Re: [NSW] State of the Environment

["Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au>]

"Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
3Fmp6.4613$o4.202321@ozemail.com.au">news:3Fmp6.4613$o4.202321@ozemail.com.au...
> I don't recall having seen this mentioned on aus.rail (humble apologies if
> otherwise).  The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released
it's
> report, "State of the Environment 2000".  Chapter 2 deals with "Human
> Settlement" and part 5 of the chapter is on transport.  It contains some
> interesting figures (numbers and graphs) especially on Sydney's transport,
> private and public.  Table 2.7's comparison of energy consumption per
> passenger km is especially interesting for rail in a world context.  The
link
> is http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/soe/2000/download/human_settlement.pdf .
>
> Chris
>
>

With this caveat, I make the following statements:  I have only looked at the
table and the text that followed it, not the whole transport section.

Surprising to see that rail in Sydney comes in significantly lower than
Melbourne (in terms of energy consumption), considering trams and heavy rail
are included in that segment.  Considering that energy consumption is, in one
way, related to mass, and the difference in mass between heavy and light rail
vehicles, I thought Melbourne would have done better.  Is there another table
in there for freight energy consumption?

What exactly are the "eight new rail lines" planned under Action for Transport
2010 in Sydney's north west and west?  If 8 lines are going in, then wouldn't
there be a bit more noise about them?  And the replacement of "rolling stock,
buses and ferries"?  Someone's going to be busy writing tenders....

And someone should get onto the greenies and get them to kick up more of a
fuss about the level of freight moved by rail.. "less than 15%".  I presume
that the other 85% (or at least a significant proportion of it) goes by road.
One way to reduce traffic congestion...and boost rail usage.

Now for the next silly question. How much excess capacity does the Sydney rail
network have, for either freight or passenger?

Just my 2.2 cents worth..

Al