Re: Popular places rail don't go in Melbourne

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>- Princes Park
>
>solution: dedicated spur with new station)

The Upfield line isn't THAT far away surely. Besides the 19 tram goes right
past the place.

>
>- Waverley Park
>
>solution: dedicated spur via Monash Uni Clayton to Knox City
>
A better solution would be extend the Glen Waverley line to Mulgrave as was
suggested recently as part of the Scoresby corridor study. (Coincidentally,
it still amazes me, somewhat naively no doubt, how our anti-rail government
will pay mega dollars to build a new freeway along this corridor but baulks
at relative chicken feed to extend the GW line to relieve pressure on the
freeway and many other local roads. Or perhaps it feels it competes too much
with the South Eastern Tollway)

>- Victorian Baseball Centre (or is it softball?) out on Werribee line
>
>solution: new railway station
>
>- Southland Shopping Centre
>
>solution: realignment of Frankston line with retention of existing
>alignment
>
>- Northland Shopping Centre
>
>solution: dedicated spur from Reservoir, via Kingsbury
>

Or not quite as impractically, a spur line from Macleod along the old Mont
Park alignment (well ast least it's a lot fewer houses to knock down than in
Kingsbury - and could potentially be solved by a short tunnel) to Latrobe
Uni then Northland along the (Merri?) creek between West Heidelberg and
Northland.

>- Maribyrnong Shopping Centre
>
>solution: dedicated spur extending from existing Flemington line
>
Wouldn't rerouting the 82 tram be a lot cheaper and not much slower if at
all?

>- Airport West Shopping Centre
>- Airport
>
>solution: new Broadmeadows line via Sunshine with Airport spur
>
>- Yarra Glen Racecourse
>
>solution: extension of line to Yarra Glen (diesel only)
>
How many races are actually held here? And what would be the patronage of
them? I would tactfully suggest that whilst a special train might be within
vaguely acceptable parameters (although wouldn't happen as the extra
maintenance that would be required for the infrequent service + extra
safeworking required wouldn't be worth the small income from the few who
would be coaxed out of their cars to spend the significant extra time
travelling would be worth. Plus YVTR I think have the rights past Coldstream
anyway), I would hardly count Yarra Glen's commuting population as requiring
the service. One day the electric service might reach Coldstream which is
getting big enough to warrant one but diesels to Yarra Glen are a different
matter.

>- RMIT Bundoora
>
>solution: spur from Epping?
>
Speed up 86 tram by raising speed limits on the track (presently 45km on
concrete trackbed laid only 10-15 years ago) and running it via St Georges
Road to take advantage of the B2 trams speed and the routes segeregated
track.

>- Victoria University (Footscray)
>
>solutions: Too hard basket
>
Not THAT far from Footscray surely. Or if 10-15 minutes walk is too much,
try 82 tram, 406 bus or 223 bus.

>- Deakin University, Burwood
>
>solution: Too hard basket
>
>- Forest hill Shopping centre
>
>solution: Too hard basket
>
>- Chadstone shopping centre
>
>solution: extension of Alamein line to Chadstone then joining up with
>Dandenong line (would be a truley awesome line)
>
Outer Circle!
>
>I realise it is a bit of a wish list but I hope it makes people realise
>how the train service is failing to service the Melbourne public
>adequately.
>
>Does anyone have any other suggestions of popular places that warrant a
>train service?
>
Kew schools - use old alignment to Kew or Outer Circle
The TAFE near Leawarra station - extend electric train from Frankston
Eltham North - build extra station
North Watsonia - build extra station
Doncaster Shoppingtown - build railway up Freeway or one of these many spur
lines suggested from Box Hill. Could even build a Further Outer Circle rail
line from Box Hill through Doncaster and Templestowe to Eltham or
Greensborough and down past Deakin towards Oakleigh or Dandenong. Or same
from Ringwood along the Eastern Ring Road alignment.

Just a thought - would all your spur lines be a practical solution? Or would
it be another Alamein line situation where a change of train is required and
would generally take longer than the equivalent trip by car or other mode if
it was well organised and direct (unlike most suburban bus services which
meander a lot and take twice as long or more than the equivalent car trip)