Article: QR 'must act now' to ease congestion

[ozbob]

From Quest Westside News click here!

QR 'must act now' to ease congestion

QR 'must act now' to ease congestion

BRISBANE, June 4: Passengers on badly over-crowded trains from Ipswich and Oxley are desperate for more peak hour rail services, the community action group Rail Back on Track says.

Spokesman Robert Dow said 50 additional three-car, peak time trains were needed to solve the problems.

Mr Dow said congestion on rail services was set to get worse when work began on the Hale Street link and Queensland Rail (QR) needed to act immediately.

"Services on the Ipswich line are stretched beyond capacity," he said.

State Member for Indooroopilly Ronan Lee supported the call for more Ipswich rail services.

As the price of petrol approached $2 a litre, more commuters would seek to use public transport, he said.

Mr Dow said additional trains should leave from Ipswich to pass through Oxley from 6am.

"Ramping up rail in a high frequency capacity, fed by integrated feeder buses will go along way to relieving the westside's road congestion problems," he said.

"As for the specifics of what time you'd start the service and from what station, that's not necessarily something I'd like to get into."

Mr Lee said he still strongly advocated a new rail line veering off the Ipswich line and travelling to Bellbowrie via Darra.

Spending on "unpopular roads", like the Kenmore bypass, was unnecessary if money was spent sensibly on public transport infrastructure, Mr Lee said.

Minister for Transport John Mickel was not available for comment before the Westside News went to print.

[ozbob]

Media Release 4 June 2008

SEQ:  RAIL Back On Track backs Save Our Kenmore calls for common sense

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has backed calls by Save Our Kenmore (1) for sustainable better alternatives to the Moggill Pocket Sub Arterial and Kenmore Bypass roads.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

?RAIL Back On Track has previously highlighted alternatives to feeding yet more traffic congestion into the Moggill Road,  Centenary Highway congestion corridor, arguably one of the worst traffic arrangements in Brisbane (2).?

?A heavy rail branch line from the main western line from around Wacol to Bellbowrie-Kenmore would provide rapid access to high speed sustainable mass transit.  The main western line is presently being upgraded from Corinda to Darra and there will be sufficient capacity in place to be utilised for this innovative approach.?

?A road connection with a bridge to access Wacol or Darra railway station that permitted high frequency integrated buses to run from Kenmore-Bellbowrie would be an alternative to the branch line.  This would still provide a rapid commute to either Brisbane or Ipswich via the railway.?

?The advantage of these approaches, rail or bus, is that it is counter to the congestion peak flows and the rail head could be serviced from feeder buses again going against the congestion flow.  Also access to Ipswich a major decentralisation site for the future is also easily achieved.  It is cost effective, sustainable and does not add to the congestion that already is a major issue for residents, it would in fact relieve congestion.?

?More of the same is just confirming gridlock and congestion. Time to think and act smart!?

References:

1.  http://www.saveourkenmore.com/

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=762.0


Robert Dow
Administration 
admin@backontrack.org

[david]

Just an idea...

Why doesn't the State Government fund a study into using the preserved corridor at Kenmore for a rail line. The line could start at Moggill, go through Pullenvale and Kenmore, over the Centenary Highway to Fig Tree Pocket and then follow the river to Indooroopilly. If not, how about a busway through the same corridor, except turning off at the Centenary Highway into the city and, as proposed, into the Northern Link tunnel?