Re: End of the Sand Train?

[Craig Haber <albatross@harnessnet.com.au>]

Leslie Brown wrote:
> The Federal government will no doubt relent and spend $100 million on
> these improvements, a consequence of which will be to siphon more
> traffic off the Geelong rail line, so bringing any improvements to the
> road back to square one. And yet if the government spent $20 million
> on a rail upgrade, not only will it eliminate the need for the road
> upgrade, it will also help greenhouse emmission control, reduce
> environmental impact, reduce road travel time, accidents, road-rage,
> road-congestion at Freeway exits, etc.

The Geelong line currently represents the best and both in the rail
world.  On one hand, it's two tracks, bi-directional signalling (which
gives terriffic flexibility), and the track south of Werribee is now
EXCELLENT, thanks to significant works of late.  The west line is
concrete sleepered for much of it's length.  Of course, all this is
totally negated out by poor track from Werribee to Melbourne (in
particular around Laverton - those points at Laverton Jcn are
shocking!), that totally terrible track layout at Newport South (where
virtually every move must go through a 65km/h diverge), and again, poor
layout at Newport (where all Geelong traffic has a 40km/h restriction). 
The recent re-signalling of Newport was an opportunity lost - yeah now
it's electrical rather than mechanical, but still all Geelong line
trains have the 40km/h diverge at Newport, then the 65km/h at Newport
South, so operationally, nothing was gained.  Add poor timetabling to
that (would you believe that on a Sunday night, while the sparks are 40
mins apart, somehow Geelong passes STILL get stuck behind them - we do
on the 20:30 up Sprinter ex-Geelong EVERY Sunday), and you are just left
shaking your head and wondering about it all.  

Cheers,
Craig.
-- 
Craig Haber
albatross@harnessnet.com.au
Manufacturing Systems Engineer (almost) 
Web Page Designer, Harness Racing, Railways, and Essendon Football Club
fanatic
http://www.harnessnet.com.au/