Gold Coast Light Rail

[huddo45]

What is the gauge of GCLR?

Standard gauge. Most Australian street tramways e.g. Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide are/were standard gauge.

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/business/stage-two-of-the-light-rail-on-track-with-design-and-technical-services-out-for-tender/story-fnjc2dm2-1226802954348

Also, can I suggest the thread be renamed to "Gold Coast Light Rail"?  That is the actual terminology for it these days - "rapid transit" was a sop to the bus industry.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Tram and car collide in Southport

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Drivers on their own against trams as road rule guide fails to mention light rail

[ozbob]

[SurfRail]

Massive beat-up from the GCB as usual.

Ifyou drive through a red signal, bad stuff happens.  Doesn't matter that trams are now involved.

[Fares_Fair]

G'day SR,

How are the Gold Coast services generally since the new timetable implementation?
Have passenger crowd levels altered or reduced?

May be too early to say of course.

[SurfRail]

^ I am not the best go-to person for evening peak because I tend to leave the city on the 6:29 train (and previously what was the 6:24 train), or later than that.  I did catch a reasonably early (for me) service during last week, leaving town before 6pm, and it seemed quiet.

If anything there seems to be less patronage on the services I have been catching.  Not even fully seated.  That will change no doubt as we move into February, but I think the fares are having an impact.

Lot more angst and (justified) frustration with the local bus network. 

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Gold Coast tram network from Parklands to Broadbeach on track to open in June

[ozbob]

Tram takes a daylight run (01:24)

The Gold Coast light rail project reaches a "significant milestone", conducting a test run in daylight across the Nerang river bridge on Thursday.

--> http://media.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/selections/tram-takes-a-daylight-run-5159328.html

[SurfRail]

Currently reversing just past the Surfers Paradise North station (ie line is now operational past 9 of the 16 stations).

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Woman injured in smash up with Southport tram

A 21-YEAR-OLD woman is suspected to have been performing an illegal U-turn when her Jeep smashed into a tram at Southport this afternoon.

Police on the scene have confirmed that is their suspicion, but say investigations are continuing.

The woman was treated at the scene for minor injuries and shock.

Traffic was delayed along Queen Street neat Mick Veivers Way for about an hour, but the accident has been cleared now ...

[red dragin]

Score is currently 2-0 

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Safety fears sparked after second Southport tram crash

Another News poor attempt at a beat up, bloggers on the job!   

[nathandavid88]

This is why these illegal u-turns are illegal! 

[johnnigh]

Hardly a surprise that GC drivers are having problems with light rail, as Brisbane drivers have long had trouble with level crossings. As a 40 yr daily commute etc cyclist, I've always treated drivers as stupid and self-centred, and that theory has kept me free of car incidents over that time. Must be a good theory.

It's hard for train and tram drivers to use my theory, sadly, so Bob's campaigning re level crossing safety is needed to give some more political clout to efforts to regulate driving around PT routes.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Driver fined just $88 for $5000 tram smash

As happens with road crashes I am sure damages will be pursued ... insurance or otherwise ..

[Jonno]

My money is in about a 15-2 score before drivers stop thinking their GOD.  Happy to run a book!

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> End of the line in sight for electrifying the Gold Coast light rail network

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> Car stuck on light rail bridge at Southport after woman accidentally drives along tracks

[bcasey]

I assume there is signage at both entrances to the light rail bridge, to warn drivers not to drive along it, and the elderly lady simply missed seeing them? Guess they're lucky this happened now during testing.

[ozbob]

[mufreight]

A good reason for Grannie to surrender her her licence, obviously she has problems with her eyesight, first to have missed the signage and then to not have seen the drop from the roadway to the track bed.

[SurfRail]

I assume there is signage at both entrances to the light rail bridge, to warn drivers not to drive along it, and the elderly lady simply missed seeing them? Guess they're lucky this happened now during testing.

You can't get onto the light rail bridge without driving for several hundred metres along a tramway at either end.  It is possible to replicate what this old duck has done by turning onto the tracks at Ada Bell Way and driving past the croquet club, but I have no idea how it would actually be possible to do it from the other end.  No doubt somebody will find a way...

You really have to be pretty far gone to have even entered the track, let alone gone that far.

[minbrisbane]

In today's AFR:

[ozbob]

Twitter

GoldLinQ ‏@gclightrail 1m

#theG heads through Broadbeach for the first time marking the first full end-to-end #tram run for Stage one. http://t.co/8YqeeYWWbR

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/gold-coast-light-tram-complete-first-full-test-run-to-broadbeach/story-fnj94idh-1226857313534

Bob, this is easily worth a media release.  Happy to knock something up if you want.

[ozbob]

Yo .. 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[SurfRail]

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10612.0

[huddo45]

Twitter

GoldLinQ ‏@gclightrail 1m

#theG heads through Broadbeach for the first time marking the first full end-to-end #tram run for Stage one. http://t.co/8YqeeYWWbR

What a crappy photo taken by so-called professionals. "Always keep the sun behind the camera", my dad used to say. By the strangest coincidence, I happened to be down that way today and took this one at the corner of Gold Coast Highway and Victoria St Broadbeach as the tram was on its return journey at about 5pm.

[ozbob]

Media release 18th March 2014



SEQ: Gold Coast "tramsformation" at hand

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 congratulates GoldlinQ on their successful operation of a G:Link tram along the entire route of the Gold Coast light rail line from the Gold Coast University Hospital to Broadbeach South (Pacific Fair) for the very first time (1).

RAIL Back On Track Gold Coast Regional Spokesperson Steven Jamieson said "With the commencement of tram services only a few months away, the future of public transport on the Gold Coast is looking positive."

"We congratulate GoldlinQ on this key stage of the project and look forward to seeing trams testing more frequently in the coming weeks."

A single G:Link tram can carry 309 passengers and services will operate every 7-8 minutes in the core "peak" period from 7am to 7pm on weekdays. 14 trams have been delivered to the new Southport depot, 3 of which have been placed into a special livery advertising safety messages to the public while the system is being rolled out and tested.

Tram services are expected to commence in mid 2014.

"It will be important for the supporting bus network to deliver high frequency services into the major tram / bus interchanges and for local feeder routes to have improved hours of operation. It is now up to TransLink to start advising locals about the upcoming changes to their public transport network as soon as possible and to ensure that the bus services connect seamlessly with trams to all points of the compass."

"The Gold Coast has the potential to be a leader in integrated public transport. We support any moves to better integrate bus, light rail and train timetables to extend high-frequency coverage to as much of the city as possible."

Reference:

1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=546.msg140072#msg140072

Contacts:

Steven Jamieson
Gold Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

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

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/western-light-rail-link-connecting-nerang-and-broadbeach-is-back-on-track/story-fnj94idh-1226866072961

[ozbob]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/western-light-rail-link-connecting-nerang-and-broadbeach-is-back-on-track/story-fnj94idh-1226866072961

   well rebutted ...

[ozbob]

G:link Gold Coast light rail TV Commercial

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin -->The State Government in talks to start stage two of the Gold Coast light rail to connect with trains at Helensvale

[ozbob]

Queensland Parliament Hansard 6th May 2014

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/hansard/2014/2014_05_06_DAILY.pdf

Questions without notice

Gold Coast Rapid Transit

Dr DOUGLAS: My question is to the Minister for Transport and Main Roads. In response to my question on notice the minister says that his department has no plans to connect the light and heavy rail at Nerang via Metricon Stadium. Can the minister please explain why he then wrote to the Gold Coast Bulletin two days after answering my question on notice stating that he had not ruled out connecting the light and heavy rail at Nerang and the department is doing preliminary work to identify a future potential alignment? I table all correspondence in the matter.

Tabled paper: Response to Question on Notice No. 248 Asked on Tuesday, 1 April 2014 regarding the Gold Coast light rail project and copies of news articles regarding the same.

Mr EMERSON: I thank the member for Gaven for the question. I think he has answered his own question in what he just said. We have not finalised any plans. We are looking at the project. He has asked if we had a plan to do this. We say no, we do not have a plan. I made it very clear in my statement. The member for Gaven again seems to be confused—it is something he has specialised in in his entire political career. That is what he does. Let us be very clear where we are going with the Gold Coast light rail. I am very keen to connect it up to the heavy rail, but we can only do that if it is affordable and therefore viable. At the moment, given the disastrous fiscal situation we inherited from the previous government, we do not have the dollars available to do that. Those are the circumstances we face. That has not changed given the disastrous business case done by the previous government for the first stage, where it underestimated the patronage and therefore the cost to Queenslanders. Over the next 15 years, as I have detailed to the estimates hearings, we will expect to see an extra $300 million being paid by Queenslanders for the first stage because of the disastrous business case conducted by Labor, including when the Leader of the Opposition was transport minister. That is the reality.

Ms Palaszczuk: Don't open it then. If you don't like it, don't open it.

Mr EMERSON: I hear her speaking.

Ms Palaszczuk: If you don't like it, don't open it.

Madam SPEAKER: Order! There are enough interjections from my left. Please cease your interjections. I call the Minister for Transport.

Mr EMERSON: We know that the Leader of the Opposition hates to be reminded about her record when she was transport minister. We see it over and over again. Let us not forget her one and only policy when she was transport minister: 15 per cent fare increases year after year after year after year. She had unreliable services, she had infrequent services. The only thing that was reliable and frequent about the Leader of the Opposition was putting up fares every year, 15 per cent year after year after year after year. She was incompetent on a whole series of issues, but in relation to light rail, as we detailed, the business case was wrong and Queenslanders will be paying for that.

Let us go back to the Gold Coast light rail stage 2. We have written to the Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate saying, 'You have talked about wanting to do that. What is your contribution?' We have made it very clear that we can only proceed if it is viable and it can only be viable if it is affordable and we have the money. Given the appalling performance and the fiscal incompetence of those across the chamber when they were ministers, including the Leader of the Opposition, including the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, including the member for Mulgrave, we do not have those dollars at the moment.

[ozbob]

Gold Coast Bulletin --> The State Government says Gold Coast City Council will have to cough up funds to extend the light rail

[#Metro]

There is a case for the Gold Coast City Council to increase charges (something it does not want to do) because the benefit they are getting accrues mainly to the Gold Coast. The GCCC also is well placed to capture the increase in land values resulting from the project through rates. That increase in value, a direct result of the LRT improvement, would otherwise accrue to private landholders.

Even distant places from the line benefit due to the reconfiguration of the bus network.

In addition, the contract term on the GCLRT could also be extended.

It is a conversation the GC needs to have. Promise LRT to Coolangatta and you'd have a strong case for a citywide ballot measure to generate public support.

[SurfRail]

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/news/gold-coast/council-government-in-headon-collision-about-light-rail-funds/story-fnj94idh-1226909875323

Repurposing some funding from the existing Transport Improvement Levy over the next 4-5 years would pay for most of the contribution they are looking for.  Diverting funding from the free senior's travel over that period alone would probably pay for 25-30% of the larger $90m contribution they want.  Various operational savings could pay for the rest.

Unfortunately they won't remove the seniors' funding even though it would be a better use of the city's funds to expand the light rail network or pay for more bus services.  This is a key point of disagreement I have with the guys at GCCC even though we otherwise see virtually eye to eye on most things.

[Jonno]

What some more freeway That's a different storey here's all the cash you need despite no business case or a negative ROI if there is one.