What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra? Question on 612

[ozbob]

http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2012/03/whats-happening-with-plans-for-trains-to-caloundra.html?site=brisbane&program=612_breakfast

From 612 ABC Brisbane Radio Breakfast with Spencer Howson

Listeners Questions - What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

21 March 2012 , 10:32 AM by Spencer Howson

Jim from Caloundra - What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

ALP

We have a comprehensive plan in place for rail and transport on the Sunshine Coast - a plan that's already delivering better and more timely access to services. This includes a major new rail timetable that includes a seventh afternoon service to the Sunshine Coast where previously only five afternoon services were available, as well as boosting morning services and working to provide more seats for commuters travelling on the Caboolture line But it's not just about putting services in place now, the Bligh Labor Government is also planning for the future to provide better transport links for Sunshine Coast communities. We will continue to improve bus connections between Caloundra and existing rail stations as the Sunshine Coast's population grows. In the long term our Regional Transport Plan for South East Queensland, outlines an additional rail line from Beerwah to Maroochydore viaCaloundra.

LNP

(a) Will an LNP government move to immediately fund and construct duplication of the rail line to Nambour to remove what has been described as the worst rail transport bottleneck in Australia? And if not why not? The LNP is committed to delivering better infrastructure and better planning. Noting Labor has created $85bn in debt and a $150bn unfunded infrastructure liability, the LNP will establish a pipeline of projects to ensure investment can be targeted to areas of highest priority first. We have already identified six priority projects, including upgrading the Bruce Highway, and we will continue to identify infrastructure projects for areas of need. The duplication of the rail line to Nambour will be considered as part of this process and LNP candidate for Nicklin John Connolly will fight hard, if elected, on behalf of his local community to make this happen. In the meantime, we will act immediately to halve Labor's scheduled fare slugs over the next two years.

(b) Will the LNP immediately provide funding and adopt timeframes for the replacement of temporary rail platforms on the Sunshine Coast with permanent structures? The temporary rail platforms on the Sunshine Coast are yet another demonstration of a tired 20 year Labor government's failure to plan and build vital infrastructure. The current QTRIP (Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program) is full of projects that the Bligh government has announced, yet more often than not no funding has been allocated, and completion times are deferred to the never- never. We will act immediately to halve Labor's scheduled fare slugs over the next two years.

KATTER'S AUSTRALIAN PARTY

The Australian Party's approach to moving people more quickly on the northern Brisbane corridor revolves around a plan to up-grade the Gateway bridge to Sunshine coast section to a 125kmph highway. The party is planning to add a passenger service on the Brisbane to Beaudesert Interstate line but has no current plan to build new rail infrastructure into Caloundra. Rapid movement of people between Caloundra and central Brisbane is critical though and the party would be keen to work with residents about the best way to achieve that. Getting people out of Brisbane and into lower cost housing opportunities around D'Aguilar and the Caloundra regions is central to the parties approach to managing rising costs of housing in Brisbane along with traffic congestion and peak hour transit times.

GREENS

The Queensland Greens supports both a light rail and fast rail services as well as expanded freight links between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and beyond (eg Toowoomba). Our transport plans favour public transport, but also support tourism, business and farming, as we recognise the importance of people and goods needing to be able to travel to their desired destinations. The Government's transport plans has been woefully inadequate to deal with the growing population in Qld S-E or growth in regional areas, especially given the resources boom, or to address remote community needs.

[ozbob]

 

I hope who ever is in government actually seeks out some good advisors and listens ...

[Jonno]

KATTER'S AUSTRALIAN PARTY

The Australian Party's approach to moving people more quickly on the northern Brisbane corridor revolves around a plan to up-grade the Gateway bridge to Sunshine coast section to a 125kmph highway. The party is planning to add a passenger service on the Brisbane to Beaudesert Interstate line but has no current plan to build new rail infrastructure into Caloundra. Rapid movement of people between Caloundra and central Brisbane is critical though and the party would be keen to work with residents about the best way to achieve that. Getting people out of Brisbane and into lower cost housing opportunities around D'Aguilar and the Caloundra regions is central to the parties approach to managing rising costs of housing in Brisbane along with traffic congestion and peak hour transit times.

Oh dear. Look who is stuck in the 1970's!!!

[Barbar]

What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

lol....as expected from Queensland political parties; a big fat zero for the foreseeable future.

[Mr X]

The Australian Party's approach to moving people more quickly on the northern Brisbane corridor revolves around a plan to up-grade the Gateway bridge to Sunshine coast section to a 125kmph highway. The party is planning to add a passenger service on the Brisbane to Beaudesert Interstate line but has no current plan to build new rail infrastructure into Caloundra. Rapid movement of people between Caloundra and central Brisbane is critical though and the party would be keen to work with residents about the best way to achieve that. Getting people out of Brisbane and into lower cost housing opportunities around D'Aguilar and the Caloundra regions is central to the parties approach to managing rising costs of housing in Brisbane along with traffic congestion and peak hour transit times.

The section to Caboolture from Pine Rivers has been progressively upgraded from 2000ish to 2008. It is 4/5 lanes each way past Pine Rivers through Murrumba Downs and then 3 lanes to Caboolture. Past Caboolture it is 2 lanes each way until Cooroy.

Apart from some very dangerous interchanges on the Sunshine Coast and the horrible onramp southbound from Caloundra Road, there is nothing wrong with this stretch of road. I agree, in northern parts of the state the highway is quite bad, but this section is not.
The KAP can comfortably increase the speed limit from 100 to 120 between Caboolture and Pine Rivers without any infrastructure needed.
The only part of your Gateway to the coast upgrade plan that needs attention is the Gateway Mwy north of Nudgee, in which case reducing the speed limit around some of the sharper corners (there are plenty) should be sufficient.

I am sorry KAP, but your media release does not make sense. You first state you want more people living in Caloundra but then deny them a proper public transport link to Brisbane. Why?

The Queensland Greens supports both a light rail and fast rail services as well as expanded freight links between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast and beyond (eg Toowoomba). Our transport plans favour public transport, but also support tourism, business and farming, as we recognise the importance of people and goods needing to be able to travel to their desired destinations. The Government's transport plans has been woefully inadequate to deal with the growing population in Qld S-E or growth in regional areas, especially given the resources boom, or to address remote community needs.

Again, the obsession with light rail. Why?

[Fares_Fair]

The design speed for this section of the Bruce Highway is actually 130km/h.

[Mr X]

 

[colinw]

What's happening with plans for trains to Caloundra?

[somebody]

NCL duplication is surely more important than this line.  Walk before we run!

[Arnz]

I personally pick that they rather they finish the duplication to Landsborough first, and perhaps push triplication from Lawnton to Narangba (to allow increased freight and traveltrain capacity, as well as allowing the 2x peak hour trains that operate the slow express to/from Nambour to run express Northgate to Caboolture during the busiest of peaks).

[colinw]

NCL duplication is surely more important than this line.  Walk before we run!

Correct. Duplication to Landsborough (or at least to the future junction at Beerwah) is a precondition, as are the capacity enhancements toward the CBD to handle the additional services.

Right now putting a spur line in toward Caloundra would be utterly pointless.