Re: Melbourne Airport Link

[steam4me@enternet.com.au (Yuri J Sos)]

"J Richmond" <richmond@melbpc.org.au> wrote:

>I heard in the news today that the Victorian State Government is about to
>decide on a route for the Tullamarine Airport (Melbourne) rail link.

I kept some quotes from 1994 when the approval of the City Link
project aroused considerable interest.  What follows is either a
direct quote or my paraphrasing from articles published in "The Age"
around Nov 1994.

Changing a freeway from 4 to 8 lines qualifies it as absolutely
rebuilt according to the Minister for Roads and Ports. Also according
to the Minister the work would bring "extraordinary relief to
Melbourne's traffic congestion and means that people will be able to
move about Melbourne freely." (Quote)

The State Premier, Mr Kennet, has said that a rail link between the
airport and central business had been ruled out.  Quote:
 "What we've always been keen on, though, if there's to be a rail type
link to the airport, is we don't want it to come into the city and
then customers have to get off it onto another form of transportation.
If you're coming from the airport, you want to know that you put all
of your bags and body on one vehicle and that will somehow take you
around the city.  That's the difficulty with a fixed rail link because
it doesn't give you the flexibilty to get off it."         
Quoted from the Melbourne Age Mon 14.11.94.

According to the Premier, a car is the only mode of transport that can
move a person and their luggage from the airport to the door of their
destination without a change of transport mode.  The Treasurer said
that the Government is so committed to widening the Tullamarine
Freeway that it was difficult to imagine varying those plans (to
accommodate other transport modes).  Surveys released by the State
Government show that 96% of all surface passengers to the airport
arrive by car.

The State Government has also announced that it plans legislation to
protect the successful freeway builder and toll collector from
competition from other transport modes (especially rail) by banning
other forms of transport construction to the airport for a period of
25 years.

I seem to remember at the time the Keating Government had "plans" to
move central rail terminals to an area adjacent to the airport and
build a short line to the airport.   These "plans" necessitated the
announcement of the above planned protective legislation.  I can't
remember if the legislation went through, but sometime around then
Macquarie Bank, one of the original backers of the project pulled out.

Regards

Yuri