RAIL - Back On Track Forum

Just a thought I had.

Should the government look at taking a few of the rail upgrades in the pipeline and proposed service changes, and put it under the banner of something like

Coast2Coast.
Linking the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Logan and Moreton Bay.


There are various rail projects happening, but I'm not sure how well understood the need is for them among the public or what the overarching vision is. Coming into an election year, could be benefits in doing this.

Should be a map of SEQ with the different "stages" highlighted,

Eg

Stage 1 - CRR, more north south capacity through the core of Brisbane, allowing efficient operation of Coast2Coast services, freeing up capacity for existing lines.

Stage 2 - Beerburrum to Beerwah upgrade. Removing the single track bottleneck through the southern sunshine coast.

Stage 3 - DSCRL. Extending the rail network direct from Beerwah to the Sunshine Coast coastal strip, providing better access for hundreds of thousands of residents to new Coast2Coast Trains

Stage 4 - LGCFR (K2B). Additional express tracks from Kuraby to Beenleigh, increasing capacity by giving express Coast2Coast trains a fast track to overtake all stopping trains.

Stage 5 - New Rolling Stock. New faster trains to increase the number of rail services and take advantage of the new infrastructure.

Stage 6 - Coolangatta Extension

Stage 7 - Trouts Rd?


Basically, the government needs to get better at telling the story, and in a way it makes the project more relatable to the public. Most people in SEQ can see themselves catching a train to the coast on occasion because they are nice places to go, and of course people on the coast want access to Brisbane.
Also easy to understand as a project that works as a whole to relieve the M1.

Personally, part of this should be changing the line pairings so that GC and DSCRL link when it opens, and yes i know that this a little less efficient in terms of rolling stock utilisation, but i think the marketing of the service would get you additional passengers you might not otherwise.  It could even involve modifying the new rolling stock order, and giving the coast2coast trains faster gearing, a distinctive colour scheme, better seats.

It's a similar mindset to how Vic promotes the level crossing removal project. The benefits of them are localized, but because its packaged up as a large project all across Melbourne, you get the sense of broader benefits, and more public support.

Great idea. Makes a lot of sense to me. Tricky bit will be getting a shred of common sense into the spin doctors in govt

Is coast to coast still happening as this was meant to be the original idea, but it seems to have changed.

Not quite.....GC pairs with Redcliffe.
SC pairs with Beenleigh.

There is a degree of sense in that though - not many people are going to be rushing to travel 3-4 hours by train other than the captive market, and since no metropolitan trains are catered or are fitted with decently comfortable seats for that sort of journey, transferring at Roma Street isn't that much of a disincentive.

Which is what happens in Sydney in essence. Most change at Central to go to Airport.

Quote from: Jonno on December 22, 2023, 11:03:13 AMWhich is what happens in Sydney in essence. Most change at Central to go to Airport.

Yes, to the Airport. In essence CRR was meant to establish a seamless coast to coast connection but it's not happening anymore. So you can't really brand it coast to coast, it's deceiving.

I don't have a problem with the branding.  It's a same platform transfer.

But if it was a through service, you probably could look at having separate trains with seating more like the NSW Mariyungs. Bit of a chicken and egg situation.

Id hope with the various upgrades you could eventually do Coomera to Caloundra sub 2h.

And then just use regular NGRs a the Beenleigh to Redcliffe pattern.

Quote from: Gazza on December 22, 2023, 13:52:56 PMId hope with the various upgrades you could eventually do Coomera to Caloundra sub 2h.

One would hope.

I rather stick to overall new branding like "The New Translink Rapid Network"
rather than Coast to Coast branding which it's not at the moment, unfortunately.

They should use the Rapid branding across all modes replacing express, buz, prepaid and rocket branding.

Once they have a 2 hour direct service from OOL to Caloundra then Coast to Coast would be appropriate in marketing material alongside new branding such as Rapid...