High Speed and Fast Rail

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> 581 km/h: Japan tests world's fastest train

[techblitz]

Westside News 04/09/13



bold ideas....

[petey3801]

Hmmm, I was under the impression that the preferred route had the line stay in a tunnel until around the Greenbank/Larapinta type area.. but could certainly be wrong.

[ozbob]

Yes, just a beat up to try to drum up voter support ...

Fukwits ... lol

[Stillwater]

God help us ... that's all we need ... consideration of high speed rail in the context that the slipstream of a HST will affect some golf enthusiasts scorecard.  Who ever said the HST was going to go through to St Lucia Golf Course?   

[SurfRail]

Hmmm, I was under the impression that the preferred route had the line stay in a tunnel until around the Greenbank/Larapinta type area.. but could certainly be wrong.

No, it actually does pop up just after Taringa and crosses the river above water.

I think their complaints are fairly legitimate, the design is a bit crap.

[ozbob]

I expect it will never be that route (assuming it is ever done)  flood plain.  If it is will be tunnel to Greenbank at least ..

As you point out the design is crap SurfRail. 

[ozbob]

There is also the suggestion around the traps of a Cross River Rail tunnel being done with the view that could be shared/incorporate fast rail tracks.  When you think about it that makes some sense .. but would mean a lot more cost for CRR future proofing and as it stands CRR is not going to happen for a while if ever ...   

[petey3801]

Hmmm, I was under the impression that the preferred route had the line stay in a tunnel until around the Greenbank/Larapinta type area.. but could certainly be wrong.

No, it actually does pop up just after Taringa and crosses the river above water.

I think their complaints are fairly legitimate, the design is a bit cr%p.

Ah, fair enough. I must be thinking of something in the first report, or one of the other design options in the second report. If it does surface around Taringa, that's a pretty stupid idea! Surfacing around Acacia Ridge - Greenbank area would be much better design, IMO. If there was already a dedicated, higher speed capable corridor in the Taringa -> South area, then sure, but having an elevated line along there? Yeah, not so much...

[James]

That plan indicates that the tunnel will pass through my area. I think putting it through St Lucia and Indooroopilly Golf Course will certainly be an eyesore. I don't know why the thing can't simply just run at around 100km/hr through CRR and then branch off at Acacia Ridge. Assuming it is a 20km trip, it would save no more than around 5 minutes or so. Doesn't seem worth it for something which would be costly and probably p%ss off a lot of people. Surfacing around Taringa is also dumb.

The alignment suggested indicates to me it will be in some kind of viaduct. Surface running would make it a big flood risk. The land is low around Indooroopilly Golf Course, it wouldn't be a good outcome for the bridge to go completely under if a 2011-style event happened again.

The area will also look completely different in 50 years time anyway. 50 years ago the area was very new.

[frereOP]

Westside News 04/09/13



bold ideas....

Its a good idea but just not in my backyard.

The residents there will complain about any development.  In the early 2000's they (successfully) rallied against the development of the "Natural Sciences Precinct" - a redevelopment of the existing CSIRO/Qld Government precinct (between the two golf courses where HSR is designed to surface) into a modern research and development campus like a university with cultural and natural ares including restaurants and gardens.  The NSP would have increased land values enormously (as it did with the development of The Waite Institute in Adelaide).  It was eventually scrapped by the then NP government .

CSIRO subsequently sold the site for $millions to a residential developer who is planning a huge medium density residential development (which the locals don't want either).  The developer will surely lobby against it but whatever happens, poor bastards, you deserve what you get - be it residential development and/or HSR!

[ozbob]

^ 

[#Metro]

Just shove a Jail, Centrelink or Sewerage Works there. Sick of NIMBYs.

[ozbob]

From the Business Spectator click here!

High speed rail body axed by government

High speed rail body axed by government

AAP

Backers of a high-speed rail network fear the visionary project could be one of the casualties of a federal government decision to dismantle a number of advisory bodies.

The government will axe a dozen "non-statutory" bodies, amalgamate several more or absorb them into existing departmental functions, all in a bid to save money.

The High Speed Rail Advisory Group is on the list, prompting a public transport union official to predict it will set the project back decades.

"This decision ... will condemn Australia to become one of the backwaters of international high-speed rail," Rail, Tram and Bus Union national secretary Bob Nanva told AAP on Friday.

The Panel for Positive Ageing is another group set to be dismantled, a decision condemned as "disgraceful and shameful" by Labor which established the body in government.

"Seniors will no longer have the strong voice they had in Canberra," opposition ageing spokesman Shayne Neumann said in a statement.

The bodies scrapped are: Australian Animals Welfare Advisory Committee; Commonwealth Firearms Advisory Committee; International Legal Services Advisory Committee; National Inter-country Adoption Advisory Council; National Steering Committee on Corporate Wrongdoing; Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee; Advisory Panel on the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula; High Speed Rail Advisory Group; Maritime Workforce Development Forum; Advisory Panel on Positive Ageing; Insurance Reform Advisory Group; and the National Housing Supply Council.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said many non-statutory bodies had outlived their original purpose or were not focused on the government's policy priorities.

"As a result, their work is best carried out by the relevant government departments or agencies," he said in a statement.

Mr Abbott confirmed 21 bodies would be abolished or rationalised.

He also announced cabinet submissions will require regulatory impact statements quantifying compliance costs on business and the community.

"Excessive, unnecessary regulation stifles productivity, investment and job creation and saps business confidence," the prime minister said, citing the introduction of more than 21,000 additional regulations under Labor governments since 2007.

Many of the 50,000 acts and legislative instruments in place now were a "handbrake on Australia's ability to get things done".

[Stillwater]

Wasn't HSR scheduled to be delivered originally in 2080 on the federal government's own estimation?

[ozbob]

Abbott Government now seems to support HS rail ..

==============

Twitter

Rail Express ‏@RailExpressNews 3m

Truss announces that the government will look at how best to proceed with identifying corridors that might be suitable for HSR #AusRAIL

[minbrisbane]

Quite good, and somewhat interesting news!

[Stillwater]

It demonstrates incremental movement, at best.  The government will 'look at how best to proceed' with identifying corridors.  That would suggest it is not going to identify the corridors at this stage, merely explore administrative mechanisms for 'having a look' at how they might proceed to identify corridors.

That is a bit like me looking at how best to proceed to buy a new car by browsing the Ferarri range on line.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss gets high speed rail on track

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> High-speed rail to get boost on national agenda

[Stillwater]

High Speed Rail - China style:

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/news/china_high_speed_rail_network_to_be_doubled

Meanwhile, a kangaroo can hop to Brisbane from Nambour faster than the QR passenger train.

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Renewable high-speed rail line for Australia

[ozbob]

airrailNEWS --> Ontario Government Moving Forward With High Speed Rail Plans

[ozbob]

The Guardian --> Chinese experts 'in discussions' over building high-speed Beijing-US railway

'China-Russia-Canada-America line' would run for 13,000km across Siberia and pass under Bering Strait through 200km tunne ...

Whoa!

[dancingmongoose]

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Beyond Zero Emissions finds high-speed rail service sensible and feasible

[pandmaster]

Couriermail --> Beyond Zero Emissions finds high-speed rail service sensible and feasible

Interesting that they think it is "sensible". Alan Davies, who has a lot of good ideas, is against it! http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2013/08/08/is-high-speed-rail-a-no-brainer-or-a-boondoggle/

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Why the train sometimes beats a plane

[ozbob]

GCR --> Work begins on California high-speed rail – but there's a long way to go

[verbatim9]

Hope this transpires into work on our High Speed Rail between Brisbane and Melbourne

[ozbob]

GCR --> Work begins on California high-speed rail – but there's a long way to go

This vid is from 2008 ...

[ozbob]

Twitter

Railway Gazette ‏@railwaygazette

Turkey's Prime Minister inaugurates #Eskişehir - #Istanbul high speed railway http://bit.ly/1nCixPb 

[ozbob]

Asian Review --> Look, Ma, no wheels! How maglev trains reach 500kph

[ozbob]

The Australian --> East coast fast-rail link back on track

[dancingmongoose]

For those interested:

Beyond Zero Emissions are launching their Zero Carbon Australia High Speed Rail report.

Time: 6:30pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Gibson Room, room 1064, Z Block, The Queensland University of Technology, Gardens Point Campus, Brisbane

Admission: Free. Registration essential : http://bze.org.au/hsr-go

[pandmaster]

There is also the suggestion around the traps of a Cross River Rail tunnel being done with the view that could be shared/incorporate fast rail tracks.  When you think about it that makes some sense ..

I think it makes a lot of sense. Just build a double-deck tunnel, even if the HSR level is not used for some time, it will definitely be needed in the future. If the line is eventually built approaching from the south then they would have to work around CRR as it will have taken the best corridor and depth.

[frereOP]

The Australian --> East coast fast-rail link back on track

This is a subscrider only article.  I refuse to subscribe to a Rupert Murdoch publication.

[pandmaster]

There is also the suggestion around the traps of a Cross River Rail tunnel being done with the view that could be shared/incorporate fast rail tracks.  When you think about it that makes some sense ..

I think it makes a lot of sense. Just build a double-deck tunnel, even if the HSR level is not used for some time, it will definitely be needed in the future. If the line is eventually built approaching from the south then they would have to work around CRR as it will have taken the best corridor and depth.

Never happen and shouldnt happen. The tunnel is built for buses, take buses out and then what? More practical to terminate HSR on south side next to a suburban station on CRR route.

I was not proposing this be done with BaT, but with CRR. The bus level throws a spanner in the works for the HSR plan. The three largest cities for the eventual route are all building urban rail tunnels in the short-medium term (CRR/BaT, Melbourne Metro and the Second Harbour Crossing in Sydney). Why tunnel again for the HSR? It may even be the way to get Abbott to fund these much needed tunnels, by using federal funds for the HSR level which will be dormant for several years. In New York they had the foresight to build a double deck tunnel which opened in 1989 and will still not take passengers for a few years The decision back then saved millions/billions today (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/63rd_Street_Tunnel).

As for terminating on the South Side, it would be okay for a temporary solution but the finished line must serve city centres. It makes the line much more appealing to travellers and thus feasible to build. Besides, if you are spending tens of billions (or $100 billion+ depending on your estimate) then you may as well build the line properly, a mistake Brisbane has made many times!

[#Metro]

I am on record as a strong non-supporter of HSR simply because I think (a) the airport is good enough and (b) it would be mind-blowingly expensive. The money would be better spent closer to home on fixing up existing assets.

That said, I think any HSR terminal would probably best follow the alignment of the Gateway motorway (take a few lanes away for the train to run over the bridge) and put the HSR terminal at Brisbane Airport. Doing that will permit you to bypass all the tunneling and resumption costs, will permit mode transfer easily (i.e. fly into Brisbane and then catch train to Gold Coast, Tweed, Sunshine Coast) and piggyback off the high concentration of taxis, airport buses, etc already at the Airport.

[Stillwater]

Can a high speed train get up and over the hump of the Gateway Bridge?  It would need a very long viaduct and a gentle gradient to pass over the river while leaving sufficient height for a ship to pass beneath.

Maybe we should send HST to airport down the Doomben line.