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Brisbanetimes --> Blueprint revealed: Passengers must change lines for Cross River Rail

QuoteSouth-east Queensland trains will run on three rerouted lines, converging only at Roma Street station, under the mammoth Cross River Rail upgrade.

From mid-2025, Central will lose its place as Brisbane's primary station, with additional services and infrastructure favouring development precincts at Roma Street and Woolloongabba. ...

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/95893

Palaszczuk Government releases rail plan
2 Aug 2022

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

The Palaszczuk Government has today released its blueprint for how the South East Queensland rail network will be transformed after the opening of Cross River Rail.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the South East Queensland Rail Connect plan showed just how trains would move when Cross River Rail opened.

"The Palaszczuk Government has been carefully and progressively making the sorts of investments in rail that will completely transform the way we travel throughout the South East of this state," Mr Bailey said.

"In 2025, the first underground rail system in the state's history will be built paving the way for faster, more frequent services, but we aren't just building Cross River Rail, we're building a brand new network.

"This network will be a change for Queenslanders, but it will open the door for future investment and timesaving timetable changes to help Queenslanders get home sooner and safer.

"The rail connect plan is headlined by projects like the Beerburrum to Nambour and Kuraby to Beenleigh track duplications, Gold Coast Light Rail stage three, station upgrades across all of Queensland, plus the manufacture of 65 brand new trains in Maryborough.

"Bringing all of these projects together is a new modern signalling system and implementation of state-of-the-art Platform Screen Doors for underground stations, a world leading technology used on the subway networks of Europe and Singapore, which will allow us to run more services, more often, all while improving safety."

Mr Bailey said the new plan would open up new public transport opportunities for many residents and visitors to South Eastern Queensland by establishing a new three sector network. 

Sector One will create a north-south spine connecting the northern and southern regions through the Cross River Rail tunnel from Varsity Lakes and Beenleigh to Redcliffe Peninsula and Nambour.

Sector Two will comprise services from Rosewood, Ipswich and Springfield through Central to Doomben, the Airport and Shorncliffe.

Sector Three will operate from Ferny Grove through Central and Southbank to Cleveland.

All trains will run through Roma Street either through the existing station or the new below ground Cross River Rail station.

"This will be a big change for some customers, but presents many opportunities especially when considering the sheer level of investment and good jobs that will be supported," Mr Bailey said.

"Cross River Rail is already supporting more than 1700 Queensland subcontractors and will support 7700 jobs over the life of the project, while the Queensland made Train Manufacturing Program and rollout of the European Train Control System will support thousands of jobs over the life of the programs.

"There's nothing that helps Queenslanders tackle the cost of living more than having a strong pipeline of work on Queensland soil." 

Mr Bailey said the incredible rail revolution underway across Queensland would deliver for all commuters.

"More than 80,000 people migrated to Queensland in the past two years, and this investment shows we are at full throttle, planning, building and delivering a world-class rail network for the state," Mr Bailey said.

"Our rail revolution is all about building for growth and providing a legacy of infrastructure for generations of Queenslanders to come.

"The new network we build now will be the network Queensland kids and Olympic-goers will remember.

"Our four-year road and transport plan includes $7.154 billion in funding towards this ambitious near $20 billion pipeline and we're proud to be investing in the network at record levels.

"On top of this, the Palaszczuk Government is fully funding the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project.

"The pipeline includes major projects like this, as well as those in the planning phase like the Direct Sunshine Coast line (formerly CAMCOS), Springfield to Ipswich and Salisbury to Beaudesert.

"When we came into office, our rail network had been neglected by the previous Newman Government through funding cuts and the buying of disability non-compliant overseas trains.

"It's been a long road to turn things around, but Queenslanders now have faith that our rail revolution is on track."

To view the plan, visit https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/About-us/Corporate-information/Publications/ 

Queensland's rail pipeline:

$5.4 billion Cross River Rail
$7.1 billion Queensland Train Manufacturing Program (including Ormeau stabling and maintenance facility)
$2.6 billion Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail Project to upgrade tracks and stations between Kuraby and Beenleigh
$1.2 billion Gold Coast Light Rail stage three
$764.3 million European Train Control System rollout
$275.7 million for Automatic Train Operation and Platform Screen Door fitment on New Generation Rollingstock
$550.8 million Beerburrum to Nambour upgrade (stage 1)
Over $500 million South East Queensland Station Accessibility Upgrades Program
$360 million Park n Ride upgrade program
$374.1 million European Train Control System train fitment
$20 million Salisbury to Beaudesert business case
$15 million Brisbane to Toowoomba passenger rail business case
$6 million Direct Sunshine Coast line planning study
$2.5 million Springfield to Ipswich rail corridor study
$371.1 million smart ticketing
ENDS

So f@&king dumb not having the airport line connected to the Gold Coast line. Proper planning at the beginning would have made this easily possible as outlined by the experts. So frustrating.

SEQ Rail Connect --> https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/About-us/Corporate-information/Publications/SEQ-Rail-Connect

^ I'm not losing any sleep over it.  The Gold Coast has its own airport, and the majority of people using Airtrain are not continuing past Brisbane. 

We deduced this would be the case literally years ago because there is really no way it could work otherwise.  You are not going to end up with 9-car platforms at the airport stations, the junction is literally on the wrong side of the corridor, and a plethora of timetabling concerns mean it was always a no-goer.  This just confirms it.

The map has some interesting little tidbits (in my opinion at least):

Doomben runs to Indooroopilly and only the SC/GC line appears to run fully North to South - Redcliffe Line appears to terminate at Boggo Road and the Beenleigh Line at Exhibition.

Quote from: kram0 on August 02, 2022, 09:19:33 AMSo f@&king dumb not having the airport line connected to the Gold Coast line. Proper planning at the beginning would have made this easily possible as outlined by the experts. So frustrating.

Why?
Whats f@&king dumb is booking a flight to BNE, spending 90 mins on a train to Helensvale (whist paying the airtrain surcharge) then another 30 mins on a tram to Surfers.

Meanwhile you could book a flight to OOL, probably pay less for your flight the process, then be at surfers in just 40 mins via the 777, with no airtrain surcharge either.

Facebook ...

Page 14  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/-/media/aboutus/corpinfo/Publications/SEQ-Rail-Connect/SEQ-Rail-Connect.pdf?la=en





Page 16  https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/-/media/aboutus/corpinfo/Publications/SEQ-Rail-Connect/SEQ-Rail-Connect.pdf?la=en

 

There's a few interesting things on that diagram:

• Ferny / Cleveland appear to not be through-routed, presumably for frequency reasons.
• Some bonus via-CRR inner city services running Exhibition to Boggo Rd as Nath, noted, no through-route on Beenleigh/Redcliffe either
• Doomben to Indro, as noted
• Also Strathpine gets to be on the express pattern now

If they're this committed to not through-routing to boost core frequency, then I reckon they could have instead chosen to not through-route the Western lines (Bowen Hills termination) and kept the subs on the subs through the city for better platform allocation. This also would've kept the Airtrain/South Bank connection.

This network plan is no surprise to me. It's was always mooted that it will be a coast to coast and east west model. Good too see extra frequency to Toowong and Indooroopilly. I assume trains will run 10 mins or better from 7 am - 9pm 7 days along this stretch of line. A pseudo metro so to speak.

As for the grey arrows this would indicate an extension west out to Toowoomba, south to OOL and north to Caloundra and MCY. Plus the infill line from Springfield to Ipswich.

Sent to all outlets:

SEQ Rail Connect welcomed!

2nd August 2022

Greetings,

RAIL Back On Track welcomes the release of SEQ Rail Connect.

It is a concise, well articulated document that outlines how the rail network will change with Cross River Rail, and for future network needs.

SEQ Rail Connect https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/About-us/Corporate-information/Publications/SEQ-Rail-Connect

Our previously published possible network sectorisation maps have been confirmed as correct. 

There will be changes on the network, and it will need careful community consultation as to the benefits and why change is necessary.

Thank you.

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org alternate theozbob@gmail.com
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

Reference: Palaszczuk Government releases rail plan  https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/95893

Good to see and as per the document, the population growth statistics show there is a need for a train extension out to Toowoomba with a significant catchment at Ipswich, Lockyer and Toowoomba.

Whilst I understand it is just indicative and in a simplistic form, I'm reading it that the Doomben Line will have 15 min services. Isn't this physically impossible with the current infrastructure on the line? Judging by the timetable, and current provisions, duplication to (and including) Clayfield would be ideal as an initial stage for this to be possible.

Aside from that, having 15 min off-peak services on all 'urban' lines will be massive in the scheme of things, as well as the Ipswich express and additional stop on the Cab/SC at Strathpine. There definitely needs to be another express stop at either Carseldine or Zillmere to significantly improve access to Chermside (in particular) from the entire northern rail network. An extra GC line stop at Salisbury or Yeerongpilly would also be significant in allowing for new cross-town trips, particularly west to the Ipswich/Springfield lines and Indro itself.

I think there's also the opportunity to have the northern lines express stopping pattern being Nundah and/or Toombul, and Albion, rather than Northgate and Eagle Junction. This is given how much development is around both of these precincts (rather than half of Northgate being industry and EJ mostly lower density resi), the significant current and potential bus connections available from Toombul, and the potential for Albion to act as a major transfer station between via CRR and via Central services.

It's ironic that this rail network overhaul will seemingly require more of a bus network review than the 'Metro', so hopefully 2024 can be an initial stage, with a complete re-write when CRR is open in 2025  

Seems like quite a comprehensive vision in place, so hopefully a few more of these 'plans' listed can be operational by the time the Olympics rolls around. It's a shame the Caboolture West growth area has a completely blank canvas with pretty much all the space in the world to design a large scale community, yet they still aren't going to have a rail line through there. Surely following the main arterial road at the very least would be achievable to try and reduce the level of car dependency and associated economic stress, psychological impacts and environmental damage, right?

Not that I have read the document word for word, but are these so called 15 minute frequencies 5 days or 7 days per week as what I have seen, it did not specify.

Anticipate weekdays only, and then you'll be surprised if it's otherwise.

Couriermail --> Cross River Rail: Five Brisbane lines get major shake-up and will no longer stop at Central Station $

QuoteSouth East Queensland train lines will be redrawn into a "three sector" network when Cross River Rail opens in 2025 in what has been heralded as a "big change" for commuters.

All services will run through Roma Street under the shake-up, but several lines will no longer run through Central, Fortitude Valley and Bowen Hills. ...

I'm pleased some boundaries are going to be placed around all stop and express services.

There is always going to be pressure to make express trains stop everywhere; articulating a standard for when a stop can and cannot be added will be good to maintaining express services as express.

As for frequency, it's worth thinking about high frequency weekend services. A line such as the Gold Coast line could run every 15 minutes on weekends, for example.

Although this would be expensive, overall it might be cheaper as Translink would only pay for 2 days of service rather than five weekdays of service or all seven.

Once budgets catch up, then high frequency can be extended on weekdays.

I'm not advocating this possibility, rather just pointing out that this option exists. I believe the Dandenong line in Melbourne used to do something like this with 10 minute trains on weekends and 20 minute trains during the week.

Good to have it finally released. No real surprises except that it seems to imply most of the suburbans to be terminating in the city, would have thought they'd just run as through services. Doomben <-> Indro is a nice touch.

Quote from: #Metro on August 02, 2022, 12:59:48 PMI'm not advocating this possibility, rather just pointing out that this option exists. I believe the Dandenong line in Melbourne used to do something like this with 10 minute trains on weekends and 20 minute trains during the week.

From what I'm aware, Pakenham and Cranbourne Lines both run every 20 mins off-peak to combine for 10 min services inbound from Dandenong 7 days.

Quote from: dancingmongoose on August 02, 2022, 13:03:39 PMGood to have it finally released. No real surprises except that it seems to imply most of the suburbans to be terminating in the city, would have thought they'd just run as through services. Doomben <-> Indro is a nice touch.

If Doomben will run through to Indooroopilly, that implies they will be on platform 5/6 at Central on the mains. Presumably then platforms 1/2 and 3/4 will only have Cleveland and Ferny Grove bound trains respectively. It seems like a waste of capacity, but I guess there's not much to be done without major reconfiguration of the tracks into and out of the tunnels through the city.

Would have it been possible to send Doomben trains to Corinda via Tennyson?

Quote from: Gazza on August 02, 2022, 13:29:53 PMWould have it been possible to send Doomben trains to Corinda via Tennyson?

It seems like there would be capacity through the city and Southbank, but the problem is with the CRR layout they eventually built they would conflict with Sector 1 trains around Dutton Park.

Been booked for an interview with ABC Brisbane Radio bit after 4pm with Steve Austin.

Completed an interview with 7 News, and Brisbanetimes.

Quote from: Cazza on August 02, 2022, 13:18:56 PM

Quote from: #Metro on August 02, 2022, 12:59:48 PMI'm not advocating this possibility, rather just pointing out that this option exists. I believe the Dandenong line in Melbourne used to do something like this with 10 minute trains on weekends and 20 minute trains during the week.

From what I'm aware, Pakenham and Cranbourne Lines both run every 20 mins off-peak to combine for 10 min services inbound from Dandenong 7 days.

The key word was 'used to'. It was only later 10 minute service was initiated all day I believe.

It's been pointed out to me (cheers L) that if you look very closely at the Cleveland/Ferny section, those are paired after all. There's extra inner city service on the subs.

Redcliffe-Beenleigh is definitely unpaired though, presumably for frequency reasons.

I have been informed by Translink that Beenleigh is paired with Nambour, Kippa-Ring with the Gold Coast.

The glossy brochure refers to go-card as a 'legacy card' to be used on the new network with other devices, but what is the reference to the 'Translink Card'?

Quote from: Stillwater on August 02, 2022, 15:57:31 PMThe glossy brochure refers to go-card as a 'legacy card' to be used on the new network with other devices, but what is the reference to the 'Translink Card'?

New name for the Go card equivalent in the smart ticketing system.

I suspect the illustration is to make it clearer where peak hour trains go out of service.  In the off peak I assume all trains would be through-routed as they are now.

We'll probably have to wait for a while to work out what is happening with Gympie.  My view remains that once there is sufficient track capacity after B2N Stage 1 (and assuming 15 minute headways to Caboolture), it should be:

- Every second off-peak Caboolture train extends to Landsborough for a 30 minute headway, with upgrades to Routes 605 (to Caloundra) and 615 (to Sippy Downs / Mooloolaba / Maroochydore) to meet every train, and more frequent services on the 615 extension to Australia Zoo and Route 891 to Maleny.

- Hourly off-peak shuttle service from Landsborough to Cooroy, with upgrades to feeder buses to meet each train (eg 610, 612, 630/631, 632 etc).

- A number of the shuttles would extend from Cooroy to Gympie North (maybe 5-6 return trips a day).  No more direct services from north of Nambour to Brisbane other than long distance. 

- Let people travel on go card fares on ETT services anywhere between Brisbane and Gympie North, but on the basis they have to vacate any occupied booked seats.

- Continue to run as many peak hour trains to and from Nambour as can feasibly be operated, as extensions of Caboolture trains, until CAMCOS is built. 

- Once CAMCOS is built, I would suggest the only services to Brisbane from north of Beerwah would be long distance.  You would set up Beerwah with 2 island platforms but with only one road in between (Spanish solution), so Beerwah to Nambour/Coorooy/Gympie North shuttles would use that and provide cross-platform interchanges with Brisbane and Maroochydore services.  The Maroochydore trains would eventually be separate from Caboolture trains and so would not stop between Caboolture and Petrie.  I would eventually aim to run a 30 minute headway from Beerwah to Cooroy, less than hourly frequency north of Cooroy and maybe a few extras in the peaks between Beerwah and Nambour only.

Long distance express up to Gympie North.
That sure looks promising.

No surprises here. CRR just shifts the services between tracks and does little to increase track capacity. CRR will be at/close to capacity from day 1, and there will be plenty of spare capacity on the suburbans through the CBD (just FG to Cleveland). As we suspected, 3 tracks south of Dutton Park portal prevents any Gold Coast/Beenleigh Lines being routed via South Bank during normal operation.

The Exhibition/Boggo Rd terminators are likely to be peak services being removed from service (though at Boggo Rd they would have to travel out of service to Clapham Yards). There is a chance that the diagram may show an off-peak pattern designed to increase off-peak services through the core part of CRR, but that seems too smart for the smart state.

The Bowen Hills and Park Rd terminators I hope are additional peak and off-peak services via South Bank, as there really needs to be 4tph on top of the 8tph peak and 4tph off-peak. Track layouts at Park Rd are not great for this!

The Indooroopilly terminators from Doomben seem odd as there is no turnback infrastructure at Indro. Surely Corinda would be better?

TMR need to release more detail on expected timetables and operations, just like every other rail tunnel project.

 

Quote from: BrizCommuter on August 02, 2022, 18:18:30 PMNo surprises here. CRR just shifts the services between tracks and does little to increase track capacity. CRR will be at/close to capacity from day 1, and there will be plenty of spare capacity on the suburbans through the CBD (just FG to Cleveland). As we suspected, 3 tracks south of Dutton Park portal prevents any Gold Coast/Beenleigh Lines being routed via South Bank during normal operation.

The Exhibition/Boggo Rd terminators are likely to be peak services being removed from service (though at Boggo Rd they would have to travel out of service to Clapham Yards). There is a chance that the diagram may show an off-peak pattern designed to increase off-peak services through the core part of CRR, but that seems too smart for the smart state.

The Bowen Hills and Park Rd terminators I hope are additional peak and off-peak services via South Bank, as there really needs to be 4tph on top of the 8tph peak and 4tph off-peak. Track layouts at Park Rd are not great for this!

The Indooroopilly terminators from Doomben seem odd as there is no turnback infrastructure at Indro. Surely Corinda would be better?

TMR need to release more detail on expected timetables and operations, just like every other rail tunnel project.

They could install cross over points just north of Indro though.  Should be relatively cheap to do.

ETCS2 will allow metro style services along this line from Indooroopilly to Bowen Hills. The separate metro vision back in 2010 was before ETCS2 benefits were realised.

Now for Bne Metro to be extended from UQ to Indooroopilly.

Ipswich express should stop at Indooroopilly and that's it.

Not Toowong not Milton.

This will make the express run a full 10 minute time saving. UQ pax can get off at Indooroopilly for UQ and Milton pax can change at Indooroopilly.

Translink and PT authorities must protect and maintain the high average speed for outer city residents which is essential.

Inner city areas have many alternative options including all stop trains and buses which outer areas do not have.

Can't understand why Doomben services don't run to Park Road instead of Indro.

Quote from: kram0 on August 02, 2022, 21:37:44 PMCan't understand why Doomben services don't run to Park Road instead of Indro.

That would result in a loss of complete sectorisation since the Doomben trains would have to cross from the Ipswich/Springfield-Shorncliffe/Airport Sector to the Ferny-Clevelend Sector

Can the three tracks south of Dutton Park issue be fixed up?

I'm not across this one other than hearing that it's a problem.

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1554389244042305536

Interview 2 August 2022 on ABC Brisbane Radio Drive host Steve Austin and Robert Dow RBoT

Topic: SEQ Rail Connect with reference to rail network changes

Interview here --> https://backontrack.org/docs/abcbris/abcdrive_rd_2aug22.mp3 MP3 25MB