POLL: Beerburrum to Landsborough with CAMCOS, or further duplication to Nambour

[Arnz]

As per the subject title.  Poll runs for 14 days.

I personally think the later (Beerburrum-Landsborough + Landsborough-Nambour) has a better case ahead of (Beerburrum-Landsborough + CAMCOS) at this stage.  Purely on freight and less cars/trucks on highways (savings on road maintenance). 

Even if the duplication is only done in part, for example Glasshouse-Landsborough and Mooloolah to Palmwoods, effectively making large loops (which leaves Beerburrum-Glasshouse and Landsborough-Mooloolah single track), part duplication would allow longer freighters to run on the NCL for example.

Sure some might argue the walk up traffic for CAMCOS, but as much as it is nice to be within walking distance from the parent's to the Caloundra railway is nice, it only benefits the southern parts of the coast, whereas further duplication north of Landsborough benefits the state as a whole.  Along with improved bus connections from the coast to Landsborough, Nambour and the towns along the line.  I think CAMCOS can wait further in line, bus improvements with the CoastConnect proposal should suffice in place, along with CFN implementation.

[Stillwater]

Duplication to Nambour can be sold by the state government as a 'state building'project.  It is also the project that has Co-ordinator-General approval and much of the planning has been done.  Because the line carries freight (CAMCOS does not), investment in the line stimulates economic spin-offs for the logistics sector, and for the state also.  The duplication to Nambour also would possibly attract federal funding (on the grounds of moving freight to rail and taking pressure off the Bruce Highway, which the feds fund).

[HappyTrainGuy]

I voted for the first option. Personally i'd like to see the track realigned and duplicated to Landsborough while in conjunction with CAMCOS being constructed including Landsborough upgrades such as level crossing removal and the spur junction and then continuing straight along with the NCL duplication and realignment. Passenger traffic going north along the NCL can then be culled into a shuttle service Landsborough-Nambour/Gympie.

[SurfRail]

My preferred outcome over time would be that CAMCOS would be the "the" Sunshine Coast line.  The only direct services from Brisbane to north of Beerwah would be:

- In peak hour, some trains would follow exactly the same stopping pattern from Brisbane to Landsborough but would continue via the NCL to Yandina/Cooroy.
- The handful of Gympie trains per day, which again would follow the normal stopping pattern south of Beerwah.
- Long distance services.

Ideally, everything would run Caboolture-Petrie-Eagle Junction only before hitting town.

Everything else would be a shuttle with connection at Beerwah, running as far as Yandina or Cooroy (every second train).

[colinw]

Fix Nambour (& beyond) first.  The freight task is more important to the economy as a whole.

Not against CAMCOS, but to build it while the line beyond Beerburrum resembles the alignment of a minor branch line in Mozambique would be stupid.

Then again stupidity reigns.

[ozbob]

... while the line beyond Beerburrum resembles the alignment of a minor branch line in Mozambique ...

Nice line that ... mind if I use it some time? 

[colinw]

Only partially tongue in cheek.  Seriously - some of the 3'6" stuff in southern Africa makes me wonder just who is the real 3rd world country.

[Stillwater]

Mozambique – an apt comparison.



Just like the SCL, they have delays and breakdowns:

[Stillwater]

And who is playing politics now?

"Member for Glass House Andrew Powell accused the government of playing politics, saying work on the duplication stopped at Beerburrum one month after his election in 2009.

"He said the signing off on the environmental impact statement for the project this week by the Co-ordinator General meant it was "shovel ready" but no longer a priority.

"Mr Powell listed the lack of duplication, a new timetable that has increased travel times, increased fares and a lack of toilets as issues that needed to be addressed."

Full Sunshine Coast Daily article here: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/the-rail-that-fails/1168416/

[Arnz]

Bump! 6 days to go.

I am also interested in the others (who haven't done so already) who voted/would vote for CAMCOS their reasons why that should go ahead of realigning/duplicating one of the primary freight/passenger lines which serve the entire state.

[Stillwater]

With the people of the old Noosa Shire being given the opportunity to split from the bigger Sunshine Coast (leaving the old Maroochy and Caloundra shires still together), it will be interesting to see how the PT dynamics will work when, most likely, the old Noosa Shire comes into being from 1 January 2014.  Focus should still be duplication to Nambour, but may be additional push for CAMCOS to Caloundra (first), then to Kawana (second), and then to Maroochydore new town centre (final and last leg).

[Jonno]

The new Noosa Council will no doubt continue thier "sustainability through propulation limits" which really means reduced number of people with massive carbon footprints.  Very elitist actually!

[Stillwater]

In reality it doesn't work.  You can't have pregnency police, telling people not to copulate. The population will not go up dramatically, but it will rise.  The SCRC area will still contain Caloundra South and Palmview, both big new housing estates.  That's the difference.  Who knows, maybe future SEQ Plans will contain additional population growth nodes foisted onto local government, around Cooroy for instance.

[ozbob]

Noosa is going under water, don't you worry about that! 

Cooroy looks very attractive ... 

[SurfRail]

As for SCL, ultimately Noosa is the final destination, not suitable now, but by 2030-2040 or there abouts. ROW needs to be identified and reserved.

I think the closest you will get is Noosa Civic, which is probably fine - https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=noosa+civic&ll=-26.417239,153.048391&spn=0.020947,0.022917&safe=off&fb=1&gl=au&hq=noosa+civic&cid=0,0,1081606475368935024&t=h&z=15

You might get as far as Noosa Junction depending on how much of an ecological/political issue it is to mirror Eenie Creek Rd/Cooyar St.  (I was at Noosa Jn yesterday and had a good drive around the back way, looks like there is plenty of space for it.)

Alignment already there as far as the airport, the rest would probably just be via the motorway and around the western edge of Lake Weyba, so not a huge issue.  Shouldn't need large amounts of blasting and formation work like the Gold Coast line did.

[Stillwater]

Noosa Civic logical terminus -- as indicated in original Nautilus Plan, now relegated to the dustheap of forgotten transport reports:

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/N/Nautilus-Connecting-Noosa-Nambour-and-Maroochydore.aspx

[Arnz]

Poll is closed.  As we can see, the majority voted in favor of the Landsborough-Nambour duplication ahead of CAMCOS.

A bit disappointed why most of the folks voted for CAMCOS didn't explain their reasons as I was looking for a good debate of providing for freight and increased revenue income into the state government coffers (with benefits passed down to improved passenger service) vs providing a line to a large region, whilst it does have larger walk-up traffic, unfortunately it would have slower cost recovery.

[Stillwater]

Ahh, remember the days of the rash political promise, made in haste while in Opposition, re-spun when in government?

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/train-promise-not-de-railed-says-simpson/348246/

LNP SC Members silent on duplication to Nambour and silent on CAMCOS to Maroochydore.