Comments in MX Newspaper of Friday 31 October

[SteelPan]

   Human ego and the NEED to see ones own name in print must be very strong in some folks.  Comments in today's MX Newspaper, attributed to UQ, Centre for Transport Strategy urban economist, "Chris Hale", are simply bizarre and demonstrate a ZERO percent understanding of SE Qld's urban rail system.  This self-appointed EXPERT, tells us that expansion of the existing above ground network is more critical than the recently announced plan to enhance inner-city rail capacity through the (possible) development of a "subway" over the next two decades.  "Chris", the problem is mate, more and more people are on the existing system, let alone any possible future growth, all these people are on trains that ALL dovetail into the central region (city) and therefore produce backing-up issues - already impacting services to the north of Caboolture and to the South as far away as the EXPLODING in growth Gold Coast Region.  All the new lines, in all the world, will achieve ZIP, if the weakest point of the chain (the inner region) grinds to a commuter shattering STOP!

[ozbob]

Haven't seen the mX yet SteelPan, but will later this evening.

[O_128]

The current inner city rail above ground system would have to be made into 12 tracks or a ridiculous number to let more traffic in.By building the underground trains can bypass the city as well as ease congestion such as on the merivale bridge.

[ozbob]

Here is the article:

From Brisbane mX 31st October 2008 page 1

Subway off the track

[ozbob]

Chris Hale generally puts forward very worthwhile points of view IMHO.
This time no different.  It is good that different points of view come forward.
The fact that the Government and opposition are committed to the underground in a general sense is positive. Fine tuning, arguments and counter arguments will come forward.

What concerns me though is committing to an ever escalating cycle of planning and feasibility studies is getting us nowhere.  We must maintain momentum for more trains and crew to address the immediate problems.

[ButFli]

IMO Chris Hale makes a very good point. These new underground railways, if we get them, should not only be used to increase the carrying capacity of the inner-city rail network. The inner-city suburbs he mentions should be serviced by some kind of non-bus transport. If the tunnels are to be dug anyway, why shouldn't a route such as his be considered?

I would be interested to know what qualifications SteelPan has that allow him to declare that a Transport Strategy academic has a "ZERO percent understanding" of suburban rail.