Re: Suggestions for Brisbane and QR Citytrain

[mnolan5784@aol.com (MNolan5784)]

There would be very little point in electrfiying beyond Rosewood until a
deviation is built over the Little Liverpool Range. This is for two reasons:

1. The present line over the LLR is unsuitable for electrification and long
term a deviation needs to be built anyway.

2. Small population between Rosewood and Grandchester. 

The best option would be to build the deviation as double track and then
electrify to Helidon. In the process of doing this, concrete sleepers and
60kg/m rail would be laid west of Ipswich so that high speed/ heavy loading is
possible. 

When complete, IMUs or even tilt trains could run between Roma Street and
Helidon with a bus connection to Toowomba. Running time would be (approx):

Roma Street to:

Ipswich (stopping at Indooropilly,  Corinda, Redbank) 30 mins

Rosewood (express) 45 mins

Gatton 65 mins

Helidon 80 mins

This would meet with a bus connection to Toowoomba. This would be quicker than
a bus as it takes approx 2 hrs. Longer term new line up main range and operate
160 km - 200 km hr trains on line.

As for North Coast, duplicate present section to Landsborough, extensive
deviation between Landsborough and Yandina and then duplicate to Nambour and
longer term Gympie North. Major problem at moment is alll the crossings that
trains make on this section. No point duplicating north of Landsborugh until
deviations are built to ease curves, esp. around Nambour, where many 40 km/h
restrictions apply.>

>I disagree.  I used to use the Helidon service intermittently,
>and sometimes even the Toowoomba - Ipswich railcar which until
>1993 used to leave Toowoomba at about 2:40PM on Sunday afternoons.
>My recollection is that the Helidon to Ipswich section of the
>journey was only around 20 minutes slower than McCafferty's over
>the same distance.  The only problem with electrification to
>Gatton is the Little Liverpool range - and if you can overcome
>the heritage objections to dropping the floors of the tunnels
>a Gatton service would be competitive if you used 140Km/h IMUs
>and express running - remember that the 2000 class railcars are
>limited to 80, and are VERY slow climing any grade.  The rest of
>the line is fast - long flat straight sections of dual track
>with minimal grades.
>
>To me, the ideal service would separate the Ipswich - Rosewood
>local from Roma St - Gatton express services.  I suggest something
>like an express (IMU or ICE), running Roma St - Corinda - Ipswich -
>Rosewood, then all stations to Gatton.  At Ipswich connect with
>an Ipswich to Rosewood local (EMU), leaving a couple of minutes
>after the express and stopping all stations Thomas St to Rosewood.
>This would reduce the unacceptably long Roma St - Rosewood
>timing we have today, and provide a Laidley / Gatton service
>which would easily compete with buses.  Also, remember that much
>of the population served by that line is nowhere near the
>Warrego Highway - Laidley and Forest Hill are well off it, and
>even Gatton is bypassed and the buses have to use the old highway.
>
>Returning to the original topic of this thread, my own preferences
>for a better Brisbane system are:
>
>1.  Extend Gold Coast line from Robina to Coolangatta / Tweed,
>    duplicate line south of Ormeau and add extra intermediate
>    stations (locations to be determined by public submissions),
>    to be used only by LOCAL services Beenleigh - Coolangatta.
>    Trains from Brisbane continue to stop only at the current
>    stations.
>
>2.  Light Rail, Helensvale and Robina to the coastal strip,
>    Labrador to Coolangatta.  (There is actually a proposal
>    by Gold Coast City Council to implement this)
>
>3.  Electrification west of Rosewood, Little Liverpool Range
>    deviation, (longer term) new crossing of Toowoomba Range.
>
>4.  Sunshine Coast line as proposed by Beattie Government,
>    Beerwah - Caloundra - Maroochydore.  (longer term) returning
>    to Nambour as a loop line.
>
>5.  Re-open and electrify Caboolture - Wamuran, extend Caboolture
>    service so that one in two continues to Wamuran and the
>    other continues to Landsborough.
>
>6.  Re-open, re-align and electrify (possibly as Light Rail)
>    the Bethania to Jimboomba section of the Beaudesert branch,
>    providing either a Jimboomba - Beenleigh or Jimboomba -
>    Woodridge local service.
>
>7.  Build the Kippa-Ring line (yeah, right!, but the right of
>    way exists and has to be useful for something.)
>
>8.  Extend Brisbane Light Rail system to Springwood via the
>    South East Transit busway.  Also, extend Brisbane Light
>    Rail to Uni of Queensland from West end.
>
>9.  Light Rail conversion of Eagle Junction - Doomben, possibly
>    extending to Pinkenba.
>
>10. Dual Gauge conversion and electrification of interstate
>    line to Greenbank and (eventually) Bromelton, serving
>    the suburbs of Acacia Ridge, Parkinson, Browns Plains,
>    Forestdale, Hillcrest, Boronia Height and Greenbank.
>    Extension beyond Greenbank would serve new residential
>    areas emerging at Teviot Downs, Flagstone and Bromelton
>    as well as providing an suburban service within reasonable
>    distance of Beaudesert.
>
>I think the first four items I mention have a reasonable
>chance of happening within 20 years, as for the rest ..
>I think I'm dreaming.
>
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