After all these are YOUR RAILWAYS: OUR FUTURE
Victor P Taffa
On the right hand side of the front page of The Southern Thunderer is an active link to my other website. The site contains a map of Australia that will over a period of time become an active National Railways website. Each State and Territories will also become active websites.
Key Features
- Interstate trains to go to Adelaide instead of Keswick
- Interstate trains to go to Darwin instead of Palmerston
- Duplicate and electrify new and existing railway lines
- Part Quadruple all existing railway lines
- Water pipelines along railway corridors
- High speed electric trains similar to Japans ‘Bullet Train’
- Light Rail/Tram use of heavy rail tracks to join towns
- Rail Ferry to Tasmania
The vastness of Australia requires the need to introduce High Speed trains that are similar to Japan’s ‘Bullet Train’ so travel times can be reduced and enable people to choose which particular mode of transport that they wish to use. We all have the right to choose between using a car, bus, plane or train to go from point A to point B.
There is an Overall Network Map that is the future look of the Sydney Metropolitan Railways. These plans are for the existing Railways and not a combination of other modes of Transport. Other modes of transport would feed into expanded railway lines.
Metro Rail was going to be the ‘magic solution’ to solve Sydney’s transport woes. Trains WITHOUT a driver or guard would never be a credible option. Expansion of existing lines is the easier and cheaper option. If we can have legislative reform for Metro Rail the same can be done for the existing Railways.
The Concise and Detailed Overview Reports are on the website and further add to the case of what Sydney cannot ignore: Railway Expansion.
Sydney’s Central Business District always has and always will remain at the heart of the life, growth and prosperity of New South Wales. Despite decentralisation and growth further afield, Businesses, Government and the wider populace will continue to come to the Sydney CBD. Ever since 1788, the centre of activity has been in Sydney.
Sydney is littered with retail businesses now consigned to the history books. Names such as Baberfields, Waltons, Anthony Horderns, Grace Bros, Gowings, Mark Foys, Bon Marche, Farmers and Marcus Clarke are some that served to remind us just how the CBD has played a part in the life of Sydney and New South Wales. No doubt with the advent of universal car ownership and suburban shopping centres that shopping patterns have changed. However, there is still a certain ‘magic’ of going to ‘town’. The Railways radiate into the Sydney CBD. Currently, the City Circle line is running at capacity. The future ability to expand our existing Railways depends on new lines for the CBD. When the Railway from Sydney to Parramatta was opened in 1855, the city planners knew that the Railway would have to go into the city. Initially the Railway terminated at what we now call Redfern.
The Tramways came in 1861 and went in 1961.The replacement by buses was supposed to be the answer to all our problems. In 1926, the City underground Railway opened. The City Circle line was completed in 1956. Even in 1932,when the Sydney Harbour Bridge opened, there were four railway tracks of which two remain and two became Tram lines and were removed in 1958. Of the two tracks that were used by the Tramways these were to form part of a Railway to the Northern Suburbs.
With the City Circle lines at capacity, there is a need to construct a new CBD line so future demand is met and the expansion of the Railways can proceed. Suburban Railway expansion requires lines to connect to from somewhere and join an existing system. Isolated lines or Metro lines will only remain disjointed and not solve the problems as intended.
As a Candidate for the State seat of Newcastle in March 2011 I will highlight what we need NOW. Regardless of the outcome of the election all Government’s need to provide long overdue investment in the railways.
Taxing the Mining Industry to the ‘eye balls’ or selling off electricity retail providers will not sustain New South Wales beyond one election.
Railway rolling stock should be built in New South Wales and not simply ‘assembled’ in New South Wales.
The Hunter Region as with the rest of New South Wales is groaning at the lack of fast, reliable transport.
The Hunter Economic Zone is waiting for a State Government who is willing to allow affordable housing to be built.
The existing Northern Line at Hawkesbury River while providing for a scenic journey provides the people of Newcastle with a 15 minute slower train trip to Sydney than was the case 50 years ago.
Constructing new coal only railway lines are vital to coal exports and local communities such as Cessnock and Maitland. A city of 40,000 such as Cessnock requires passenger services to cope with both an ageing and growing population.
The planned Cessnock Line will cut travel times to Sydney and can be built down the middle of the planned Branxton Expressway corridor.
For new land releases to continue to occur without a new Railway line being built is absurd. Included in the website are needed legislative changes so that we do not continue to make the same mistakes of transport planning that has been made in the past.
The Illawarra Region also requires fast, reliable transport as the population both ages and grows. The existing Illawarra Line is hampered by a number of operational restrictions similar to what the residents of the Blue Mountains experience. Some years ago there were two derailments on the Illawarra Line. These were the Coalcliff and Waterfall derailments.
The planned Princes Line will ease pressure on the Illawarra Line particularly between Hurstville and Sutherland where the Illawarra Line goes from four tracks to two. Further congestion will result on the Illawarra Line when the Cronulla Line duplication is completed and operational.
Fast travel times for Wollongong residents will be provided with a new straight Princes Line. The alignment of the Princes Line will utilise the F6 corridor and use both underground and surface alignments.
When Governments are elected, the focus is on immediate concerns in marginal seats. What is required is a plan that can be delivered over the next thirty years and not engage in ‘piecemeal’ transport planning. Railway expansion should transcend party politics.
Sydney unlike Melbourne was never a planned city. Even the County of Cumberland plans have been dispensed with. While there is a Minister for Roads and not a Minister for Railways, the deliberations of State Cabinet continue in favour of Road construction. There has been a continued widening and expansion of the road network, but our Railways are at capacity.
Even duplicating and quadrupling existing Railway lines does not occur as it should have over the last sixty years. Laying additional tracks is the same as widening roads for new traffic lanes. How many roads in New South Wales have been widened over the same period of time?
Yes we need to upgrade the Pacific and Princes highways however the Railways have not matched the growth of Metropolitan Sydney over the last sixty years. An upgrade of the Pacific and Princes Highways should also contain Railway expansion.
Even as we have built new Railway lines in recent years, there has been a chorus of complaints from the NIMBY’S (Not in my backyard). New Railway lines are used by people from all suburbs and to alter routes and construct a Railway with a steeper gradient or suburbs without a Railway station is ridiculous to say the least. Once again that is why legislative reform is required to avoid making the same mistakes of the past.
Throughout New South Wales there are towns, cities and communities separated by the ‘tyranny of distance.’ Despite the invention of the motor car the need to join people with reliable transport is critical as we handle the needs of both an ageing and growing population. The map of New South Wales allows for dual track, electrified railway lines that will also house water irrigation pipelines along the railway corridor.
Electrification of all railway lines allows for light rail/trams to provide fast and frequent services between communities and enables for a greater use of railway lines. While the XPT Country Link services are reliable no doubt a fully electrified railway line will add value to our railways.
After all these are YOUR RAILWAYS: OUR FUTURE
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