Re: Airport rail link

[usenet.spam@gunzel.net (Michael)]

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).

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

M.

-- 
(To email me just remove ".spam" off my email address).

Whip me, Beat me, just don't Windows ME