Bi-directional running

[David & Julie Donald <dsjmd@hermes.net.au>]

There was a story floating around in the last few years that State Rail,
probably through CityRail, was looking at a scheme to signal all its track for
bi-directional working, with the first section to be done being the lower Blue
Mountains (something like Penrith to Springwood or so).
We know that the only sections that have been effective done are:
(a) the Illawarra beyond Waterfall, but this was done as part of the track and
signal upgrading on this line a few years ago, with all signalling done from
Wollongong Complex; in addition, there seems to be a theory that this was only
intended to be used in emergency situations, and, whilst I don't have definitive
evidence, I get the impression that such is its normal use;
(b) as part of a recent major resignalling in the Hornsby - Berowra - Cowan -
Hawkesbury River area, Cowan Bank was signalled for bi-directional running;
(c) again, as part of the latter stages of the Sydenham resignalling project,
Hurstville - Mortdale - Oatley was done - from what I am hearing, this is used
on a fairly regular basis;
(d) we have the much older installation from Zig Zag Xover to Edgecombe Xover,
through "the Ten Tunnels", east of Lithgow - again more an emergency situation;
(e) and then there are a few smaller, individual installations, often done as
part of resignalling projects, such as bi-directional on the Down Main only
between Valley Heights and Springwood (now regularly used for allowing up
passengers to run around / run through up freights, and the ability for the Up
Main platform at Springwood to use for either direction (especially for the
Springwood terminators).

Anyone with any comments on this particular issue ??
-- 

Regards

David Donald
Springwood, NSW

dsjmd@hermes.net.au