Re: Rail modifications to Gelong line?

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

G'day,

Michael Walker wrote:

> I thought the present Sprinters were built to be able to do 160 km/h?

No they don't go that quick.  The Geelong line is limited by infrastructure
problems between Spencer St and Newport and congestion at Laverton - trains
with higher top speed won't necessarily improve running times.

Investment in infrastructure and use of existing trains could accelerate the
service, for example:

Speed signalling Footscray-Newport (very short sections are the barrier to
higher speed running here - 65km/h for passes, 80km/h from Sprinters/sparks)

Totally re-align Newport, ideally with the Geelong line as the "main line"
(rather than the diverge), or at least 65km/h diverge for Geelong line trains
(all the money spent re-signalling and re-aligning Newport did not improve
this, the 40km/h diverge remains)

Re-align Newport south, eliminating the stupid track layout which forces all
trains to slow for a 65km/h diverge (another thing not fixed when Newport was
re-signalled)

Improved timetabling (or ideally a flyover) at Laverton Jcn (virtually every
down country train is checked here).

Improved timetabling Newport - Spencer Street - nearly every country train has
to follow a spark from Newport, I reckon this costs 5 mins or more.

Just as an example - it is quite possible for a loco hauled train at 115km/h to
achieve 46 mins Spencer Street - Geelong given a clear, express run.  Of course
this rarely happens - virtually every up country train follows a spark from
Newport to Spencer Street, and nearly every down country train is checked at
Laverton Jcn, and often have to follow sparks from Laverton to Werribee.

It is a very frustrating line upon which to travel!

Regards,
CH.
--
Craig Haber
albatross@harnessnet.com.au
http://www.harnessnet.com.au/ch/
Proofread carefully to see if you any words out