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Report quashes cross-border rail link hopes

Started by SurfRail, August 25, 2011, 17:13:12 PM

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SurfRail

Quote from: ABC News

Report quashes cross-border rail link hopes
Posted August 25, 2011 13:21:47

A new report on transport issues in the Tweed could spell the end for long-held hopes of a rail link between Murwillumbah and the Gold Coast.

The report identifies better bus services as the most efficient way to improve public transport in the shire.

It recommends integration with the TransLink system that operates in south-east Queensland.

The Tweed Shire Council's director of engineering, Patrick Knight, says there are not enough passengers to justify an investment in rail.

"If there was to be a rail link it would be along the coast up to the Gold Coast, there's just not the population in Murwillumbah to justify it," he said.

"But on that, we've calculated that on our most popular routes we would be battling to get a thousand persons per hour across that route.

"Our calculations show that we need about 5,000 per hour to justify light rail and more for heavy rail."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-25/report-quashes-cross-border-rail-link-hopes/2855592

Some may disagree with me, but I consider this to be excellent news.  The Murwillumbah line is as dead as a doornail and should stay that way. 

I find it quite interesting that this has cropped up just now, because "cross-border fares and integration" is #3 on my hit-list for the PTAG meeting next week.
Ride the G:

somebody

I stand with you there.

Good point about the cross border fare integration.  If that can be sorted, it would be awesome.

Jonno

The question is How many trips are being made and how many can be made by public transport. No doubt the planning has used the "urban myth" maximum % of trips by PT of 15% (if they were being aggressive)!

colinw

Excellent news.  The M'bah line is a dead parrot, and I wish people would stop trying to proclaim it to not be.

The future of rail south of the border is 3'6" servicing the coastal towns, potentially as far as Ballina but at least Brunswick Heads & Byron Bay.  Probably not in my lifetime 'though, we live in the wrong country to get projects like that implemented.

As far as the Murwillumbah line goes, I am dead against it re-opening right through to M'bah, but wouldn't be opposed to Casino - Lismore re-opening, and potentially even Casino - Byron Bay.  Beyond that is a dead loss.

O_128

Quote from: colinw on August 26, 2011, 08:41:39 AM
Excellent news.  The M'bah line is a dead parrot, and I wish people would stop trying to proclaim it to not be.

The future of rail south of the border is 3'6" servicing the coastal towns, potentially as far as Ballina but at least Brunswick Heads & Byron Bay.  Probably not in my lifetime 'though, we live in the wrong country to get projects like that implemented.

As far as the Murwillumbah line goes, I am dead against it re-opening right through to M'bah, but wouldn't be opposed to Casino - Lismore re-opening, and potentially even Casino - Byron Bay.  Beyond that is a dead loss.

I agree, there would be a big market for these towns, add 160kph running and a 2 hour trip to brisbane is very reasonable. Isn't it amazing that in europe you can get a train from Germany to Russia yet we can't cross a state border.

Best way to do it would NSW pays for the infrastructure and QR runs it at no cost to NSW.
"Where else but Queensland?"

Stillwater


It is strange how the NSW government virtually abandons, or disowns, people living north of Grafton and south of Wagga Wagga.  While NSW jurisdictional regs and laws apply in places like Byron Bay and Albury, these places have greater affinity with Brisbane and Melbourne, respectively, than with Sydney.  You can't get NSW news in Albury, all the supermarkets in northern NSW are served by warehouses in Brisbane and Warwick etc.

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