9 May 2016: SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line rail duplication - Doing nothing ...

[ozbob]

Media release 9th May 2016

SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line rail duplication
Doing nothing not an option yet that is the plan

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web-based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called on the State and Federal government to jointly fund Sunshine Coast Line rail track duplication from Beerburrum to Landsborough north in the first instance, then continue onto Nambour.

Jeff Addison, Sunshine Coast Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said;

"There is an imperative for the Federal and Queensland Governments to act swiftly towards construction of dual railway tracks between Beerburrum and Landsborough North, and then onto Nambour."

"Rail freight and long-distance passenger services are right now under threat. The North Coast Line corridor that meanders through the Sunshine Coast is considered to be 'severely under-capitalised' according to a report commissioned for the State Government in February 2015 (2). An accompanying document from the TransLink Infrastructure Investment Committee dated 23 September 2015 (3) says; 'The results of the project identified that there is NO "DO NOTHING" APPROACH if rail is to have a future in this corridor.' "

"The economic benefits of these infrastructure projects are profound! Landsborough to Nambour works would generate $4.57 billion in output generation to the South East Queensland economy over the 7 year construction period, and create 2786 jobs at any one point in time."

"Clearly, it is time the State Palaszczuk government and the Federal Turnbull government prove that they are governing for all Australians. The federal seat of Fairfax in which some of these works occur, was the most marginal seat at the 2013 Federal election (53 vote margin)"
"Upgrade of the Sunshine Coast Line has twice been promised by the State, but the Sunshine Coast is yet to see it built."

"We are also concerned that rail construction standards are being reduced which will further disadvantage rail over road freight. Current duplication completed in April 2009 to Beerburrum, was designed for 160kph speeds. We now know that the intention is to reduce design speeds back to just 100kph, and that's not very competitive against an increasingly congested 110kph Bruce Highway."

"The time for taking the Sunshine Coast for granted is over; the time for action is here."

Contacts:

Jeff Addison
Sunshine Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

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

References:

1. The Sunshine Coast Case : Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.0

2. North Coast Line Capacity Improvement Study – Final Report by TransLink and the Department of Transport and Main Roads
February 2015 (p100)

3. TransLink submission to the Infrastructure Investment Committee
Submission No. 5.1 (p1) 23 September 2015

[ozbob]

Discussion >> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.msg173767#msg173767

[ozbob]

Media release 9th May 2016 re-released 21st August 2016

SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line rail duplication
Doing nothing not an option yet that is the plan

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web-based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called on the State and Federal government to jointly fund Sunshine Coast Line rail track duplication from Beerburrum to Landsborough north in the first instance, then continue onto Nambour.

Jeff Addison, Sunshine Coast Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said;

"There is an imperative for the Federal and Queensland Governments to act swiftly towards construction of dual railway tracks between Beerburrum and Landsborough North, and then onto Nambour."

"Rail freight and long-distance passenger services are right now under threat. The North Coast Line corridor that meanders through the Sunshine Coast is considered to be 'severely under-capitalised' according to a report commissioned for the State Government in February 2015 (2). An accompanying document from the TransLink Infrastructure Investment Committee dated 23 September 2015 (3) says; 'The results of the project identified that there is NO "DO NOTHING" APPROACH if rail is to have a future in this corridor.' "

"The economic benefits of these infrastructure projects are profound! Landsborough to Nambour works would generate $4.57 billion in output generation to the South East Queensland economy over the 7 year construction period, and create 2786 jobs at any one point in time."

"Clearly, it is time the State Palaszczuk government and the Federal Turnbull government prove that they are governing for all Australians. The federal seat of Fairfax in which some of these works occur, was the most marginal seat at the 2013 Federal election (53 vote margin)"
"Upgrade of the Sunshine Coast Line has twice been promised by the State, but the Sunshine Coast is yet to see it built."

"We are also concerned that rail construction standards are being reduced which will further disadvantage rail over road freight. Current duplication completed in April 2009 to Beerburrum, was designed for 160kph speeds. We now know that the intention is to reduce design speeds back to just 100kph, and that's not very competitive against an increasingly congested 110kph Bruce Highway."

"The time for taking the Sunshine Coast for granted is over; the time for action is here."

Contacts:

Jeff Addison
Sunshine Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

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

References:

1. The Sunshine Coast Case : Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.0

2. North Coast Line Capacity Improvement Study – Final Report by TransLink and the Department of Transport and Main Roads
February 2015 (p100)

3. TransLink submission to the Infrastructure Investment Committee
Submission No. 5.1 (p1) 23 September 2015

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.msg178282#msg178282