US private equity firm TPG has bought a 70% stake in Kinetic Group, which operate in several Australian states including Skybus and dozens of public bus lines in Melbourne.
1 Like
Today marks 140 years since cable tram began operations in Melbourne.
The ABC’s Iskandar Razak wrote the following article and introduced the report when he presented the Victorian 7pm bulletin last night.
Victoria’s independent expert advisory body, Infrastructure Victoria, is calling on the state government to duplicate, upgrade and extend the (Upfield line between Gowrie and Upfield) by 2030, as part of its broad pitch to government for strategy for the next 30 years.
A state government spokesperson said the government welcomed the strategy from Infrastructure Victoria, and said current works on the Upfield Line were focused on building two new stations.
Meanwhile, the federal government has committed $7 million for the state government to “develop a business case that will provide options to upgrade services on the Craigieburn and Upfield lines”, said Federal Member for Wills, Peter Khalil.
Worth noting the Upfield line was meant to be duplicated, reconnected at Somerton, and running Seymour and Shepp V/line trains by now according to the 2012 Transport Plan…
Criaigieburn still has major level crossings in densely populated Moonee Ponds and Kensington. How many more services can the line take before the boom gates are permanently down during peak hour? Surely they are a priority for removal?
The Moonee Ponds level crossing can easily be removed by putting tracks under road, but the Kensington situation is quite complex. To the north is the notorious Racecourse Road overpass which has a 4m height clearance above road, and has been hit by numerous trucks in the past. To the south is the junction where two tracks become four tracks and on a hill which slopes from west to east. If the Kensington level crossing is to be removed, it will have to be elevated, in conjunction with a new overpass at Racecourse Road with minimum 4.6m clearance.
Both stations would be highly protected buildings. Moonee ponds is just so busy, they need to lower the rail so that multiple new road crossings can be built over it.
at kensington, I think the rail could go under the road, but a new station building would have to be built on the south side of Macaulay road.
Public Transport Users Association has called on the Victorian Government to extend platforms at all regional V/Line stations.
A similar situation in Adelaide. Our two electrified lines use 3-car trains in regular service. But there’s so many stations on those lines that are also too short for the occasional peak 6-car trains.
Sadly, 6-car trains are a rare sight on our underused network.
Between Miami and Burleigh Heads, work continues to progress track installation, pavement works and landscaping. Testing on this section of the new line is scheduled to begin in the first half of next year ahead of passenger services opening along the full line between Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads.