That’s kinda the point I was clumsily trying to make - the proposals that we needed a direct special tunnel to run one stop express airport trains, to save a few minutes off the journey and add millions to the price tag make no sense to me.
We absolutely need a train to the airport, just I’d want it to be adding value to the wider network, find the extra stations that a slightly slower train could service, so it does create some extra space for new development near new stations.
Currently the proposals don’t detail more than seemingly splitting off at Sunshine and going directly to the airport - I don’t think that’s good value for Melbourne’s needs.
Melbourne’s city loop is a prime example. The project was built in a time when public transport usage was declining, critics said it was noisy, disruptive and unnecessary, and the opening was extremely slow and staggered. But fast forward 30 years and it’s now the core of Melbourne’s train network, is crammed with trains so much that it has no more extra capacity, and is now being augmented by new infrastructure.
Funnily enough you have people criticising the Metro Tunnel for similar reasons.
Yep, same thing is happening with Cross River Rail here. Complaints that the infrastructure won’t support the frequency needed, especially with the periphery of the network in Brisbane being a shambles.
A lot of ‘advocates’ fail to recognise we can’t fix every aspect at once. Beenleigh/GC corridor needs four tracks… eventually, but right now simply getting CRR built is a big enough win. Then upgrade the surrounding network.
Bingo. Only problem with the alignment is it narrowly avoids Airport West, which would be a major trip generator (plus an interface with the 59 tram, 901 Smartbus, etc.)
I’d also argue for a station at Sunshine North, especially if the Solomon Heights development ever gets off the ground (and good luck with that).
The exact route between the Albion-Jacana freight line and Melbourne Airport has not been decided, so an underground station below Westfield Airport West is possible (you never know).
Speaking of 59 tram, the Victorian Government will allocate $1.5 billion from today’s Budget to purchase 100 Next Generation Trams and commence the establishment of a tram maintenance facility in Melbourne’s north west. I reckon the new depot will replace the existing Essendon depot on Mount Alexander Road. The government will have to buy existing properties to build the new facility and I can’t think of anywhere to build it other than Matthews Avenue in Airport West, which is a light industrial area.
Is there any indication that Melbourne’s airport rail will be surcharged like Sydney or Brisbane? Perth’s system (opening in about 12 months) will be a standard 2 zone fare ($4.90).
The Victorian Government said on the weekend that the cost of travelling on Melbourne Airport rail link would be similar to those on Skybus service between Southern Cross Station and the airport. Currently it costs $19.75 for an adult one-way ticket on Skybus. However, if you travel by public transport between the same two places it only costs $4.50 on a Myki card, so there will be a “surcharge” of $15.25 based on today’s prices.
Federal and Victorian Governments have both pledged $5 billion to the Melbourne Airport rail link project. It’s not known at this stage if private sector will provide any additional funding.
Stunned that there was opposition to the City Loop. Can you imagine if we still just had Flinders Street and Southern Cross station to serve the entire CBD?!? Would be a nightmare.
The Metro Circle Tunnel will be done in two parts (Cheltenham to Box Hill) and Sunshine to Melbourne Airport(however I think it should be Sunshine to Broadmeadows as that cover all Regional lines except the Gippsland lines obviously.
The Suburban Rail Loop is so far two stages - Cheltenham to Box Hill (planned), Box Hill to Airport. The Airport Rail Link is part of the Metro network, SRL is a separate system (and, rumour has it, might not be a loop after all, but split in two at the Airport with a separate line heading west)
Public Transport projects always attract opposition - quite often it’s because of the amounts of money spent where it’s perceived that there is only a limited benefit.
The same is happening in Sydney at the moment with opposition to the Metro projects
Joondalup will soon have electric buses for their CAT services in a few years time but at the moment the CAT services there is currently operated by newer B8RLE’s which replaces the 2 older Mercedes-Benz O405NH such as this one which I saw near WACA yesterday evening.
