25 Sep 2021 SEQ: Need for Speed on Logan & Gold Coast Faster Rail project

[ozbob]

Need for Speed on Logan & Gold Coast Faster Rail project

25th September 2021


https://backontrack.org/docs/loganGCfasterrail/140km.jpg

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has said that the Logan and Gold Coast faster rail project needs to be built for maximum speed.

Gavin Seipelt, Southern Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Currently TMR is conducting a study for a new pair of tracks on the Gold Coast/Beenleigh line, from Beenleigh to Kuraby (1).

"This 'quadruplication' will allow Gold Coast trains to overtake Beenleigh trains, allowing for more trains to run and save some time in the process.

"The project will also deviate the line at Trinder park to avoid some sharp bends, which should also create time savings. RAIL Back On Track believes the proposal needs to go a lot further, since there are plenty more slow turns further south.

"Ultimately the goal should be to make the Gold Coast line faster than driving, because at the moment it's not.

"The Gold Coast line is quite speedy from Varsity Lakes to Beenleigh, but becomes a bit of a crawl the rest of the way into the city.

"It's true that Cross River Rail will save a bit of time for Gold Coasters coming into the CBD, but on the other hand that will be offset by the extra stops opening at Pimpama, Hope Island and Merrimac."

So we really need to make sure the project locks in some substantial time savings north of Beenleigh.

"Really, it should be that express trains cruise at 140km/h for the entire run from Beenleigh to Kuraby, and the only time they should slow down is for the stop at Loganlea. If we just lay the existing tracks next to the current alignment that wont happen, we will permanently lock in lower speeds and the project will miss the mark."

RAIL Back On Track believes there are two big ideas that could make this dream a reality.

The first big idea is to send the express tracks on a viaduct over the Bethania floodplain, bypassing the middle of the suburb with a much smoother sweeping turn. This section would be built on pylons well above flood level, and would also involve reconfiguring and upgrading the fields at Waterford Rugby League Club to accommodate it.

The second big idea is to build an express tunnel tunnel for 5km, from Kingston to Trinder Park, passing under Woodridge
While tunnelling with multiple underground stations can be expensive in the middle of a busy city, it can be much cheaper in the suburbs.
Not only will a tunnel disrupt residents less, it will allow trains to hit full throttle as they rocket under the suburb.

All stops trains would continue to use the existing tracks on the surface.

"The reality is the Gold Coast is the biggest non capital city. We're spending billions widening the M1 and building the Coomera connector. If the government doesn't give this upgrade equally generous funding, they're joking around"

"Doing this right benefits over 800,000 people on the Gold Coast and Logan, it'll benefit people in Brisbane headed to the coast for leisure or work,  it'll benefit the Olympics, it'll attract more passengers and it will truly get cars off the road"

We encourage anyone who lives in Logan and the Gold Coast to get behind this and give feedback on the TMR project website and write to their local MP saying that you want this project to be built to a true fast rail standard.

References:

1. Logan and Gold Coast Faster Rail
https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/Logan-and-Gold-Coast-Faster-Rail


2. Proposed fast rail route compared to existing line


https://backontrack.org/docs/loganGCfasterrail/fastrailcompared.jpg

3. New Bethania Viaduct


https://backontrack.org/docs/loganGCfasterrail/bethaniaviaduct.jpg

4. New Woodridge Tunnel


https://backontrack.org/docs/loganGCfasterrail/woodridgetunnel.jpg

Contacts:

Gavin Seipelt
Southern Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

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

[ozbob]

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[verbatim9]

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