Re: Airport rail link

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

> 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?

No, it wouldn't. The reason is that orbital trips are too dispersed to
make a railway worthwhile. For that Coburg - Boronia trip, supposing
the route you suggest was chosen, she would have to go out to Fawkner,
around to Ringwood, and then on to Boronia taking three trains. By the
time she's done that, she might as well have gone into the city and out
again. Coburg to Boronia is a long trip simply because its a long way,
and always will be. This isn't to say it couldn't be made easier by
more frequent trains and more expresses - it could - but a ringrail
wouldn't help much. As for building it in conjunction with the Scoresby
Freeway, this is a lousy idea because there are no destinations to
serve along the Freeway reservation (and the freeway shouldn't be built
at all....)

> > I don't believe it's necessary to compensate Transurban if a
passenger
> service
> > to the airport materialises.  Freight service is a different matter.

Thats right.

Vaughan


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