Article: Trains to reduce road trauma

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From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

Trains to reduce road trauma

Trains to reduce road trauma

Nikkii Joyce | 9th September 2010

BETTER services on the "worst rail line in Queensland" would reduce the risk of carnage on Sunshine Coast roads, according to a Queensland transport group.

Web-based community organisation RAIL Back on Track says the increasing number of vehicles on highways is due to inadequate public transport, including infrequent rail services and bus feeders between Caboolture and Nambour.

Group administrator Robert Dow said it had been a tragic week on state roads, including the death of a Hervey Bay university student near Gympie on Tuesday.

A recent study by the Australasian Railway Association revealed the cost of road fatalities and trauma to be in the order of $35 billion a year in Australia.

"Rail is approximately 40 times safer than travel by car. Travel by bus is about 10 times safer than travel by car," Mr Dow said. "It is clear that we need to start maximising use of our rail networks, and support those networks with bus transport to feed rail stations where possible.''

Mr Dow said the announcement last week that the planned rail link between Beerwah and Maroochydore would not be built before 2031 meant increasing congestion and dangerous roads.

"The nature of the problem is that there is a single line north of Brisbane from Beerburrum to Nambour," Mr Dow said.

"It is perhaps the busiest single railway line in Australia because it is used not only by the city commuter trains but also a lot of freight and long distance travel."

Mr Dow acknowledged the rail line presented significant difficulties but said they could be avoided with more passenger loops and "stabling" of trains at Yandina.

"They duplicated the Caboolture Beerburrum line a year ago, now the Beerburrum to Landsborough line is on hold.

"Clearly they are not going to duplicate the Nambour line in any great hurry but I still think there is capacity in rethinking freight runs, possibly overnight," Mr Dow said.

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