Re: Bluebirds taking over and other Victorian stuff.

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

G'day,

Krel wrote:

> Build electric Inter-urban Comengs. You know add a toilet and some
> better seating and run between Geelong and Pakenham/Warrugul giving
> through services from Geelong to the SE suburbs and from Gippsland to
> the Western area. You are right - NAH - will NEVER happen!

It's sortof done now, with some Geelong's working through to Sale and vica-versa.

r.e. Geelong line - the Herald Sun has started something of a campaign to get
funding for the adjacent Princes Hwy, where I it's 86 fatalities in the last 8
years.  They, and of course the RACV wanted something like $200 million to
upgrade it.

Having driven the road many times, I believe it is:
Basically safe, surface OK, alignment OK, although some exits are not great
However, like all freeways it is chronically boring to drive along.  For
commuters from Geelong (or doing it from Melbourne as I have), it's a long day
driving the 60 mins or so Geelong-Melbourne, then working 8 hours, then driving
home.

This boredom combined with fatigue causes the inevitable tragedy.  $200 million
to make it three lanes each way and even more than the 100,000 vehicles per day
(their figure) isn't going to fix the problem.  Better roads encourages more
cars, and the cycle just spirals and gets out of control!

Why don't we spend a chunk of money on medium-speed electric trains from
Melbourne-Geelong, with a suburban timetable service, and say a 40 minute journey
time?  Which BTW would be very achievable - a pass (115km/h) can do it in 45 mins
with a clear run, a Sprinter could easily go better, so say an EMU (sorry Mark, I
mean a spark) at 160km/h could go all stations (Geelong, Nth Geelong, Corio,
Lara, Werribee, Spencer St, with following 'sweeper' all stations
Werribee-Spencer St), 40 mins should easily be achievable.

Oh now I remember why this will never happen - there's no votes in it.......

Cheers,
CH.