Regional rail link project - articles discussion etc

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Residents left hanging as rail link bungle hits home

Residents left hanging as rail link bungle hits home
CLAY LUCAS
July 19, 2010

FOOTSCRAY residents who may lose their homes in a compulsory acquisition process started by the state government last week have been told they won't know for two months if their houses will go.

The news comes as the Department of Transport says it does not know how many trains will run on the Regional Rail Link project when it is completed.

This is despite the $4.3 billion project having been planned for the past two years.

The new set of rails, which will run from Werribee to Southern Cross Station, are designed to give dedicated rail space to V/Line services, so that country trains no longer mix with slower suburban services.

The cost of consultants hired to design the new rail line appears to be spiralling, with seven of the 30 consulting companies employed having renegotiated their contract with the government in the past year.

Among those to have secured extra money from the Department of Transport is KPMG, whose $500,000 contract was bumped up to $1.5 million.

Another, Coffey Rail, was to be paid $141,000 for work on signalling, but will now get $1 million.

At a meeting last night in Footscray, organised by local Greens MP Colleen Hartland, about 100 residents whose houses are likely to either be demolished or affected by the new rail line said they had been left bewildered by the lack of process surrounding the compulsory acquisitions.

''People have been left completely unsupported at a time of absolute vulnerability. They want to know their legal rights,'' said Ms Hartland, who arranged for several property lawyers to speak at the meeting.

Houses in the strip of Footscray earmarked for demolition have been bought and sold as recently as six weeks ago, and at least two owners who got notices of possible acquisition are midway through renovations.

A $20 million Salvation Army aged-care hostel in Buckley Street that is being built close to the existing rail line is due for completion in September. It too could also be partly demolished.

Others, such as Victoria Street resident Milos Pelikan, are outraged that the demolition of other peoples' homes means a new elevated section of rail track will be built just metres from their houses.

He and five neighbours will now be left on an isolated pocket of land.

Residents became aware last Monday their homes would likely be compulsorily acquired for the rail line, after being first told about it by reporters.A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport, Ilsa Colson, said: ''We expect to know the full extent of the land we require in September.''

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Fast track to misery

Fast track to misery

    * Norrie Ross
    * From: Herald Sun
    * July 19, 2010 12:01AM

A FOOTSCRAY couple say the controversial $4.3 billion regional rail link will maroon them on an island of hell.

Unlike near neighbours in Buckley St, Milos Pelikan and Sara Cousins want to be bought out, as the project would make their home unsaleable and unlivable.

The couple live in a small island of houses in Victoria St that would be cut in half by land acquisitions.

The project would bring rail lines within 15m of their terraced home.

Trains would not only speed by at up to 180km/h, but a rail bridge is planned outside their bedroom window.

"We'll be able to wave and say 'hi' to people as they come in from Ballarat," Mr Pelikan said. "We are classic left-behind people.

"We are the new front line, and our house is ground zero."

A modern terrace of three houses nearer the existing rail line would be demolished, but the couple's terrace, along with two homes immediately to the west, would remain.

They support the regional rail link for the jobs it will bring to the west, but say their home, and their neighbours', can't be left outside the project boundary.

The Victoria St residents whose houses remain would be worse off financially than the 26 Buckley St residents fighting to save their homes, who are expected to receive the market value of their homes plus compensation.

"I hope the people in Buckley St get a really good deal," Mr Pelikan said.

"I don't want to go either. I'd love to stay. But how can we? We are left with a worthless house that we can't live in.

"We are just looking for some social justice."

Bureaucrats have been unsympathetic. Mr Pelikan says their concerns were dismissed and they were told there was no requirement for the Regional Rail Link to address their unique situation.

But disgruntled locals are unlikely to mount a Castle-style legal battle to save their homes. A public meeting last night heard "the vibe" would be against them.

Lawyer Ron Lane said there had been only one recent legal challenge to a compulsory acquisition in Victoria. It was unsuccessful and incurred substantial costs.

The meeting heard compulsory acquisitions would occur not only in Buckley St; some in Albert St, Short St and Victoria St were also likely to lose their homes.

A number of residents complained planning had been a shambles: bureaucrats had no idea what properties were to be acquired, were unable to produce plans, and were confused about the differences between residential and commercial properties.

Nick Fahey said he had a "tick the boxes" consultation with bureaucrats who were sneaky in gathering data.

"They are trying to conduct negotiations in a back-handed way," he said.

One woman was asked if an access road could go through her kitchen. "I said it would probably be a good idea - I could set up a kiosk."

Greens MLC Colleen Hartland was dismayed by poor consultation and a lack of accurate information: "The process has been shocking. I've had elderly pensioners in my office in tears."

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Five more homes and one man's refuge to be shed

Five more homes and one man's refuge to be shed
CLAY LUCAS
July 21, 2010

THEY say every man needs his shed.

Don't tell that to Nick Fahey, who looks likely to lose his shed - and perhaps his house - to a new railway line.

Mr Fahey's is among the 31 homes in and around Buckley Street, Footscray, likely to be acquired for the Regional Rail Link.

It was 26 homes until yesterday, when the government added another five to the list.

Public transport minister Martin Pakula on Monday night visited these five houses, which the government had not realised would be left marooned, with express trains on one side and a busy road on the other. The minister told them their houses would be bought if they wanted.

To Mr Fahey, the confusion proves the massive $4.3 billion project is being made up on the run.

He met Department of Transport officials last week. They wanted to know how he used his house, and intimated they may need only the shed at the back of his property.

He wants either full acquisition, or none at all.

Premier John Brumby was forced to correct himself yesterday after he said residents whose homes were forcibly acquired would not have stamp duty paid by the government on their replacement house.

Opposition leader Ted Baillieu said the government ''has treated these people poorly''.

[ozbob]

http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2011/December/AA237_2011.aspx

Regional Rail Link Breathes New Life into Sunshine Station

Sunshine railway station will undergo a substantial redevelopment as part of the Regional Rail Link project, bringing major improvements to the station and its surrounds, Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and Victorian Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder announced today.

A new pedestrian overpass will be built at the station, with ramp, lift and stair access to all platforms. The overpass will house new station facilities, including a ticket office and waiting area, and provide a crucial connection across the rail corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.

The redevelopment of Sunshine railway station will also see the station forecourt areas improved and the bus interchange reconfigured to create a friendly new open space.

"Sunshine railway station was recently rated one of the worst in Melbourne, with passengers describing it as 'depressing', 'dingy' and 'rundown'," Mr Mulder said.

"This redevelopment will breathe new life into the area, complementing work already underway to revitalise the Sunshine town centre."

The decision to redevelop the station follows a competitive bidding process during which two shortlisted consortia worked closely with representatives from the Regional Rail Link Authority, Metro and V/Line to develop the best solution for Sunshine railway station.

Mr Mulder said the competitive bidding environment had delivered a station design that addressed community concerns about safety and amenity, with the flexibility to cater for future upgrades to the public transport network, including future electrification projects.

Member for Western Metropolitan Bernie Finn said consultation about the improvements has already begun with Brimbank City Council, VicRoads and bus operators. The Regional Rail Link Authority will host a public information display at Sunshine railway station on Friday 16 December 2011 to allow the community to view the preliminary designs for the station.

Mr Albanese said a contract to construct the station, which is part of the package of works from Footscray to Sunshine, was expected to be signed by early 2012.

Designs for two road / rail separations at level crossings on Anderson Road, Sunshine, were also released this month.

"The Regional Rail Link project is not only providing improved capacity and reliability for regional and metropolitan train services, but it is also bringing much-needed improvements to transport infrastructure in Melbourne's west," Mr Albanese said.

The Regional Rail Link is a jointly funded project, with the Federal Government contributing $3.225 billion and the balance coming from the Victorian Government. Main works for the project will begin in early 2012.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Cut the noise, planners for new railway are ordered

Cut the noise, planners for new railway are ordered
Adam Carey
April 7, 2012

THE authority in charge of building a major rail line through Melbourne's west has been ordered to come up with a new plan to cut noise levels after experts found that thousands living near the line would be condemned to excessive noise from high-speed trains.

The advisory report into stage two of the $5.3 billion regional rail link was uploaded, without an announcement, onto the website of the Department of Planning and Community Development late on Thursday, on the eve of the Easter break.

It found that noise mitigation plans for the 30-kilometre stretch of track through existing and planned suburbs between Deer Park and Werribee's west, were ''extremely limited and ... an inadequate response to the anticipated levels of noise''.

''While already there is some limited housing abutting the project area ... it is proposed that, within a few decades, along perhaps half of its length, there will be thousands more nearby dwellings,'' it said.

''Without significant mitigation measures being adopted along the project area boundary, much of this housing will experience unacceptably high levels of train noise.''

The report by four government-appointed planning experts was given to Planning Minister Matthew Guy in January. Last week he wrote to the Regional Rail Link Authority directing it to come up with a new plan by March next year.

The report's authors said their findings had implications for the start of the railway's construction and that the state would have to pay the cost of cutting noise, such as building barriers and cuttings.

Mr Guy was unavailable for comment yesterday, but a government spokesman blamed the previous state government for the planning failure, which is set to add further cost to a project that has already blown out by about $1 billion.

Former planning minister Justin Madden spared the regional rail link from an environmental effects statement on the condition that a satisfactory noise mitigation plan was put in place. But the opposition said that as the Coalition went ahead with the project it had inherited it must make sure to lessen the impact of noise.

The report predicts that the promised rail link to Avalon airport will also use the regional rail link and so contribute to the high noise levels, as will an expected increase in V/Line trains that are expected to travel at up to 160km/h along the line. It found the Regional Rail Link Authority's noise mitigation plan did not take into account future increases in V/Line patronage.

When completed in 2016 the regional rail link will separate Geelong and Ballarat trains from metro lines, reducing rail congestion in the western suburbs.

Regional Rail Link spokesman Simon Breer said the panel's report would not delay the project's completion, because the authority would write a new noise mitigation plan during construction.

''The minister has determined that the authority can respond to the requirements in two parts. This will enable construction works to proceed while post-completion operational noise management is being finalised,'' Mr Breer said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cut-the-noise-planners-for-new-railway-are-ordered-20120406-1wh5l.html

[somebody]

Could they not have amplified the existing corridor.  Why'd they go via Deer Park?

[#Metro]

Apparently it is for future development in that area I guess. Yes, an odd alignment.

[#Metro]

Yes.. really WEIRD alignment - have a look!

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

$750m contract for Vic Regional Rail Link

$750m contract for Vic Regional Rail Link
May 12, 2012 - 12:59PM

Victoria's $5 billion regional train connection is a step closer to fruition, with a $570 million contract announced for works between central Melbourne and the western suburbs.

The Regional Rail Link's fifth stage will include 4.5 kilometres of new tracks to separate metro and regional trains at the city's busiest junction, three bridge modifications and a one-kilometre rail overpass over the Maribyrnong River.

Construction will begin in mid-2012, and is likely to cause major disruptions, including monthly shutdowns of the Metro network, Transport Minister Terry Mulder said on Saturday.

Announcing the contract alongside Premier Ted Baillieu and Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon, Mr Mulder said the state was determined to finish the project despite a lack of additional funding for the link in this year's Federal Budget.

"It's up to us now as a state to contain the cost going forward, because I understand there's to be nothing more on top of the $3.2 billion (previously announced federal funds)," he told reporters in Footscray.

Mr Baillieu said he remained disappointed that the state received no funding for projects such as the Metro Rail Project, the East West Link, the Port of Hastings or Avalon Airport's expansion in the Federal Budget.

"We had modest asks in and we got nothing," he said.

Ms Roxon defended the budget, saying federal funding on the state's infrastructure had more than doubled per Victorian.

"It won't be the first time and it won't be the last time that a state government wants more money from the Commonwealth," she said.

The Regional Rail Link, first announced by then-premier John Brumby in 2008, is set to streamline Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat train services to Melbourne and remove bottlenecks throughout the rail system.

Initially due for completion by 2014 at a cost of $4.3 billion, it's now expected to be finished by early 2016, with an overall bill of $5 billion.

AAP

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/750m-contract-for-vic-regional-rail-link-20120512-1yj67.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here

Victorian anger over rail funding give and take

Victorian anger over rail funding give and take
Josh Gordon
May 28, 2012

VICTORIA is set to lose more than $1 billion because the federal government is refusing to rethink a decision to offset federal cash for the regional rail link when carving up the GST.

In an escalating funding stoush, Victorian Treasurer Kim Wells has attacked the Gillard government, saying the treatment of one-off grants provided by the Commonwealth for capital projects like regional rail link was ''ludicrous''.

In a strongly worded letter to his federal counterpart, Wayne Swan, Mr Wells said Victoria stood to lose the equivalent of almost half the $3.2 billion federal grant for the regional rail link over the next seven years because of the impact on the GST calculations.

''This approach is expected to offset nearly $1.37 billion (or 43 per cent) of the $3.225 billion funding Victoria will receive for the regional rail link project,'' the letter says. ''This is despite the funding itself not affecting Victoria's underlying fiscal position in the short term.

''I do not believe this outcome was intended or could have been reasonably expected during negotiations for project funding. The redistribution of annual ... payments for a nation-building project of this scope clearly works against the policy intention of the Commonwealth and Victorian governments in agreeing funding for this project.''

A spokesman for Mr Swan said the comments were ''utterly laughable'' and that Victoria was effectively whingeing it had been given too much money.

''The Commonwealth is providing $3.2 billion to build this critical piece of infrastructure for Victoria and now we have the utterly laughable spectacle of Mr Wells whingeing that we have invested too much money in Victorian infrastructure,'' the spokesman said. ''If Mr Wells doesn't want this vital new piece of rail infrastructure for Victoria built, then he should come out and explain that to the Victorian people.''

Mr Wells' letter follows complaints about the complex and often arbitrary method used by the Commonwealth Grants Commission to share the GST, which sees Victoria getting back 92¢ of every $1 of GST it pays.

A submission by the Victorian Department of Treasury to a federal review of the GST carve-up argued that the decision to include some payments but not others when calculating the GST share of states was arbitrary and ''could risk the delivery of the projects themselves'', including the regional rail link.

The previous state Labor government had shared the concerns. A letter to Mr Swan in October 2010 sent by former treasurer John Lenders argued that the Commonwealth's treatment of the $3.2 billion grant for the regional rail link was unfair, given the ''extraordinary'' nature of the payment.

''The current treatment will have significant GST redistribution implications, despite the funding itself not impacting on the states' underlying fiscal positions in the short term,'' Mr Lenders' letter said.

The regional rail link, the largest infrastructure project under way in Australia, was first announced by the previous Labor government. It was re-announced and rebranded by the Baillieu government after a Treasury review, despite concerns it had been underfunded by between $700 million and $1.1 billion.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/victorian-anger-over-rail-funding-give-and-take-20120527-1zd2b.html

[verbatim9]

Construction of the regional rail link began today hopefully on completion being dual guage "I am sure" Hope it will speed up the Overland by 30 40 mins if it takes the new route?

[somebody]

Construction of the regional rail link began today hopefully on completion being dual guage "I am sure" Hope it will speed up the Overland by 30 40 mins if it takes the new route?

Dual guage isn't kind on broad guage for broad guage trains - there is a hazard of something like a brake shoe getting lodged in the 6.5" minus rail width between rails.  Speed restrictions generally apply.

[ozbob]

From the Bendigo Advertiser click here!

Regional rail link edges closer

Regional rail link edges closer
09 Jun, 2012 04:00 AM

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has ceremonially turned the sod for the final stage of the regional rail link.

Ms Gillard joined with Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to announce the final six contracts for the multi-billion dollar project.

Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong will have dedicated tracks through the metropolitan system in the regional rail link. The link is a joint state and federal project that the governments expect will increase capacity and reduce travel time for regional train passengers.

"Anybody who's travelled on those lines knows the frustration of the delays that can occur, particularly on the regional services, when they meet the metro lines and they're held in place for two or three minutes," Mr Baillieu said. ''It's very frustrating. This will free up the system and provide opportunity for increased capacity."

The regional rail link will be completed in early 2016.

The latest contract comes after V/Line released data that showed it had again failed to meet its punctuality targets on the Bendigo line.

Bendigo line trains ran on time 89.9 per cent during April, falling short of the 92-per-cent target. Service reliability remained steady at 98.6 per cent in the month.

The April punctuality result was the 12th consecutive month V/Line had failed to meet its target.

Leighton-Downer secured the $43 million contract to design and construct the West Werribee Junction.

Forecasts predict the regional rail link will directly and indirectly employ 5600 people.

Ms Gillard turned the first sod, in her electorate, with Mr Baillieu and Mr Mulder.

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/4130-full-steam-ahead-on-the-regional-rail-link.html

Full steam ahead on the Regional Rail Link

Friday, 08 June 2012
From the Premier

The multi-billion dollar Regional Rail Link is rolling into full construction mode with the last of six contracts awarded today.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard today joined Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and Victorian Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder to announce the awarding of the final work package to Leighton-Downer Joint Venture. This $43 million contract will be to design and construct the West Werribee Junction work package.

The announcement was made at a sod turning ceremony on the Deer Park to West Werribee section of the project.

The Australian Government committed $3.2 billion to the Regional Rail Link through the Nation Building Program, with the Victorian Government providing the balance of funding.

Approximately 5600 people will be employed either directly or indirectly on this project.

Victoria's three largest regional cities, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat, will soon have their own dedicated tracks through the metropolitan system, improving the capacity and on time performance for metro and regional services.

By separating the regional and metropolitan lines we are also able to increase capacity for all commuters.

Today's site will be a key public transport hub for this growth area in the future.

The modern station building and pedestrian bridges will provide vital connections between the shopping, school and residential precincts.

By early 2016 this line will be moving more people, to more places, more often.

Upon completion there will be enough capacity for extra train services to move up to 9000 extra passengers across the network during peak times.

The project will see the first new railway line being constructed in Melbourne for 80 years.

This significant investment in Australia's transport networks will ensure everyone can have access to services, education and jobs.

Residents of this growing region will be able to catch a direct train to the Melbourne CBD and all the employment and educational opportunities within.

[ozbob]

http://www.ptua.org.au/2012/06/08/rrl-fliers-nth-melb/

PTUA Media Release

Rail users call on MPs to save North Melbourne stop

June 8th, 2012 (Geelong, Media releases, Regional)

Volunteers will hand out fliers at Geelong railway stations this week, asking passengers to contact state and federal MPs to help save stops at North Melbourne station.

When the Regional Rail Link opens, Geelong line trains will run past North Melbourne station without a stop, despite it being the best station for changes to the City Loop, and other rail and bus services.

Dedicated train users will give fliers to early morning commuters outside major Geelong stations, encouraging them to e-mail, phone or visit their MPs to make their views known.

The Public Transport Users Association's Geelong branch convenor, Paul Westcott, said the volunteers hoped to raise awareness among train travellers. "About half of regional commuters change at North Melbourne, but many don't know that they will lose their stop without urgent changes to Regional Rail Link plans".

Mr Westcott said that North Melbourne was the most direct, convenient transfer point for commuters changing to the City Loop, the Broadmeadows and Upfield lines, and the 401 bus shuttle to the university and hospital precincts.

He said that because the new Regional Rail Link tracks will run right beside North Melbourne station, new platforms and a connection to the existing concourses could be easily provided.

"Most train users will be baffled by the government's stance, apparently made to save money, despite the project receiving $5 billion of state and federal government funding," Mr Westcott said.

He said the Government's current plan, to make train travellers change to the City Loop at Footscray or Southern Cross, would be highly unpopular. "Passengers could change at those stations now, but they don't do so because it's much quicker and more convenient to use North Melbourne. It is extraordinary that the State Government is spending $5 billion on a project that will make things worse for a great many passengers."

[SurfRail]

Why is it so hard to change at Southern Cross?  I would have thought there would be more train doing the clockwise loop from there than there would be Northern Group trains doing the anti-clockwise loop.  It's not like there is a fare penalty, and changing from the new platform 15/16 will be just as easy as changing at North Melbourne (if not in fact easier).

This just sounds like a bit of a sook - it would be the equivalent of us complaining that Cross River Rail is not planned to go via Bowen Hills.

They should bring up the much more relevant issue that the proposed Arden station is not connected to North Melbourne, as that would be considerably more of a problem in my mind.

[somebody]

Why is it so hard to change at Southern Cross?  I would have thought there would be more train doing the clockwise loop from there than there would be Northern Group trains doing the anti-clockwise loop.  It's not like there is a fare penalty, and changing from the new platform 15/16 will be just as easy as changing at North Melbourne (if not in fact easier).

This just sounds like a bit of a sook - it would be the equivalent of us complaining that Cross River Rail is not planned to go via Bowen Hills.

They should bring up the much more relevant issue that the proposed Arden station is not connected to North Melbourne, as that would be considerably more of a problem in my mind.

A valid point!  And a sizeable number of those interchanging will be heading to Flinders St anyway.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Anthony Albanese ‏@AlboMP

Construction starts on Regional Rail Link at Footscray with Nicola Roxon and Terry Mulder #nationbuilding http://pic.twitter.com/oomHu6GN