Acacia Ridge Station - Deliver Early?

[#Metro]

Cross River Rail is coming along well, which got me thinking about the trains that currently terminate at Coopers Plains.

Would it be possible to build Acacia Ridge station in the short term and just terminate those Coopers Plains trains at a new Acacia Ridge Station. It would improve PT in Acacia Ridge quite a bit. It's also within the BCC area so patronage generation would likely be sound.

It would be an incremental expenditure, single station and therefore relatively low cost.

Also, where should the station be located exactly? If just north of Beaudesert Road there would be access to the 20 ha TAFE Qld trades complex and shops. A further south option (alternative) towards Learoyd Road would connect better with cross-town bus services.

Would be interesting to hear member thoughts and comments.

[Aydin]

I actually like the sound of this - it can be packaged as the first stage in the Salisbury to Beaudesert rail corridor which would create an opportunity for local politicians to express the possible success of Stage 1 whenever we commit to pushing for the extension to Browns Plains/Flagstone etc.

I believe the station should be erected directly underneath Beaudesert Road with complete pedestrian access to either side of the road. If the land directly north of Alderwood Street is resumed, a small park'n'ride and bus station can also be built which would service the 110, 115, 122 & 126. In addition, a green link should be built from the east of the station to connect the new station precinct to the 20 ha TAFE QLD trades complex and shops.

Following the station's completion, a possible gentrification project should be looked into to redevelop the nearby shopping complex.

I'm looking forward to implementing this idea into my map.

[JimmyP]

Not a bad idea! It would also free up space on the main lines towards Beenleigh, where the current Coopers Plains trains sit for 20+ minutes while they turn around. Plus the added bonus of getting started on the Beaudesert line, while keeping costs relatively low as a first stage.

I agree with directly underneath Beaudesert Rd. More access to shops, TAFE and general housing etc vs Learoyd Rd.

[#Metro]

Thanks for the positive feedback! TMR is building infill GC stations, so I thought "why not?"

There would need to be a walkway and some thought about how pedestrians could walk from the Acacia Ridge station to the Acacia Ridge TAFE. It's not likely to be simple.

[aldonius]

Not that cheap if done right - the line will ultimately need a grade-separated junction, so if it's not done right first time it may never...

[Aydin]

Not that cheap if done right - the line will ultimately need a grade-separated junction, so if it's not done right first time it may never...

There's currently one track that bypasses the industrial estate in Acacia Ridge (seen as the westmost track). With the current discussion of the one station expansion, that single track may just be enough for a 15/30 minutely daily service. That being said, the station should be dual-tracked so it doesn't need to be retrofitted when it is extended to Browns Plains/Flagstone.

[#Metro]

Dual track. For a short section of rail, it should be cheap to do. It is also cheaper to do two tracks together rather than two separately at different times.

Probably leave the junction flat given that 30 min all-day frequency will be going there providing that it is tolerable. When it extends further then junctions can be looked at.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Not much point. Becomes a sh%t storm when it comes to the actual creation of the Beaudesert line and the relocation of Salisbury station/quad in the area.

[Gazza]

Yeah I would agree with this and have had similar thoughts myself.
Previous CRR operations plans had peak hour trains from the north terminating at Salisbury, so if you designed the junction and surrounding tracks into what will be the final design with a flyover, you'd just turn those trains back at Acacia ridge instead.

Then quad or tunnel from Salisbury to Dutton park at a later date.

In terms of location, immediately east of Marham St since is only 600m from the TAFE and would work well with buses from any direction:

[timh]

I'll mirror HTG, Gazza and Aldo in that it would absolutely require a flying junction and provisioning for the final design. You can't do that bit on the cheap.

You would need a dual track, dual gauge (at least one of the tracks anyway), electrified flyover that looks something like this:


You'd also want to quad the tracks around the area (as I have indicated) and probably quad salisbury station while you're at it.

Also to those talking about the location of the station; plans put it slightly further north of the Beaudesert road overpass. It looks like it would be more directly behind the KFC:
https://undertheclocksblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/salisbury-beaudesert-rail.pdf

Probably leave the junction flat given that 30 min all-day frequency will be going there providing that it is tolerable. When it extends further then junctions can be looked at.

You would not build a single station spur to only serve it with 2tph in the peak. Off peak frequency is not the issue, the flat junction would absolutely destroy track capacity in the peak, where you would be running at least 4tph.

Given all the above considerations, I really don't think it's gonna happen before CRR finishes. You could certainly get it started shortly after though.

[SurfRail]

I would be aiming to quad at least Yeerongpilly to Coopers Plains - take out redundant third platform at Coopers Plains, have 4 platforms at Salisbury and ultimately have platforms only on the stopping lines between Salisbury to Yeerongpilly.  Acacia Ridge would be built with a flyover and 2 tracks.

I suspect the marginal cost of going a bit further south wouldn't be too huge.  I'd also like to see the big kinks in the corridor from Acacia Ridge to Greenbank realigned, especially at Paradise Rd.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I'll mirror HTG, Gazza and Aldo in that it would absolutely require a flying junction and provisioning for the final design. You can't do that bit on the cheap.

You would need a dual track, dual gauge (at least one of the tracks anyway), electrified flyover that looks something like this:


You'd also want to quad the tracks around the area (as I have indicated) and probably quad salisbury station while you're at it.

Also to those talking about the location of the station; plans put it slightly further north of the Beaudesert road overpass. It looks like it would be more directly behind the KFC:
https://undertheclocksblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/salisbury-beaudesert-rail.pdf

Probably leave the junction flat given that 30 min all-day frequency will be going there providing that it is tolerable. When it extends further then junctions can be looked at.

You would not build a single station spur to only serve it with 2tph in the peak. Off peak frequency is not the issue, the flat junction would absolutely destroy track capacity in the peak, where you would be running at least 4tph.

Given all the above considerations, I really don't think it's gonna happen before CRR finishes. You could certainly get it started shortly after though.

I suspect any flyover would be done at the existing station where there is already a natural elevation difference in the area especially if the station is rebuilt off the kink next to the school (the land to the west where the new car park is located is already owned by TMR). Also negates difficulty with freights and the overpass.

[#Metro]

Just for clarity, I'm not suggesting opening before CRR.

By early I meant not waiting for a full build out of the Flagstone line to be approved.

[#Metro]

Do you think that we could get the flyover packaged with the fast rail GC line proposal? 

[ozbob]

Do you think that we could get the flyover packaged with the fast rail GC line proposal? 

The present Logan - Gold Coast project is FASTER rail, it is not fast rail.  Faster rail is when you increase rail speeds a little, not the real thing.

Fast rail is 160 - 200 km/h thereabouts.

Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail https://www.yoursay-projects.tmr.qld.gov.au/logan-and-gold-coast-faster-rail

[timh]

Do you think that we could get the flyover packaged with the fast rail GC line proposal? 

Scope of works of that project is Kuraby-Beenleigh. So no, don't think so. Also ditto Bob. Mark Bailey loves to throw out the "fast-ER" rail term to catch people out

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