Re: Remove City Loop trains from Burnley group lines

[Peter <railvic@iprimus.com.au>]

Mike Alexander wrote:
> 
> Well, if we had lots of money to spend on solving this problem, this is what
> I'd do:
> 
> Run the Caulfield loop clockwise and the Burnley loop anti-clockwise at all
> times. Dig more ramps to allow Burnley trains to get to the current
> Caulfield loop and Caulfield trains to get to the current Burnley loop. Run
> every second train on Ringwood, Glen Waverley & Caulfield lines alternately
> through each loop.

"Run the Caulfield loop ** clockwise ** and the Burnley loop **
anti-clockwise ** at all times ... allow Burnley trains to get to
Caulfield loop ... Caulfield trains ... to current Burnley loop".  No
thanks, as this will create "headon", wouldn't it?

"Run every second train on Ringwood ... alternately through each loop" -
So this mean a Glen Waverley trains will leave from platform 4 going
anti-clockwise, while next Glen Waverley will leave from platform 2
going clockwise?
 
> Run the Sandringham and Alamein trains straight through to the Upfield and
> Williamstown lines via Flinders St, the "new" viaduct, and Spencer St. (or
> to the Aiport line in the future). I don't reckon there'd be enough paths
> through the loops for these lines, even allowing for best practice of ~30
> tph through the loop. There might be a need for a flyover to get the Alamein
> trains across to near the Sandringham lines in the Jolimont yards.

Ok, add another long flyover at Richmond Junction ... Why not,
considering we already have quite a few foot bridges linking MCG to the
Tennis Centre already?

> Dig a new ramp from Jolimont (on the other side of the tracks to the
> existing ramp) connecting to the Northern loop towards Parliament, and a new
> connection from the Northern loop to Spencer St. Also dig a new connection
> between the Clifton Hill loop and Nth Melbourne. Similarly to above, run the
> Northern loop anti-clockwise and the Clifton Hill loop clockwise at all
> times.

Does this mean we will have trains bypass Spencer and Flinders Streets -
eg. North Melbourne - City Loop - Richmond, or Jolimont - City Loop -
North Melbourne??

> Jolimont trains could alternate between:
> 
> a) Direct to Flinders Street, and then back to Jolimont via the current
> Clifton Hill loop
> 
> and
> 
> b) Down the new ramp at Jolimont into the current Northern loop, and around
> to Parliament, Melb Central, Flagstaff, (via the new connection) Spencer St,
> Flinders St and back to Jolimont.

Clifton Hill group train alternative between platform 1 and 3 in loop
stations ...

> Trains from North Melbourne (except for the previously mentioned Upfield and
> Williamstown lines) would alternate between:
> 
> a) Nth Melbourne (via the new connection to the Clifton Hill loop),
> Flagstaff, Melb Central, Parliament (via the currently idle ex-City Circle
> connection), Flinders St, Spencer St, Nth Melbourne, using the current
> Clifton Hill loop

Northern group alternative between platform 1 and 3 in loop stations ...

> and
> 
> b) Nth Melbourne, Spencer St, Flinders St, Parliament, Melb Central,
> Flagstaff, Nth Melbourne via the current Northern loop.
> 
> While I was at it, I would change Platform 1 at Flinders St to an island
> platform . There are currently two tracks between Platforms 1 and 2, and a
> wide platform, so there is enough room for it. The track for the new
> Platform 1 would have to be right up against the building though.
> 
> I would also remove all recovery time at Flinders St, so that trains run
> through it just like any other station. All recovery time should be at the
> end of the lines.

>From what you described above, we will require more recovery time, not
because of signalling, train movements, etc., but to allow loop
customers to sort out which platform their next Clifton Hill bound train
will be ...

 
> The main problems would be:
> 1) Cost
> 2) Different train companies would be sharing the same loop
> 3) Capacity through the loop
> 
> Advantages would be:
> 1) No change of direction for the loop at lunchtime
> 2) Always able to get from anywhere to anywhere else, at all times of day.
> 3) Consistency for passengers, meaning maps and signs could explicitly point
> out which platforms to go to for each destination.

Not quite ... As mentioned above, some Clifton Hill group trains will
depart platform 1, while others from platform 3 ...

> 4) The loop stations would have the top platforms for one direction, and the
> bottom platforms for the other direction, consistently at all times.
> 5) Passengers would just have to wait for the correct train at any time of
> day depending on whether they wanted to go to the loop or Flinders
> St/Spencer St. If they were in a hurry, they could catch the first train and
> change at Richmond, Flinders St, Parliament or Nth Melbourne for a direct
> train.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Mike Alexander
> (malex @ bigfoot com)