Re: Airport rail link

["Alex Pout" <alpout@optusnet.com.au>]

Michael <usenet.spam@gunzel.net> wrote in message
8FE6A71A3gunzelT333@139.130.239.94">news:8FE6A71A3gunzelT333@139.130.239.94...
> Alex Pout <alpout@optusnet.com.au> wrote in article
> <3a08da8b$0$19430$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au>:
>
> >How about another radical suggestion: Branch off the Broady line at
> >Pascoe Vale, run along the north east side of Essendon Airport, then
> >parallel with the Tulla Fwy to the larger airport.  It would complete
> >the loop with the Albion line, giving direct access to the airport from
> >most of Melbourne then, if trains run along the Albion-Jacana line (is
> >that electrified? The only train I remember along there was an XPT one
> >morning as I went over the Maribyrnong River, looked good as dawn was
> >breaking, no camera though. I'd always wondered where the SG access to
> >Melbourne was).
>
> 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. No point work required (unless you have more than one terminating
> track, useful if a train is faulty) and no change of ends is required.
This
> may not be the cheapest option, but certainly the most practical and
> direct.
>
> >One of the biggest problems I had with Melbourne's train network was the
> >lack of ring lines, ie the fact that everything radiated out of the
> >city.  I thought when I lived there that a ring line from say
> >Frankston-Dandenong-Ringwood/Bayswater-Watsonia-Fawkner-Jacana and
> >connect with the Jacana-Albion line would make sense.  Of course, that
> >was purely selfish thinking, from having to put my g/f on a train at
> >6:30 every morning from Coburg to Boronia (apparently FSS is not
> >pleasant at that hour) while I headed off to Port Melbourne.  But
> >wouldn't it make sense to plan something like that now, and possibly
> >build in conjunction with the Eastern Ring Rd? The 2 could practicaly be
> >side by side, from how I read my Melways..  It's what they do in
> >Europe....
>
> 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).

That was my impression of Melbourne overall, that it was the centre of
everything.

> Just what proportion of journeys do end/originate in the City anyway?
> Personal experiences would count in this.
>

For me, I lived in Coburg, worked in Port Melbourne, was in the CFA at
Greenvale, and my girlfriend lives in Boronia.  Consequently, not many trips
I/we made involved going through the city, not when looked at how the crow
would fly them, anyway.  Given the choice, I would have moved to Greenvale,
as the WRR and Broady train line would have suited me to the ground.  I only
went into the city when I needed to, definitely not 99% of the trips I made,
maybe more like 3-5%.  Also did a lot of travelling around the eastern
suburbs, Boronia to Cranbourne etc, and around the north.

Even when I first arrived in Melbourne, and lived in St Kilda, I hardly ever
went into the city (and did use the trains/trams to do so).  Having to go to
the city to change did deter me from going on more rides on trains though,
say out to Stony Point or Werribee.  Of course, coming from the Cityrail
area originally, it also surprised me that there were no trains like V-sets
or even Endeavours (ie commuter type trains) to get from Melbourne to
Geelong.

Al