>Peter Berrett VK3PZ (pberrett@tbsa.com.au) wrote:
>>- Electrification of St. Albans line to Sunbury
>>
>>Not justifiable at this stage
>Come on! It was justifiable 20 years ago! That's why the Hitachis were
>built with "Sunbury" on the destination roll.
As a former user of this line I can't see that the patronage would
justify the expenditure. Granted there is a substantial population at
Sunbury but I still regard it as a larger country town.
>- Electrification of Upfield line to Craigieburn, with a new station at
> Roxburgh Park
>
>Why Upfield and not Broadmeadows? Or both for that matter?
>Both would be more sensible.
Even more sensible would be the loop from one to the other!
>- Electrification of Frankston line to Mornington
>
>>Not justifiable on economic grounds yet but to Leawarra is surely a
>>cost-effective extension due to presence of Monash Uni.
>The line doesn't go all the way to Mornington any more, and what is left
>is a tourist railway. MRPS wouldn't be happy giving back the line they've
>only just moved to.
Quite correct.. I misread the posting and thought that you were talking
about the Stony Point line. The logic still holds true however.
Electrification to Leawarra at this stage only would be cost-effective.
>>- New line on Eastern Freeway reservation to East Doncaster via
>>Shoppingtown
>>
>>Oen can wave at the flying pigs as one catches the train to
>>Shoppingtown. Shoppingtwon alone would not justify the expenditure.
>But Doncaster does. Remember the freeway was built with a railway in mind.
Yes but they've sold off most of the land that the railway would have
traversed (Templestowe). I also drove the route today and i'd be
interested to hear how one woudl get the train up the hill to
Shoppingtown. You'd have to demolish a lot of houses or build a really
big and EXPENSIVE tunnel!
>- Extension of Broadmeadows line to Melbourne Airport along existing
>easement
>
>I presume you mean using the freight line from Sunshine which is an
>exceedingly good idea. The Broady line might need too many bridges.
>North of Broadmeadows the west around the valley to the airport would add
>to the population catchment for a new line.
Yes but aren't there some REAllY big gullys along there? $$$$$ for the
bridges.
>I would also electrify Albion to Westfield Airport West (and put a station there, >bringing the tram right up to the heavy rail station) then build a new line to the >airport. There is a lot of housing between Jacana and Albion and a rail service
>could easily be justified. Trains would run circular route much like the
>Bankstown trains in Sydney.
Note comments re bridges above.
>>- New station on Lilydale line at Cave Hill
>
>>You mean 'Billyhilly Station'
>We always called it Electiondale. The site of the Cave Hill mine was not
>the proposed location. It was at the rail bridge on Mooroolbark Road. The
>final proposal was made just after Swinburne University opened its
>Mooroolbark campus just near the site, and just before the land was sold
>off. The name suggested at the time was Billanook.
Whatever they would call it it is hard to understand why the PTC
wouldn't build a station that would pay for itself in a relatively short
time. Most peculiar.
>>1. Mont Albert Tram extension to Box Hill thence via tram road to
>>Doncaster
>This was in the pre-Kennett PTC plan. Mont Albert was to be extended to
>Box Hill and North Balwyn to Doncaster. Then the two lines were to be
>joined along the old 1889 tram route.
Is there a post-Kennett PTC plan?
cheers Peter