Article: A fast train network, not localised light rail, holds the ticket

[colinw]

The Canberra Times -> click here

Canberra needs to be part of a new nation-building system which links south-east Australia.

There has been, of late, some exploration of Canberra's transportation needs most of which appears to be focused on a simple, seemingly attractive solution.

The notion that there will be great environmental benefits from increasing density that will justify investment in light rail is simply astounding.

The environmental argument made so far is quite limited and misses the main points.

Rather than adopt a physical deterministic solution of the kind proposed, we need to have a more encompassing review of what the situation is and what a serious strategy for investment in public transport looks like.

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[SurfRail]

I have difficulty agreeing with most of what this so called expert has put forth.  Why spend big on heavy rail within Canberra when it is basically a paddock?

[colinw]

I would have thought Canberra was ideal for a light rail system, although IMHO the inter-town high frequency bus routes do a fine job as is.

[Stillwater]

Canberra is a paddock about 35km long on the 'Y' and home to about 325,000 people.  Across the NSW border is neighbouring Queanbeyan, with a population of about 40,000.  It is feasible to see a combined population exceeding 500,000 by 2020.  (Note also that Canberra is a drawcard for treechangers from the baby boomer generation who like living in a city with wineries around, with national institutions such as the National Gallery and the National Museum of Australia, and about 3 hours from Sydney on a four-lane highway.

Canberra 'International' Airport has visions of being Sydney's second airport, linked via a VFT.  One route for a VFT heading south would be through the snow country Alps along the Tuggeranong axis of the 'Y'.

Goulburn lies about one hour drive north of Canberra.  It is on the (reasonably good) main line.  The Goulburn-Queanbeyan-Canberra line, by way of contrast, is a goat track of a line.  A new fast track between Canberra and Sydney would have advantages for passenger and freight services.  If we are talking comventional rail, the only bit of track that needs to be looked at is Goulburn-Canberra.  Canberra to Melbourne rail is a bit problematic and probably would involve a rail line connecting the  main line at Yass (population 6000), or a spot to the south of Yass.

[colinw]

The Goulburn-Queanbeyan-Canberra line, by way of contrast, is a goat track of a line.

I rode the Canberra to Sydney Xplorer service last year, and my experience suggests the branch is actually faster & in better condition than the main.  Apart from the Queanbeyan to Canberra branch itself, and the short scenic run up Molonglo Gorge, the ride quality & speed were faster on the branch than on the main with some very fast running north of Bungendore. Once we hit the main line just outside Goulburn things slowed right down, in particular there were some very long sections of TSRs from around Marulan to Bundanoon & Exeter.

New signalling, still crossed out but in process of commissioning, was in evidence on the branch.

A far cry from a high speed rail service, but not as bad as I expected.  As a rail service to the national capital however, it was an embarrassment!

It was interesting to see how much new housing was going up in Bungendore.  The previous time I went there, in the early '90s, the place was dead.  Now it is clearly growing quite fast.

[SurfRail]

I would think LRT from Belconnen to Tuggeranong via more or less Route 300 (the single Route 900 on weekends) would be the way to do it, possibly with a Gungahlin-Northbourne Ave-Civic-Fyshwick line.  That results in an upgrade of the existing Blue and Red Rapids and connects pretty much every town centre, with the exception of the proposed development of Weston Creek.

Certainly there should be no more than one heavy rail station in Canberra, fast or otherwise.  The catchment is too small.

Going south to Melbourne rather than ducking into Canberra and out again via the Main South would be faster and getting virtually competitive with air travel, but would require some pretty impressive engineering (and an even more impressive budget).  I don't know whether you would keep the line through Bungendore for anything except freight - may depend on how you leave Sydney.  (Going via Wollongong has its points, but depends on how far into the Illawarra you go.)