RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Would there be any demand for such a service? Could it even be done with current infrastructure. When I was in Sydney recently I noticed the T5 Cumberland line from Richmond to Leppington gets quite a lot of use. I was thinking of it could work a similar way here.

Im a big fan of the idea of reopening the Beaudesert to Bethania line. See here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mne8a44uihxgst0/Future%20Rail%20Map.pdf?dl=0

The Ipswich to Springfield line is already under planning. There's also a lovely preserved, very straight corridor from swanbank to Greenbank used by the powerlines which would suit a lovely little trainline underneath . So yeah, I'd be down for it.

I havr actually thought that once CRR is in, there might be a market for a train Murrarie to Darra via Tennyson.

Quote from: timh on May 10, 2019, 19:51:45 PM
There's also a lovely preserved, very straight corridor from swanbank to Greenbank used by the powerlines which would suit a lovely little trainline underneath .

Just run the trains on 66kV

Basically, no. We're not even fully utilising the existing rail infrastructure, nor do we have enough trains (or drivers) to be running more services either during peak or off-peak.

The first focus needs to be on frequent services out to Altandi, Murrarie, Shorncliffe and Kippa-Ring/Springfield, with all-day expresses for the Ipswich line linking to Caboolture expresses. Such services should be run reliably, with an extended span of hours (6am - 9pm in both directions) and on weekends. Coinciding with this, should be some sort of cross-town bus link (either Yeerongpilly - Corinda or Altandi - Darra), which runs every 15 minutes 6am - 9pm 7 days a week with limited stops, to provide a connection at low cost. If the demand is there, then, and only then, should we consider a rail service.

The high demand on the Logan Motorway right now isn't so much created by Ipswich - Beenleigh traffic, it is for vehicles coming from further afar (say Toowoomba - Gold Coast), for freight, or for more local traffic (e.g. Browns Plains - Woodridge). Even if you did run a train, it wouldn't be competitive with the car.

Quote from: achiruel on May 10, 2019, 19:44:17 PM
Would there be any demand for such a service? Could it even be done with current infrastructure. When I was in Sydney recently I noticed the T5 Cumberland line from Richmond to Leppington gets quite a lot of use. I was thinking of it could work a similar way here.

Yes, but, Parramatta is essentially Sydney's second CBD, the main CBD for the western suburbs, and I believe is the second most accessed destination after the Sydney CBD itself.

Brisbane doesn't really have an equivalent, other than local CBDs for each regional area (eg: Ipswich City for Ipswich, Springwood/Loganholme/Beenleigh/Logan Central for Logan etc).  They all operate independently of each other, unlike Parramatta which is the main workplace/shops etc for the greater western suburbs of Sydney.

So no, I don't think that'd work all that well for Brisbane.  The Cumberland line is really just there to provide access for northern and southern western Sydney suburbs access to Parramatta for workers etc.

Actually reminds me of my early years of my life - my parents who lived in Pendle Hill at the time would rarely go into Sydney unless they really had to - their employment/shopping was all done in Parramatta and Westmead.

Quote from: timh on May 10, 2019, 19:51:45 PM
Im a big fan of the idea of reopening the Beaudesert to Bethania line. See here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mne8a44uihxgst0/Future%20Rail%20Map.pdf?dl=0

The Ipswich to Springfield line is already under planning. There's also a lovely preserved, very straight corridor from swanbank to Greenbank used by the powerlines which would suit a lovely little trainline underneath . So yeah, I'd be down for it.

I wasn't really thinking of adding extra infrastructure like new lines (well, maybe some crossovers or something depending on what might be required). More just running trains from Beenleigh (or maybe not that far out - Kuraby perhaps?) to somewhere on the Ipswich line via Tennyson.

But as others have pointed out, probably not enough demand to do it that way.

Quote from: James on May 11, 2019, 20:56:46 PM
The high demand on the Logan Motorway right now isn't so much created by Ipswich - Beenleigh traffic, it is for vehicles coming from further afar (say Toowoomba - Gold Coast), for freight, or for more local traffic (e.g. Browns Plains - Woodridge). Even if you did run a train, it wouldn't be competitive with the car.

Is there actually some study that suggests this? I know plenty of people who live in Logan and commute to Ipswich and v.v., do I just have a unique circle of friends/acquaintances?

Also trips from Woodridge to Browns Plains typically wouldn't use the motorway at all, Wembley Rd is generally quicker (other than peak hour when the bridge roadworks can get a bit backed up).

Quote from: James on May 11, 2019, 20:56:46 PM
Basically, no. We're not even fully utilising the existing rail infrastructure, nor do we have enough trains (or drivers) to be running more services either during peak or off-peak.

The first focus needs to be on frequent services out to Altandi, Murrarie, Shorncliffe and Kippa-Ring/Springfield, with all-day expresses for the Ipswich line linking to Caboolture expresses. Such services should be run reliably, with an extended span of hours (6am - 9pm in both directions) and on weekends. Coinciding with this, should be some sort of cross-town bus link (either Yeerongpilly - Corinda or Altandi - Darra), which runs every 15 minutes 6am - 9pm 7 days a week with limited stops, to provide a connection at low cost. If the demand is there, then, and only then, should we consider a rail service.

The high demand on the Logan Motorway right now isn't so much created by Ipswich - Beenleigh traffic, it is for vehicles coming from further afar (say Toowoomba - Gold Coast), for freight, or for more local traffic (e.g. Browns Plains - Woodridge). Even if you did run a train, it wouldn't be competitive with the car.

Hi James...the purpose of this thread is to support the growth of RAIL - Qld does a poor job of this and whenever anyone proposes something, reasonably soundly based, I for one, reckon we should get right behind it....but that's me, to each their own, "no" just seems a little too easy at times. Best Wishes. 

SteelPan -

There's no point in promoting a project that just doesn't stack up, and especially one which doesn't have high demonstrated demand. What we should be doing is agitating for a good-frequency, timetabled-connections Yeerongpilly to Corinda connection, which would save passengers a solid 15 minutes. This would help grow demonstrated demand.

Yeah, I'd rather be spending money on the projects that actually do stack up, eg.
Camcos, Trouts Rd, Redbank Plains, Nambour fulll Duplication, Doomben to Hamilton, a Gold Coast Fast line, Coolangatta extension, completion of the Eastern and Northern Busways, Cleveland Duplication etc.
All of that will keep us busy for many years.

I reckon a Darra to Murrarrie train would be poorly utilised because it would lack interchange at Park/Boggo Rd, so you'd basically end up with a dead line like the Cumberland in Sydney.

Quote from: aldonius on May 13, 2019, 19:23:03 PM
SteelPan -

There's no point in promoting a project that just doesn't stack up, and especially one which doesn't have high demonstrated demand. What we should be doing is agitating for a good-frequency, timetabled-connections Yeerongpilly to Corinda connection, which would save passengers a solid 15 minutes. This would help grow demonstrated demand.

Basically, this.

Even the Cumberland line didn't run (or only ran about 2 services a day) for about a decade around the 2000/2010s. If polycentric Sydney with 4m people and a geographic centre around Parramatta can't justify it, what hope does Brisbane have at half the size and half again of the catchment area (Western Sydney is significantly bigger than southern Brisbane)?

Quote from: aldonius on May 13, 2019, 19:23:03 PM
SteelPan -

There's no point in promoting a project that just doesn't stack up, and especially one which doesn't have high demonstrated demand. What we should be doing is agitating for a good-frequency, timetabled-connections Yeerongpilly to Corinda connection, which would save passengers a solid 15 minutes. This would help grow demonstrated demand.

I agree in principle, but there's no particular need for it to be Corinda <-> Yeerongpilly just because that was the rail link. I would think about linking it to Graceville instead, for a shorter trip and so it could act as an effective feeder for people in the eastern part of Graceville around Graceville Avenue.

Quote from: OzGamer on May 16, 2019, 15:28:11 PMI agree in principle, but there's no particular need for it to be Corinda <-> Yeerongpilly just because that was the rail link. I would think about linking it to Graceville instead, for a shorter trip and so it could act as an effective feeder for people in the eastern part of Graceville around Graceville Avenue.

The tricky part is there's no bus provision on the eastern side of Graceville, whereas Corinda does have that.

Hmm, maybe the real solution for connecting the train lines was staring us in the face all along - fix the GCL. It goes to Salisbury, which will eventually be the junction station (and therefore more important than Y'pilly outside of tennis events).

The junction station should be Yeerongpilly or Moorooka.

And while we are at it, Oxley and Nundah should be too.

Totally agree there is a lot of much higher priority projects but if you look at the rail map people need to travel into the CBD to head west! Remember public transport is not a demand game it is a supply one! If people are making the trip my car there is a good chance given the right infrastructure/prioritization they would make it by public transport.

I do think one day a line from Springwood through the industrial south side will be planned/built.