Cross River Rail Project

[timh]

Just mincing through how the hell they would run this thing, but south of the portal, would you run all lines express from Yeerongpilly, and then have an all stations short working covering Yeerongpilly via Soutbank:

This would limit Dutton Park to Yeerongpilly to perhaps 4tph based on the 6 min running time?

Could work... Isn't patronage between Y'pilly-park road pretty shitehouse anyway? So 4tph might cut it?

And couldn't you have 2 of those trains just be extensions of the Doomben line trains that normally terminate at Park road? I'm just thinking from a customer perspective how to best simplify that in a line diagram

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[Gazza]

Super foamy bonus version....Run past Yeerongpilly and bring back the Tennyson shuttle.

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2020/2020_12_03_DAILY.pdf

Questions Without Notice

Cross River Rail, Public-Private Partnerships

Mr MINNIKIN: My question is to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads. Can the minister
inform the House what amount of the forecast increased payments to public-private partnerships, which
have increased from $12 billion to $16 billion compared to one year ago, relate to Cross River Rail?

Mr BAILEY: I thank the honourable member for the question. The Cross River Rail project, which
was cut by the Newman government, is 100 per cent funded by this government—$5.4 billion—after
the federal colleagues of those opposite would not contribute one dollar to this project which is
absolutely crucial to unlocking the bottleneck in the middle of the public transport network. We have got
on and we are getting it done. It has been a great pleasure to become the minister responsible for this
project. I have been involved in some form going back to when I was an adviser.
This is an overdue project that should have been pretty much completed if those opposite had
not cut the project to begin with. Can you imagine the jobs? Can you imagine the redevelopment? Can
you imagine how much progress we would have had in South-East Queensland with our public transport
network if it had not been cut by those opposite? They not only cut it once, but when they went to the
2017 election they said they would cut it again. They promised to cut it twice. They did it once and they
promised they would cut it once again. That would have ground South-East Queensland's transport
system to a halt. You cannot just keep building more roads; you need a strong public transport system.
As has been well documented throughout the 2000s, you need to address the single crossing across
the river in the inner city to deal with the population growth right across South-East Queensland. It was
absolutely critical that that work was done. That was known in the 2000s, yet those opposite cut this
project once and were prepared to cut it twice.

I have made it very clear that this project is on time and on budget. I was very pleased to visit the
site at Woolloongabba, where the station box is more than 90 per cent excavated. They have excavated
30 metres down; it is a mammoth site. In coming months the big 1,350-tonne tunnel borers will be
installed to begin burrowing under the river to unlock the bottleneck in the middle of this rail network—
something that should have been dealt with. The Leader of the Opposition was a cabinet minister in the
Newman government—

Mr MINNIKIN: Mr Speaker, I rise to a point of order under standing order 118(b), relevance. My
question was in relation to what percentage of those payments relate to Cross River Rail public-private
partnership payments. It was a very specific question.

Mr SPEAKER: The minister has 36 seconds to round out his answer.

Mr BAILEY: The then federal Labor government under Kevin Rudd and Anthony Albanese went
to Campbell Newman and said, 'We will get this project going. You just have to put in $115 million a
year for six years.' He said no, he would not embarrass Tony Abbott. He sold out Queensland and so
did the LNP. The Leader of the Opposition was part of this. They cut this project. Let me say this to the
member for Chatsworth, who is in the 51 club. It is a big club over there. It is getting bigger, Mr Speaker,
with the member for Burleigh and the member for Coomera. It is on time and it is on budget.

[kram0]

More spin by Bailey to deflect the flaws of this project.

[MTPCo]

Just mincing through how the hell they would run this thing, but south of the portal, would you run all lines express from Yeerongpilly, and then have an all stations short working covering Yeerongpilly via Soutbank:

This would limit Dutton Park to Yeerongpilly to perhaps 4tph based on the 6 min running time?

I considered something like this too, but it doesn't appear to work. The issue is that there's no access to/from the dual gauge line north of Dutton Park, so a train would have to occupy at least through to Park Road 4. This has a 9 minute run time, so even if a 4-car train was used with a short 4 minute turn back, this gives a cycle time of 26 minutes between consecutive departures, which is 2tph.

You also wouldn't be able to run that during the off-peak (not saying you would necessarily want to) because it would preclude freight services.

And couldn't you have 2 of those trains just be extensions of the Doomben line trains that normally terminate at Park road?

Our assumption in the non-split operating paradigm is that Doomben would no longer travel via the Subs and instead be on the Mains facing towards Ipswich.

[verbatim9]

I have been going through the project change and there is definitely a new underground Busway going in at Roma Street. Looks like that Dutton Park Station will be demolished. There is no drawings referring to Dutton Park Station upgrades or otherwise. If Dutton Park station goes? There will be room for better track layouts to ensure better running of trains in and out of the tunnel.

[paulg]

I have been going through the project change and there is definitely a new underground Busway going in at Roma Street. Looks like that Dutton Park Station will be demolished. There is no drawings referring to Dutton Park Station upgrades or otherwise. If Dutton Park station goes? There will be room for better track layouts to ensure better running of trains in and out of the tunnel.

'upgraded Dutton Park station' is still shown on the new GA sheet 11?

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[verbatim9]

Thanks and noted.

I basically stated in my brief comments on the project change, that I agree to the site access and work hours. A min 3 month line shutdown should be in place from Park Road to Yeerongpilly to get bulk of the work done to prevent unnecessary disruptions in the future.  I also said that Dutton Park should be demolished to allow for better track layouts and improved rail operations. I also commented on the lack of retail space allocated and built into the station designs. I guess emphasis for retail will be around the stations than in the stations and themselves?

[ozbob]

More spin by Bailey to deflect the flaws of this project.

Exactly.  What is the point of question time if the questions are not answered?

[ozbob]

No response yet to this correspondence.

Sent to Minister Bailey and cc. to the Premier

13th November 2020

Problems with Cross River Rail hidden

13th November 2020

Dear Minister Bailey

RAIL Back On Track has previously raised concerns with the lack of transparency regarding Cross River Rail ( https://www.facebook.com/RAILBackOnTrack/posts/3899100510104107 ).

A particular issue for us is the lack of transparency regarding the lack of a publicly accessible current rail operational service plan (how the project will mesh with the rest of the network).

RAIL Back On Track has made Right To Information (RTI) requests seeking this information (August 2020).  Both of these requests were recently refused.  We are currently following review processes for one of the RTI requests.

There has been a recent history of significant problems with rail related projects in Queensland.  We have little confidence that the outcomes of Cross River Rail will be satisfactory unless we can see the proof that indicate otherwise. Hiding behind an anti-RTI firewall causes us grave concerns.  We believe there are significant deficiencies with the operational plan for the rail network when Cross River Rail is commissioned.

We note that Minerva Transport Planning Company Limited has released their document:

'The Minerva Plan - a rail strategy for Southeast Queensland'
Copy available here > https://backontrack.org/docs/crr/db/MinervaPlan1.0.pdf PDF 7.1MB

Foreword:

"The history of rail in Australia is dotted with pivotal moments which have had far-reaching implications. From Bradfield's vision and predominant realisation of his railway scheme for Sydney which has served our biggest city for nearly a century, to the pre-Federation break of gauge debacle which took almost one hundred years to resolve, the long term implications – both good and bad – of railway planning decisions are clear to see. In 2020, Queensland is facing its own pivotal moment with the design of the Cross River Rail project. Cross River Rail has been approved, had contracts signed, and early works have commenced to deliver the second river crossing in Brisbane's CBD by 2024.

However, rather than relieve the current capacity bottleneck and form the backbone of a transformation of the rail network as it was long intended and currently promoted as delivering, Cross River Rail in its current iteration will itself become the bottleneck and prevent almost all future expansion of the Southeast Queensland rail network.

Southeast Queensland has been without a detailed rail strategy since the Connecting SEQ 2031 regional transport plan was dis-endorsed. It is in this absence of a rail strategy that Cross River Rail has been allowed to come to its current form, with no guiding framework with which to measure its suitability in the long term.

Major inner-city rail infrastructure has a lifespan extending beyond a century, with the potential to increase the efficiency and liveability of a city, and it is important that the project is designed to deliver on these objectives. Unfortunately, Cross River Rail is not fit for purpose.

Fortunately, through minor changes to the project, it will be possible to increase capacity in both the short and longterm, allowing Cross River Rail to play the role in enhancing the network for which it was always intended.

This document will present the case of change, demonstrating in detail how the current design for Cross River Rail is flawed, and how it can be modified to meet its target criteria more effectively while improving cost efficiency. Further, the lack of a rail strategy in Southeast Queensland will be addressed, describing the envisioned development of the network over the coming decades – with a modified Cross River Rail at its core.

This document is the Minerva Plan, a rail strategy for Southeast Queensland. The Minerva Plan will revisit previous works, including Connecting SEQ 2031, to present a rail strategy that is 'familiar, yet different', and for which considerable investigation has already been undertaken.

This plan will set out the logical sequencing of projects to enhance the capacity and functionality of the rail network into four distinct phases, without being prescriptive about specific years. In this way, the development of the rail network will be able to correspond to patronage growth and economic conditions.

The Minerva Plan is not sanctioned by government; however, we welcome and encourage government to adopt the recommendations listed here."

Minerva Transport Planning
Company Limited, June 2020

We request that Cross River Rail Development Authority detail how the SEQ rail network will operate when Cross River Rail is commissioned.

The type of information we believe should be released can be viewed at https://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/40481/MM-Business-Case-Feb-2016-APPENDIX-04.PDF for the Metro Tunnel project presently underway in Melbourne.  This public  document outlines the proposed service plans and demonstrates how the project will be integrated with and improve the Melbourne railway network. Why is there no equivalent information for Cross River Rail?

The lack of such information for Cross River Rail is why we made the RTI applications in the first place.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ozbob]

^

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1334513708740071430

Footnote:

I have come across situations before where Ministerial Staffers have acted as censors and shielded Ministers from correspondence.
Democracy is not what it seems at times.

[Gazza]

Thanks and noted.

I basically stated in my brief comments on the project change, that I agree to the site access and work hours. A min 3 month line shutdown should be in place from Park Road to Yeerongpilly to get bulk of the work done to prevent unnecessary disruptions in the future.  I also said that Dutton Park should be demolished to allow for better track layouts and improved rail operations. I also commented on the lack of retail space allocated and built into the station designs. I guess emphasis for retail will be around the stations than in the stations and themselves?

Yes i think they.will provide retail above ground in the station precincts, due to the high cost of additional excavation for retail underground.

[SteelPan]

I'd be very surprised, if the property sector don't quickly see the value of a quality [Sydney style] underground arcade, linking the new inner-CBD underground station and the Queens Wharf development.  great commercial opertunity.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> No commuters will ride Cross River Rail trains until mid 2025

Brisbane commuters will have to wait until the middle of 2025 before they can catch a train underneath the city's river despite previous promises that Cross River Rail would run from 2024. ...

During budget estimates, Mr Bailey said construction would be finished in 2024 followed by the rollout and testing of a "complex" signalling system before passengers would be allowed to board trains in 2025.

"A detailed phase of live testing and commissioning will be undertaken before passenger services commence," Mr Bailey said in response to a question during budget estimates.

"Cross River Rail services are expected to be operational from 2025." ...

[achiruel]

I'd be very surprised, if the property sector don't quickly see the value of a quality [Sydney style] underground arcade, linking the new inner-CBD underground station and the Queens Wharf development.  great commercial opertunity.

Keep in mind that the rock under Brisbane is far harder to tunnel/dig than that under Sydney. It may well not be so economical.

[nathandavid88]

I'd be very surprised, if the property sector don't quickly see the value of a quality [Sydney style] underground arcade, linking the new inner-CBD underground station and the Queens Wharf development.  great commercial opertunity.

Keep in mind that the rock under Brisbane is far harder to tunnel/dig than that under Sydney. It may well not be so economical.

And, as mentioned in the Queen's Wharf thread, any underground arcade will end up coming out in the Resort's carpark (all below ground levels of the development will comprise carparking) which is not the sort of entrance statement the consortium would want. Also, it would be a dead arcade as Brisbane wouldn't be able to absorb that much retail space, on top of the new retail within the resort itself.

From CRR Albert Street, Queen's Wharf is only a ~200m walk up Mary Street, which features a hill that is not that steep. Just beautify the footpaths and maybe spruce up some of the buildings that flank the street. Mary Street will likely see some major investment, as it is the street that connects Queen's Wharf to Eagle Street Pier/Waterfront Brisbane.   

[Gazza]

Yeah, it seems weird in a city with a good climate like Brisbane that we would shove everyone into Montreal/Toronto style underground arcades designed for snowy conditions.

Because of the hill, the underground arcade would be coming in quite deep at queens wharf, so would need a big thing of escalators.

Just make Mary St nicer with wider footpaths etc.

But if the property industry see the value in building an underground arcade by all means let them, but I'm not sure the high cost of chiseling underground would make the rents affordable.

[Stillwater]

I have just been reading some articles and research saying that almost half of all CBD workers want the home office to feature as a default work space after we get over COVID-19. They want the flexibility to work from home, but travel to the inner-city office for meetings, training, team-building exercises and interaction with clients, conferences etc. The town planners and developers are considering how traditional office space can become 'life spaces'. Open spaces and public facilities probably will need to change too.

All that means fewer people in the CBD. How might that affect the passenger assumptions for the CRR project?

And if people want to work at home, with easy access to the city, have our planners got right the scheduling of radiating line upgrades to allow for more frequent and faster commutes to the city? Maybe there is a case to bring forward construction if new lines and greater thought given to satellite town centres.

And it probably is time for QR and rail to be taken out of the hands of TMR and placed administratively with state and regional planning.

[verbatim9]

They will repurpose the buildings in the future allocating more space for apartments and retail. It's been slowly happening anyway. No doubt more space will be allocated to students as that is a money spinner. The CBD will become a 7 day and night precinct along with South Brisbane and the Valley. When you just rely on office workers it's really only a 9-5 Monday-Friday  activation and dead after 7. Hopefully we can attract more students from African Nations, Europe and the USA so we can get a mixture of cultures instead of it being concentrated and focused on just India and China.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane's 'ugliest building' destroyed for new underground station

[ozbob]

Government Media Statement

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91187

Brisbane's ugliest building makes way for new 'Grand Central'

18th December 2020

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey



The Brisbane Transit Centre has been completely demolished, marking a huge milestone for the Palaszczuk Government's transformational Cross River Rail project.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said a mammoth operation had been underway since the start of demolition works at Cross River Rail's Roma Street site were announced exactly a year ago today.

"Getting rid of the three buildings on site – Hotel Jen, the East Tower the West Tower, which housed the Brisbane Transit Centre – has been one of Brisbane's largest ever demolition exercises," he said.

"Thanks to the health response of Queenslanders however, the Palaszczuk Government has been able to get on with the job of creating jobs and delivering our state's COVID-19 economic recovery plan, which includes building Cross River Rail.

"About 20 subcontractors and around 900 workers have been involved at various stages over the past year.

"More than 98 per cent of demolition waste has been recycled – that's more than 104,000 tonnes of concrete and more than 5,500 tonnes of metal and steel."

Member for McConnel Grace Grace said now the Brisbane Transit Centre was no more, work could commence on the new Roma Street station building.

"Brisbane's ugliest building has officially made way for Brisbane's new 'Grand Central'," Ms Grace said.

"Work will now start on installing 120 piles to stabilise the ground on site before crews start excavating the new station building's 20-metre-deep shaft.

Ms Grace said while the two-hectare Roma Street site was a hive of activity above ground, even more work beneath the surface went unseen, as two huge roadheaders were excavating the station cavern.

"Construction of Cross River Rail is progressing at a time when our economy needs it most.

"Cross River Rail is injecting more than $4 million a day into the economy and has already supported more than 2,400 workers so far."

Brisbane Transit Centre demolition fast facts:

Brisbane Transit Centre opened in 1986;

Demolition commenced in December 2019 and was completed in December 2020;
The buildings were demolished level by level, starting at the top and working to the ground;
An 85-metre tower crane was used to move heavy equipment between floors during the demolition;
About 900 workers and about 20 subcontractors have been involved in demolition;
About 98 per cent of waste will be recycled, including 104,146 tonnes of concrete and 5571 tonnes of metal and steel;
Concrete from the buildings is crushed to be reused in the construction of roads and other infrastructure;
120 piles will now be installed to stabilise the ground in preparation to excavate the 20m deep x 45m wide x 48m long station building shaft;
With piling work complete for the nearby Services Building, excavation of the 22m deep x 25m wide x 45m long shaft is underway;
On average, more than 46,000 people are expected to use the new Roma Street station every day by 2036.

ENDS 

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsQueensland/status/1339849247945084929

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/eastTMoore/status/1341199877863174145

[Gazza]

Awwww no naming competition.

[ozbob]

Queensland Government Statement

https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91226

Here's to the Groundbreakers: Cross River Rail honours iconic Queensland women

22nd December 2020

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Cross River Rail's twin massive Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) have been named after two groundbreaking Queensland women, in honour of their outstanding contributions to the state.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said the first TBM to launch would be named 'Else' after trailblazing engineer Else Shepherd AM, while the second would be known as 'Merle' in honour of pioneering feminist Merle Thornton AM.

"These two women have forged ahead, led the way and helped create a better future for this state," Mr Bailey said.

"Professor Shepherd has blazed the way for women entering fields such as engineering, while Mrs Thornton has been at the forefront of women's rights and social justice issues in Queensland.

"It's an honour to be able to name these groundbreaking machines – which will pave the way for the Palaszczuk Government's largest public transport project - after two of Queensland's groundbreaking women."

Professor Shepherd – one of the first two women to graduate with a degree in electrical engineering in Queensland – said she was honoured to be considered a groundbreaker, and enjoyed meeting female engineers and staff now working on the Cross River Rail project.

"By being a female engineer when there weren't many of us, I hope I've given other women the courage to do what they want to do – there's nothing stopping us," she said.

Mrs Thornton – a feminist activist best known for her iconic protest at the Regatta Hotel in 1965 when she and a friend chained themselves to a bar rail to challenge women's exclusion from public bars in Queensland – said she enjoyed the idea of having a 1350-tonne TBM named in her honour.

"I wouldn't say I've had a 'boring' life, but I have always tried to cut through on various social issues, so perhaps it is fitting to have my name on one of these massive tunnelling machines," she joked.

Mr Bailey said TBMs were traditionally named after women, stemming from a long-standing tradition dating back to the 1500s when miners prayed to their patron saint, Saint Barbara, to protect them underground.

"TBM Else is being transported to Cross River Rail's Woolloongabba site in parts, where it will be reassembled in preparation for launch, while TBM Merle's parts will start arriving on site in January," he said.

"More than 100 local companies and 40 workers have played a role in bringing these TBMs to life, part of the 2,400 people so far who have worked on the Palaszczuk Government's Cross River Rail project.

"The TBMs will launch early next year and each tunnel under the Brisbane River to Albert Street station in mid-2021, continue to the Roma Street station and finally emerge at the project's northern portal at Normanby.

"2020 was the year of demolition and preparing our 11 work sites for the Cross River Rail project, and with the TBMs leading the way, 2021 will be the year of construction and tunnelling, and creating more jobs as part of Queensland's economic recovery plan."

Else Shepherd AM

Professor Shepherd has been blazing her own trail her entire life.

At school, she loved maths and physics, and although her father encouraged her to study medicine, she chose her own path and studied engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ).

In 1965, Professor Shepherd was one of two women who became the first in Queensland to graduate with a degree in electrical engineering.

After graduating, she married and moved to Mackay to work as a sugar industry process engineer. It was at a time when it was unusual for married women to work when they did not need to, especially in a factory.

When she joined the Institution of Engineers Australia in the 1960s, she was unable to attend their meetings, which were in a men's only club, but she insisted on a venue change so she could attend. In 2000, the same professional body named her the Queensland Professional Engineer of the Year.

Professor Shepherd served as chair of Powerlink Queensland for 17 years, has founded her own companies, was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2003 and received an honorary doctorate from The University of Queensland in 2011 for her status as a role model for women in non-traditional fields.

She is currently Adjunct Professor and CEO in Residence at Queensland University of Technology's Science and Engineering Faculty.

Merle Thornton AM

On March 31, 1965, Merle Thornton and friend Rosalie Bogner chained their ankles to the front bar at the Regatta Hotel and demanded a drink, in protest of liquor laws at the time that banned women from public bars in Queensland.

The protest made international headlines and in 2009, then-Premier Anna Bligh announced it as one of Queensland's most defining moments as part of Q150 celebrations.

Although the protest is what Mrs Thornton is best known for, it was just one of many pursuits in her fight for women's rights and social justice. She established the Equal Opportunities for Women Association in 1965, and as its president led a successful campaign to end to 'marriage bar', which required women to give up their jobs in the Australian public service after they were married. While working as an academic at UQ, she introduced the first Women's Studies course in Queensland in 1973.

Mrs Thornton has written several academic papers on feminism and women's rights, and just this year at the age of 90, published Merle Thornton: Bringing The Fight, a memoir about her life and her activism.

The bar she famously chained herself to in protest is now named 'Merle's Bar' in her honour. In 2015, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for her service as an advocate for women, indigenous rights and to the arts, and last month was awarded an honorary doctorate from UQ.

ENDS

[BrizCommuter]

If only these TBMs could cut through Bailey's spin and BS!

[verbatim9]

If only these TBMs could cut through Bailey's spin and BS!

A lot of spin coming from this Government on a lot of issues.

[AnonymouslyBad]

If only these TBMs could cut through Bailey's spin and BS!

I don't think we'll ever create a machine that can do that!

[ozbob]

If only these TBMs could cut through Bailey's spin and BS!

I don't think we'll ever create a machine that can do that!

Sources have suggested to me the spin and BS was up to necks of the assembled scribes at the presser.

Searching questions unable to be responded to in a direct or relevant way, same approach as we have seen in Parliament when responding to Questions without Notice.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> No need for expansion of underground tunnels: Cross River Rail CEO

The chief executive of the Cross River Rail project has rejected a call for "tunnel stubs" to be built at key points that would add flexibility for future extensions to the rail network.

In October, former CRR planner David Bannister said amendments should be made to the project near Park Road station, near Roma Street station and near the Mayne railyards by March to allow Cross River Rail to be as flexible as possible. ...

Have read of this article.  Babble!



====

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1341626175400017920

[timh]

Brisbanetimes --> No need for expansion of underground tunnels: Cross River Rail CEO

The chief executive of the Cross River Rail project has rejected a call for "tunnel stubs" to be built at key points that would add flexibility for future extensions to the rail network.

In October, former CRR planner David Bannister said amendments should be made to the project near Park Road station, near Roma Street station and near the Mayne railyards by March to allow Cross River Rail to be as flexible as possible. ...

Have read of this article. 

Wow. I'd love to see @MTPCo rebut this one!

I wanna point to two statements:

Cross River Rail Delivery Authority CEO Graeme Newton... said the suggested changes were not needed under the new rail track configuration.

Ambiguous. Is it implying that there are going to be more Rfpc released to us that address ours/David's concerns.

"The previous design - which was the longer tunnel design - was servicing a different methodology.

"The present design is giving that additional service through the CBD."

This wording is vague and ambiguous. It could be gathered that he's alluding that the current CRR design is not focused as much on creating wider network benefits and more just on creating a new inner city line. In which case it would be a colossal waste of cash. I *hope* that's not their thinking here.

[ozbob]

[MTPCo]

Bah, humbug!

[ozbob]

^  Brilliant!

Lurkers, click on the clip link above for an account of "A Crossmas Carol" ..

[BrizCommuter]

Might as well start the 2026 Commission of Inquiry into Cross River Rail Fail now.

[ozbob]

Might as well start the 2026 Commission of Inquiry into Cross River Rail Fail now.

All I want for Christmas is a SEQ rail project that is not half baked and costs a motza to sort out!

[Gazza]

Might as well start the 2026 Commission of Inquiry into Cross River Rail Fail now.

All I want for Christmas is a SEQ rail project that is not half baked and costs a motza to sort out!

G:Link

[ozbob]

I was referring to heavy rail of course.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1342122494086430722

[ozbob]

I have today forwarded this email to the Premier asking why we are ignored?

Sent to Minister Bailey and cc. to the Premier

Problems with Cross River Rail hidden

13th November 2020

Dear Minister Bailey

RAIL Back On Track has previously raised concerns with the lack of transparency regarding Cross River Rail ( https://www.facebook.com/RAILBackOnTrack/posts/3899100510104107 ).

A particular issue for us is the lack of transparency regarding the lack of a publicly accessible current rail operational service plan (how the project will mesh with the rest of the network).

RAIL Back On Track has made Right To Information (RTI) requests seeking this information (August 2020).  Both of these requests were recently refused.  We are currently following review processes for one of the RTI requests.

There has been a recent history of significant problems with rail related projects in Queensland.  We have little confidence that the outcomes of Cross River Rail will be satisfactory unless we can see the proof that indicate otherwise. Hiding behind an anti-RTI firewall causes us grave concerns.  We believe there are significant deficiencies with the operational plan for the rail network when Cross River Rail is commissioned.

We note that Minerva Transport Planning Company Limited has released their document:

'The Minerva Plan - a rail strategy for Southeast Queensland'
Copy available here > https://backontrack.org/docs/crr/db/MinervaPlan1.0.pdf PDF 7.1MB

Foreword:

"The history of rail in Australia is dotted with pivotal moments which have had far-reaching implications. From Bradfield's vision and predominant realisation of his railway scheme for Sydney which has served our biggest city for nearly a century, to the pre-Federation break of gauge debacle which took almost one hundred years to resolve, the long term implications – both good and bad – of railway planning decisions are clear to see. In 2020, Queensland is facing its own pivotal moment with the design of the Cross River Rail project. Cross River Rail has been approved, had contracts signed, and early works have commenced to deliver the second river crossing in Brisbane's CBD by 2024.

However, rather than relieve the current capacity bottleneck and form the backbone of a transformation of the rail network as it was long intended and currently promoted as delivering, Cross River Rail in its current iteration will itself become the bottleneck and prevent almost all future expansion of the Southeast Queensland rail network.

Southeast Queensland has been without a detailed rail strategy since the Connecting SEQ 2031 regional transport plan was dis-endorsed. It is in this absence of a rail strategy that Cross River Rail has been allowed to come to its current form, with no guiding framework with which to measure its suitability in the long term.

Major inner-city rail infrastructure has a lifespan extending beyond a century, with the potential to increase the efficiency and liveability of a city, and it is important that the project is designed to deliver on these objectives. Unfortunately, Cross River Rail is not fit for purpose.

Fortunately, through minor changes to the project, it will be possible to increase capacity in both the short and longterm, allowing Cross River Rail to play the role in enhancing the network for which it was always intended.

This document will present the case of change, demonstrating in detail how the current design for Cross River Rail is flawed, and how it can be modified to meet its target criteria more effectively while improving cost efficiency. Further, the lack of a rail strategy in Southeast Queensland will be addressed, describing the envisioned development of the network over the coming decades – with a modified Cross River Rail at its core.

This document is the Minerva Plan, a rail strategy for Southeast Queensland. The Minerva Plan will revisit previous works, including Connecting SEQ 2031, to present a rail strategy that is 'familiar, yet different', and for which considerable investigation has already been undertaken.

This plan will set out the logical sequencing of projects to enhance the capacity and functionality of the rail network into four distinct phases, without being prescriptive about specific years. In this way, the development of the rail network will be able to correspond to patronage growth and economic conditions.

The Minerva Plan is not sanctioned by government; however, we welcome and encourage government to adopt the recommendations listed here."

Minerva Transport Planning
Company Limited, June 2020

We request that Cross River Rail Development Authority detail how the SEQ rail network will operate when Cross River Rail is commissioned.

The type of information we believe should be released can be viewed at https://metrotunnel.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/40481/MM-Business-Case-Feb-2016-APPENDIX-04.PDF for the Metro Tunnel project presently underway in Melbourne.  This public  document outlines the proposed service plans and demonstrates how the project will be integrated with and improve the Melbourne railway network. Why is there no equivalent information for Cross River Rail?

The lack of such information for Cross River Rail is why we made the RTI applications in the first place.

Best wishes,
Robert

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