Re: UPFIELD LINE ALTERATIONS

[peter berrett <pberrett@tbsa.com.au>]

Michael Walker wrote:
> 
> According to a poster at Museum station today, there will be altered
> running for the 3 passengers who still find a use for Victoria's answer
> to the Line From Nowhere to Nowhere on Saturday 24th January (tomorrow)
> and Monday (Australia Day) due to bridge works at Manningham Street,
> Parkville.


It needn't be the line from nowhere to nowhere.

I am still amazed every time I look at a railway map that the relevant
authorities have not seen fit to extend and join up the Upfield line to
the end of the Broadmeadows line.

The idea is simple. Merely add a little extra track so that a northbound
Upfield line train can proceed past Upfield, curve left at Somerton,
join up with the Broadmeadows line and then continue south. Add a little
electrification and one has created a loop stretching from Melbourne to
Somerton. 

Northbound Broadmeadows trains can continue on and head south down the
Upfield line whilst northbound Upfield line trains can continue on and
head south down the Broadmeadows line. 

I do not know the length of the distance between the end of the
electrified Boroadmeadows line and the end of the electrified upfield
line but from memory it is not substantial.

The effects of this change would be as follows;

1. Passengers on each of the lines would be able to travel to the other
line without a lengthy trip and change of trains at Flinders St. They
could simply catch one northbound train which would take them direct to
their destination. For example somebody who lives in Jacana but works in
Coburg could rail direct on one train through the Somerton loop. To the
extent that this provides an additional timely service for commuters it
must translate into extra patronage.

2. Trains would no longer be idle at Broadmeadows or Upfield waiting for
their next departure or for the driver to change ends of the train. They
could proceed on immediately (subject to the single line loop being free
at that time). Thus, trains that were idle are now being productively
used in the system. This in turn should lead to improved service (more
trains on the move at any given time) thus in turn leading to improved
patronage.


The idea of such loops is compelling. Lines that lead from the city
centre to nowhere ie Upfield now go somewhere important namely back to
the city centre in a large circle. They improve choices for passengers
and provide opportunities for better resource usage.

It is interesting then that the current Victorian Government has moved
away from this idea. One might argue that the Cranbourne line is just
another line going from the City to nowhere. The more spokes to the
railway wheel, the more trains going to nowhere.

Looking at the Victorian transport map there appear a few other options
for loops.

1. The Sandringham line could be shortened by a few stations and looped
eastward (as it originally was) to join up with the Dandenong line.

2. The Alamein line could be looped around to head back into the city
via the Glen Waverley line (I wonder how many Alamein passengers would
prefer to catch a train leaving from Alamein but going to the city via
the Glen Waverley line as against catching the train in via Camberwell!)

3. The Glen Waverley line could be extended via Rowville to loop around
and join up with the Belgrave line somewhere in the Ferntree Gully area.
It would be expensive but constitute a major improvement in passenger
utility as Belgrave line passengers could easily travel to Glen Waverley
for shopping. If the line passed near (or under!) Knox city the line
would receive a major patronage boost.

4. The Epping line could be extended eastward to South Morang but then
dip southward and curve to run down the middle of the ring road. The
line could then proceed eastward to loop into the Hurstbridge line near
Greensborough. It would have the added advantage of picking up some
developing suburbs.  

5. The new airport line (branching off the Broadmeadows line) could loop
to pick up the freight line to sunshine. This means that passengers at
the airport could catch a train to Sunshine and the western suburbs, to
Broadmeadows or Upfield line stations if the Somerton loop was
operational. A less expensive way of achieving the same result would be
full electrification of the freight line with a single spur to the
airport at which woudl be a small loop. Trains would proceed Flinders St
- Sunshine - Airport - Boradmeadows to Flinders St via Essendon or could
alternatively proceed through the Somerton loop to Flinders St via
Coburg. Trains would also operate in the reverse direction. New stations
at North Broadmeadows, Airport and Airport West would provide additional
patronage.

Country Loop Services

1. Melbourne to Shepparton to Echuca to Bendigo to Melbourne
- no new track needed


2. Melbourne to Geelong to Ballarat to Bendigo (via Maryborough) to
Echuca to Shepparton to Melbourne - no new track needed.

3. Melbourne to Broken Hill to Sydney via new Broken Hill to Mildura
line. (using guage convertible train)

4. Melbourne to Broken Hill to Adelaide to Melbourne via new Broken Hill
line (using guage convertible train) 

 
cheers Peter