The Sunshine Coast Case : Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour

[tazzer9]

Getting a good alignment (which means 160 non tilt minimum) and duplication to nambour should be the priority.  Then a new camcos route, then upgrades and duplication of the NCL between nambour and maryborough.  The massive bends through to nambour cost freight a significant amount of money in fuel and maintenance, along with costing QR alot in maintenance.   There are many more benefits to having the current route upgraded over a new passenger only line.   

[Stillwater]

The Mayor of the Sunshine Coast, Mark Jamieson, stated recently that he and his council had done 'all that they could' to convince the state government of the worth of the SCL duplication and to have it built.

Certainly, that statement is correct in a conventional sense, but is a different approach worthy of consideration?

Is it worthwhile for mayors Jamieson and Wellington (Sunshine Coast and Noosa), to broker a 'City Deal' with the federal government?  The centrepiece of that deal would be the duplication project.  A 'City Deal' negotiation would take the leadership away from a reluctant state government (which is stalling) and put the power in the hands of the two mayors.

https://cities.dpmc.gov.au/city-deals

A City Deal would still involve the state government, but under this scenario, they will be presented with a deal where the nature of their participation would have been worked out at a federal and local government level.  The SC-N City Deal could still involve a dollop of money from the $10b rail infrastructure fund the feds have sitting there for investment.

The offer of a City Deal from the feds would shame the state government into genuine and meaningful participation.

Here is the Townsville City Deal:

https://cities.dpmc.gov.au/townsville-city-deal

[James]

The real damage to road surfaces, the real cost on the road toll, as well as major causes of congestion, are all caused by the increasing shift of the freight task from rail to road. This is in part caused by the slowness of lines such as the SCL. The stretch between Beerburrum and Nambour is one of the poorest, and the slowest, along the entire NCL between Brisbane and Cairns.

Duplication & realignment to Nambour will save the government billions - not only because freight can get through faster, but because this:
1) Will take big trucks off the road, saving the government from having to continue upgrading the Bruce Highway & deal with the serious damage to pavement that trucks cause (relative to cars).
2) Will reduce the road toll, as there are less big trucks on the road with tired drivers, truck drivers trying to meet strict deadlines as well as negotiate what is a glorified goat track in sections.
3) Will reduce CO2 emissions.

By comparison, a CAMCOS extension will be passenger-only past Beerwah, unless a coal mine suddenly opens at the back of Kawana. While it will have positive effect in terms of congestion, it will cause a level of induced demand on new housing developments, particularly places like Aura, which with 'fast rail' will become very accessible to Brisbane. While some of the people in Aura will work in Brisbane, a 'fast train' with commutes of ~45 minutes may actually drive a lot more people in Brisbane to live in the area than is desirable.

18km is NOT within easy reach. That is a bus ride longer than most routes in Brisbane.

Another way to describe how inconvenient 18km away from a station is.
My home station is Oxley, 1km from home.
18km to a station would be like me driving across the city, over the Beenleigh line, and then boarding at Cannon hill on the Cleveland line.

What is 18km though? The convenience of 18km is relative to the speed of the road, as well as the number of attractions, congestion points and alternatives you pass.

It is 20km to go from Landsborough to Caloundra. Of that, the first 14km between Landsborough Station and Parklands Blvd has two stops, which from a looking at the nearby density, probably get minimal patronage anyway. It is only that last 5-6km into Caloundra where you are really going to be stop-start, aside from that you're travelling at 80-90km/h. Additionally, when you make that bus trip, you are likely travelling to at least Caboolture, a shade under 33km. So 18km is only 1/3 of your journey.

By comparison, 18km from Oxley to Cannon Hill is incredibly inconvenient. The roads are low speed (70km on Toohey Rd is probably the best you'd do) with lots of traffic lights, intersections and the obvious pointlessness of the exercise. Finally, to get to Brisbane by car, you already have to travel 10km to the Bruce Hwy anyway. By comparison, travelling to Cannon Hill (from Oxley) as your nearest station would just make no sense.

[Gazza]

Ok so what if I equated it to driving backwards out to Springfield, where there are no traffic lights on the Centenary.
I
Again, I reiterate if you want to get freight through the NCL quicker , why not make time savings now where the construction cost is lower?

[Stillwater]

^^ The new business case will draw from previous data and will canvas all theories, compare them and arrive at a preferred solution.  I am not sure of the timetable, but suggest it would be of the order of 12 months.  The ambitious target being contemplated is duplication to Nambour on a superior alignment within five years.

Meanwhile Gazza, I suggest you Google North Coast Rail Line Capacity Improvement Study (the 'Ranbury Report').

Some extracts:

"The project identified that there is NO "DO NOTHING" APPROACH if rail is to have a future in this corridor..."


"The demand forecasts undertaken as part of the South East Queensland Rail Freight Terminal Study (SEQRFTS) indicated that the rail intermodal volumes on the NCL could increase significantly, assuming rail can address its relative competitive position with road."

"The current NCL corridor suffers from its legacy beginnings. There are significant sections of poor alignment, with sharp curves limiting speeds down to 40 and 50 kph, coupled with poor vertical alignment sections, a large number of old, almost life-expired timber and steel deck bridges, which also impose speed restrictions in most instances. The corridor also suffers from the impacts of flooding, with outages due to track being overlapped, and sections that incur damage requiring repairs, with the extended outages that this may entail."

I think you will find that the North Coast Rail Line Capacity Improvement Study answers your immediate queries.

[Gazza]

I didnt say do nothing though?

I just think you might n still get a fit for purpose outcome if say you:

-Duplicated the bit from Nambour to Woombye where the alignment wont change.
-Extra platforms at Mooloolah etc
-Increase the length of the passing loops to match the length used between Nambour and Cairns.

As I understand it, the SC line was due to get hourly services anyway on current infrastructure, but the rail fails delayed that.

I'm not sure of the view of other members of this, but going forwards a clockface hourly service is all you would ever need in the medium term to Nambour IMO offpeak (I draw parallels with the level of service on the Seymour Line in Vic) , especially when CAMCOS gets built and steals a chunk of its patronage.

So if we can already theoretically run an hourly passenger operation, then the infrastructure improvements to support freight just need to be suitable provide a step increase to meet forecast demand in the medium term and remove any curfews.

I'm interested to hear what lifespan the Government thinks they will get with their current investigation on passing loops.

***************

Ok, so people have mentioned the slow curves around Eudlo causing wear and tear.

This is what I mean in terms of other places with curves, that are cheaper to fix because possessions are less disruptive and you don't have to tunnel (And in some places, don't have to electrify)

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Rockhampton+City+QLD+4700/@-17.2789655,145.9077673,7755m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6bc300a2467c061d:0x500eef17f210030!8m2!3d-23.3790772!4d150.510016

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Rockhampton+City+QLD+4700/@-25.6323694,152.5953961,1244m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6bc300a2467c061d:0x500eef17f210030!8m2!3d-23.3790772!4d150.510016

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Rockhampton+City+QLD+4700/@-25.5235285,152.6172864,1491m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6bc300a2467c061d:0x500eef17f210030!8m2!3d-23.3790772!4d150.510016


https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Rockhampton+City+QLD+4700/@-19.5756068,147.3378928,6956m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6bc300a2467c061d:0x500eef17f210030!8m2!3d-23.3790772!4d150.510016

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Rockhampton+City+QLD+4700/@-17.4583222,145.9847216,1394m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x6bc300a2467c061d:0x500eef17f210030!8m2!3d-23.3790772!4d150.510016



I mean, If I wanted to speed up freight in Qld, I'd probably get trains out of the main street of Rocky for starters myself.........

[Stillwater]

Some more insight into the North Coast Connect project – rapid rail to the Sunshine Coast

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/promised-for-years-just-how-likely-is-a-sunshine-coast-high-speed-rail-20180118-p4yym9.html

Proposal is for trains operating at 150kph, but QR says NGR trains maximum speed is 140kph.

[Fares_Fair]

Business Case will determine those aspects.
Trains expected to operate from 160 up to 220km/h.

From my experience, I would expect tilt train technology on superelevated (that means camber, not height) tracks.
I'd also expect (know) that the current track and alignment from Beerburrum northwards won't be suitable for a fast train.
These are my speculations.

PS The NCL corridor width allows for 4 tracks in total.

All these details will be determined in the BC.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/957297999738056704

[Stillwater]

Hello Gazza

The works that you referred to (around Rockhampton) have been examined and costed.
Suggest you Google The North Coast Line Evaluation of Longer Intermodal Trains

You might be interested in:

Appendix A – Concept Designs
(Works around Rockhampton)

But, suggest you study Appendix C – Future Infrastructure Upgrades: Curve/Grade Easings and Bridge Replacements (September 2014)

Concept designs and costings for other works shown there.


[James]

Ok so what if I equated it to driving backwards out to Springfield, where there are no traffic lights on the Centenary.

Again, I reiterate if you want to get freight through the NCL quicker , why not make time savings now where the construction cost is lower?

Driving to Landsborough is not driving backwards. For 10km out of the 20km bus trip, you are travelling the same way a car would. A car going from Oxley to the city does not drive backwards out to Springfield.

The better analogy would be if the Ippy didn't exist, having a bus from Bundamba to Darra. Not ideal, but thanks to all the highway running between Dinmore and Darra, a bus would still be no more than 5-10 mins worse time wise.

On the point of other low-hanging fruit - the SCL has been identified as being in desparate need of improvement, for both freight and passenger. Let's not half-bake the exercise and build a line which will be inadequate in 10 years' time.

[Stillwater]

Queensland boasts the fastest passenger train in the southern hemisphere (the Tilts).  Capable of doing 160kph, they average less than 70kph south of Maryborough due to track condition and line geometry.  A freight train stopped at a crossing loop, awaiting a train to pass in the opposite direction, takes up to 5km to get up to optimal speed.  Passenger train capacity on the SCL is so constrained in peak hours that rail services must be augmented by buses between Caboolture and Nambour.  These are the everyday deficiencies of the SCL.

[Stillwater]

When you look at Victoria's 'Intercity' Rapid Rail to the Regions Report, it is possible to imagine trains at 200kph supporting urban expansion and growth in regional areas of Queensland. 

http://www.railfutures.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/160804-Regional-Rail-paper-v14.1.11-final-for-printing.pdf

Now, this is an ICE!

https://www.siemens.com/innovation/en/home/pictures-of-the-future/mobility-and-motors/urban-mobility-a-flexible-high-speed-train.html

[achiruel]

So I wonder considering the freight task of the NCL as well as passenger...would it be worth tripling Petrie-Beerwah rather than just duplication? Keep 2 tracks for pax services and run freight on the third, they could occasionally go on the passenger lines as required to pass opposite direction freights etc? Then duplication Beerwah-Yandina.

Quad is probably then needed Petrie-Strathpine if Trouts Rd is built?

Is that too much foam? Or actually a good idea?

[SurfRail]

My preferred outcome would be to rebuild Petrie to Caboolture for 3 tracks capable of at least 120kph (preferably higher), then 4 tracks Petrie to Strathpine.

The junction at Petrie is such a pain in the neck.  If they had done it properly, the Kippa-ring tracks would have ended up on the inside and the NCL tracks on the outside, giving you up-up-down-down feeding into up-bidi-down at both ends.  This would let you rebuild Lawnton and Bray Park to build a proper DDA compliant island platform in the middle with express tracks on the outside, and would let you separate the Kippa-Ring traffic from Caboolture / NCL once Trouts Rd is built.

[not_available]

^ ^
And then do something like this for Strathpine?
(& have turnback facilities for the North West line somewhere)
That way, when the tracks branch off, they'll only need to (probably) have the one bridge (for Redcliffe line), and have stations along the North west line built similarly to the new Bray Park/Lawnton stations.

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> CRITICAL DATE: Coast's fast rail dream to be decided

A BOLD bid to establish a 45-minute train service from Maroochydore to Brisbane has reached a critical stage.

The Federal Government's departmental assessment has been completed and in less than a month its fate will be decided.

The only Queensland project being considered, the North Coast Connect proposal is one of 11 from around the country being contemplated.

The three chosen will have their business cases developed and the Federal Government will foot half the bill.

Broad support has been garnered from the community and private sector on the Coast, while Federal Member for Fairfax Ted O'Brien said he had the support of Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay and Brisbane mayors for the project.

The multi-million dollar business case would also require state and local government funding along with the 50 per cent Federal Government contribution.

Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher and Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, are now considering the proposals.

Mr O'Brien told the Daily 'Team Queensland', the state's 26 Senators and MPs, were now lobbying for inclusion of the North Coast Connect in the top three.

He expected a decision to be handed down by mid-late February.

Mr O'Brien praised the Daily's role in the campaign to-date, which is being driven by a private sector consortium made up of KPMG, Smec, Urbis and Stockland.

"I believe that we have a really solid submission here," Mr O'Brien said.

"It's realistic, yet it reflects the bold vision that we're wanting."

He said about 28 projects had been submitted in the initial phase, as the projects vie for a slice of the Federal Government's $10 billion National Rail Program.

Ex-Treasurer Wayne Swan, a Nambour High School graduate and regular Coast visitor believed any talk of fast rail on the north line was "pie in the sky" until capacity was extended via the $5 billion Cross River Rail project which the State Government committed to funding last June.

[Fares_Fair]

The proposal for Fast rail from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast has (unapologetically) ambitious timelines.
I am informed that the Fast Rail Business Case will take around 12 to 18 months.
Assuming a 12 month scenario.

5 years to Nambour (by 2024)
10 years to Maroochydore (by 2029)

Cross River Rail will be completed by 2024 according to current State Government information.

Regarding Mr Swans comments (a former Federal Treasurer), the timing couldn't be more perfect.
No 'Pie in the Sky' impediment whatsoever.

[Stillwater]

Mr Swan is a true Labor man - pushing the party spin to the end.  Let's celebrate his swansong.

[Stillwater]

QUOTE FROM ABC NEWS REPORT:

A State Government spokesman said the Sunshine Coast idea could not go ahead until the Cross River Rail project is completed.

"What the LNP need to understand is that none of these proposed new rail lines will work without Cross River Rail to open up the network," he said. "The only way extra capacity on the Sunshine Coast can work is if there are no bottlenecks further down the line. The way you ensure that is with Cross River Rail which the Federal Government refused to support."

CRR is fully funded by the state government, because Jackie Trad told us so.  The state would appear to want to re-open the case for federal funding of CRR when Queensland firmly slammed the door and said the state would go it alone.

We need to find out exactly what the state's position is.  It seems to be saying that CRR will be built and not until the last spike is driven and the first train runs beneath the Brisbane River will attention, and money, be directed to the SCL duplication, or any other bit of major rail infrastructure for that matter.

Another interpretation of what the state government is saying is that they will countenance a situation where the state-funded CRR and the federally-funded (with state financial support) SCL fast rail line will have concurrent construction phases -- with the North Coast Connect project (for the sake of debate) opening the week after CRR goes operational.  Is that not Coast Connect occurring AFTER CRR?

The sticking point, it would seem is that the state does not want to be forking out big dollars for CRR while at the same time having to find half the cost of North Coast Connect fast rail.  This could affect the state's credit rating.

The state should not look the gift horse in the mouth, should it be offered.  A deal could be struck for fast rail to the Sunshine Coast whereby the half the Commonwealth would offer is used to fund the project 'up-front' for the first 2.5 years of construction, with the state-funded section to follow.  (The Commonwealth would seek an iron-clad contract that Queensland would honour the bargain and not have works stop abruptly at Eudlo!)

We would appear to be looking at this whole thing the wrong way.  Yes, there are two major foci, but essentially it is a single project and should be considered as such.

THE CROSS RIVER RAIL AND NORTH COAST CONNECT PROJECT

They are inter-related.  And it can be argued that a substantial federal government contribution to North Coast Connect fast rail is, indirectly, a contribution to CRR.


Hopefully that argument finds its way into the politics surrounding both projects.  Tongue in cheek, Mr O'Brien could argue: "Well the state wanted to go it alone on CRR, but we, the Commonwealth, want to help them out on the extension of fast rail to the Sunshine Coast.  The combined cost of these works is $10b, of which the federal contribution is a substantial $2.5b (or whatever."

Of course the state would then play hardball, demanding a 50-50 split, but it has pooped in its own nest on the CRR funding.  In trying to get the feds on the hook for CRR, it slipped up and ended committing to state funding of CRR, with assistance from the private sector in a PPP deal.

The same would apply to North Coast Connect probably, with the total public spend (fed and state) being reduced by the amount that the private consortium puts in.

[#Metro]

Politicians only want to self-promote. There really is not a conflict between CRR and Sunshine Coast RRR.

CRR is a given, it is funded. It will be built. It is done (finally).

Sunshine Coast RRR could be funded mostly be Feds, as it is part of the national rail network and as such, has Federal character to it.

Red Team just want to use any and every opportunity of airtime given to them to plug CRR as if that is some all-overriding thing. It is not. It doesn't matter what the discussion is, they are going to lead it back to CRR.

It reminds me of that time when Blue Team would engage in the mind-deadening rhetoric of using every media statement to reference "what the previous government did". Nobody cares about that!!

[Stillwater]

Well, SCL duplication has had numerous halts and backtracks, broken promises etc, but who would have thought that the latest development (announcement of funding for preparation of a business case for North Coast Connect) should be delayed due to, ahem, 'a ministerial affair of the heart', to put it delicately.

[Gazza]

It's all stupid anyway. You could build it simultaneously, there's no reason the commencement of construction has to wait until CRR is done.

[matlock]

It's all stupid anyway. You could build it simultaneously, there's no reason the commencement of construction has to wait until CRR is done.

Exactly. We build it, and it's sitting there ready for the moment CRR is operational.

[Fares_Fair]

Very disappointed at the misinformation (misleading spin) in the reported @thenewdaily statement by @QueenslandRail CEO Mr Nick Easy.
Claims just a 6% reduction in {#rail} services during the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games rediced services timetables period from 30 March to 20 April 2018.
I call on him to explain the REAL figures, line by line

https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/qld/2018/02/04/commonwealth-games-gold-coast-trains/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[Fares_Fair]

Had a brief chat with Steve Austin on 612 ABC radio's Drive program in Brisbane yesterday afternoon at 6:05pm, on the cuts to services being misrepresented by Queensland Rail.
It is available online here:
http://www.abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/programs/drive/drive/9453036
Interview at 2:01:55sec.

Thank you Steve for the opportunity to raise our concerns.

[ozbob]

Had a brief chat with Steve Austin on 612 ABC radio's Drive program in Brisbane yesterday afternoon at 6:05pm, on the cuts to services being misrepresented by Queensland Rail.
It is available online here:
http://www.abc.net.au/radio/brisbane/programs/drive/drive/9453036
Interview at 2:01:55sec.

Thank you Steve for the opportunity to raise our concerns.

Thanks FF. It is not always easy dealing with media!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane Metro fast-tracked to 2019 ease commuter pain

THE Brisbane Metro has leapfrogged the Cross River Rail project and been given the green light to go ahead.

Infrastructure Australia has approved the mass transit system across the Victoria Bridge, declaring that it is of national significance, leaving securing funding the last ­hurdle it will face.

IA bosses said that it was "one of the best projects in Australia" in terms of productivity gains, economic benefit, and getting more out of existing infrastructure.

The $944 million Metro, which was the signature project of Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk in the 2016 election campaign, would save commuters up to 10 minutes during peak times.

But Cross River Rail still needs more detail before getting approval, with its business case falling short.

The details will be revealed as Infrastructure Australia's priority list for 2018 is released today.

Also receiving approval will be the $722 million Beerburrum to Nambour rail line upgrade business case, which will see the duplication of 20km of rail between Beerburrum and Landsborough. ....

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

27th March 2018

Green light for Brisbane Metro and Sunshine Coast Line upgrade

Good Morning,

Some good news!  Infrastructure Australia has approved the Brisbane Metro project and the duplication of Sunshine Coast rail between Beerburrum and Landsborough business cases.  Couriermail --> Brisbane Metro fast-tracked to 2019 ease commuter pain

We have always supported the bi-articulated bus Brisbane Metro as it capitalises on the existing busway infrastructure and takes it to the next level.  The fact that much of the infrastructure already exists (the busways) helps make this project stack up strongly.

We have advocated relentlessly for many years now to get the Sunshine Coast Line upgraded.  This is great news that the next stage Beerburrum to Landsborough duplication has been approved by Infrastructure Australia. It stacks up as we have always maintained.
The improved train capacity and reliability is desperately needed.  Cross River Rail will ultimately complement better services however in the same way that the duplication between Coomera and Helensvale on the Gold Coast improved services (without Cross River Rail) the same benefit will accrue for the Sunshine Coast Line now.

Both projects need to proceed immediately in our view.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

Jeff Addison
Sunshine Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

References:

1. Brisbane bi-articulated bus ' Metro ' Plan > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12687.msg188913#msg188913

2. The Sunshine Coast Case : Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6647.0

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/978305581025865728

[ozbob]

The caution for the Sunshine Coast Line is that the present business case is for 100 km/h. To be compatible with North Coast Connect this needs to be lifted so that a higher speed capability.  Same standard Caboolture <> Beerburrum if not slightly better.

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> $722m rail upgrade plans get tick of approval

AUSTRALIA'S leading infrastructure body has placed Sunshine Coast rail duplication back on the to-do list.
Infrastructure Australia has just approved the business case for Beerburrum-Nambour rail upgrades in an updated Infrastructure Priority List released today.

The business case submitted by the State Government is for a $722 million upgrade consisting of duplication of the 20km section of North Coast Line from Beerburrum-Landsborough and extending passing loops from Landsborough-Nambour.

Route realignments, level crossing removals, station improvements, and supporting works are all included in the northern section upgrades with the project set to improve passenger and freight efficiencies and relieve pressure on the Bruce Hwy.

The Beerburrum-Nambour upgrade has been listed as a priority project with an indicative delivery time frame set within the next five years.

The net benefit of the yet to be funded project is estimated by the State Government to be $262 million.

Sunshine Coast Rail Back on Track advocate Jeff Addison said there were issues with the speed capacity of the proposal and he hoped the North Coast Connect fast rail proposal would remain the priority of both the State and Federal Governments.

Fairfax MP Ted O'Brien said the business case approval was good news for the region and he was 100 per cent supportive of both rail duplication and the region's fast rail bid.

He said he would be lobbying for federal funding towards duplication, but hoped during design and construction consideration would be given to ensure the project could accommodate high-speed rail.

Mr O'Brien said the project complemented the North Coast Connect proposal.

[achiruel]

The caution for the Sunshine Coast Line is that the present business case is for 100 km/h. To be compatible with North Coast Connect this needs to be lifted so that a higher speed capability.  Same standard Caboolture <> Beerburrum if not slightly better.

Does Landsborough - Nambour really need to be higher speed though? I think the idea of having TWO north coast connect lines is ridiculous, to be quite honest. Have high speed on the coastal strip, Nambour shuttles can meet it at Beerwah. I think 100km/h is fit for that purpose.

[ozbob]

The caution for the Sunshine Coast Line is that the present business case is for 100 km/h. To be compatible with North Coast Connect this needs to be lifted so that a higher speed capability.  Same standard Caboolture <> Beerburrum if not slightly better.

Does Landsborough - Nambour really need to be higher speed though? I think the idea of having TWO north coast connect lines is ridiculous, to be quite honest. Have high speed on the coastal strip, Nambour shuttles can meet it at Beerwah. I think 100km/h is fit for that purpose.

Referring to Beerburrum to Landsborough.  Needs to be same speed as Caboolture to Beerburrum.

The business case is really only track amplification Beerburrum <> Landsborough with some extra passing loops north of Landsborough.

[Fares_Fair]

Today is an historic day for Sunshine Coast rail duplication.
From IA website PDF (italics)



Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade              Queensland                Queensland north coast rail congestion       Near term 0-5 years     National Connectivity


For the first time in history Sunshine Coast rail duplication has been placed on Infrastructure Australia as a 'Priority Project'

Priority Projects are potential infrastructure solutions for which a full business case has been completed and been positively assessed by the Infrastructure Australia Board.
A Priority Project addresses a nationally-significant problem or opportunity.



A Queensland passenger rail project that has benefits for freight has been recognised as such at a national level, for the first time.   

[ozbob]

Well done Jeff et al !   

RIPPA RITA !!

[Fares_Fair]

Infrastructure Australia

Project evaluation Summary
Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Upgrade

http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/files/Project-Evaluation-Summary-Beerburrum-to-Nambour-Rail-Upgrade.pdf

[Stillwater]

Access the 27 March version of Infrastructure Australia's Infrastructure Priority List.

http://infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/projects/infrastructure-priority-list.aspx

Brisbane Times article:

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/brisbane-metro-a-high-priority-on-national-infrastructure-list-20180326-p4z6ck.html

BEERBURRUM-LANDSBOROUGH NORTH PROJECT (First stage)

This project will duplicate the North Coast Line between Beerburrum and Landsborough (approximately 20km long).  The project is designed to increase capacity on the link, improve network integration and reduce track operating and maintenance costs.

Building Queensland (BQ) completed a detailed Business Case for the project in December 2016. Subsequently it was considred during the state government budget process and was submitted to Infrastructure Australia (IA) for consideration on 19 July 2017.  BQ's Business Case was prepared on the basis that the Department of Transport and Main Roads is the project owner and Queensland Rail would be the delivery agency.

The project has a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.48.

Following consideration of the Business Case and approval by IA, the Queensland Government intends to commence funding negotiations with the Federal Government.

The awarding of a contract could occur in Q4 2018, but only if the State Government or the Federal Government commits funding in the 2018-19 financial year. This would allow construction to start in Q2 2019 and be completed by late-2021 or early-2022.

Project details

Individual elements of the upgrade, subject to confirmation, are likely to include:

-   Full rail duplication (i.e. two new tracks) of the section between Beerburrum and Glass House Mountains within the protected corridor on an improved alignment
-   Duplication of the section between Glass House Mountains and Landsborough North, primarily within the existing rail corridor and extension of the passing loop at Landsborough to the north
-   Replacement of the Barrs Road level crossing, near Glasshouse Mountains, with a new connection to Coonowrin Road
-   Replacement of the Caloundra Street level crossing at Landsborough with a grade-separated road over rail solution
-   Improvements to the intersection of Beerburrum Road and Steve Irwin Way, Beerburrum
-   Expansion of park and ride facilities at Landsborough and Beerburrum.

[matlock]

Really good news. Where does this leave CAMCOS?

[Stillwater]

"The submission indicates that the funding model may contain a mix of contributions from various levels of government. During the development of this submission, negotiations have not commenced with the Australian Government or any other levels of government as to the quantum, timing or nature of contribution from these funding sources, as the business case is subject to cabinet approval."