6 June 2009: SEQ: Richlands to Springfield railway line needed now! ...

[ozbob]

Media Release 6 June 2009

SEQ:  Richlands to Springfield railway line needed now!  Call for a public float!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport has called for the construction of the proposed Richlands to Springfield railway line to be started immediately and all stations built from the outset, and the line be built as a duplication rather than as a single line.  Part public investment from individuals and superannuation funds could be a smart way of raising capital.

Robert Dow said:

"The Western suburbs are experiencing rapid population growth. The Ipswich highway is a 'Smart-State basket case'. The Queensland Government and the Federal Government have failed to grasp the fact that more road funding is not going to improve transport outcomes for the long term, and in fact will lead to costly environmental failings and more gridlock and congestion."

"What is needed is a massive investment in public transport infrastructure to position South-East Queensland for an environmentally sustainable transport environment for the future."

"RAIL Back On Track has previously highlighted the myopia of Queensland Transport and the Queensland Government in the failure to commit to build the additional stations at Ellen Grove and Springfield Lakes on the Richlands to Springfield line from the outset." (1, 2)

"Does Queensland Transport learn from the flawed planning decisions of the past?  No, the line from Richlands to Stepham is being planned as a single line!  The costly upgrades to duplicate sections of the Gold Coast railway line could have been avoided if the planners took off their rose-coloured short-term spectacles and looked at the big picture and built for the future from the outset."

"The failure to fully electrify the fourth railway line presently being constructed between Corinda and Darra is another example."

"It is time that Governments snapped out of their politically expedient short term 'pork-barrel' focus and got on with real sustainable transport infrastructure for the community."

"The only viable long term environmentally sustainable line mass transit transport solution is electric rail and the Richlands to Springfield railway line is needed now."

"Why not have a public investment scheme to raise part capital to allow construction to proceed?  Match smart state rhetoric with smart actions!"

References:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=246
2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=321.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[WMNunn]

My husband, sister, brother and I currently live in Springfield Lakes.  We all work in Brisbane CBD. We would support a part public investment to raise capital for the new railway line to come to Springfield.  We were told initially that the railway would be ready around 2012.  Looking at the current transport and infrastructure situation now it is absolutely critical we get something.  We have a one lane Centenary Hwy from Springfield to Forest Lake.  We have no direct bus service to the Brisbane CBD.  Everyone I know drives their car to get around to the city or other suburbs (its a joke) and its not helping congestion or the environment.  We need to put more pressure on someone (Government or Developer) to get this moving quicker.  Please let me know if we can sign any petitions or getting even a direct bus service to the CBD which could go via the Logan Motorway and hook up to the Mt Gravatt Busway.  Thanks for listening and Robert your doing a great job.

[ozbob]

Welcome WMNunn!  Thanks for your comments.

Thanks for your support, we will keep highlighting the need and smart options!

Regards
Bob

[ozbob]

Letter the Satellite 8th July 2009 page 10

Infrastructure needed



Well done Mr Crouch!  Excellent!!

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times 19th November 2009 page 5

MP takes Springfield bosses to task again

[#Metro]

Some good ideas.
Not really sure why a super fund or similar would put money up if they weren't going to get at least the cash they put up + interest.

However Springfield Land Corporation may be a door to knock on as they will be the ones directly benefiting from spillover effects as the land values increase and as more people can access the place and buy a home there. And if what people have been saying is true about the marketing "buy here and a railway will come" people who have bought there under the intention of getting rail have paid a premium which has been collected by the SLC...

Another alternative (or a complimentary idea) would be to place Springfield in a Translink zone precinct. The effect of this would be to increase the fares up one zone which would pay off the extra costs of bringing the project forward. I know this might attract scowls, but I guess given the alternative of not having anything at all for who-knows-how-long (10, 30+ years) it would be better to have a slightly more expensive railway trip which was later priced back to normal rather than none at all. I think it would be fairer, and would work if the demand is as large as is being stated.

[Mozz]

So what zone would springfield be in 6 or 7 or 8? Any educated guesses? According to wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_railway_line,_Brisbane

It's around 32km of track from central.

[#Metro]

Richlands is in zone 5 along with Inala and Forest Lake.
There is already an established practise of placing rail stations in different zones to the area around it to keep the fares down for rail commuters. I can't say exactly as I think it should be in proportion to the extra cost it would be for the project to extend- but I would agree with your 6, 7 or 8.

The zone should apply to the entire area, not just the rail station. There are spillover effects in terms of people on the train are people are not on the bus... It would be good to nab the car users as well somehow but I don't see yet how that might be feasable... tolling Ipswich Motorway would be a vote loser.

[O_128]

What annoys me is that they could have not bothered witht he highway upgrade and used the funds for the rail line. the line would take strain off the highway

[#Metro]

I wish the median of any freeway alignments were actually reserved as public transport corridors, for either busway or railway, whether built or in the future. It would make things so much easier. It works in Perth (yes, that city...)

A train whooshing past your car in peak hour really sends the message home to car drivers.
Co-construction can also take advantage of synergies (site access, facilities, equipment, funding, alignment, catchment) that would simply not be there if the projects were done separately.

We might not be able to stop freeway constructions, but that does not mean we can't find ways to make them work in PT's favour.

[#Metro]

What annoys me is that they could have not bothered witht he highway upgrade and used the funds for the rail line. the line would take strain off the highway

The highway was an election football. I remember getting a very glossy sleek black publication entitled "The Australian Government's solution for the Ipswich Motorway" or something like that. It was blatant advertising. And who could forget the two billboards on the opposite sides of the motorway with big facial images of opposing parties both saying they would duplicate or add a bypass to the freeway.

I guess it is a bit harder to see billboards like that on the train due to the higher travel speeds...