Melbourne Metro tunnel

[ozbob]

Twitter

Alison Savage ‏@alisavage 2 minutes ago

#springst govt confirms Swanston St as preferred route for Melbourne Metro rail project

[ozbob]

Melbourne Metro Rail Project --> http://www.dtpli.vic.gov.au/transport/major-projects/melbourne-metro-rail-project

[still to be updated with today's developments, shouldn't be too long]

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> $9-11b Melbourne Metro Swanston Street project to go ahead: Daniel Andrews

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Metro rail Tunnel: Melbourne needs it, so let's build it

[Stillwater]

Melbourne - seven years from concept to start of construction of Metro Rail.

And 'Can Do' Queensland's record for Cross-River Rail?  How many years?  How many more years? 

At least we have the glossy brochure, the 'drive-through simulation' now out of date; and don't forget the competition to name the project.  (I wonder whether the rail pass that the female winner of the competition received as a prize remains operational).

Only in Queensland.

Thank God for Springfield and Petrie-Kippa Ring lines!  At least Mr Scales will be able to cite them among career highlights when he goes before the Directors-General job selection panel.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> It's a west side story as trams switch routes for Metro rail tunnel

[pandmaster]

Swanston Street does have A LOT of trams. Perhaps it will not be such a bad thing. I wonder if the diverted trams will still terminate at Unimelb.

I think that ripping up Swanston Street is necessary, however I am concerned that Swanston Street will never be the same. It is a lovely part of Melbourne, lively at all hours of the day (I have seen it about as busy as Queen Street at 11PM on a weeknight) and has a wide cross section of society passing through. I hope that retailers do not get scared away permanently and people's patterns return to as it is now once the work is finished.

[SurfRail]

That's what happened in Surfers Blvd.

[STB]

Melbourne - seven years from concept to start of construction of Metro Rail.

And 'Can Do' Queensland's record for Cross-River Rail?  How many years?  How many more years? 

At least we have the glossy brochure, the 'drive-through simulation' now out of date; and don't forget the competition to name the project.  (I wonder whether the rail pass that the female winner of the competition received as a prize remains operational).

Only in Queensland.

Thank God for Springfield and Petrie-Kippa Ring lines!  At least Mr Scales will be able to cite them among career highlights when he goes before the Directors-General job selection panel.

Memo to myself: Move to Melbourne once university is complete and never come back to Backwater Brisbane.

[ozbob]

^ ROFL.  Even Puffing Billy has a better frequency than some of the waste lands in SEQ ..

[ozbob]

Melbourne - seven years from concept to start of construction of Metro Rail.

And 'Can Do' Queensland's record for Cross-River Rail?  How many years?  How many more years? 

At least we have the glossy brochure, the 'drive-through simulation' now out of date; and don't forget the competition to name the project.  (I wonder whether the rail pass that the female winner of the competition received as a prize remains operational).

Only in Queensland.

Thank God for Springfield and Petrie-Kippa Ring lines!  At least Mr Scales will be able to cite them among career highlights when he goes before the Directors-General job selection panel.

The ' Naming competition ' was a harbinger of the sheer folly of it all ..

No acronyms  .. so they called it BaT tunnel ..  I kind of sensed then that it was damned and all but a political charade (again) ...

[pandmaster]

Perhaps as a sweetener for the Swanston Street disruptions the government could put trams on Russell or Exhibition Street. The diverted trams could use it and it would fill in a grey hole (not significant enough to be black) in the CBD tram network.

[SurfRail]

I expect what will happen is more trams just using the existing corridors.  Definitely more trams up William St leaving the St Kilda route at Domain interchange.  Possibly installation of curves at Flinders Street and Elizabeth St to allow throughrouting of the 19/57/59 to St Kilda routes - may even require termination of some of the Flinders St routes at Fed Square.  Possibly even do something sensible like run Route 3 via the St Kilda light rail route to the top of Spencer St, then along Latrobe St.

[ozbob]

Premier of Victoria Statement

$1.5 Billion To Get Started On Melbourne Metro Rail Project

Tuesday 28 April 2015

The Andrews Labor Government has announced $1.5 billion to cover all anticipated planning, design and significant early works ahead of major construction of the Melbourne Metro Rail Project in 2018.

The huge funding injection provided in the 2015-16 Victorian Budget will allow the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority to complete the reference design, undertake the statutory planning process and get this public transport mega-project started.

The funding also provides for land acquisition, preparation of Expression of Interest and Request for Tender documents, and significant early works such as tram rerouting and service relocations, ahead of contract award and major construction of the tunnels.

Premier Daniel Andrews and Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan, made the announcement today at the project's first geotechnical testing site since the project was abandoned by the previous Liberal government.

Geotechnical investigations are a key part of planning and designing the project, providing critical data about ground conditions and soil quality. The information gathered will inform the precise alignment, depth and design of the new rail tunnels and underground stations.

Over the coming months 140 boreholes will be drilled between South Kensington and South Yarra. This testing builds on previous geotechnical work undertaken for Melbourne Metro Rail, and will be complemented by site surveying, underground service identification and other preparatory works.

The Melbourne Metro Rail Project will transform our rail network into an international style metro system, like London or New York. It will increase the capacity, reliability and efficiency of Melbourne's busiest train lines, allowing 20,000 more passengers to use the train system in peak hour.

Quotes attributable to Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews

"The $1.5 billion announced today allows us to design, plan and complete significant early works on Melbourne Metro Rail."

"Melbourne Metro Rail is the biggest public transport infrastructure project in Australia , and the biggest overhaul of our public transport system since the City Loop."

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan

"To build underground tunnels, you need to know exactly what's under the ground. That's what geotechnical testing will tell us."

"Melbourne's new underground rail network will move 20,000 extra people in peak hour. The previous Liberal Government abandoned it, but Victoria needs it."

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> No date yet for #Flagstaff weekend openings

[pandmaster]

I have no idea why Flagstaff was ever closed on weekends to begin with.

Why not institute weekend service when RRL opens? This is pretty silly from the ALP.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Abbott could help fund Metro Rail project: Pallas

[ozbob]

Waking up in Geelong blog --> Melbourne Metro – details finally revealed?

[hU0N]

Melbourne Age --> Abbott could help fund Metro Rail project: Pallas

"(All states are) welcome to put forward proposals under the Initiative that recycle capital from asset sales into public transport projects.

"The infrastructure just has to be new and demonstrate a clear net positive benefit to the economy," Mr Hockey said.

They left out the rest of Mr Hockey's statement..

According to Mr Hockey, "The federal government is happy to contribute up to 15% of the cost of new infrastructure. Our only requirement is that it be new and have a positive BCR. Of course, we'd love to contribute more but right now our policy is to only contribute 100% of the cost towards infrastructure projects that have a negative BCR.

"In these tight economic times the government feels it is important to prioritise spending by directing our limited funds towards the worst possible investments that lose us the most money and leave the Australian people with the least to show for it.

"Some people are going to say that we have our priorities backwards, but when you, like the Liberal Party, have good economic management in your DNA.

"Vote Joe.. I mean Tony."

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> New underground station for South Yarra ruled out in rail tunnel plans

[ozbob]

^

Premier of Victoria Statement

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/labor-government-rules-out-south-yarra-chaos

Labor Government Rules Out South Yarra Chaos

Friday 15 May 2015

Connecting Melbourne Metro Rail to South Yarra Station would cost up to a billion dollars and destroy more than 100 properties – yet it would be of little use to South Yarra locals.

A Melbourne Metro Rail Authority assessment of South Yarra connection options show the case for including a new station at South Yarra is 'very poor', providing a meagre return of 20 to 33 cents for every dollar invested.

The original option assessed by the Authority placed new platforms more than 200 metres away from South Yarra station, over Toorak Road, making it complicated and time consuming to change between lines.

These poorly connected platforms would cost around $700 million to build and would require the destruction of more than 100 properties.

To build the platforms closer to South Yarra station would cost $970 million and require the acquisition and destruction of 82 homes and half the Jam Factory.

The benefits for passengers and local residents of this chaos and distress would only be marginal compared to the benefits Melbourne Metro Rail will already provide to South Yarra locals.

Melbourne Metro removes the busiest line on the network – the Cranbourne Pakenham line – from South Yarra Station. This will reduce congestion at the station and enable more frequent and reliable trains from Sandringham and Frankston every few minutes into Flinders St and the City Loop.

These high-frequency, 'turn up and go' services will have seamless connection to every line on the network, including the new Melbourne Metro Rail stations, via the new underground rail system.

No matter how you build it, a connection at South Yarra just doesn't stack up and won't be built by the Andrews Labor Government.

However, with train patronage and population growing, improvements will be required at South Yarra station and considered as part of planning for a growing network.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport, Jacinta Allan

"Melbourne Metro Rail provides two underground connections in the CBD – that's what our train system needs. An additional connection at South Yarra would cost a billion dollars, destroy more than a 100 homes and businesses and would be of little use to South Yarra locals."

"A billion dollars would be better spent improving services across the metropolitan and regional train network."

"If the Liberals and Greens want another station at South Yarra they need to justify why they'd spend a billion dollars destroying homes instead of fixing our rail system."

"For people in South Yarra, Melbourne Metro Rail means faster, more reliable services to the CBD and across Melbourne."

[SurfRail]

Same issue if the tunnel started at Caulfield like it was meant to - it would have avoided South Yarra anyway, just without passing so close to it.

[pandmaster]

While ideally I think there should be a station at South Yarra, Melbourne are in the blessed position of having a fantastic tram network. Rail passengers for Domain that can not transfer onto a train using the new tunnel can just get a tram there from South Yarra with minimal fuss. Connections can be made for stations on the northern section at Flinders Street, so I do not think this is a disaster. If it really does save $1 billion then it seems worth it.

When I first found out about the project (when the previous ALP government were in power) they were going to convert the existing lines feeding the tunnel to metro standard (including 9 car trains IIRC). The project has changed so many times that I have lost track of whether that will be done as part of the tunnel or it is a long-term plan.

[SurfRail]

Apart from the aberration where the Frankston line would have gone via Montague and taken over two of the loop tunnels, the basic parameters have pretty much always been the same - trains from the northwest (Sunbury and eventually Melton when electrified) to Footscrape, enter the new tunnel, pop out somewhere along the Caulfield group inner section and feed through to Cranbourne and Pakenham.  I think the project in this form has always involved 9-car trains since its been a serious proposal.

The biggest changes have been moving the southern tunnel portal closer to the city so they could afford to do it in one hit.  Earlier versions had the Dandenong services entering a tunnel at Caulfield then possibly with stations further down St Kilda Rd than Domain, and then it go split up so the northern half would be done as far as Domain with the rest to follow to Caulfield in future.

[ozbob]

YCAT --> Victoria needs further federal funds for rail

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Metro rail may go ahead without EES

[pandmaster]

The nuts and bolts of this third iteration are the same as previous proposals, so residents have had their chance to provide feedback. I do not mind either way if they have one or not.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Alan Davies @MelbUrbanist

Should Melbourne Metro have a station at Sth Yarra? The Urbanist http://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2015/05/19/should-melbourne-metro-have-a-station-at-sth-yarra/ ...

[ozbob]

Twitter

Tony Morton ‏@tonybmorton 21s

(Presumed) Melb Metro test drilling in Carlton. #21stcenturyinfra

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Rail tunnel boreholes to create heavy disruption in Swanston Street

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Melbourne Metro development ramped up

[ozbob]

The Age --> Federal govt opens door to funding Melb Metro rail tunnel

[pandmaster]

Abbott's underlings often say one thing to be swiftly shot down in a "captain's call".

[hU0N]

The need for Melbourne Metro is far from clear

[ozbob]

The need for Melbourne Metro is far from clear

Good article this.  Fixing the existing issues with signalling, track  etc.  & improving operational basis will give the necessary capacity.

I reckon a tunnel Caulfield to Clayton would be a better option than attempting to do all the surface LXs.  Unless they do track amplification as well; very difficult to achieve Caulfield <-> Oakleigh, they are really pushing stuff up the proverbial hill.

Still keep the surface line but only run local all stoppers.  The LXs would only be closed for say 10 minutes in peak compared to up to 50 minutes in the peak per hour.

Expresses and VLiners would go via the tunnel.

[SurfRail]

I've seen many and varied proposals to fix the issues.

One was:

- build 4 tracks between Oakleigh and Westall

- run all services from beyond Westall as expresses - all stations to Oakleigh, then stopping only at Caulfield, South Yarra, Richmond and beyond

- link the all stations services starting at Westall to the Glen Waverley line by connecting Oakleigh to Darling or East Malvern via Chadstone, leveraging the unused capacity on the Glen Waverley line and terminating all GW and Westall services at Flinders St

- close Hawksburn, Toorak, Armadale and Malvern

- extend the local tram lines to in that area to connect to other lines where they don't already:

-- Hawksburn already sandwiched between the 8 and the 72 - potentially extend the 8 to Kooyong or longer term keep it going towards Burwood, while the 72 already goes to Gardiner
-- Toorak sandwiched between the 72 and the 6 - no need to extend the 6 as it already goes to Glen Iris, but can extend it towards Ashburton and Warrigal Road
-- Armadale is right on the 6
-- Malvern is near the 16 and 64

- Extend Route 5 to Darling and Chadstone and 3/3a to Chadstone

- Have proper north-south bus axes on the other major roads in the area to mirror the Chapel St and Glenferrie Rd tram lines

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Melbourne Metro to tunnel under Yarra River


http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/12z7v7/MelbourneMetroRail729px.jpg

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/melbourne-metro-rail-tunnels-under-the-yarra

Premier Victoria

Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnels Under The Yarra

The Melbourne Metro Rail Project is taking shape, with the Andrews Labor Government choosing tunnelling as the preferred method for the crossing underneath the Yarra River.

Premier Daniel Andrews joined Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan today to announce that tunnel boring machines will be used to excavate the two Melbourne Metro rail tunnels between the new CBD South and Domain stations.

The Government is getting on with planning and development for this transformative project, with $4.5 billion in funding already secured, almost half the total expected cost.

Tunnel boring machines are currently being used to build New York's Second Avenue Subway project and London's CrossRail project.

The use of tunnel boring machines will reduce the environmental impact on the river and limit inconvenience to local small businesses and Melbourne's pedestrians and commuters.

Other techniques would significantly disrupt the Yarra River and its surrounds by either damming or creating an immersed tube tunnel, which involves dredging of the river bed.

Tunnel boring machines allow for excavation through varying ground conditions and have specialised cutting heads designed to grind through soil and rock, with minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

The machines also enable the excavated tunnel to be immediately sealed with a concrete lining.

The tunnel will be eleven metres below the surface and will sit to the east of the Princes Bridge, around seven metres below the riverbed.

The details of the final location, design and construction methodology for the tunnels will be determined by the appointed construction contractor.

Melbourne Metro will deliver two new nine-kilometre rail tunnels and five new stations to Melbourne's rail network, unlocking capacity in the City Loop so more trains can run more often.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

"We promised to build Melbourne Metro Rail so more trains can run more often, and we're getting on with it."

"This is the biggest overhaul to our train network since the construction of the City Loop."

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan

"Tunnelling under the Yarra will reduce disruption to the environment and to local businesses."

"It's an exciting time for Victoria. The projects that our state needs are underway, so people can get home to their families safer and sooner."

[ozbob]

9 News -->Victorian government reveals their tunnel vision for new CBD rail project