Re: Airport rail link

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"Michael" <usenet.spam@gunzel.net> wrote in message
8FE6A71A3gunzelT333@139.130.239.94">news:8FE6A71A3gunzelT333@139.130.239.94...

> This would be my favoured option. It's the most direct way to the airport
> IMHO. There is plenty of reserve available for it, start by running along
> side the freeway, and then tunnel under the freeway to exit on the
Essendon
> Airport property along Mascoma Street. Join up with the freeway again
where
> the Ring Road joins and run down the centre of the freeway to the airport,
> and have an airport "loop". i.e. the train will first stop at Ansett, then
> continue to International, then to Qantas then run back along the down
> route.

Very messy - you can walk from Ansett to Qantas (through International) in
less than 5 minutes - the train would be moving less than 200 metres between
stops.

A better solution would be to mark the carriages (if a dedicated train) as
being best for Ansett, best for International, and best for Qantas. The bets
for Qantas would obviously be the front cars, International the middle cars,
and Ansett the rear cars. One station could serve the lot, with exits for
each terminal strategically placed on the platform. The reason you would
advertise which cars were best is  to allow people to get into the best
carriages (so if you were going to Ansett you would not join the front car).
Of course, this would be accompanied with platform signage and
announcements.

> I totally agree with you there, but try explaining that to our "public
> transport activists". They seem to think that 99% of everyone's journeys
> either originate or terminate in the city, so for the 1% that may go from
> say Reservoir to anywhere else in Melbourne, make them travel via the city
> or catch a bus. I would personally drive if I had to go from Reservoir to
> Ringwood (assuming I had a car in the first place), the Ring Road is
useful
> for that (almost).
>
> Just what proportion of journeys do end/originate in the City anyway?
> Personal experiences would count in this.

If it was based on Sydney (and I know Sydney and Melbourne are different,
but they are also very similar) there are a large number of cross-suburban
journeys which would be rail carried *if* the transport links were adequate.
Sydney ahs a vast cross-suburban network - you only have to see the numbers
using the DrugLink services to see that, as wella s changing at places like
Lidcome, Glenfield, Strathfield, etc.

Dave