Article: Signal woes keep rail users off-track

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Signal woes keep rail users off-track

Signal woes keep rail users off-track
Clay Lucas
November 11, 2011

A RAILWAY station in Clayton, re-built for $153 million and opened to users last year, has problems that have delayed use of its new third platform - the key reason for the station's reconstruction.

Westall railway station re-opened last October, before the Victorian state election. About 1800 people get on and off trains there each weekday, a relatively small number compared to busier suburban stations such as Footscray (average weekday boardings 12,320), Box Hill (10,030) or Caulfield (10,150).

The cost of rebuilding the station was, in part, due to the addition of the third platform, which has been designed to increase the number of trains running on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.

The Department of Transport's plan is to commence trains empty from Westall station, to reduce overcrowding and make services more reliable. But a year after the station re-opened to passengers, its long-promised third platform sits dormant because of signalling issues. It will remain that way until at least the end of January, when the signalling problems are to be resolved.

A briefing prepared by the Department of Transport for Transport Minister Terry Mulder, released to The Age under freedom of information, says the third platform was to open earlier this year. Even if the signalling failures detailed in the briefing had been resolved earlier, operator Metro had not intended to make use of the new platform until mid-way through 2012 anyway, the briefing says.

Metro spokesman Daniel Hoare said yesterday that some trains were already starting from Westall.

Mr Mulder said its design had been ''botched'' by the previous government, because it had no ramps for passengers in wheelchairs, only lifts.

A railway worker close to the reconstruction said the amount of money ''lavished'' on the project had been ''remarkable''.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/signal-woes-keep-rail-users-offtrack-20111110-1n9o8.html

[Golliwog]

Good to see the minister staying on the topic of signalling problems...