Re: North Shore Line Duplication (New St Leonards Station)

["Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au>]

The way I read the cadastral map that comes with the PRL EIS is four tracks
from where the PRL joins the North Shore Line (just south of Roseville) to
just south of Chatswood station.  The 4 running lines then become 2 running
lines with the down remaining on its current alignment and the new up line
will be constructed to the east of the existing up line alignment.  The
plain then indicates "Turnback with storage for extra 8 carriage train along
alignment of existing up line".  This indicates standing room for 2 x 8 car
trains to me, that is, one stored with remaining space for another train to
terminate.

The EIS refers to peak direction flows of 4 to 6 trains/hour Westmead to
Epping and 8 to 10 trains/hour Epping to Chatswood.  If 10 trains/hour are
run to Chatswood then the EIS states that 2 of them will terminate at that
point.  The EIS is based on 8 vacant paths Chatswood - City.

The EIS does not recommend an extra two tracks south of Chatswood.  The
working papers do however contain details of such options - which
necessitates a visit to view the EIS if you're curious.  The options are
(from memory):
1.    Quadruplicate the existing line from Chatswood to North Sydney on the
same alignment;
2.    Quadruplicate the existing line from Chatswood to North Sydney on the
same alignment Chatswood to St Leonards and a new direct underground
alignment St Leonards to North Sydney using the terminating road platforms
at North Sydney (I
can't recall provision for an intermediate station);
3.    Quadruplicate the existing line from Chatswood to North Sydney on the
same alignment Chatswood to St Leonards and a new direct underground
alignment St Leonards to North Sydney (new underground station at North
Sydney - very deeeeeep!).  Continue beneath the harbour (no stop at Milsons
Point and become
the Metro West line, located west of Wynyard and Town Hall.

Chris

Hubert Lam <hubert@imap4.com> wrote in message
88dt6n$3df$1@news1.mpx.com.au">news:88dt6n$3df$1@news1.mpx.com.au...
> But they AREN'T terminating at Chatswood! They head further south to the
> City, hence for the diversion/addition of Main North Hornsby services to
run
> to Epping then Macquarie and on to Chatswood then to the City.
>