Re: Blacktown, Parramatta, Epping, Chatswoood, St Leonards and all stations to Wolli Creek, then Canberra

[Don Allitt <nahgfa@zeta.org.au>]

David i disagree, the railways have very short time tunnel vision. I can not see why
you could not start from one side and build across to the other side,further more if
they had any brains the could have the whole new station built for nothing ,just
allow sir Harry of Meriton to build the station with shops and units above.Sigh, but
that would be the easy way and the railways can't quite see past to-morrow.
Don.

David Johnson wrote:

> Bill McNiven wrote:
>
> > Everyone else has pontificated on this subject, so now it's my turn ...
> >
> > Some possibly relevant points:
> >
> > BLACKTOWN vs. HORNSBY
> >
> > The work at Blacktown is basically construction of an additional platform
> > face beside the existing Up Refuge line.  Constructing a track to the
> > partly-existing platform face on the site of Hornsby Loco would be a bigger
> > job.
> >
> > Blacktown is being favoured because it has become the western terminus of
> > the Olympic Games service.  The Olympics plan seems to be developing towards
> > running, at peak times, 16 trains/hour to Blacktown, and keeping them
> > separated from the rest of the network as far as possible.  Terminating a
> > train every four minutes seems to need either exclusive use of four
> > platforms or exclusive use of two platforms which lead to four dead-ends.
> > Given that Blacktown also needs (in off-peak periods) three platforms for
> > Down Penrith, Up Penrith and Richmond (both ways), the construction under
> > way seems to be the simplest way to do the job.  An alternative IMHO would
> > have been to build platform 2.5 as a third branch platform on the site of
> > the old stock siding and run all OP trains via platform 1 to the yard, then
> > out via platform 2.  As posters to long-past threads pointed out, the
> > solution adopted also allows down Penrith / Mountains trains that are
> > mistakenly routed over the flyover at Seven Hills to re-join their intended
> > route at Blacktown.
> >
> > HORNSBY RESIGNALLING
> >
> > A recurring tragedy of rail infrastructure planning by the various NSW
> > authorities is that there isn't any (just look at the so-called "Parkes
> > Y-link"!).  We've just seen all the junctions and signalling at Hornsby
> > re-done without anyone asking whether the platforms are in the right place!
> >
> > Hornsby station, including the former goods yard and steam loco depot, is a
> > magnificent site.  If somebody had said "we're going to spend megabucks at
> > Hornsby so let's look at how we best use the land bounded by George St,
> > Bridge St, Jersey St and the 'old' Pacific Highway", the outcome might have
> > an entire new station with six platforms and a pair of independent goods
> > lines sited around 200 metres north of the present station.   No change to
> > the present "old" Pacific Highway bridge.  No change to the Bridge Street
> > bridge.  Just replace the entire cramped "station plus goods yard plus steam
> > loco depot" layout with a decent station.
>
> That would be a great idea, but would involve closing Hornsby station / yard for
> a couple of months.  The current "solution" was decided on because it could be
> done using weekend shutdowns.
>
> --
> David Johnson
> trainman@ozemail.com.au
> http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/