6 Aug 2013: SEQ: Cross River Rail - A tunnel, for trains

[ozbob]

Media release 6 August 2013



SEQ: Cross River Rail - A tunnel, for trains

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 again highlights the importance of Cross River Rail (1, 2, 3).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Cross River Rail is one of the state's largest and most important state-building projects. The name of the project is perhaps unfortunate as it merely suggests that the project will cross the Brisbane River and is rail. It is so much more than this - the benefits of this project are wide and dispersed across South East Queensland, reaching as far away as Beenleigh, Yarrabilba, Cleveland, Nambour and the Gold Coast for example. It enables rail to become the backbone of the public transport network with the ability to carry large number of passengers."

"By way of analogy, sending cars all to the city on the road system in peak hour will result in congestion as cars queue and get in the way of each other. A similar situation occurs on the rail system - sending trains all to the city on the train system in peak hour will also result in congestion as trains wait to cross the Merivale Bridge into the CBD from the south, and as trains from all lines converge on the core CBD section. The number of additional 'slots' available for trains on this restricted section will exhaust in 2016."

"Around this time, and if nothing is done, our members expect to see trains leaving people behind and a worsening of car congestion on the roads. The bus system already has capacity issues. No government wants to go down in history for deliberately bringing about an avoidable situation like that - just look at Melbourne, Perth or Sydney for examples of transport issues deciding election outcomes."

"At around $5 billion dollars Cross River Rail is costly, but so is lost business productivity and congestion. The benefits of this project also exceed the costs of the project. Multi-billion dollar car tunnels are also costly, both to construct and also to drive through. Indeed they are the highest toll, highest pollution, lowest capacity solution to deal with transport and urban mobility problems, and yet this hasn't prevented them being constructed."

"Cross River Rail decentralises the central part of the rail network, which means increased capacity and reliability. Currently, if there is an incident between Roma Street, Central, Brunswick Street or Bowen Hills, the entire network is plunged into chaos as all trains must currently travel through this 'core' section. Cross River Rail will provide an alternate core rail route through the CBD and give some much needed redundancy to this critical part of the network."

"RAIL Back On Track is confident that Cross River Rail will be seen for the opportunity that it is - a chance for a state to take on a large, important state-building project and important piece of infrastructure, and a chance for government to get it right. Indeed the construction of the Merivale Bridge and electrification of the QR train system are projects that Queenslanders can be proud of. Cross River Rail will allow future generations to come into the Brisbane CBD from the suburbs and afar for work, study and play, rather than sit in congestion on the roads.

"Cross River Rail - think of it as TransApex (4), for trains!"

References:

1. http://www.crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/

2. Brisbane Cross River Rail's future hangs by thread http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rail-fixs-future-hangs-by-thread/comments-fnbwr276-1226315918783

3. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/kevin-rudd-says-brisbane8217s-cross-river-rail-road-funding-in-doubt-if-he-loses-the-election/story-fnihsrf2-1226691670658

4. TransApex is the car toll tunnel bypass system purported to relieve congestion on roads.  http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/traffic-transport/roads-infrastructure-bikeways/tunnels-bridges-major-roads/TransApex/index.htm

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

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