-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Saturday, 16 June 2018 12:45 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Sat.9.6.16 daily digest

Attached.

180609Sa 'Brisbane Times' - Sunshine Coast line.

180609Sa Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters, transport.
- energy, coal, plastic waste as fuel, house ratings. at flickr.
- tunnel disruptions [with a new quango, Rail Projects Victoria as well as Metro Tunnel].

<www.flickr.com/photos/13175590@N00> (for 7 days, search on tag 'workaround').

Roderick.

Fri.8.6.18 Metro Express [expanded]
18.39 Sunbury line: Major delays (an operational incident). Services may be held.
- 18.43 Will my time lost be refunded ?
- 18.56 Last three announcements 5-10 minutes. Now more than 30 minutes. Useless.
- 18.56 Things happen guys but my issue is that we sat at Sunshine station for quite some time only to crawl out of Sunshine and now be stuck on the train between Sunshine and Albion. If we had stayed at Sunshine we would have been able to disembark and make other arrangements.
- 18.59 we do have major delays up to 30 minutes. Where did you hear these announcements?
- 19.00 From the driver and train. It’s working again .
- 20.32 What does operational incident exactly mean ? Was there any danger?

Sat.9.6.18 Metro Twitter
15.23 Major Delays: Glen Waverley line - due to a police request.
Then 20 notices of bustitution almost everywhere, and loop avoidance by the few trains which were running.

New Mitchell light rail stop to involve 'significant' work: minister 8 June 2018.
ACT Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris says the government will not vary its contract with Canberra Metro to build a light rail stop at Mitchell earlier, despite pressure from the Opposition.
Tuesday's territory budget included $150,000 to design a light rail stop at Sandford Street, Mitchell in 2019-20, after months of lobbying from the Mitchell Traders' Association.
Canberra's new tram: an extra stop will be built in Mitchell. Photo: Fairfax Media.
But the light rail will start running in December, meaning the funding for the stop will not kick in until the network has been operating for six months.
The $150,000 is just for the design of the stop, not the construction.
In the ACT's parliament this week, Liberal MLAs Candice Burch and James Milligan asked Ms Fitzharris why it cost that much.
"The simple answer is that is what it will cost," Ms Fitzharris said.
"The government will build a traffic stop in Mitchell, it is as I’ve said previously the only stop along the route that has future-proofed utilities underground. The government has funded it, the government looks forward to doing that work over the next 12 months and to further engage with the Mitchell Traders Association."
Asked why the stop would be installed so long after the light rail began running, and whether the government would consider varying the contract to make it happen earlier, Ms Fitzharris said there was a lot of work that had to happen first.
"Constructing an extra stop at Mitchell is about a number of factors. One of them is about the construction of the stop. The other is about the operational impact of adding another stop and the timing of the route and the re-sequencing of traffic lights along the full route," Ms Fitzharris said.
"The government has not considered opening up the contract at this point because the construction of that stop would involve significant negotiation not only about the construction of the stop itself but the complete operations of the entire route."
Stage one of the network has now hit peak construction, with testing of the trams on the tracks to begin soon.
The overhead were due to be energised on Thursday night, however the testing was thwarted by a technical issue with the substation.
"Testing and commissioning will experience issues from time to time. It is part of a usual process," a spokeswoman said.
However the construction has meant widespread disruptions across Canberra's north.
The government this week agreed to audit the impact of construction on Gungahlin businesses, after traders said the disruption had caused significant financial losses.
Meanwhile Chief Minister Andrew Barr has said the light rail is unlikely to have external advertising wraps, although he would not rule it out completely.
"Light rail at this stage will not have external advertising is my understanding. There may be themed wraps of light rail vehicles in the future that might promote particular events for example, it's not certain that it will happen but it might, I wouldn't rule that out completely but I think you're unlikely to see a light rail vehicle that is sponsored by a multinational company or a supermarket or a local radio station or whatever," Mr Barr told ABC Radio on Friday morning.
However Mr Barr said there would be internal advertising, like on the city's bus fleet, however it would not be "overwhelming".
"I think there's a balance to be struck there. The reason that advertising is taken is that it does raise revenue and offsets costs, it means that fares can be lower for users, that's the balance and the trade-off," he said.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/new-mitchell-light-rail-stop-to-involve-significant-work-minister-20180606-p4zjw9.html>

'It’s about time': All aboard for $160 million Sunshine Coast rail upgrade 9 June 2018.
A start date for construction of an upgrade to the Sunshine Coast rail line has been announced after the state government committed $160 million in funding as part of the Queensland budget, due to be delivered in full on Tuesday.
The advocacy group which has campaigned for this work for nine years, since Labor first announced the planned upgrade in 2009, said "it's about time" and believe the upgrade will benefit the Sunshine Coast in ways never seen before.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad has jumped on board the Sunshine Coast rail upgrade and ended locals' nine-year wait. Photo: Darren England - AAP.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced funding for the Beerburrum to Nambour Upgrade on Saturday, which means more than $550 million in funding has been promised for the project, when
factoring in the federal government contribution.
The project will see the duplication of about 20 kilometres of North Coast Line between Beerburrum and Landsborough, as well as the construction of more 'park and rides' and extra passing points.
The state government will cover 20 per cent of the cost, the federal government has promised to pay for 50 per cent, but both sides are still arguing over who should pay the other 30 per cent.
Ms Trad said the Coalition should pay because the track runs next to the Bruce Highway, which has always been subject to an 80:20 split where Queensland pays the smaller amount.
However, Rail Back On Track Sunshine Coast spokesman Jeff Addison said he could not understand why the state government would reject the 50-50 split offer from Canberra.
Mr Addison said the land and infrastructure was owned by the state, there had never been an 80-20 split over a state rail line before and the Sunshine Coast line had never received any federal funding.
He vowed to hold the state government to their word and said his reaction to the funding announcement was simply "Hallelujah".
"It’s about time the Sunshine Coast got a transport system appropriate for our size," he said.
"This will open a whole host of benefits and travel to the coast that we've never had before.
"The Sunshine Coast will get an extra 18 services per day, these are the services we need."
The single track rail line which has serviced the Sunshine Coast. Photo: Tony Moore - Fairfax Media
Ms Trad announced on Saturday that planning would continue during the 2018-19 financial year before the five-year construction period was set to begin in 2019-20.
"We need to respond to the need of a rapidly growing population ... this will be the duplication of the last single-track section on the south-east Queensland rail network," she said.
“The Beerburrum to Nambour Rail Duplication will deliver increased capacity, travel time savings for passenger and freight services, and increased reliability on the North Coast Line.
“It will reduce the competition between passenger and freight services, and enable vital public transport links to the rapidly growing Sunshine Coast area.
“This project wouldn’t be able to happen if the Palaszczuk government hadn’t kickstarted it by doing the business case and submitting to Infrastructure Australia last year after three years of inaction by the former LNP Government.”
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the Coalition had not contributed their fair share under the national land transport network agreement.
“There’s no reason why work can’t start on this now while we continue to negotiate with the Turnbull government to get Queensland’s fair share," he said.
"We just need Malcolm Turnbull to get the funding flowing now.
“This is a huge project which we know will take years to complete, so let’s get to work straight away and start to see this infrastructure delivered for the Sunshine Coast.”
LNP leader Deb Frecklington said the Sunshine Coast was finally getting what it deserved.
"Sunshine coast residents deserve a better deal. They deserve to have this duplication built, they deserve to get home sooner and get to work quicker," she said.
"These people have been waiting since 2009 when Labor first promised this and here we are in 2018 and we’ve got a hollow promise, because we now hear the Labor premier decided to not stump up the full amount of cash for their share."
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/it-s-about-time-all-aboard-for-160-million-sunshine-coast-rail-upgrade-20180609-p4zkjj.html>