Further to my earlier post below I have now received an Australian Electrical Engineer's comments after he took a look at the Alison Road mega construction.

He expresses major concerns relating to the massive reinforcing steel being installed as part of the track bed noting that this will create alternate favoured paths other than the designed return circuit path from the track return currents at any point where there is a defect/failure/split in the mastic surrounding the rails. This will create electrolysis problems and associated unexpected and possibly severe corrosion of metal pipes and other materials along the track route.

Added to this he points out that the pile structures being inserted along the track route will at their lower extremities penetrate the local water table and possible currents flowing from track leakages and other galvanic conditions associated with the steel piles would also need to be taken into account, for example sacrificial anodes may need to be incorporated in the construction to overcome the potential of corrosion of the piles.

Slowly but surely more concerns will almost certainly come to light.

Greg

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Re: Parramatta Light Rail
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2017 14:14:51 +1100
From: Greg Sutherland gregsutherland@...>
To: Trams Down Under TramsDownUnder@...> (

Sent info concerning excessive light rail costs in Sydney (Billions wasted on infrastructure projects from bad planning, bureaucracy - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-08/billions-wasted-on-infrastructure-projects-from-bad-planning/8251836) to an engineer based in Europe and received this immediate reply:

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Add to that the gross gold plating in track construction as an example. It is not "waste" per se, as it may well be constructed on time and budget. Similarly, mark-ups on vehicle costs on some projects are way in excess of prices available to the more knowledgeable authorities in Central Europe, for example.

Also, many projects use complex funding models with various fee takers such as bankers and advisors "clipping tickets" along the way.

All in all waste+gold plating+ticket clipping might be 40-50% of the total project cost for authorities constructing tramways/light rail for the first time, or without the wit to do their homework first.

Tony G wrote:

"Judging by the animation they’re going to perpetuate using as much concrete as a six lane road for the track, all the way to Carlingford.

That should should jack up the price well over what sleepers and ballast would cost - business as usual."

That's our taxes he is talking about.

Greg