I really don’t understand the criticism. There’s still going to be the same amount of connections as originally intended. And the current station was only built as part of the Regional Rail Link project 10 years ago.
I feel as though the ‘like Southern Cross’ comment has been misinterpreted by people. I interpret it in relation to the station being a major interchange station like Southern Cross, but other seemed to legitimately think that it was going to mean that the station would drastically increase in size.
The Victorian Government announced today that the City Loop would close from 9pm on January 2 to last service on January 15, 2023, as part of the summer Big Build program. During the period, crews will work around the clock to upgrade smoke detection, extraction and sprinkler systems at Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament stations. All three stations will be closed with no trains running through the loop.
Newcastle down to the Illawarra (Kiama as the last stop) should be a no brainer for fast rail… we shouldn’t still be living with 1960s train technology into the mid 21st century.
I’m not sure I agree with his take about rail journeys needing to take two hours or thereabouts to be viable.
What they need to sell is the benefits of rail v planes (and I’m not talking carbon emissions). Wifi on board, the ability to work door to door, less hassle than lining up for security etc for a plane.
I took a train from Edinburgh to London a couple of weeks ago after flying the opposite way the week before, four hours or so all up it took via train but I got so much work done on wifi then watched stuff on my laptop, didn’t have to worry about security and commuting to the airport etc and it’s city-centre to city-centre. I reckon it chewed up as much time organising for the plane and getting luggage etc at the other end as it did the train and it was a much more pleasant journey.
The guy is the chairman of an airport, of course he’s going to talk down a rival technology like high speed rail.
In my view, a high speed rail line from Newcastle to Canberra, via the Central Coast, Sydney and the Illawarra, would be ideal as the first HSR project and would be very successful given the distances aren’t too great and the very large population it would serve.
From then, once the concept has been proven, future projects could extend the line from Canberra to Melbourne (via Albury and Shepparton) and from Newcastle to Brisbane/Sunshine Coast (up the Pacific Highway corridor.
yes and no. if your talking commuter travel 2 hours is probably the max, and thats what we should be looking at.
from a south east qld perspective (because that’s what i know) - Brisbane to Toowoomba is a 2 hour drive in the peak. having it on high speed rail means its a viable place to live and work in the city. this brings so many benefits to the town - easier access to hospitals, entertainment and more. it means city workers can live there. it may revive dying schools, help with local economies and bring down house prices in the city as there is more viable supply.
I still think progressive decentralisation of business is a better longer-term societal outcome than simply increasing travel speeds to get people in and out of the main CBD.
There needs to be a reasonable middle ground though - flying beats the train if you’re going from Sydney to either Brisbane or Melbourne (and vice-versa) by a significant margin and the train isn’t particularly reliable because of decades of under-investment.
High Speed Rail will never happen in Australia - the economics simply dont stack up given the investment required to get a network to an appropriate standard.
Achieving a faster rail journey between Sydney and Canberra should be a priority if you want to reduce flights to close locations (like what’s happening in France)
100%. I looked into the train from BNE to SYD as i needed to go to syd for work.
the timetabling sucks (train leaves brisbane at 4:55am and gets in at 20:12, for $75, or you get a 13:30 coach to casino, get in at 18:30, and at 19:30 get an XPT from casino that gets in at 6:45am)
why would i travel 15 hours when for $30 more i can fly, do it in 4 hours door to door and be fed as well? (and yes i know the train isn’t really meant for end to end travel - its more for people from in between
And until the trains get updated, no WiFi or Charge ports, and buying a business class seat isn’t an upgrade in reality (maybe a little extra leg room if anything from memory, did that once from Wauchope to Sydney having bussed in from Port Macquarie).
Nearly 60 designs were submitted for the design competition, considered by a panel of six judges from Yarra Trams, Midsumma, JOY Media, and the Victorian Department of Transport.