8 Feb 2009: SEQ: Beerburrum to Landsborough railway upgrade needed now!

[ozbob]

Media Release 8 Feb 2009

SEQ:  Beerburrum to Landsborough railway upgrade needed now!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has called for a commitment from the Queensland Government to allow for the immediate upgrade of the Beerburrum to Landsborough section of the northern line from single to double track as a continuation of the present Caboolture to Beerburrum project.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The railway between Caboolture and Landsborough is a single winding track.  This slows trains and reduces capacity. The new high speed double track section from Caboolture to Beerburrum will be commissioned within months."

"The options for the Beerburrum to Landsborough section were finalised in late 2005 (1). Work on this section was to have been a continuation of the Caboolture Beerburrum duplication (2) and realignment but has now been placed on hold. This is very short-sighted as the cost of resuming work on this project at a later date will be higher due to the costs of setting up again to carry out the work."

"These costs will include the training and accreditation of staff needed to carry out the work as once the existing phase of the work is completed the workforce will have been disbanded."

"The retraining and accreditation of workers alone will cost millions and many acquired rail specific skills will be lost and the new staff will have to be trained in those job specific skills, all of which adds considerably to the project costs."

"Considering the Government's espoused position of providing continuing employment in infrastructure related projects they are in this  instance  effectively terminating the employment of hundreds of workers half way through a government infrastructure project.  Supposedly to save money when in fact this essential piece of infrastructure will increase in cost if placed on hold, a situation that any reasonable taxpayer would question. Delay also significantly limits the positive benefits from the Caboolture to Beerburrum upgrade."

"The Federal Government should consider funding this essential upgrade if the Queensland Government is unable to see the logic of immediately continuing with the Beerburrum to Landsborough duplication."

References:

1.  http://www.qr.com.au/SEQIP/projects/Beerburrum/default.asp
2.  http://www.qr.com.au/SEQIP/projects/Caboolture/default.asp

Contact:
Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[stephenk]

I think this message is also valid for many other SE Queensland infrastructure projects which end up being half finished, or half-baked. This short sightedness will ultimately cost the tax payer more.

Examples:
Mitchelton-Keperra duplication - should have been continued to Ferny Grove in the same project.
Corinda-Darra triplication/quadripliction - fourth electrified track should have been provided throughout.
Yerongpilly-Kuraby triplication - should have been quad tracks, and triplication extended further south.