RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Couriermail Sunshine Coast --> Beerburrum to Beerwah rail duplications frustrates Sunshine Coast residents $

QuoteA date has been set for long-awaited rail upgrades to the Sunshine Coast but duplication of the North Coast Line appears to have been scaled back in latest plans.

The Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade was due to include duplication of 20km of the line from Beerburrum to Landsborough – as listed in Infrastructure Australia's evaluation of the state government's proposal back in February, 2018.

The Sunshine Coast Daily reported in August, 2021 and March, 2022, that the 20km stretch was part of the project but a recent media release indicates Landsborough has been axed from rail duplication plans.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads announced in a media release the Beerburrum to Nambour Rail upgrade was now moving onto the next phase, which is expected to be completed in 2027.

The update outlines the main works of the first stage of the project, including a duplicated rail line to be constructed between Beerburrum and Beerwah.

Initial plans outlined the rail line duplicate would extend from Beerburrum to Landsborough, a 20km distance rather than the 13km distance to Beerwah. ...

Quote from the ^ article ...

" ... The Department of Transport and Main Roads did not provide a reason for the rail duplication now stopping at Beerwah when asked by the Sunshine Coast Daily. ... "

https://twitter.com/Jeffrey_Addison/status/1647770516399460352

Facebook ...

Sent to outlets:

We call again to re-instate the track duplication through to Landsborough

16th April 2023

Good Morning,

It is very welcome news that the Sunshine Coast line duplication through to Beerwah is planned to be completed in 2027.

It is very late of course, the original time-line for track duplication through to Landsborough (not Beerwah) was due to be completed in 2012.

The lack of train paths for freight, interurban and long distance passenger train services is a challenging problem for our rail operator and means the poor frequency service for Sunshine Coast commuters continues. 

The Direct Sunshine Coast Rail Line (Beerwah to Maroochydore) is in a planning phase.  Lets be frank, this line is very unlikely to be started before 2032.  There simply isn't the funding available, Federal and State.  We are already seeing cutbacks to major projects in Victoria and NSW for this reason.

Landsborough is a key bus interchange - an additional bus interchange is presently being constructed on the eastern side of line at Landsborough, such is its importance.  It is therefore essential that high frequency services are able to run into and out of Landsborough.  It is highly likely ( and desirable) that Caboolture terminating services be extended to Landsborough to cope with the significant pax demands during peaks.  There is also a need for a third platform at Landsborough for turn back of trains.

So it is most cost effective to reassess the works from Beerburrum to Beerwah, to extend the duplicated line through to Landsborough.  The cost would not be great if it is rolled into the Beerburrum to Beerwah works.  It would be a disaster to not duplicate through to Landsborough.  It will cost a lot more to come back and do it later.

The Sunshine Coast has long been neglected by successive State and Federal Governments.  Here is an opportunity to future proof and position rail to the Sunshine Coast in a much better place. Don't fail again please.

Thank you.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

References:

Call to re-instate the track duplication through to Landsborough
https://railbotforum.org/yourls/4y
19th March 2023

Why has the proposed duplication of the Sunshine Coast railway line been cut back from Landsborough to Beerwah?
https://railbotforum.org/yourls/5e
10th April 2023

Quote from: ozbob on April 14, 2023, 13:49:35 PMSent to all outlets:

'Timeline set: rail duplication plans gather momentum'  Sunshine Coast rail duplication details confirmed.

14th April 2023

Greetings,

Some good news! 

Key details have been revealed for a proposed rail duplication on the Sunshine Coast from Beerburrum to Beerwah by the Sunshine Coast News
https://www.sunshinecoastnews.com.au/2023/04/14/rail-duplication-plans-gather-momentum/

RAIL Back On Track welcomes this confirmation, at long last.

"The state government has said that the 13km duplication between Beerburrum to Beerwah will be "shovel ready" next year and completed by 2027"

The disappointing thing is that the upgrade (duplication) has been cutback from Landsborough to Beerwah. Any chance of reassessing that please?
Landsborough is a key interchange and it really needs the double line through to there. As was always the case.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

Quote from: ozbob on April 17, 2023, 11:14:27 AMQuote from the ^ article ...

" ... The Department of Transport and Main Roads did not provide a reason for the rail duplication now stopping at Beerwah when asked by the Sunshine Coast Daily. ... "

  

so much for accountable, open and honest government.

Quote from: Stillwater on April 17, 2023, 13:38:17 PMso much for accountable, open and honest government.

We are getting a bit of traction on this now at long last. More to come.

They are going against a lot of previous studies, observations and reports cutting it back to Beerwah, which many are on the record.

Going to be very difficult to spin their way out of this now.

The state govt had been in talks with the federal govt to gain more funding in their 80-20 funding squabble to build the rail to Landsborough.

At what point in time did they give up on those talks and cut the project back?

Federal Labor also rejected them in calls for an 80% contribution?

The reports and advice to government to act on the Sunshine Coast line duplication to Nambour are detailed and many.

A bit of a history lesson, back to 2014.

"Howard Hobbs MP, a former Member for Warrego, chaired a federal parliamentary Transport, Housing and Local Government Committee examining the Sunshine Coast Line, which concluded its condition and operational capacity to serve the agricultural freight sector ... to be shambolic, outdated, inefficient, unable to grow, is unreliable and also inflexible.  The committee found that the single-track railway between Beerburrum and Nambour is a major impediment, while a failure to invest in its duplication was hindering growth in the Queensland economy.

"Doing nothing is not an option," Mr Hobbs said.

At the same time, the then LNP State Government released its own Moving Freight Strategy, which stated that the capacity constraints and poor performance of the SCL and North Coast Line to Cairns is "adversely influencing existing and potential freight customer's perceptions and/or preparedness to invest in rail freight growth opportunities."

Circumstances have not changed significantly over almost a decade.

Mr Bailey is such a political animal that he regards the 370,000 people on the Sunshine Coast (and more further afield in Noosa and Gympie LGAs) as his political opponents.

Here is the political reality facing Mr Bailey and his Labor colleagues ... the opinion polls are showing that Qld Labor is on the nose. Two of the government's most vulnerable seats are Nicklin (based on Nambour) and Caloundra. The two local burning issues are duplication of the railway line to Nambour and the Direct Sunshine Coast Line to Maroochydore.

Nicklin and Caloundra are precarious seats for the government and could well be the seats required to get the ALP across the line in the 2024 state election. Also, Sandy Bolton( Noosa) is an independent and, in the event of Labor governing in minority, would require her vote to pass legislation in the Parliament.

If for no other reason, bearing in mind there are many cogent ones based around transport efficiency and the economy, Mr Bailey should have before him front and centre the duplication of the railway line to Landsborough and further works to Nambour and beyond. CAMCOS/DSCL would seem to be out of the question now. Goodbye, Mr Hunt.

And maybe goodbye Anna Palaszczuk?

^
Perhaps, they've been in power for a very long time - and it shows in their attitude on health, education, transport and integrity.
In power for 29 of the past 36 years in Queensland.

At the 2020 state election;
Caloundra was won by 1631 two-party preferred votes
Nicklin was won by 84 two-party preferred votes.

The ice doesn't get much thinner than that.

As the saying goes, we get the Government we deserve.

I'll leave it at that!!

Quote from: ozbob on April 17, 2023, 11:43:30 AMFacebook ...

We call again to re-instate the track duplication through to Landsborough 16th April 2023 Good Morning, It is very...

Posted by RAIL - Back On Track on Saturday, 15 April 2023

Proving to be a popular FB post this one.  Resonating strongly with the Sunny Coast mob.

The State Government Labor needs to listen and act!

We never lost control       

Front web page of the Couriermail at 00:05 18th April 2023





#youarewelcome

ABC Sunshine Coast radio news story to air this morning.
Why rail duplication to Landsborough matters.

Quote from: Fares_Fair on April 19, 2023, 05:56:09 AMABC Sunshine Coast radio news story to air this morning.
Why rail duplication to Landsborough matters.

Listen live here ~ 7.30am > https://www.abc.net.au/sunshine/live

Sunshine Coast News --> Transport advocates 'beg' for more to be done on rail line, government says study is underway

QuoteSunshine Coast public transport advocates have welcomed an announcement on rail duplication but say the State Government hasn't gone far enough.

Community group Rail Back on Track is imploring officials to extend a planned duplication, to accommodate a growing number of passengers between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

In response, the State Government told Sunshine Coast News that a study was underway for more potential works on the line.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads last week set a timeline for a 13km rail duplication between Beerburrum to Beerwah, with work to be completed by 2027.

It's part of the $550m Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade (B2M) Stage 1 project, designed to increase rail capacity for passenger and freight services in the region.

Rail Back on Track welcomed the announcement but said more needed to be done, in the face of rapid population growth and the 2032 Olympic Games.

They said the duplication should go another 7km to Landsborough, which was part of the government's initial plans five years ago.

"It would be a disaster not to duplicate through to Landsborough," lead spokesperson Robert Dow said.

He said improved services were needed "to cope with the significant pax (passenger) demands during peaks", and to connect with the extensive bus network at Landsborough.

Sunshine Coast commuter advocate Jeff Addison also called for more action. ...

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1648429900876103683

Quote from: ozbob on April 19, 2023, 06:37:30 AM

Quote from: Fares_Fair on April 19, 2023, 05:56:09 AMABC Sunshine Coast radio news story to air this morning.
Why rail duplication to Landsborough matters.

Listen live here ~ 7.30am > https://www.abc.net.au/sunshine/live

Only a short segment.  From around the 50 seconds mark on this short audio of the ABC Sunshine Coast Local News 19th April 2023 7:30am

here > https://backontrack.org/docs/abcsc/abcSClocal19apr23.mp3 MP3 1.3mb

It seems that the reason why no actual trackwork has started on Stage 1 of the Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade (Beerburrum to Beerwah only) is because not all the environmental approvals are in place. "Multiple environmental approvals will be required for the project" TMR briefing correspondence reveals.

Moreover detailed design work is still to be completed!

In other words, while creating the impression publicly that the project is a goer, Stage 1 trackwork from Beerburrum to Beerwah is still being finalised.

Here is what TMR is saying internally:

"As part of the pre-construction and design phase of the project, further aquatic and on-ground fauna assessment will be likely required to compliment any approval applications. Environmental mitigation measures from environmental permits will be used to influence design.

"As part of the pre-construction and design phase of the project, an environmental management plan will be developed to outline all mitigation measures to be implemented during construction."

Seven listed threatened species and seven listed migratory species have been identified as known, or likely to occur in the project area. Offset habitat sites have been identified for some sensitive species, including the Giant Barred Frog and other frog species, including one called the Wallum Rocketfrog.

Low levels of contaminated material has been identified in the rail corridor and, according to TMR "further assessments will be required during detailed design".

Led by Melanie De Rossi, Project Director, TMR has started updating various stakeholder groups about Beerburrum to Nambour upgrade.  Stage 1 is duplication and realignment between Beerburrum and Beerwah. It's funded and under way. Stage 2 (north to Nambour) is unfunded and subject to negotiation between State and Federal governments.

In a presentation to stakeholder groups, TMR says the B to N Upgrade, stages 1 and 2 are "a key enabler of future public transport developments".

In TMR's own words, the project is required because:

The single track configuration and passing loops at stations only means there is insufficient capacity on the line.
Competition between freight and passenger services during peak periods creates scheduling inefficiencies.
Poor horizontal and vertical track alignments and numerous level crossings exacerbate ageing infrastructure.

Here are some key players:
Mark Longhurst is the Project Manager
Amanda Booy is the Project Engagement Officer

TMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

Quote from: Stillwater on April 24, 2023, 14:45:17 PMTMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

They should be using GoCard/smartticketing to verify travel when accessing the carpark

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 15:16:48 PM

Quote from: Stillwater on April 24, 2023, 14:45:17 PMTMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

They should be using GoCard/smartticketing to verify travel when accessing the carpark

Not just the rail stations but the bus stations too, it should all be controlled parking.

Quote from: verbatim9 on April 24, 2023, 17:13:18 PM

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 15:16:48 PM

Quote from: Stillwater on April 24, 2023, 14:45:17 PMTMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

They should be using GoCard/smartticketing to verify travel when accessing the carpark

Not just the rail stations but the bus stations too, it should all be controlled parking.

Yea. It would only be required for park and rides near business's or shopping centres if the parking will still be free though. I would imagine it would be free if you tap in the station and charge a 'fine' if you dont.

Sunshine Valley Gazette 26th April 2023 page 20

Nambour remains sidetracked on rail duplication

^ well done! 

In this world, voters should hold a reasonable expectation that their politicians are people of integrity and of good standing, whose word is their bond.

This Transport Minister has taken us back 40 years!!!

Inquiry urgently needed

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 17:27:30 PM

Quote from: verbatim9 on April 24, 2023, 17:13:18 PM

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 15:16:48 PM

Quote from: Stillwater on April 24, 2023, 14:45:17 PMTMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

They should be using GoCard/smartticketing to verify travel when accessing the carpark

Not just the rail stations but the bus stations too, it should all be controlled parking.

Yea. It would only be required for park and rides near business's or shopping centres if the parking will still be free though. I would imagine it would be free if you tap in the station and charge a 'fine' if you dont.

How does that intergrate with the traveltrain network or special event services?

QuoteAnt Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

Wouldn't Nambour Coles shoppers use the car park convenient to them, would be a pain pushing a trolley around from basically behind the loading dock? Is there a shortage of parking at Coles that would cause people to park here in preference?
I guess they could always erect a fence to discourage people too.

In fact I thought it tended to work the other way around. Commuters tend to use shopping center spaces, not the other way around.

Quote from: HappyTrainGuy on April 26, 2023, 14:45:02 PM

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 17:27:30 PM

Quote from: verbatim9 on April 24, 2023, 17:13:18 PM

Quote from: RowBro on April 24, 2023, 15:16:48 PM

Quote from: Stillwater on April 24, 2023, 14:45:17 PMTMR is seeking feedback on Beerburrum to Nambour track upgrade proposal

Place your comment here:

https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/beerburrum-nambour-upgrade/b2n-interactive-project-map

Ant Ranx makes a good point. The park and ride facility being built at the rear of the Nambour Coles store will be used by shoppers and not by rail commuters.

They should be using GoCard/smartticketing to verify travel when accessing the carpark

Not just the rail stations but the bus stations too, it should all be controlled parking.

Yea. It would only be required for park and rides near business's or shopping centres if the parking will still be free though. I would imagine it would be free if you tap in the station and charge a 'fine' if you dont.

How does that intergrate with the traveltrain network or special event services?

I would suggest that people using long distance trains should be charged to a certain extent. I could see a discount system where they can get discounted pricing by validating their gocard / credit card with the travel online or at the service desk. For special events i would imagine it would be much the same with validating your card.

I thought special event services didn't have you tapping your go card.

Traveltrain is free travel on the CityTrain network. Special events are also free travel on the CityTrain network. In both instances gocard usage is not required and also makes it an attractive option for those that do or do not frequently use public transport.

For example Suncorp Stadium.

Ticket and fare information

Free travel with Brisbane City Council and Queensland Rail

If you have a pre-purchased event ticket or a stadium membership card you can travel free to and from Suncorp Stadium on all regular network-wide Brisbane City Council buses and Queensland Rail City Network trains (excludes Brisbane City Council ferries, the G:link and Airtrain services).

Free travel begins 4 hours before and concludes 4 hours after the event.

Quote from: HappyTrainGuy on April 27, 2023, 08:37:30 AMTraveltrain is free travel on the CityTrain network. Special events are also free travel on the CityTrain network. In both instances gocard usage is not required and also makes it an attractive option for those that do or do not frequently use public transport.

For example Suncorp Stadium.

Ticket and fare information

Free travel with Brisbane City Council and Queensland Rail

If you have a pre-purchased event ticket or a stadium membership card you can travel free to and from Suncorp Stadium on all regular network-wide Brisbane City Council buses and Queensland Rail City Network trains (excludes Brisbane City Council ferries, the G:link and Airtrain services).

Free travel begins 4 hours before and concludes 4 hours after the event.

Yea. There's countless way's this could be sorted out. Your ticket could include a QR code to scan on entry for example.

In general, though, I do think that train station parking (at least where alternatives exist) should slowly transition towards charging a small fee, even for people using the service. This would only really work if the bus network was completely redesigned to actually transfer people to stations though. We want to encourage people to walk/bike/bus to stations if they can and charging a small fee for parking would help in that regard. It wouldn't even need to be a large fee, like 1 dollar for a full day if you use the city train service. It still needs to be cheaper than parking in the city, but a good enough incentive for people to use active travel if they can.

The reality is the car parks fill up super quickly as is and it really should be left for people who actually need to drive. The number of people I know who drive to the station even though they live right next to a bus which will take them straight to it or a bike network which goes past it. Like they have options, there's just no incentive to use them.

As I said, this wouldn't be possible with our current bus system since we would really need to be complimenting the citytrain service instead of competing with it...  . We would also need to be putting in more (and larger) bike lockers at stations. It's more of a long-term thing which could be looked into.

This is interesting. It is the first time I have seen a direct connection between improvements to the rail corridor between Brisbane and Gympie North and a new highway known as the "North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative Project". It would appear this is a sort of Coomera Connector for the Sunshine Coast.

Here's the interesting bit:

TMR: "We are developing a rail corridor vision and a staged program of rail priorities to 2051 on the North Coast Line between Brisbane and Gympie North. This planning project is an initiative under the North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative project."

Here is the TMR website:

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/brisbane-sunshine-coast-rail-corridor-strategy

And here is what TMR says on that page:

"We are developing a rail corridor vision and a staged program of rail priorities to 2051 on the North Coast Line between Brisbane and Gympie North. The Brisbane to Sunshine Coast Rail Corridor Strategy will guide future rail investment opportunities to improve network capacity, travel times, safety, resilience and efficiency for passengers and freight.

"Investment on the North Coast Line will be staged according to the highest priorities across the transport and rail networks to meet population growth and service demand. Providing better public transport will better connect communities and help people make the shift towards more sustainable travel choices.

"This planning project is an initiative under the North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative project."

North Brisbane Bruce Highway Western Alternative Project link:

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/north-brisbane-bruce-highway-western-alternative-planning

The plans are scheduled for completion in 2023. The cynic in me says the glossy plan and fly-through will become part of Queensland Labor's election strategy, designed to retain the seats of Nicklin and Caloundra, but also to make a pitch for votes in the seats of Glasshouse, Morayfield,Kurwongbah and Pine Rivers. The political strategy seems to be – "give them a taste of what might be without committing to any construction."

The depressing thing is that there is even more planning proposed, with fulfillment of whatever is proposed now extending to 2051. Not only have newborns grown to be adults during the period the Beerburrum to Nambour duplication and CAMCOS/DSCL have been in the planning stages, some of us most likely will be dead before the whole plan is known and implemented by 2051, if then.

Honestly, if it takes successive state governments (plural) 25 years to plan and design a relatively straight-forward railway project, and not finish it in that time, what chance do we have that this state government will plan and build all the infrastructure required for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032. That's just nine years away.

But I have a freeway ready to build tomoorow!

We need movement at this station (line) also.
Rail duplication to Beerwah just doesn't cut it.
it must go to LANDSBOROUGH NORTH and onto Nambour.

The Premier may never claim ignorance on this as I met with her when she was Transport Minister in August 2011 and gave her a copy of my report - which may be found as the the very first post in this very long thread.
It was posted that night - August 31, 2011, 22:23:31 PM
Opening excerpt shown below in italics.


The Sunshine Coast Case Report
Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour

For:    Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Minister for Transport and Multicultural Affairs
Date:  Tuesday, 30th August 2011

Purpose of this meeting?

To make the Transport Minister aware of the significant issues surrounding passenger rail services and freight rail transport between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
This section is a part of the North Coast Line (NCL).

The NCL is a 1680km national north-south freight corridor from Brisbane to Cairns.
It is predominately a single line, 3' 6" narrow gauge track.

The Sunshine Coast section of this railway has a great potential for encouraging the use of public transport and easing congestion on the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
Rail travel times can be reduced, services can be increased and reliability can be improved.

After June 6 when the new timetable was implemented, Brisbane to Sunshine Coast journey times became longer (time-wise) than those pre June 6 - which already are the longest (both time-wise and distance) on the SEQ rail network.

There are significant cost savings to be made by moving freight off roads and onto rail and this also limits carbon emissions. Highway road maintenance can be reduced by a decrease in heavy vehicles. Road accident costs can be saved and road trauma reduced.

In its' present state the rail services are severely limited due to a single line congested track from Beerburrum north to Nambour/Gympie.
As a symptom of its congestion, 44% (today in 2023 it's 23%, still almost a quarter) of total passenger weekday services from Caboolture to Nambour (Sunshine Coast) are rail buses in lieu of trains.
This 54km journey by car takes approx. ½ hour, but by rail bus it's up to 1½ hours.
This does not promote public transport use.

The need to upgrade this section of the NCL has been identified in several planning and
policy documents, including the SEQ Regional Plan 2005-2026, the SEQ Infrastructure Plan
and Program 2005-2026, the Draft TransLink Network Plan 2005, and the Rail Network
Strategy for Queensland 2001-2011.

What needs to occur?

The urgent duplication of the line from Beerburrum to Nambour to allow for real improvements, i.e. better transit times, more services and improved reliability to Sunshine Coast passenger and NCL freight rail services.