Alternative option for increasing Speed/Capacity of GC trains

[Gazza]

https://www.google.com.au/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Cg1Rr1wJXJRgjA4g3N3-bgvvH6EPC989&ll=-27.60850833601515%2C153.10706549999998&z=11

Previously I did up that idea for the R1 using skyrail along the M1 and some tunnelling around Mt Gravatt, with new stations at Loganholme, Springwood and Upper Mt Gravatt.

The above link is an "Option 2" approach that would utilise more of the existing route, but with an alternative option of a Busway extension to Loganholme and beyond to ensure improvements down there too.

Basically it would work as follows:

Rail
Beenleigh to Edens Landing - No Upgrade

Edens Landing to Bethania - Remove level crossing by building skyrail. Ideally build as  a quad to permit full capacity, with only side platforms.

Bethania to Loganlea - Quad Track line.

Loganlea to Compton Rd - New tunnel bypassing Kingston, Woodridge and Trinder Park. Rated for 160km/h.
Potential for new station at Logan Central adjacent to Kmart and current bus station, though this would be of marginal benefit IMO.

Compton rd to Runcorn - Potential to quad in the future, but this would require resuming 13 properties on Nectarine St.

Runcorn to Archerfield line - New bypass tunnel for line, rated for 160km/h.  Bypass Altandi, Sunnybank, Banoon, Coopers Plains.

Salisbury - Build 4th platform. New high frequency bus to connect Nathan Campus and Garden City (As subsitute for GC trains not stopping at Altandi)

Salisbury to Dutton Park - New tunnel.

I guess the idea is that this might be cheaper and less disruptive to build compared to something along the M1, and could be staged depending on capacity needs.

Overall it's 2km longer than the M1 option, but would have less stops.

Busway (Metro)

Basically, extend the busway to Hyperdome, with stops at Slacks Creek park and ride, and potentially paradise Rd (Ikea)

After Hyperdome, go via Tanah Merah, bridge over slacks creek, stop at Griffith logan campus, cross the logan motorway, skirt around meadowbrook, then finally Terminate at Loganlea.

[timh]

https://www.google.com.au/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1Cg1Rr1wJXJRgjA4g3N3-bgvvH6EPC989&ll=-27.60850833601515%2C153.10706549999998&z=11

Previously I did up that idea for the R1 using skyrail along the M1 and some tunnelling around Mt Gravatt, with new stations at Loganholme, Springwood and Upper Mt Gravatt.

The above link is an "Option 2" approach that would utilise more of the existing route, but with an alternative option of a Busway extension to Loganholme and beyond to ensure improvements down there too.

Basically it would work as follows:

Rail
Beenleigh to Edens Landing - No Upgrade

Edens Landing to Bethania - Remove level crossing by building skyrail. Ideally build as  a quad to permit full capacity, with only side platforms.

Bethania to Loganlea - Quad Track line.

Loganlea to Compton Rd - New tunnel bypassing Kingston, Woodridge and Trinder Park. Rated for 160km/h.
Potential for new station at Logan Central adjacent to Kmart and current bus station, though this would be of marginal benefit IMO.

Compton rd to Runcorn - Potential to quad in the future, but this would require resuming 13 properties on Nectarine St.

Runcorn to Archerfield line - New bypass tunnel for line, rated for 160km/h.  Bypass Altandi, Sunnybank, Banoon, Coopers Plains.

Salisbury - Build 4th platform. New high frequency bus to connect Nathan Campus and Garden City (As subsitute for GC trains not stopping at Altandi)

Salisbury to Dutton Park - New tunnel.

I guess the idea is that this might be cheaper and less disruptive to build compared to something along the M1, and could be staged depending on capacity needs.

Overall it's 2km longer than the M1 option, but would have less stops.

Busway (Metro)

Basically, extend the busway to Hyperdome, with stops at Slacks Creek park and ride, and potentially paradise Rd (Ikea)

After Hyperdome, go via Tanah Merah, bridge over slacks creek, stop at Griffith logan campus, cross the logan motorway, skirt around meadowbrook, then finally Terminate at Loganlea.

Would that really be cheaper than an M1 alignment? A lot of very big tunnels there .

For reference i agree that ultimately for a true regional fast rail for the gold coast some elements of a new alignment (whole thing or partial) are needed.

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[SteelPan]

We HAVE to do it right, not cheap alternatives, the Bris/GC corridor is a powerhouse and deserve a quality solution.

[Gazza]

In terms of travel times on an improved alignment:
8 mins Beenleigh to Loganlea (No change)
Probably 5min to Kuraby with a better alignment.
1.5 min Kuraby to Runcorn
3.5 min Runcorn to Salisbury

Approx 7 mins if you used the current triple from Salisbury to Boggo Rd, or 3.5 mins with a new tunnel.

So I get a possible travel time between 22 and 25 mins, compared to a 38 minute time over the current route.

For comparison, R1 I think would achieve around 20 mins.

[timh]

From a totally uneducated standpoint the R1 idea seems cheaper, purely coz you wouldn't have to tunnel too much. You'd build most of it as elevated rail in the median of the freeway right? (Like airport line on Qantas drive).

The only trouble i see there is when you have an overpass over the freeway you'd either have to dip under it or go VERRRRY high over it so we're talking some big pillars.

There is a third alignment option to consider. You could use the HSR alignment over the Oxley Creek floodplain. only problem with that is it's not super direct so you'd have to do a big stretch heading east, and I'm not sure where the easiest place to do that would be. I would think around Chambers Flat you could basically head straight east and the majority of that is relatively flat. Much easier idea than the crazy "tunnel under mount tambourine" idea in the 2013 HSR proposal.

Potentially if they build it right and maybe get some schmancy fancy trains you could achieve higher speeds and maintain a competitive journey time? AND if they build it really properly they can provision to leave room etc for HSR (if it ever happens, which is unlikely).

So benefits there = mostly Greenfield, very straight
Downsides = Indirect, difficult to construct viaduct on the floodplain

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[Gazza]

I was thinking from the perspective that there would be additional costs in terms of building an elevated viaduct in close proximity to the M1 (service relocations, traffic management etc) , and that the M1 option still needs tunnels at a couple of points anyway.
Im not sure of the exact costs, but I'm thinking it would be very close.

Tunneling is cheaper outside CBD environments, for example the airport line in Perth is 8km of tunnels, with two stations for just for $1.8b
So if it was just basic straight shot tunnels, eg from Kingston to Trinder park, it could well be reasonably priced.

For this to all work, you'd want them to do this in lieu of spending money Triplicating to Loganlea and draw from the federal higher speed rail funding....It's such a narrow corridor around Kingston that it would be both dumb and expensive to to a 3rd surface track on the current crappy alignment

[Gazza]

Oops, link was broken!

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1Cg1Rr1wJXJRgjA4g3N3-bgvvH6EPC989&usp=sharing

[Jonno]

My 2 cents worth (so probably only valued at 0.5c  ) and assuming Fast Rail is funding

1. Tunnel from just north of Coopers Plain to just south of Woodridge - majority of stations don't change dramatically (some better alignment) except Altandi/Runcorn combined and moved to Beenleigh Road/Main Road Intersection (Pineland Plaza - District Centre zone).  Then either back under existing Banoon Station or a new station near Jackson Rd/Beenleigh Road.  Sunnybank Station removed.   Tinder Park moved to Bruce Rd.  Removes lots of crossing as well.

2.  Straightening behind Logan City Recreation Club.

3. Something around Beenleigh too as that is a mess.

Very similar to Gazza's alignment. Longer tunnel and closer to existing stations.

[BrizCommuter]

My admission to the foam party is:
Elevated line along M1 with just 2 stops. Connecting to via SB Line (which will have spare capacity) at Park Road. Join GC Line at Yatala to provide x-platform interchange with Beenleigh Line (extended by 1 stop). Air conditioned covered walkway to Pie Shop.

[Gazza]

I should clarify that this upgrade should segregate all stops and express trains fully.

Im thinking one pattern would be all stops to Loganlea.

The other pattern would be Beenleigh>Bethania>Loganlea>Salisbury>Boggo Rd.

Bethania could be a new consolidated station between Edens Landing and Bethania

[timh]

Tunneling is cheaper outside CBD environments, for example the airport line in Perth is 8km of tunnels, with two stations for just for $1.8b

Tunneling is far cheaper outside of the CBD, but my understanding is that Perth is not a fair comparison for tunnel engineering, due to them having much easier soil to drill through than our infamous "Brisbane Tuff"


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[verbatim9]

Tunneling is cheaper outside CBD environments, for example the airport line in Perth is 8km of tunnels, with two stations for just for $1.8b

Tunneling is far cheaper outside of the CBD, but my understanding is that Perth is not a fair comparison for tunnel engineering, due to them having much easier soil to drill through than our infamous "Brisbane Tuff"


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I would of thought the Perth example as being more expensive because of the sandy loose soil and water seepage. Didn't tunnels need to be reinforced to prevent water seepage even more so?