Regional Fast Rail discussion

[verbatim9]

From previous discussions doesn't Beenleigh station and bus interchange need to be redeveloped. The is an opportunity to move the station slightly South with a new integrated bus zone.

[Gazza]

I'd probably put a parkway stop a bit further north at the council Depot on Plantation Rd, since at least you have the Mt Warren residential area close enough, and bit of activity (Finally) with that long vacant factory outlet Center finally becoming the Distillery Rd markets, and dare i say politically easier if you don't move the Beenleigh stop too far out of Beenleigh.

[SurfRail]

The only issue I guess is that there is some curvature along there whereas it's a bit straighter where the motel is off Stanmore Rd - as long as that doesn't stuff the platform geometry I'm not too perturbed.

Us ramping up this whole idea is pretty timely given what has just come out of TMR:

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/P/Pacific-Motorway-M1-Varsity-Lakes-Exit-85-to-Tugun-Exit-95-upgrade

[#Metro]

I'd like to see trains every 15 min to Maroochydore for the SC.

[Gazza]

I'm not too fussed about curvature if it's kept either side of the station itself, see Rockingham

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rockingham+WA+6168/@-32.2900767,115.7605535,915m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x2a329c9cdb9b1155:0x504f0b535df4ff0!8m2!3d-32.2780954!4d115.7351403

The three conflicting things at Beenleigh are.

-Engineering simplicity
-Maintaining good local access for Beenleigh and Eagleby residents to the Gold Coast and express services.
-Good interchange with the legacy line

You probably could do all trackwork at ground level if you did it like this. The circle would be the station building

[Gazza]

And this one is the curveball option

[verbatim9]

Qld government Australian government : Passanger train from toowoomba to Brisbane, the governments have neglected the needs - Sign the Petition! https://t.co/A76BRQxgx8 via @ChangeAUS   Let's make this 3000 and let's share this petition

https://twitter.com/peterachilles/status/1192318770078838784

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1195049089668304897

[ozbob]

Getting a lot of attention this post ...

Facebook ..

[Gazza]

Have you guys seen the latest maps on the Inland Rail site?

https://maps.inlandrail.com.au/g2k#/

From what I can see, it's about 10km from the tunnel portal to Toowoomba station.
I doubt they can do any better than 60 km/h on those curves, so it would be 10 mins just to reach the portal.

From there its 75km to reach Rosewood. Realistically it will probably take 40-45 mins to get across the Lockyer valley, assuming stops at Helidon, Gatton and Laidley.
(Though presumably locals will wreck it and demand stops at Forest Hill and Granchester for one person to get on)

So we're at 50 mins so far.

Between Rosewood and the City, I've thought the way you'd approach it would be that Rosewood and Walloon get included on the Toowoomba pattern and Thagoona and Karrabin are closed.
At the same time the Suburban service is extended to Wulkuraka.

So the tradeoff is that those two stations are closed, but single seat non shuttle expresses are available from adjacent stations.

I estimate you could do Rosewood to Ippy in 10 mins or less, so we're up to an hour.

Now we just need to get to Roma St.

Currently this takes 48 mins on the express pattern, but I estimate this could reduce to 40 mins with a full time express.
It would probably run the same stopping pattern as the current expresses, but also skip all station between Ipswich and Darra except either Goodna or Redbank.

So that's 1h 40 min.

Where else could you make a few nips and tucks to get it to 90 mins so it's competitive with driving off peak?

I guess a better alignment between Gowrie and Toowoomba would be a good start?

I think you'd use dual mode DMUs like what NSW is getting, but I'd install an overhead in the tunnel and on the approach to the range at least to give trains a bit more oomph heading uphill.
Then again, by 2025 we could well be at the point where battery electric is much more viable, so all they'll need to do is cross the Lockyer on their own juice, and they can recharge at Toowoomba as well.

[timh]

Yeah since Bob posted that link the other day and said that passenger services would share that alignment I'd been checking it out and pondering the same thing.

Unless you can straighten the alignment between Toowoomba station and the Inland rail corridor to the north of the city, not much you can do to improve speeds there.

Here's my idea for stopping pattern though:
Toowoomba - Helidon - Gatton - Laidley - Rosewood - Ipswich - Darra - Corinda - Indooroopilly - Toowong - Roma Street

Severely limit the stops and you get a much faster service. Rosewood shuttles take care of everything in between rosewood and ippy. Ipswich services do inbetween Ipswich and Darra. Up from Darra frequency is high enough. Stop at Darra for Springfield line interchange. Stop at Corinda for 104 to Yeerongpilly. Stop at Indro for bus interchange. Stop at Toowong for UQ buses.

In regards to getting up the mountain I would have assumed the whole thing would be electrified, but maybe I'm being a little too optimistic?

Surely with that stopping pattern and full electrification you'd get it down to 90 mins right?

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[Gazza]

Stop at Corinda for 104 to Yeerongpilly.

Is there much point for that though? It's not a frequent bus, and you're probably better off just getting them to use the Metro from Roma St for Hospital Access.

I wouldn't have a different stopping pattern to the current express trains though, since you'd be sharing tracks and it makes sense to run a consistent pattern on that pair.

My thoughts on Re configuring the stopping patterns on the Rosewood line would basically be to reduce costs by completely eliminating shuttles.
Toowoomba trains would (hopefully) be hourly, and would cannibalise patronage from the shuttle, because obviously nobody from Rosewood has a reason to use it unless they are going from say Rosewood to Wulkuraka.

So then the shuttle would literally be catering to the 55 passengers per day using the intermediate stations. (Assuming Ipswich trains are extended to Serve Wulkuraka and Thomas St, which they probably could because those stops are well within suburbia.

[timh]

Stop at Corinda for 104 to Yeerongpilly.

Is there much point for that though? It's not a frequent bus, and you're probably better off just getting them to use the Metro from Roma St for Hospital Access.

I wouldn't have a different stopping pattern to the current express trains though, since you'd be sharing tracks and it makes sense to run a consistent pattern on that pair.

My thoughts on Re configuring the stopping patterns on the Rosewood line would basically be to reduce costs by completely eliminating shuttles.
Toowoomba trains would (hopefully) be hourly, and would cannibalise patronage from the shuttle, because obviously nobody from Rosewood has a reason to use it unless they are going from say Rosewood to Wulkuraka.

So then the shuttle would literally be catering to the 55 passengers per day using the intermediate stations. (Assuming Ipswich trains are extended to Serve Wulkuraka and Thomas St, which they probably could because those stops are well within suburbia.

Oh I didn't realise those stations had such low patronage. Fair enough. Add the rosewood line stations to the toowoomba stopping pattern and Terminate Ipswich trains at wulkuraka. Sounds fair. Means wulkuraka station would probably need reconfiguring then.

Regarding corinda my thoughts were just that it then allows transfer to Beenleigh/gc line, for what that's worth. Or if trains are ever run along Tennyson loop again it allows for that interchange. Idk was just an idea.

Would electrifying the whole line be prohibitively expensive? I don't know much about the cost of doing that. I'm sure the freight line will not be electrified

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[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> SEQ needs a Fast Train network not just ideas, Olympic bid MP says

South-east Queensland needs a complete fast rail network and should consider an upcoming business case for a link from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane as "phase one" of the project, according to Sunshine Coast federal MP Ted O'Brien.

Mr O'Brien, who is Prime Minister Scott Morrison's liaison between federal, state and local governments, made the suggestion after business and community leaders on Sunday urged Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to bid for the 2032 Olympics.

"Because south-east Queensland is growing at such a rapid pace our challenge is to ensure that our infrastructure keeps ahead of the population curve," Mr O'Brien said.

"There is no better way to do than introduce a south-east Queensland fast rail network," he said.

Mr O'Brien in 2018 secured a share of $10 million for a business case to investigate the viability of a North Coast Connect Fast Train connection between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast after years of inaction on the important rail link.

The business case was due and should be delivered "shortly", he said.

In broad terms the idea is to have trains run at 150km/h between Brisbane and Nambour in 45 minutes, rather than two hours.

The LNP Member for Fairfax said the Sunshine Coast link should be viewed as the "first phase" in a network of Fast Train connections in south-east Queensland.

He said south-east Queensland included communities with "their own sense of community, identity and local economy".

"It is important therefore that you have infrastructure that embraces the individual communities in the south-east and connects them and allows them to move around quickly," he said.

"That is what fast rail would present."

Mr O'Brien said he understood the concept was expensive but urged all planning authorities to begin thinking of fast rail systems as a future rail-planning norm.

"A fast rail network right across south-east Queensland could only be achieved through a phased approach," he said.

"The Sunshine Coast to Brisbane link could be one phase. The Gold Coast link to Brisbane a second phase and then Brisbane to Ipswich the third phase, with the potential all the way out to Toowoomba when the population warrants it."

The concept of a Gold Coast to Brisbane Fast Train link has recently been explored by rail commuter group Rail Back on Track which suggesting using the M1 road corridor for the infrastructure.

Mr O'Brien said the Sunshine Coast business case - which has been investigated by Stockland, SMEC, Urbis and KPMG - was due soon.

"The three levels of government together with the private sector has been working on the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane leg under a project called North Coast Connect," Mr O'Brien said.

"The preliminary business case for North Coast Connect is due shortly and that will be the starting point to understanding the costs involved.

"These are big, complicated projects and they can only be achieved with the right engineering economics being done at the front end.

"Which is why it is so important that we get the Sunshine Coast's North Coast Connect business case completed and reviewed."

Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner on Sunday afternoon said he agreed focusing on an SEQ fast rail network was "the way to go" for the future.

"Rather than looking at these projects as individual projects or a single line it makes sense to consider them as a network," Cr Schrinner said.

"Because ultimately as south-east Queensland grows that is what south-east Queensland will need, a faster rail network.

"That can have lots of different legs in it. So let's have a look at the big picture.

"But he's on the right track there, no doubt."

SEQ needs a Fast Train network not just ideas, Olympic bid MP says https://t.co/5aKEroGXe7 via @brisbanetimes #qldpol #auspol

— RAIL_BoT_Forum (@railbotforum) December 1, 2019

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

2nd December 2019

R1 North, a faster connection between Brisbane and the Sunshine coast.




As RAIL Back on Track highlighted recently (1), trains to the Gold Coast are let down by a slow and windy route through Logan and the Southside, meaning a large chunk of time on interurban journeys is wasted simply trying to get out of Brisbane. Straighter, more direct routes are needed for trains entering and leaving Brisbane to make the entire journey fast.

The Sunshine Coast faces a similar issue, with trains taking 55 minutes to cover the 50km Roma Street from Caboolture. A rather lacklustre average speed of 55km/h.

The current route through the northside of Brisbane makes a considerable swing to the east to pass through Northgate adding several extra kilometres, and the tracks are not rated for high speed running.

In addition, the northern lines are shared between Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, Kippa Ring, Shorncliffe, Doomben and Airport trains, as well as long distance passenger and freight trains, and it simply will not be possible to provide faster services whilst having to share tracks with these trains.

The best long term solution is to build the long discussed North West Transport Corridor (formerly known as Trouts Road corridor) rail line between Strathpine and Alderley.

The North West transport corridor (2) is a straight 60m wide stretch of land that has been set aside for decades, and cuts a direct north south route though the northside.

The transport corridor is wide enough to fit both road and RAIL.

After deviating from the current line near Bald Hills, The R1 would run at ground level.

It could have stops at Bridgeman Downs, Aspley, Chermside West, McDowall, Everton Park, as well as Alderley, with tracks designed to allow express services to skip stations.

From there, the line would drop into a tunnel under Newmarket and Herston to connect with the northern end of Cross River Rail at Victoria Park.

Doing this would be the best permanent fix for the speed and capacity issue facing trains to the north. Because it is a pre-existing transport corridor, construction is much simpler than the southern R1 to the Gold Coast.

This is not the full job of course. The Sunshine coast line urgently needs duplication for this to function.
In addition, the Government needs to get serious and provide a timeline on building a branch line to Caloundra and Maroochydore (3) so the Sunshine Coast can have stations closer to the coastal suburbs where the majority of people live.

As the government often repeats, Cross River Rail is their #1 priority and main focus.

But the main justification for Cross River Rail is unlocking additional capacity through the core of the network, and the project risks becoming a white elephant if we don't build new lines in a timely manner to make the most of this extra capacity.

An R1, connecting the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast would give people a fast, congestion free way to get across our region.

References:

1. RAIL Back on Track calls for 'R1', fast rail between the Northern Gold Coast and Brisbane

https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12393.msg229563#msg229563

2. North West Transport Corridor

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Community-and-environment/Planning-for-the-future/Preserved-transport-corridors/North-West-Transport-Corridor

3. Caboolture to Maroochydore Corridor Study

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/C/Caboolture-to-Maroochydore-Corridor-Study

4. North West Transport Corridor (Trouts Road Corridor)

https://www.facebook.com/RAILBackOnTrack/posts/2642044902476347


5. Brisbanetimes: SEQ needs a Fast Train network not just ideas, Olympic bid MP says

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/seq-needs-a-fast-train-network-not-just-ideas-olympic-bid-mp-says-20191201-p53fub.html


6.  North Coast Connect Project

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Name/N/North-Coast-Connect-Project


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

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1201158310109429761

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

[ozbob]

North Coast Connect

https://northcoastconnect.com.au/

[ozbob]

Politicians need a fast rail reality check.  The babble about 45 minute trip times is never going to be achieved, particularly when you consider the fact that trains need to stop at key stations so pax can entrain and detrain. 

Dedicated rail corridors into and out of Brisbane are also needed as we have outlined - R1 North and R1 South.

Hopefully the North Coast Connect business case will show that clearly. 

[Gazza]

Any upgrades north of Landsborough need to be freight focused. Spend the passenger dollars on the CAMCOS branch where it will actually get used by a proper amount of passengers.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Roma Street to Beerwah via Central already takes roughly an hour as a pure express on the existing alignment. Sure you can get more time out of realignment but expecting 45 minutes is never going to happen even with realignments, NWTC and Petrie-Caboolture upgrades.

[Gazza]

I reckon the best you could hope for would be 1hr Caloundra to Central, but you'd literally only be stopping at Caloundra, Aura, Beerwah, Caboolture, Petrie, Northgate, EJ, Ekka and Roma St.
But that's an average speed of 90km/h more or less.

[aldonius]

Any upgrades north of Landsborough need to be freight focused. Spend the passenger dollars on the CAMCOS branch where it will actually get used by a proper amount of passengers.

in amongst a chorus of "braaaains", a few voices can be heard:

"paaaaasssssiiing loooooooopssss"

[kram0]

Any upgrades north of Landsborough need to be freight focused. Spend the passenger dollars on the CAMCOS branch where it will actually get used by a proper amount of passengers.

in amongst a chorus of "braaaains", a few voices can be heard:

"paaaaasssssiiing loooooooopssss"

Short term thinking. The only way to go is the NWTC. Let's stop cutting corners and plan for the next 50 years.

[aldonius]

[snipped out quotes]
Short term thinking. The only way to go is the NWTC. Let's stop cutting corners and plan for the next 50 years.

Both projects are needed and they do quite different things. NWTC gets more service to the NW of Brisbane and, provided there's a tunnel from ~Alderley to ~CRR, should allow travel time improvements on the new alignment.

Passing loops, extensions thereof, and full track duplication north of Landsborough is primarily to improve freight capacity.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I reckon the best you could hope for would be 1hr Caloundra to Central, but you'd literally only be stopping at Caloundra, Aura, Beerwah, Caboolture, Petrie, Northgate, EJ, Ekka and Roma St.
But that's an average speed of 90km/h more or less.

The Gympie train already has a rough average speed of about 87kph Northgate-Beerburrum including stopping and crew changes. Drops to 74kph when you include Beerburrum-Beerwah. The tilt train is very close to 100kph Northgate-Beerburrum including its long dwell at Caboolture. So the potential is there. You just have to ensure a minimal stopping pattern.

It's also something you can get away with on the current infrastructure with minimal works by moving to 9 car trains.

[Gazza]

Hopefully doing the realignment to Beerwah that could easily go from 74 to 100 plus average.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1198724664916238336

[ozbob]

ABC Sunshine Coast --> Train expert says Australia should ditch unrealistic fast-rail dream for 'fast...ish' service

Key points:
Some rail commuters just 100km away from Brisbane leave home, and arrive home, in the dark

A rail expert says commuters are more likely to travel by trains when the speed is faster than buses or cars

Federal LNP MP Ted O'Brien says faster trains are needed across south-east Queensland due to the region's expected population growth

The time has come for Australia to let go of its fast-train dream and instead aspire to rail services that are merely 'fast-ish', a rail expert says.

However, he said medium-speed trains — which could travel around 150kph — were comparatively easy to build.

He said such transport had the capacity to have a positive impact on more than just commuters, as has been the case in regional Victoria and Western Australia.

"This has been demonstrated in Victoria with regional fast trial trains doing 160kph on upgraded tracks," Professor Laird said.

"Ballarat and Bendigo and Geelong have had a real boost in population growth and business activity and tourism.

"When you get trains that are averaging 100kph or even 85kph as you get in Perth to Mandurah, going faster than cars or buses, people will use them.

"If it's there as a commuting option, they'll make decisions to buy a house in a regional city as opposed to the fringes of a big city."

Long commutes a way of life

Sunshine Coast resident Dave Rudland said that sort of train service would make a big difference to his life.

For the past 13 years, he has spent five hours of every work day commuting to his job in Brisbane.

He gets up in the dark, gets home in the dark.

"You become very regimented," he said.

"You've got to be in the right place at the right time.

"You try and make the best of it, whether it be getting to know the train drivers, the station masters and making the most of an inevitable situation."

Mr Rudland said the trip also took longer than it used to.

"With the addition of the Petrie line, it's not an express [service] as it used to be, it's probably added about 25 minutes in each direction.

"It's added to the congestion as well," he said.

"Often you'll get on at the city stations and beyond [the inner city] all the seats will be occupied, so it's making it a busier trip as well."'

Upgrade 'long overdue': Professor

Sunshine Coast Federal MP Ted O'Brien has been pushing for what he called the North Coast Connect project.

Mr O'Brien said the project would include a new line to Maroochydore and a train line between Brisbane and Nambour which would allow for speeds between 140kph to 210kph "depends on the engineering solution that you arrive at".

The current average speed on the line between the Sunshine Coast and the state's capital is about 55kph.

"The key difference between the existing rail and the proposed fast rail really comes down to speed, because that's what makes a big difference to the passengers," Mr O'Brien said.

"Sometimes it can take well over two hours to get to Brisbane from the Sunny Coast, it should be taking half that time, if not faster."

The business case on the upgrade is due early next year.

Professor Laird said the Sunshine Coast line was "long overdue" for an upgrade to medium-speed trains.

He said much of the planning and land acquisitions, to make way for a duplication of the line, had already been done.

"What's there at the moment isn't good enough.

"Between Nambour and Beerburrum, it's the most congested single piece of railway track in Australia — long overdue for duplication on an improved alignment."

However, Mr O'Brien said it was not that simple.

"If you're going to have a train going three times the speed, you've got to make sure that the track is straight enough otherwise the train will fall off," he said.

"You can imagine the amount of engineering that goes into doing a proper business case for that."

Faster trains warranted in regions

Nonetheless, Mr O'Brien said the need for faster trains across south-east Queensland was warranted not just between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, but also between the state's capital and the Gold Coast, Ipswich and Toowoomba.

"We know south-east Queensland is growing at such a pace that our collective challenge ... is to ensure that infrastructure keeps the head of the population curve," he says.

"We are only going to have one crack at this really because we've got to learn the lessons from Melbourne and Sydney.

"We are going to grow quickly and large. We either plan ahead and invest in the infrastructure, or we don't.

"We have to be looking 20, 30 years ahead and saying, 'How do we want south-east Queensland to connect? And if it's not through an integrated rail system than what is it?'.

"I believe there is no better solution than fast rail and we should be looking at this from a broader south-east Queensland point of view."

Cynicism after years of promises

South Wales and Victoria have been assessing better regional-city connectivity with studies on true fast rail underway since late last year.

While those studies were more ambitious than Mr O'Brien's plan, Dave Rudland said he was not holding his breath for either anytime soon.

"There is that overriding cynicism I think that most communities have after years and years of promises.

He said ultimately an outcome was not determined by speed — but money.

"Where's the funding coming from and a specific timetable that we can we can take some faith in and trust?"

[ozbob]

" ... The business case on the upgrade is due early next year.  ... "

North Coast Connect business case pushed back again ...

This article ^ is highlighting exactly what we propose.   Regional rapid rail (fast rail) as opposed to high speed rail.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1202991726652059648

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1203099161358258176

[aldonius]

Hold up, what's going on with this?

Mr Rudland said the trip also took longer than it used to.

"With the addition of the Petrie line, it's not an express [service] as it used to be, it's probably added about 25 minutes in each direction.

[ozbob]

Hold up, what's going on with this?

Mr Rudland said the trip also took longer than it used to.

"With the addition of the Petrie line, it's not an express [service] as it used to be, it's probably added about 25 minutes in each direction.

Could really be a reference to the RPL.   There has been a slow down but it is not 25 minutes each direction was between 5 and 10 minutes.  Altered stopping patterns for Nambour trains.

[aldonius]

Perhaps he's had to shift to an earlier service?

[Fares_Fair]

Spot on.
I know Dave very well.
He did indeed have to catch an earlier train.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Why fast rail may finally become a reality in SEQ

THE desperate need for new roads and fast rail were the catalyst for the Queensland Olympics bid and must be the first priority for what it delivers, the group of southeast mayors who mooted the Games proposal say.

SEQ Council of Mayors chair and Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the Games would transform Queensland but it needed to include infrastructure to keep the southeast from gridlock.

"We know we have a strong case to present to the International Olympic Committee. A compact and innovative South East Queensland Games proposal that will drive widespread tourism, economic and community benefits to all of Queensland and Australia.

"Our only weakness is the lack of a fast, reliable and sustainable public transport network for southeast Queensland to support the region's growing population.

"With the International Olympic Committee promising to boost its financial commitment to a 2032 Games, public investment should go towards creating a genuine lasting legacy in the form of roads and ­transport."

Operating with its current public transport, the southeast would have a load of 75 per cent added to present passenger numbers during an Olympics, the council of mayors warned.

The mayors, who first raised the Olympics as a way of fast-tracking infrastructure across the region in a February report released exclusively to The Courier-Mail, said that compared to less than 20 per cent extra load in Rio and London.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said the report found the Games would not work without infrastructure. "The key finding ... was pretty straight forward – a SEQ Games could be successful if we get our transport infrastructure right first.

"We started this journey with one simple promise – that a Games bid can only proceed if it will demonstrably deliver a more liveable region for our residents, with better transport connectivity and a strong economic, cultural and social legacy."

Tourism bosses, including The Star Entertainment Group operations director Geoff Hogg, have warned visitors need to be able to get around the southeast easily.

"Connectivity for tourists and a growing population are critical to Queensland's future," Mr Hogg said.

"Our existing transport network is under pressure, I don't think too many people would disagree.

"Whether it's road or rail, or public transport in general, we need to be ready to move more and more people seamlessly around our cities and across the state to regional centres.

"Our infrastructure needs further investment and to a certain extent Queensland has been a victim of its own success.

"The state has positive net migration, drawing people from other parts of Australia to make their homes in Queensland, and tourism remains a key economic pillar."

Well, we all know what is required.  Are they up to it?  Probably not based on recent history.  I expect they will not deliver the real thing just ' improvements ' to the existing network.   They will not be able close down lines for the Olympic Games ...

This mob struggles to deliver basic upgrades and track amplifications, grade separation and signalling.   Cannot even get new trains right.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1204186733828378624

[verbatim9]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1204186733828378624

I think alot of people will be happy with 200kph trains. I wonder if they are looking at gauge conversion to Standard gauge to achieve this? I guess we could have 160kph electric trains running to all three centres Gold and Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba on the current gauge by the end of the 2020s. Its very doable.

[timh]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1204186733828378624

I think alot of people will be happy with 200kph trains. I wonder if they are looking at gauge conversion to Standard gauge to achieve this? I guess we could have 160kph electric trains running to all three centres Gold and Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba on the current gauge by the end of the 2020s. Its very doable.

200kph is achievable on narrow gauge. The tilts can exceed that speed (but rarely do on the current alignment)

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