivalent of a 30 lane motorway.
Motorways are inherently unsafe - road rage, drink driving, drug driving, fatigue and speeding are not a problem on railways.
Trains are the safest option, being at least a 100 times safer than car travel. Motorways congest and fail exactly when they are needed the most - during peak hour.

Accidents or wet weather degrades motorway speed and capacity considerably. Trains are congestion free.

Why are the Queensland and Australian Governments choosing the slowest, lowest capacity, least reliable, least safe option in this corridor?

We urge the Queensland and Australian Governments to direct Building Queensland and Infrastructure Australia to investigate a Gold Coast Regional Rapid Rail proposal instead. Under this proposal, the Gold Coast line would be progressively converted to rapid or high speed rail. A speculative vision of what this could look like can be found here > http://tiny.cc/SEQHSR

Under this concept, Gold Coast trains would exit Cross River Rail to enter a high-speed rail alignment set within or alongside the Pacific Motorway.
Perth already runs trains like this on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines. Regional Rapid Rail trains would reach 160 km/hour or faster.

Indicative travel times are (from Roma St):

Garden City - 17 minutes (down from 20 minutes by current busway)
Beenleigh - 27 minutes (down from 47 minutes by current train)
Helensvale - 42 minutes (down from 65 minutes by current train)
Nerang - 47 minutes (down from 70 minutes by current train)
Robina - 52 minutes (down from 76 minutes by current train)
Gold Coast Airport - 64 minutes (estimated)

We attach calculations to back up our indicative travel times and welcome feedback on it.

The State Government of Victoria already runs V/Locity 160 km/hour train services to regional areas. These were introduced ten years ago as part of Victoria's Regional Fast Rail Project. We could do the same here in Queensland.

The last time Pacific Motorway expansion was proposed, the Queensland Government chose to build the South East Busway.
That busway now carries approximately 150 000 passengers per day - equivalent to 7 lanes of motorway traffic.
Now is the time to again look at superior regional rapid transit solutions for the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

Best wishes,
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org


References:

Attachment - Gold Coast Regional Rapid Rail calculations




"The risk of death on an aeroplane or train is so small as to be effectively zero. Coaches and buses produce 0.3 fatalities per billion passenger kilometres of travel, cars are nearly ten times more dangerous than this..."
Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The reality of transport risk
https://theconversation.com/planes-trains-and-automobiles-the-reality-of-transport-risk-16482

V/Line VLocity Trains
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/Line_VLocity

Regional Fast Rail Project (Victoria)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Fast_Rail_project

Does queensland have any or even investigated the use of green wave technology.
Several short stretches of road around brisbane would greatly benefit from it.