13 Mar 2012: SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line - a rail congestion crisis

[ozbob]

Media release 13 March 2012

SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line - a rail congestion crisis

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 for a government plan of action on Public Transport between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Jeff Addison, RAIL Back On Track Sunshine Coast Region spokesperson, said:

"Today, RAIL Back On Track can reveal that the state government knowingly stopped work on the Sunshine Coast railway line (SCL) duplication at Beerburrum against departmental advice that not to continue dual tracks to Landsborough would be a waste of money.

"Queensland taxpayers will not reap the full value of the $298 million investment in duplicating and realigning the railway line between Caboolture and Beerburrum unless $300 million is budgeted immediately for works further north.

"We are calling on both major political parties to commit to spending at least that amount of money to again kick-start the SCL upgrade over the next three years in order to maximise the benefit of the expenditure thus far.  That's $100 million for each of the next three years, with additional funding scheduled after that.

"The evidence of bungling this issue is contained in two Department of Transport briefing notes to the minister of the day, one of which has been obtained under Right to Information legislation.

"Despite firm promises that two tracks would be built to Landsborough by mid-2012, and the money had been allocated, the state government halted all work at Beerburrum 24 days after the 2009 election in which the ALP lost the seat of Glass House, where the additional work was to take place.  There has been no construction work ever since, apart from a series of makeshift temporary platforms at seven stations.

Formal advice to government and the transport minister was provided on 15 July 2009 that the expenditure involved in duplicating only as far as Beerburrum would not buy any improvements unless full duplication to Landsborough was carried out. The department continued its position in advice to the then Minister and confirmed this in a briefing note for the 2009 Budget Estimates process.

That note read:

"The benefits of increased capacity will not be fully realised until the next stage (Beerburrum to Landsborough duplication) is undertaken." 

"It is time for all political parties to commit extra funding to the SCL so that the total value of old and new investment is fully realised," Mr Addison said.

In Nambour today, Robert Dow, Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Crucial to the line's problems is a lack of money for infrastructure upgrades – currently managed by merely pushing out the deadline for track duplication to Nambour year on year, further exacerbating the situation and making more expensive the eventual cost.  Duplication now won't occur until 2031, and probably later. 

"The state government has mandated residential growth at Caloundra South, Palmview and elsewhere such that the Sunshine Coast's population will be 508,000 in 2031.  That is equivalent to the population of some European countries.

"It is a joke that 44 per cent of the so-called rail services between Caboolture and Nambour are buses that take 50 per cent longer than a train when making the same journey.

"It is proposed that the section from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains be duplicated and straightened along the previously announced realignment. In addition, the section from Mooloolah to Palmwoods should also be duplicated and straightened. Doing so would allow a half-hourly interurban service to Landsborough, with at least an hourly service to Nambour or beyond.

"RailBus services would no longer be required south of Landsborough and Tilt Trains would be able to travel at speed along the slowest section of track between Mooloolah and Palmwoods.

"Extending the duplication to Beerwah would be of further assistance, in that it would allow a half hourly frequency all the way to Nambour. This would also achieve the duplication to the point which the CAMCOS line is proposed to branch from the current track. The Inner City Rail Capacity Study lists Beerburrum-Landsborough duplication as required 2008-2015 (5). Time is running out for this to be accomplished in that time.

"Furthermore, annual rail freight growth on SCL is set to double over a 20-year period, creating conflicts for scheduling freight trains and passenger trains throughout the day.  On current trends growth in non-bulk freight carried on the SCL is above three per cent a year, which will result in a 'spilling over' of freight onto the Bruce Highway. As Minister Albanese has stated ' One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner', it is essential that more bulk freight is put back on rail.

"The track duplications outlined by RAIL Back On Track would also improve the economics of freight train services and compete better with road transport on the Bruce Highway. It should also be noted Toll shifted Brisbane to Rockhampton freight to rail in 2008 (4). Such moves should be encouraged in order to reduce emissions, oil dependency, damage to roads and lower road trauma costs.

"There remains no impediment to the SCL track improvements since the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for State Development and Trade, Andrew Fraser, on 9 November 2011 released a Coordinator-General's report recommending that the $1.7 billion Landsborough to Nambour rail upgrade could proceed.

"All we need now is the political will to make it happen," Mr Dow said.

References:

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

SUMMARY: Total time lost (TTL) statistics for typical Sunshine Coaster http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7184.0

http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/public_submissions/published/files/82_smasuniversityofwollongong_SUB.pdf page 2

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/e26b187c-d8a1-4bbb-9349-ed034dd7cf9d/pdf_icrcs_stage_3_technical_pre_feasibility_chapter_2.pdf page 20

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, (Federal) Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, member for Grayndler (NSW).
From: Economic Stimulus Plan: A progress report  Nation Building Package 2011 www.nationbuilding.gov.au
"One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner."

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

[ozbob]

Discussion --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.0

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 13th March 2012 page 2

Action on the double

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

'Basket case' rail spending push


http://media.apnonline.com.au/img/media/images/2012/03/14/SCN_14-03-2012_EGN_05_SCN130312RAILe_t325.jpg
Rail Back On Track officials Jeff Addison (left) and Robert Dow.
Geoff Potter

'Basket case' rail spending push

Trevor Hockins | 14th March 2012

GOVERNMENTS were prepared to spend $250 million a kilometre to rebuild roads like the Ipswich Motorway, but would not to spend $300 million to upgrade Sunshine Coast's rail lines, a rail lobby group's spokesman said yesterday.

Rail Back on Track's Robert Dow, speaking at Nambour railway station, said neither major party had mentioned the Coast rail line in the March 24 election campaign.

"The best the Coast has is the present Government's position that work will start on duplicating the track from Beerburrum to Nambour by 2031," he said.

"That is simply not good enough."

In 2008, State Government figures indicated that the Coast's population would grow from 312,000 to 500,000 in 2031.

In 2009, the Bligh Government postponed the duplication works.

Mr Dow said the population growth would put enormous pressure on the Coast's transport system.

He said political decisions were being taken before the correct decisions.

A State Government-led industry briefing in Brisbane in December revealed that the planned light rail for the Gold Coast would be fast-tracked for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Gold Coast heavy-rail line was expected to be extended by 2031, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported last year.

Mr Dow said that the north coast line to Nambour, in the meantime, was a bottleneck every morning.

He said the line, which links Brisbane to north Queensland, was of critical strategic importance to the state.

"This is just plain crazy," he said.

About 8000 Coast rail commuters used the service each working day, he said.

However, studies had proven that if the service was improved, was cheaper and was made reliable, more people would use it.

"As it is, it is a basket case," he said.

Trains on the Sunshine Coast line were consistently the most unreliable in the network, because the line did not have enough rail to cater for the number of trains using it.

[Stillwater]

It is interesting to read the comments to the SC Daily story, generated by RAIL Back On Track, about the crisis on the SCL.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/03/14/push-for-basket-case-rail-spending/

[ozbob]

Media release 13 March 2012 re-released 19 April 2012

SEQ: Sunshine Coast Line - a rail congestion crisis

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 for a government plan of action on Public Transport between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.

Jeff Addison, RAIL Back On Track Sunshine Coast Region spokesperson, said:

"Today, RAIL Back On Track can reveal that the state government knowingly stopped work on the Sunshine Coast railway line (SCL) duplication at Beerburrum against departmental advice that not to continue dual tracks to Landsborough would be a waste of money.

"Queensland taxpayers will not reap the full value of the $298 million investment in duplicating and realigning the railway line between Caboolture and Beerburrum unless $300 million is budgeted immediately for works further north.

"We are calling on both major political parties to commit to spending at least that amount of money to again kick-start the SCL upgrade over the next three years in order to maximise the benefit of the expenditure thus far.  That's $100 million for each of the next three years, with additional funding scheduled after that.

"The evidence of bungling this issue is contained in two Department of Transport briefing notes to the minister of the day, one of which has been obtained under Right to Information legislation.

"Despite firm promises that two tracks would be built to Landsborough by mid-2012, and the money had been allocated, the state government halted all work at Beerburrum 24 days after the 2009 election in which the ALP lost the seat of Glass House, where the additional work was to take place.  There has been no construction work ever since, apart from a series of makeshift temporary platforms at seven stations.

Formal advice to government and the transport minister was provided on 15 July 2009 that the expenditure involved in duplicating only as far as Beerburrum would not buy any improvements unless full duplication to Landsborough was carried out. The department continued its position in advice to the then Minister and confirmed this in a briefing note for the 2009 Budget Estimates process.

That note read:

"The benefits of increased capacity will not be fully realised until the next stage (Beerburrum to Landsborough duplication) is undertaken." 

"It is time for all political parties to commit extra funding to the SCL so that the total value of old and new investment is fully realised," Mr Addison said.

In Nambour today, Robert Dow, Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Crucial to the line's problems is a lack of money for infrastructure upgrades – currently managed by merely pushing out the deadline for track duplication to Nambour year on year, further exacerbating the situation and making more expensive the eventual cost.  Duplication now won't occur until 2031, and probably later. 

"The state government has mandated residential growth at Caloundra South, Palmview and elsewhere such that the Sunshine Coast's population will be 508,000 in 2031.  That is equivalent to the population of some European countries.

"It is a joke that 44 per cent of the so-called rail services between Caboolture and Nambour are buses that take 50 per cent longer than a train when making the same journey.

"It is proposed that the section from Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains be duplicated and straightened along the previously announced realignment. In addition, the section from Mooloolah to Palmwoods should also be duplicated and straightened. Doing so would allow a half-hourly interurban service to Landsborough, with at least an hourly service to Nambour or beyond.

"RailBus services would no longer be required south of Landsborough and Tilt Trains would be able to travel at speed along the slowest section of track between Mooloolah and Palmwoods.

"Extending the duplication to Beerwah would be of further assistance, in that it would allow a half hourly frequency all the way to Nambour. This would also achieve the duplication to the point which the CAMCOS line is proposed to branch from the current track. The Inner City Rail Capacity Study lists Beerburrum-Landsborough duplication as required 2008-2015 (5). Time is running out for this to be accomplished in that time.

"Furthermore, annual rail freight growth on SCL is set to double over a 20-year period, creating conflicts for scheduling freight trains and passenger trains throughout the day.  On current trends growth in non-bulk freight carried on the SCL is above three per cent a year, which will result in a 'spilling over' of freight onto the Bruce Highway. As Minister Albanese has stated ' One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner', it is essential that more bulk freight is put back on rail.

"The track duplications outlined by RAIL Back On Track would also improve the economics of freight train services and compete better with road transport on the Bruce Highway. It should also be noted Toll shifted Brisbane to Rockhampton freight to rail in 2008 (4). Such moves should be encouraged in order to reduce emissions, oil dependency, damage to roads and lower road trauma costs.

"There remains no impediment to the SCL track improvements since the Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for State Development and Trade, Andrew Fraser, on 9 November 2011 released a Coordinator-General's report recommending that the $1.7 billion Landsborough to Nambour rail upgrade could proceed.

"All we need now is the political will to make it happen," Mr Dow said.

References:

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

SUMMARY: Total time lost (TTL) statistics for typical Sunshine Coaster http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7184.0

http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/public_submissions/published/files/82_smasuniversityofwollongong_SUB.pdf page 2

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/e26b187c-d8a1-4bbb-9349-ed034dd7cf9d/pdf_icrcs_stage_3_technical_pre_feasibility_chapter_2.pdf page 20

The Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, (Federal) Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, member for Grayndler (NSW).
From: Economic Stimulus Plan: A progress report  Nation Building Package 2011 www.nationbuilding.gov.au
"One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner."

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