The Sunshine Coast Case : Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour

[ozbob]

The new generation rolling stock will all that will be needed I expect.  There are speed limits in from Caboolture, and the gains from fast trains would be minimal, particularly in terms of the costs.  I am not sure what the NGR top speed is but probably in the region of 120-140 km/h.

[petey3801]

NGR top speed will be 140km/h. Also, they will have slightly faster acceleration compared to the 160/260s as well.

[Fares_Fair]

NGR top speed will be 140km/h. Also, they will have slightly faster acceleration compared to the 160/260s as well.

Government reports quote travel speeds of up to 160km/h after North Coast Line rail duplication to Nambour.
They do not specify types trains per se.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Also, they will have slightly faster acceleration compared to the 160/260s as well.

Hopefully you guys don't break them under acceleration like some did with the 160/260's

[Stillwater]

The Government report quoting trains of speeds of 160 kph was from the Bligh days, from memory, and probably was a reference to Tilt trains, whereas the NGR 140 kph is more realistic.  The issue is which speed was factored into the BCR calculations for B-Nbr duplication (travel time savings etc)?

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

^Nothing's changed since the steam days of the 19th Century ... that train is hanging around for a train to pass in the opposite direction.  Pa Kettle runs QR. 

[Stillwater]

The Queensland Labor Government is obliged to explain its fuzzy thinking regarding the duplication of the SCL, currently focussed on the Beerburrum to Landsborough section.  Its plan is to seek federal funding for this work.  Under the LNP, the way forward was to have involved a lease of the NCL to Townsville by the Australian Rail Track Corporation, a private company wholly-owned by the federal government.  A lease feasibility study was being undertaken, involving the ARTC and QR, at the time of the election.

(Is a lease to the Commonwealth via a public company that it owns regarded as an administrative swap and not a lease to private enterprise in the true sense?)

State Labor came to power on the policy platform of no lease deals for public assets.  Firstly, does that include the lease of the NCL; presumably so?  What then, in Labor's view, is the administrative and policy basis for the Commonwealth to invest in the B-L duplication, particularly when the PM has made clear that his government will not invest in public transport.  A deal of sorts was being hatched with the ARTC lease whereby Commonwealth investment would be in freight components, with the state possibly building passenger rail infrastructure, such as platforms, stations and car parks.

Secondly, and this is where the focus should occur right now, the immediate focus relates to the North Coast Line Capacity (NCLCI) Project, commissioned by TMR.   It was due to be completed in January and lies sitting on a shelf somewhere in Government.

The project was subdivided into a number of tasks, including an assessment of the rail corridor conditions (infrastructure, traffic task and performance) and an investigation into the freight market on the North Coast Line corridor; as well as the identification of potential policy and infrastructure options to increase the utilisation of the rail corridor.  The feasibility of running longer freight trains on the NCL was a further consideration.

In the interests of transparency, the state government should issue this report.

[pandmaster]

The ALP may have been concerned that Abbott would sell off the ARTC (IIRC that was in the budget last year). Leasing the NCL to them would probably encourage the Coalition to sell the ARTC off to embarrass the ALP.

[Stillwater]

SCL duplication the first priority for Infrastructure Queensland, when it is formed, says Trad.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/fund-public-transport-queensland-urges-federal-government-20150422-1mqpym.html

[ozbob]

^

... Ms Trad said the duplication of the Sunshine Coast rail line would be considered by Labor's new infrastructure body, Building Queensland, when it was formed.

"We know this is a critical piece of infrastructure for residents on the Sunshine Coast," Ms Trad said.

"It will be one of the first projects that Building Queensland will look at." ...

The project was ' shovel ready ' in 2009 ...   incompetent Governments at State and Federal  level are just going around and around in circles of waste, spin and bull.

[Stillwater]

Ms Trad's spin on this is a portent of what we can expect:  "Once again I made it very clear that Queensland is very, very interested in the federal government changing its position on funding public transport infrastructure projects," Ms Trad said.

The Feds and states are playing a staring game, seeing who will blink first - no real solutions apart from the continuation of the politicking.

The Minister should have gone to the Feds with a deal, not a bucket of bluff.  The trouble is she has a bucket of stuff-all to dip into.

Everyone is sitting around waiting for someone to jump first with the suggestion of a higher GST, a bigger Medicare levy, an extra surcharge on petrol etc.  Queensland can ask Canberra to collect a higher fuel excise fee in this state, with the money returned to Queensland.  Petrol prices are coming down, so motorists would hardly feel the pinch.  Market forces would iron out a 3c litre increase for three years.  A "3x3 Program" with an ironclad guarantee that the pain would go away in three years time would raise a bucket load of cash to spend on PT throughout Queensland, not just in the SE corner. If SEQ is where the state government wants to concentrate the pain to protect Labor seats up north, then a congestion tax may be the way to go.

Everyone is trying to get blood from a stone, when what's really required is a non-anaemic new stone.
 

[pandmaster]

There is not much Trad can do until IQ is established. Once they have "analysed" (surely after so many studies they just have to give a symbolic green light) then I agree, she should definitely take a funding proposal to Canberra. That way the ball is in their court. I appreciate that despite the blaringly obvious need for this project she is sticking to the rules for infrastructure spending that the ALP took to the last election. How about forcing BCC to go through IQ was well?

There are plenty of ways for Canberra to come up with funds without new taxes or raising them for the bulk of the population. They can get rid of silly concessions and loopholes for a start (e.g. negative gearing, superannuation tax rort).

[Stillwater]

Confirmation that TMR is 'studying' SCL duplication. (How much more 'studying' must be done?)  Meanwhile, train stabling facilities at Woombye and Elimbah means that SC will have an extra 9 train services a day, allowing for hourly departures off-peak from the end of 2016.

SCD report: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/trains-to-run-every-hour-govt-reveals/2630998/

[ozbob]

Confirmation that TMR is 'studying' SCL duplication. (How much more 'studying' must be done?)  Meanwhile, train stabling facilities at Woombye and Elimbah means that SC will have an extra 9 train services a day, allowing for hourly departures off-peak from the end of 2016.

SCD report: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/trains-to-run-every-hour-govt-reveals/2630998/

... slowly ... gains of  inches, inches, will lead to miles in the end ..

[Arnz]

Confirmation that TMR is 'studying' SCL duplication. (How much more 'studying' must be done?)  Meanwhile, train stabling facilities at Woombye and Elimbah means that SC will have an extra 9 train services a day, allowing for hourly departures off-peak from the end of 2016.

SCD report: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/trains-to-run-every-hour-govt-reveals/2630998/

Good news!  This quote however

"Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington said there would be nine additional daily services, four from here and five from Brisbane."

This would mean that the hourly services would have to be in the interpeak (between 9am and 3pm) and a complete rewrite of the SC timetable for 2016 (taking into consideration the new NGR deliveries and subsequent  staff rostering) would be required as well.  As for weekend, like on certain Brisbane lines and going by QR's track record, hourly services on the SCL would start around 9am (or 10am on Sundays) and finish around 5pm or so.

Evening services or weekend early morning services (before the hourly services start) would remain at every 90 minutes reading inbetween the lines of Wellington's quote.

[ozbob]

inches ...

Sector one has to be redone for MBRL as well ..

[pandmaster]

Is there a media release from Trad on this? There are very few details in this article. No mention of the fate of the current railbus. Will it be abolished or kept in some form? I assume these services will go to Nambour, however they could terminate at somewhere like Landsborough and have railbuses from there.

I thought capacity constraints were partly to blame for the poor frequency. How have freight and long-distance passenger trains been affected?

Overall a positive development, just frustrating how little has been revealed. I think Trad was desperate to announce something transport related.

[Stillwater]

In the past, previous governments have 'vagued up' wording around services to the 'Sunshine Coast', i.e. referring to Landsborough and NOT Nambour.  So, agree, we need greater clarification.

[Arnz]

Re railbuses - going by what Wellington said again, the 9 services daily statement (4 inbound, 5 outbound) would indicate that the 649 would still be required in the counterpeak direction during AM and PM peaks, assuming the statement meant hourly to Nambour during the daytime off-peak/weekend.

[Stillwater]

Interesting comments from the SCD website re Woombye Train Stabling.

from gatto101:
"The government can build and put all the trains they want at Woombye, still will not get more people on board. How about having cheaper tickets ? Or offer yearly discounted tickets ? Oh and are we on time for the rail duplication to Nambour by 2017 ? Not seen a lot work being done since 2012 the government resumed all the land and then resold it again between Palmwoods and Woombye for the rail duplication. We must be the only major city on the planet that only the rich can afford public transport, the rest of us are forced to take private."

from tommo69:
"What good are hourly off peak services going to do? The trains run empty throughout the day. We need higher frequencies in the peaks, we need shorter journey times and we need cheaper fares. Fix the bottleneck in the city and build the cross river rail."

[Stillwater]

Further content from the SCD website, indicating that rail track duplication to Nambour is at least 10 years away:

Meanwhile, Woombye Football Club president Mark Dixson said the grounds where his club played were safe for now. Queensland Rail confirmed the area where the club, as well as a church, Scout hall and pony club were based, would not need to be vacated until rail duplication work began. That work is not currently funded. "At this point in time we will be there for the next 10 years but after that we don't know," Mr Dixson said.

[ozbob]

From the Sunday Mail 31st May 2015 page 30

Coast Rail On Track

[ozbob]

^ 

[bretto82]

I like the bit under the story for tomorrow's cm article why Brisbane buses running half empty on clogged streets could be a good one or just the normal BS from the mail

[ozbob]

Sunshine Coast Daily --> Frustration as Coast rail duplication back at square one

Scott Sawyer | 16th Jun 2015 5:00 AM
Brett Wortman

HE'S not giving up, not yet.

But after more than four years of broken promises, fruitless studies and empty commitments, you couldn't blame Jeff Addison if he did.

The Palmwoods commuter and Sunshine Coast spokesman for Rail Back on Track has been relentless in his push to see improvements to the public transport artery servicing the Coast.

As pressure increases on the Bruce Hwy, rail duplication is passed around like a political football and every day, Mr Addison and thousands of other commuters become more and more jaded.

"Despair would probably be the term," Mr Addison said.

"We despair every time they change the timetable.

"Our journeys get longer, the express legs get shorter."

The latest blows to Mr Addison's efforts were delivered by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

Responding to a question on notice put forward by Buderim MP Steve Dickson, Ms Palaszczuk revealed that Sunshine Coast rail duplication plans were back to square one.

"While this government will not be pursuing the Strong Choices asset sales campaign, the Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade project will continue to progress via the State's Project Assurance Framework with a view to having a Preliminary Evaluation, including Cost Benefit Analysis, completed by mid-late 2015," she said in response to the question asked on May 7.

Preliminary evaluation marks only the second stage in a seven-step process under the Project Assurance Framework endorsed by then-Premier Anna Bligh in November, 2007.

Ms Palaszczuk said the preliminary evaluation undertaken would also consider the potential for staging and sub-options, to stretch the investment over a longer period, a process which, when asked by the Daily last week, could not be explained by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad's office.

A TransLink spokeswoman said a cost benefit analysis was currently underway on the proposal and once complete, sometime before the end of the year, it would form part of the preliminary evaluation. If approved, State Government would explore funding options.

If approved, business case development would begin on the duplication, and while it was clear the State Government's funding plans centred on lobbying Federal Government to finance at least part of the project, Ms Trad's office was also unable to confirm what sort of priority it would be given.

In May 2014 all eight states and territories signed up to the Federal Government's $5 billion Asset Recycling Fund initiative.

The program was designed to encourage the long-term leasing of state-owned assets to drive infrastructure development.

Dependent on the value of the asset and the amount to be reinvested directly into infrastructure, the Federal Government would chip in up to 15% of the price to assist with infrastructure projects.

Of the eight states and territories that signed up in May last year, two of those were Labor governments.

The then-Newman Government pledged $532 million for the duplication if re-elected. But the ALP firmly opposed asset sales or long-term leasing.

Mr Addison was scathing of Nicklin Independent MP Peter Wellington.

"He (Mr Wellington) gave them government for a $3.3 million upgrade of Nambour Train Station, it's extremely disappointing," he said.

"He's done nothing to get it happening and you can't keep blaming the Federal Government."

RAIL DUPLICATION TIMELINE:

2007: Premier Bligh endorses Project Assurance Framework, as Caboolture to Beerburrum duplication and upgrades from Beerburrum to the north discussed

2009: Bligh commissions study into line duplication from Caboolture to Beerburrum

2009: $298m Caboolture to Beerburrum duplication complete

October 2013: State Government makes submission to Federal Government for funding Beerburrum to Landsborough upgrade project

Post-2013: Landsborough to Nambour lines lay dormant, no upgrades actioned

May 2014: All eight states and territories, including two Labor governments, sign up to Asset Recycling Fund, encouraging long-term asset leasing to fund infrastructure development

2015: LNP voted out in Queensland on back of strong anti-asset sales/lease campaign by ALP, despite promising $532m for rail duplication if re-elected, dependent on asset leasing

May-June 2015: Premier Palaszczuk says Sunshine Coast rail duplication project is back at preliminary evaluation and cost benefit analysis stage

[Stillwater]

Geez, what the hell does this mean?

"While this government will not be pursuing the Strong Choices asset sales campaign, the Beerburrum to Nambour rail upgrade project will continue to progress via the State's Project Assurance Framework with a view to having a Preliminary Evaluation, including Cost Benefit Analysis, completed by mid-late 2015."

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/duplication-plans-derailed-train/2672548/

State Labor is of a view that Beerburrum-Nambour duplication should be assessed to see whether it could proceed to the 'preliminary evaluation stage'.  What of the myriad studies and evaluations that have gone before?  Did they go through the shredder?  Or are they tainted somehow, as documents handled by LNP people could have germs?

If a 'preliminary evaluation' is the next stage, when will the 'final and complete evaluation' be completed?  And where to then?  C'mon Labor, is Mr Wellington going to stand for this?  Or is this what you see as the bare minimum you need to do to keep him on side?

Just like Team Red had CRR and Team Blue had to change it to BaT, we have got to rid this state of the political interference in infrastructure planning.  Projects are managed to death to give the impression something is happening, or going to happen, when the planning is going nowhere, with no prospect of a result.

We now know that the BaT was little more than a political stunt .... a Claytons project that was never going to get up post election.  Labor is doing the same – stringing this project out on the Never Never.  As the LNP did.

[Stillwater]

Just read a master planning document for Beerwah, dated 2014, that says B-Nbr duplication will be completed by 2020 and Camcos Rail will be built 2021-26.  B-Nbr project, for completion in 2020, would require project to start about now.  State Labor now talking about having a 'preliminary business case' by mid-2015 (isn't that about now?) for a project that we were told was ready to go after the most recent state election.  While the money promised by the LNP is no longer there, why do we need to go back to square one and prepare yet another business case?     :conf 

[johnnigh]

It seems obvious as all get-out that the duplication 'must' have a very positive cost-benefit statement, but can anyone tell me whether there actually has been such an evaluation and business case created between 2007 and today.

There 'must' have been some, according to Stillwater, (within TMR or by consultants?) but I don't recall any grand announcements as there were for CRR.

So, could anyone tell me about them?

If there haven't been any business cases or cost-benefit evaluations boasted about by any Ministers, then we simply have to say they have to be done.

[Fares_Fair]

Cost Benefit Ratio in output generation to the Queensland economy = $4.57 billion over 7 year construction period (from Report)
Cost = $2.0 billion.

CBR = 2.285  or as Hon Warren Truss said..  that's very good.

[Stillwater]

FF would know to the last decimal point, but BCR, from memory, exceeds 2.5.  Project EIS is done, Coordinator-General has signed off, as he is required to do.

[ozbob]

Public transport policy in Queensland is an utter shambles .. 

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

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow 4m

SEQ public transport is a shambles ... time for action @jackietrad  bus no shows, lates, network a mess ...  fares farcical .. #qldpol

[Fares_Fair]

It seems obvious as all get-out that the duplication 'must' have a very positive cost-benefit statement, but can anyone tell me whether there actually has been such an evaluation and business case created between 2007 and today.

There 'must' have been some, according to Stillwater, (within TMR or by consultants?) but I don't recall any grand announcements as there were for CRR.

So, could anyone tell me about them?

If there haven't been any business cases or cost-benefit evaluations boasted about by any Ministers, then we simply have to say they have to be done.

CBR noted above.
SW is correct , the Co-ordinator General gave the approval to proceed construction on 9 November, 2011.
Hon Andrew Fraser released the media statement on that date.
That applied for 22km Landsborough to Nambour leg.

The 17km section from Beerburrum to Landsborough was starting construction in 2009, a contract was let to the Startrack Alliance.. and announced to be completed to Landsborough by mid-2012 by Hon Paul Lucas in 2006.
Works stopped at Beerburrum, literally 24 days after LNP won seat of Glass House (seat in which the works were occurring) and Labor won government.

Sometimes I really hate politics .. this was one of those times.

[Stillwater]

I stand corrected, 2.285.  Thanks FF.  A very good BCR, even acknowledged as such by the relevant federal minister and Deputy PM.  Governments always call for more reports and more business case analyses when they don't have any money to construct -- they just want to kick the thing down the track.  If your stalling is effective, you kick the problem to the other side at an election.  That has been the case with the SCL duplication for some time now.

[ozflier]

Its hard to believe that the current government will last  out the whole term let alone be relected.

I am a cynical person but I suspect that Trad has no intention of doing anything about the duplication -I expect a few more press releases, the usual opportunities to blame the Feds but nil concrete will happen.

[mufreight]

Highly probable that the present government will start duplication and realignment on the Beerburrum to Glasshouse section before the end of next year so it can say it has done something to satisfy the electorate and keep Peter Wallington on side.

[Stillwater]

I am with Ozflier.  Rail duplication issue is not going away -- the media won't let it.  Andrew Powell MP interviewed this morning on ABC Annie Gaffney.  (For more than 10 years, this guy has pinned his profile as a politician on the duplication issue.)  Channel 7 Local News featured story tonight, including interview with Jeff Addison, public transport sunshine coast advocate.  Ms Trad also interviewed and stuck to her now familiar line that she is working on the federal government to change its mind on funding public transport.

[James]

Highly probable that the present government will start duplication and realignment on the Beerburrum to Glasshouse section before the end of next year so it can say it has done something to satisfy the electorate and keep Peter Wellington on side.

Why?

Peter Wellington also agreed to support for the Nambour Station upgrade and the Speaker's chair. He's happy. They're also blue seats. The Sunshine Coast is becoming a conservative heartland. There are not seats to be won there. Jackie Trad can just say 'Tony Abbott needs to fund rail' and just palm off the issue.

The media won't let it go though, and good on them for it. But Jackie Trad doing something about it? I'm more inclined to see we'll see CRR built before SCL duplication.

[Stillwater]

Sunshine Coast Daily readers say that rail travel between Brisbane and the Coast like 'third-world country'.  Read the story and click on the embedded video: http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/readers-discuss-coasts-rail-third-world-country/2675856/

[HappyTrainGuy]

They have no idea what a 3rd world railway line is like.