Qld Border ? Acacia Ridge Track Upgrade

[ozbob]

Extract page 35 http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/publications/pdf/Nation_Building_electronic.pdf

Qld Border ? Acacia Ridge Track Upgrade

What is this project?

This project will complete concrete sleepering on the Sydney ? Brisbane corridor and
provide narrow gauge access between Acacia Ridge and Bromelton in Queensland.
Why is this railway project important?

Concrete re-sleepering will reduce transit times as trains will able to travel faster through
curved sections of track. Concrete sleepers are fire resistant and unlike timber sleepers
do not expand in high temperatures which can cause safety hazards when tracks
buckle. Provision of narrow gauge access to the Bromelton site (52 kilometres south of
Acacia Ridge, Queensland) is an important improvement for the region as it will support
industrial development in the area.

What is the total investment?

The total cost of the project is estimated at $55.8 million.

Estimated costs:

Re-sleeper and dual gauge Acacia Ridge ? Bromelton $36.4 million
Re-sleeper Bromelton ? Glenapp Standard Gauge $11.2 million
Convert loops to dual gauge $ 8.2 million

Total $55.8 million

What is the project timeline?

Fabrication of precast concrete sleepers for this project is expected to commence
in February 2009. Installation works are scheduled to commence by June 2009
and are expected to take around six months. The anticipated completion date is
December 2009.

Benefits of this project?

The project is expected to create up to 120 jobs over the life of the project.
Benefits will include new narrow gauge access to Bromelton, supporting industrial
development. It will also reduce transit times and lifecycle costs, improve ride quality and
eliminate temperature related speed restrictions which can occur on timbered sections
of the rail line.

This investment is subject to the Queensland government agreeing to the ARTC taking
control of this section of the track.

[ozbob]

Will this dual gauge upgrade open up the possibility of commuter rail services from Bromelton?

[ozbob]

Media Release 12 December 2008:

Nation Building
Rail, Road, Education & Research and Business announcement very welcome!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has welcomed today's announcement by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of a number of significant national rail upgrades and investments for a more sustainable transport future (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The increased investment in rail infrastructure and capability throughout Australia is very welcome. More will need to be done but this is a great start."

"Of particular interest to Queensland is the upgrade of the standard gauge line to a dual gauge, standard and 3'6" gauge line from Acacia Ridge to Bromelton, and the further upgrade of the standard gauge line to the NSW border.  Does this now provide the opportunity for the introduction of a regular commuter rail service from Bromelton to Brisbane, and so providing some urgently needed public transport along this corridor?  RAIL Back On Track certainly hopes so!"

Reference:

1.  http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/publications/pdf/Nation_Building_electronic.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[mufreight]

Another poorly thought out and illconsidered example of political expediency, The new rail underpass at Acacia Ridge is being built to cater for the operation of double stacked containers which if they are to be operated at a future date will preclude overhead wiring for the operation of electric passenger services over a dual gauge track.
The line has only recently had the timber sleepers replaced with concrete sleepers at a cost of millions which will now again have to be replaced with dual gauge sleepers to enable the third rail to be laid.
Again so much for the smart (ouch it hurts) state.

[ozbob]

In the foreseeable future, cannot see this being electrified for some time, hybrid rail motor (car) sets  could be the go.  The problem will be fitting the traffic in, better to lay a separate 3'6" line for sure next to the SG?

[mufreight]

Passenger services could be provided using the SG if DMU's were used, if the intention is to provide a NG line for freight with no future provision for any passenger services it possibly has some merit but even then a seperate NG line built alongside the the existing SG line would be a far preferable option from an operations perspective with the possibility to operate electrified passenger services over the line.

[ozbob]

Yes thanks mu.  Another consideration is that Bromelton may well be the site of a new huge freight terminal and Acacia Ridge flogged off?  In that case dual gauge will probably work, maybe this is behind some of thinking.   Communities along the standard gauge corridor have been screaming for a rail commuter service for years.  Maybe now something may be more possible?

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Bligh welcomes funding 'downpayment'

Bligh welcomes funding 'downpayment'
Tony Moore | December 12, 2008 - 6:17PM

Queensland had received a "downpayment" towards key road and rail projects under the $4.7 billion infrastructure package for Australia announced today by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, says Premier Anna Bligh.

"I will be keeping the Prime Minister to his word that this is a down payment, and I will be looking for a bigger slice of the pie for Queensland in the next round," Ms Bligh said.

Ms Bligh welcomed the funding to the road and rail projects.

The Ipswich Motorway project will now have the funds to move on to the Goodna to Dinmore section of the motorwa.

Additional funding for universities is also included in Queensland's share of the Federal Government's package.

The Federal Government has brought forward $25 million to the 2008-09 financial year on top of the $5 million for planning work for the $1.14 billion upgrade of the eight-kilometre section of Ipswich Motorway.

This project will employ about 1000 people over the next four years.

Work is already underway on the Wacol to Gailes stretch of the motorway linking Brisbane and Ipswich.

Other highway projects include $2.5 million to start a three-kilometre upgrade of the Pacific Motorway near Springwood, from $455 million which is already promised for the 2009-10 financial year.

This project - announced earlier this year by Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt - includes two new bus lanes and a new bridge and interchange at Loganlea Road. It will provide 500 jobs.

The Douglas Arterial Road near Townsville receives $20 million in this financial year to begin to widen the road to four lanes.

The interstate rail line from Acacia Ridge to the New South Wales border receives $56 million to replace the existing timber sleepers with concrete sleepers.

Dual gauge train track - including narrow gauge Queensland track, and standard gauge track will be built from Acacia Ridge to the new industrial centre at Bromelton.

This work will start in February 2009 and finish by the end of the year.

Queensland also receives $93.2 million, as a share of $500 million of capital expenditure to improve teaching and learning spaces at universities across Australia.

This includes Queensland University of Technology ($23.2 million), The University of Queensland ($22.7 million), Griffith University ($19.3 million), James Cook University ($8 million), University of South Queensland ($8 million), Central Queensland University ($6.4 million), University of Sunshine Coast ($3.3m Bond University ($2.4 million).

Shadow Infrastructure Minister Fiona Simpson said while the infrastructure funding was appreciated, Queensland's share of the funding was small.

"The funding for motorways and to upgrade the rail lines from the Queensland border to Acacia Ridge is certainly welcome, but there appears to be little allocated towards the infrastructure projects the Bligh Labor Government claims are their top priority," she said.

Ms Bligh rejected this critcism, saying those projects were submitted to a different funding pool - the Infrastructure Australia Fund (BAF) - which will not be decided until next February.

Rail lobby group Rail: Back on Track welcomed the money for the Acacia Ridge rail project.

"Of particular interest to Queensland is the upgrade of the standard gauge line to a dual gauge, standard and 3'6" gauge line from Acacia Ridge to Bromelton, and the further upgrade of the standard gauge line to the NSW border."

[ozbob]

Bump

[somebody]

Passenger services could be provided using the SG if DMU's were used

Main problem with that is a single direction service couldn't really be done as there's nowhere other than Roma St #1 & #2 for the trains to stable.  And a two direction service would also be impossible while the Coasties are using the DG.

A new freight terminal towards Bromelton does seem to be a sensible reason for getting NG south of Acacia Ridge.  But why not a new NG track, or a new DG track?  I suppose an upgrade to DG would be cheaper and that's probably the reason.

[tomato]

Not sure why this thread reactivated ? however all reading this not well acquainted with the issue are encouraged to read Topic: Queensland standard gauge rail line - leased to ARTC 
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3295.0

To confuse this issue on October 22, 2009 Anthony Albanese, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government released the following Media Release.
http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/October/aa436_2009.htm

Economic Stimulus: NSW Border To Acacia Ridge Rail Upgrade
" The modernisation of the interstate rail network continues unabated, with work now underway on the significant upgrade of the line between the NSW border and the Brisbane suburb of Acacia Ridge........
(no new news ....till)
As well as the replacement of sleepers, the project will also involve the provision of narrow gauge access from Acacia Ridge to Bromelton and from Bromelton to Glenapp as well as the conversion of existing loops to dual gauge track." 

So dual guage all the way to the NSW border !!   Somewhat different to ......

Extract page 35 http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/publications/pdf/Nation_Building_electronic.pdf

Provision of narrow gauge access to the Bromelton site (52 kilometres south of Acacia Ridge, Queensland) is an important improvement for the region as it will support industrial development in the area.

Estimated costs:
Re-sleeper and dual gauge Acacia Ridge - Bromelton $36.4 million
Re-sleeper Bromelton - Glenapp Standard Gauge $11.2 million
Convert loops to dual gauge $ 8.2 million

Total $55.8 million

This was being discussed over on the now hibernating Railpage but we didnt get a clear answer....  ie has the line been Dual Guaged to the border or is this a PR mistake ??

[ozbob]

See --> here as to why this thread was bumped.

[tomato]

Thanks Ozbob... the " Logan satellite proposal " explains it !

I haven't read the detailed Logan City proposal yet - there are some questions arising from the 60 year lease by the Qld Govt of the section of rail - NSW Border to Acacia Ridge.

Firstly has anyone seen the lease details ? What are the passenger vs freight " priority principles " ?

When ARTC leased the NSW Interstate & Hunter Valley rail networks for 60 years the lease document was made public http://www.artc.com.au/library/Final_Tripartite_Agreement.pdf page 8.

13. Passenger Priority
The Commonwealth and ARTC acknowledge NSW legislation that includes an obligation on ARTC to implement reasonable priority for passenger services. ARTC will implement the NSW passenger priority principles in NSW at all times after the commencement of and in accordance with the Lease.