-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 December 2017 8:52 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: snippets ' daily digest, Tues.12.12.17

Attached:

171211M 'Sydney Morning Herald' - delays.

171212Tu Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters, energy, bikes, roads. with tdu.
- energy, Origin. with tdu.
- St Kilda Rd tunnel closures.

Roderick

Metro Twitter, Tues.12.12.17
6.48 Route 57 trams in both directions are diverting via Mt Alexander Rd &
Ascot Vale Rd along Route 59 (a collision in Racecourse Rd).
- 7.04 Collision Racecourse Rd:
- We have been advised this disruption will continue for some time. Route
57 trams in both directions continue to divert via Mt Alexander Rd and Ascot
Vale Rd between Stop 20 Melrose St and Stop 37 Union Rd. Passengers
consider Craigieburn and Upfield trains.
- 7.31, normal running has resumed.

Melbourne Express: Tuesday, December 12, 2017 Nothing but crashes on Western
Ring Rd.
<www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-express-tuesday-december-12-2017-20171
211-h02uix.html>

AGL declares war on all Australians with its promise to close Liddell. with
tdu.
Herald Sun December 11, 2017.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/business/terry-mccrann/agl-declares-war-on-all-austral
ians-with-its-promise-to-close-liddell/news-story/3d30e47b73e6ca47c4fc23fad4
d406b6>

Melbourne traffic is worsening, and politicians are to blame.
Herald Sun December 11, 2017.
MELBOURNE'S gridlock is rapidly going from plain hideous to absolute hell.
We no longer just have a weekday peak, but a weekend peak as well that seems
to last from 8am Saturday to 7pm Sunday.
A few days ago, it took us half an hour to travel a kilometre or so from
Watsonia in the northeast and up on to the Metro Ring Road. It was 2pm on a
Saturday.
The same thing happened the next day when we were crawling along the
Tullamarine Freeway on the way to Essendon, going 25kmh an hour for about
5km. That was 5pm on a Sunday.
In both cases, there were absolutely no reasons for any delays. No
accidents, no roadworks, no breakdowns, no lane closures.
Melbourne's weekday peak hour traffic has now extended to the weekend.
Nicole Garmston Just crappy roads that have not kept up with the demands of
a rapidly growing, modern city.
Just imagine what it's going to be like by Christmas Day. If you want to get
somewhere for lunch on time, you'd be well advised to leave before
breakfast.
And don't even think about trying to get to the beach on Boxing Day - you
won't hit the sand until well after dark.
A report by Infrastructure Victoria shows the average speed during the
morning peak will drop to only 31kmh in coming years, even with all the
billions of dollars promised on infrastructure upgrades.
Although that doesn't sound too bad, it's been a while since I've gone that
fast during most peak times.
Experts predict that within two decades, half of all car trips in Melbourne
will be significantly affected by congestion. I'd say it feels like this
future is already here.
It's all very well for planners to say building more roads just leads to
more congestion, but what's the alternative? Our politicians are so
backwards, we don't even have a rail link to the airport, so we can't count
on them to come up with clever solutions.
MELBOURNE, THE CONGESTION CITY
COMMUTERS FED UP WITH MELBOURNE PUBLIC TRANSPORT Traffic jammed up on Punt
Rd, between Victoria St and Bridge Rd. Picture: Sarah Matray Here are some
of my transport pet hates:
ROADWORKS that close lanes and hold people up even when no work is being
done. Why are we still going 40kmh instead of 100kmh?
ROADS in transition that are unsafe because of all the conflicting line
markings and merges; LACK of certainty over the traffic patterns: I can
leave the CBD at 5.15pm some days and be home by 6pm. Other days, I leave at
7pm and it still takes an hour; MILLIONS spent on road upgrades that don't
make things better. There's a stretch of road coming out of Yea which has
been upgraded but is now 80kmh; A REFUSAL to consider options such as dual
lanes which go into the city at peak morning times and out of the city in
the afternoon. Many major roads are chockers one way and empty the other,
and yet this is never discussed; ROADWORKS that take years instead of months
for no good reason. Swan St Bridge is a good example. It's a tiny $30
million project that's just been delayed five months because the original
plans were wrong. Now there are signs up saying: "Four lanes, thank you
drivers". But it had four lanes in the first place before the so-called
upgrade, so that's hardly a big improvement; and WHY not have more extended
clearways to open up major roads to traffic at peak times? I know shoppers
hate it, but if we keep going the way we are, no one's going to be able to
get anywhere, let alone the shops.
Traffic banked up on Hoddle St. Picture: Mark Stewart So, what can be done?
A congestion charge is a popular solution which might work for those who
have a choice about where they go and when, but it's only going to make
commuters who have little say about their movements poorer and more annoyed.
Those who live in the outer suburbs which are badly serviced by trains and
buses don't need extra charges to make it harder to get to work.
Half of those making suggestions clearly don't use our roads. Staggering our
work start times doesn't make sense given that our peak already starts at
6.30am. The Eastern Freeway is bumper to bumper by 7am in the stretch
leading up to Hoddle St. The same goes for the evening peak, which now
starts at 3pm in many places.
METRO SPRUIKS BOLD TRAIN PHONE SCAN PLAN MELBOURNE PUBLIC TRANSPORT GOING
'BACKWARDS'
Consultants continue to come up with solutions, but many of the best ideas
have been around for years, such as a rail link along the Eastern Freeway to
Doncaster.
Even the existence of a rail link isn't always the answer; often commuters
have nowhere to park at stations, or can't be sure of getting on packed
trains at peak times.
There is also a complete lack of co-ordination, which means a one-lane
blockage because of a crash can almost bring half the city's arterial roads
to a standstill.
It's time frustrated Melburnians put our political parties on notice. The
next state election must be fought on roads. We need to get Melbourne moving
again.
* Increase speed limits on freeways and book people for not keeping left.
Melbourne drivers are the most inefficient and poorly behaving I that I've
experienced in Australia, Europe or the USA. Simply encouraging drivers to
get on with it would increase capacity by 30%
* Let's build 40 lane freeways all over the city. That ought to solve the
problem.
* Try Hartwell - Toorak Road - blocked to one lane all the time
* Nice ideas, but both parties will do what the always do - fight on the
perceived failures of their opposition without ideas themselves. The real
fight is against political short-termism - until politicians are not
beholden to being re-elected every few years, they will only decisions with
a short term focus.
* I wonder what $1.2 billion would buy?
* You forgot private multiplex developments where the builders decide to
block off whole lane of traffic to park their trucks etc in peak travel
times ..
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/susie-obrien/melbourne-traffic-is-worseni
ng-and-politicians-are-to-blame/news-story/f1761b22313c474558019c16844935c1>

December 11 2017 Sydney commuters face significant delays to trains on
multiple lines Sydney commuters faced chronic overcrowding at train stations
in the central city and major delays across the rail network during the
evening peak on Monday, after a fatality on tracks at Wentworthville in the
outer west early in the morning.
Sydney Trains advised commuters to avoid Town Hall and Wynyard stations due
to overcrowding, and walk to other stations such as Central and Martin Place
to catch trains, or hold off unnecessary travel due to the "major delays".
Commuters wait to enter Town Hall station, more than 12 hours after a
fatality in the city's outer west. Photo: Dominic Lorrimer Station staff at
Town Hall temporarily stopped people from entering the station to avoid
dangerous overcrowding on platforms during the rush hour.
The death that led to the commuter chaos late in the day occurred at
Wentworthville near Parramatta at about 6.30am, resulting in police setting
up a crime scene for more than three hours. The incident caused a ripple
effect on train services across Sydney's rail network.
Related Articles
No room to move: Train delays 'irrecoverable' under new timetable Despite
the incident occurring early in the morning, Sydney Trains said "ongoing
delays" to services had occurred on the T1 Western, the T1 North Shore and
Northern, the T2 Inner West and Leppington, the T3 Bankstown, the T5
Cumberland and the T8 Airport & South Line lines through the evening peak
period.
The T1 Western Line between Blacktown and Richmond was closed for much of
the day following the fatality, and buses were used to replace trains on
that section of the track. A limited train service began operating between
Blacktown and Richmond after the track reopened late in the afternoon.
Sydney Trains told customers to "allow plenty of extra travel time", and to
listen to announcements and check indicator boards.
Buses were also used to supplement trains between Hornsby and Berowra on the
Northern Line, and from Penrith to Emu Plains on the Blue Mountains Line.
Commuters are made to wait to enter Town Hall station and its platforms due
to delays caused by an accident in Wentworthville earlier on Monday. Photo:
Dominic Lorrimer The disruption comes two weeks after the biggest overhaul
of Sydney's rail timetable in four years. While the new timetable has
resulted in more frequent services, it has put more pressure on an already
stretched rail network.
An internal Sydney Trains document recently leaked to the Herald revealed
that operating the rail network at "track capacity" for longer periods left
"no opportunity for diversions or recovery from incidents". Delays early in
the peak periods would also have a "larger impact on later peak services",
it warned.
Commuters crowd platforms at Wynyard Station. Photo: Matthew Whitmore The
briefing document said the "North Shore experience" - a reference to part of
the network highly sensitive to slight delays - would "become more
widespread where delays are cumulative" during the evening peak.
But a spokesman for Sydney Trains said the delays on Monday were due to the
fatality at Wentworthville, which required a crime scene to be established.
"This resulted in significant flow on effects across the network. While we
are providing regular services, customers are advised to allow plenty of
travel time, and to check indicator boards at stations," he said.
"Sydney Trains apologises to any customers impacted by delays on our network
today."
NSW Police are not treating the death, which occurred near the approach to
Wentworthville Station, as suspicious.
<www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydney-commuters-face-significant-delays-to-trains-on-mu
ltiple-lines-20171211-h02mqm.html>

A station at Clyde is coming closer into view after State Government
announced it would buy land for Cranbourne East stop.
Cranbourne Leader December 12, 2017.
A RAIL line to Clyde is coming closer into view after the State Government
announced it had set aside $3 million to buy land for a rail station in
fast-growing Cranbourne East.
The Cranbourne Leader has been campaigning for the Cranbourne line to be
extended to service the exploding population in Casey's south. More than
240,000 people are expected to live in the Cranbourne East/Clyde area by
2025 and Casey's population will hit almost 500,000 by 2041.
But while the move is a step in the right direction, it is not known when
the new Cranbourne East station will be up and running.
Cranbourne state Labor MP Jude Perera said land for a rail station in
Cranbourne East had been identified some years ago but development had since
made it unviable.
He said the new Cranbourne East station plan was not an election promise or
dependent on Labor getting re-elected.
Line duplication work is underway between Dandenong and Dandenong South and
Mr Perera said he hoped the line could also be extended to Clyde and
duplicated to that point.
"I am pleased duplication has commenced and that there is money to find land
for the rail line at Cranbourne East," Mr Perera said.
A1021626_Digital Editions Promo 650x100.jpg The State Government announced
on December 6 that it was also spending $3 million for a fire station at
Clyde North.
A parcel of land for the fire station in Clyde North has been identified on
Thompsons Rd in the Meridian Estate with the fire station expected to open
in the 2018-2019 financial year.
Minister for suburban development Lily D'Ambrosio said the growing area
needed more infrastructure.
"These vital infrastructure projects will ensure Melbourne's growth areas
remain liveable and accessible for years to come," she said.
AIRPORT AND RAIL UPGRADES ON CASEY'S WISHLIST.
SUPPORT GROWS FOR RAIL LINE TO CLYDE.
ILLEGAL PARKING AT PACKED CRANBOURNE RAIL STATION.

<www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/a-rail-station-at-clyde-is-coming-cl
oser-into-view-after-state-government-announced-it-would-buy-land-for-cranbo
urne-east-stop/news-story/f2647f4bfdf2ea27a004d7906156b77d>
Am I missing something? There are metropolitan suburbs like Rowville and
Doncaster that have waited 60 years for a train line yet as each new suburb
springs up they go first. An extension to the Glen Waverley line providing
stations at Vermont, Wheelers Hill, Scoresby/Rowville, Wantirna, Ferntree
Gully West is long overdue. The Lilydale/Belgrave lines were built in the
1880s. Where are the extra stations between Ferntree Gully and Boronia?
Boronia and Bayswater? Bayswater and Heathmont? Lilydale and Croydon? These
are 4 and 5km stretches between stations. Go down to Ormond and stand at the
station. You can see the next station 500 metres away. The eastern suburbs
are the most populated in Melbourne. Why have they been forgotten?
* When Vermont, Wantirna, Rowville and Doncaster suburbs were built Clyde
was still a paddock for another 40 years. Wait another 40 years. Wait your
turn.....
* The history of Clyde means a railway station is absolutely suited.
Clyde is named for Walter S. Clyde (1796-1854), a wealthy orchard owner in
the region who was also a huge train enthusiast. sort of!
He was known for his eccentric habit of paying visitors to the region with
coins (which were rare in Australia back then because of the British coin
shortages) if they were able to kick an apple over a train carriage.
Seems simple, right? He would then choose an apple he knew to be rotten on
the inside, and that would explode upon impact. He would laugh at the
(mainly men) who had kicked the rotten apple, which then exploded all over
their shoes, yelling his signature line "That's how we play the game in
Clyde-Country!"
Hence, Clyde.
If we get a station back we should commemorate that great man with an
apple-kicking contest to open the new facility!
* Why does the State Government say they are going to buy land for for a
railway to go to Clyde. The railway line and land is still there from 20
odd years ago when they closed down the railway line to Leongatha. The
railway line serviced the towns of Cranbourne, Clyde, Tooradin, Koo Wee Rup,
Lang Lang, Nyora, Loch, Korumburra, (I think also Coal Creek), and
Leongatha. I used to travel this line to Korumburra often in the 1970's and
the railways was a great advantage to the various Gippsland towns.
Residents have long wanted this line to be reinstated.
Even today you can drive across the old railway line on the Narre Warren
Cranbourne Road, and parts of the railway line if you drive from Cranbourne
out towards Korumburra. At Cranbourne the Railway Crossing signs are still
predominant on the South Gippsland Highway as the line crosses the highway
near Loch Street.
So what land is the State Government talking about needing to purchase to
reinstate this railway line.
* I think that you're missing the point here John! The existing railway line
from Dandenong to Cranbourne is only a single track and the line to as far
as Leongatha was also, only a single track!
If the government extends the line any further than Cranbourne, for use as a
passenger service, then it will need to be duplicated from Dandenong, else
you will only be able to run a single train along it, which wouldn't be much
of a service, would it?. What has to happen is that extra land has to be
purchased all along the line from Lyndhurst to at least Clyde, if not
further, to allow duplication of the line and to allow electrification of it
also. IF, we ever get our true second airport in Melbourne at Monomeith,
then it will need the line to be duplicated to this new airport, just past
Koo Wee Rup, as well!
* The land has been there for eons. From memory there is still a railway
station in Clyde.
Unless the tracks have been pulled up in the last 10 years, they should
still be there, too.
If they are gone, then government needs to explain why!
* "Cranbourne state Labor MP Jude Perera said land for a rail station in
Cranbourne East had been identified some years ago but development had since
made it unviable." Considering that the corridor is still there for the old
South Gippsland line, what fool, Local or State Government, allowed
development over the preferred site for the Cranbourne East station? Why
can't any government of any persuasion show any vision any more?
For example the reinstatement of the line to Whittlesea should already being
commenced due to the huge amount of development in the Plenty corridor -
another where the railway reserve is still there - but at this rate it will
reach Whittlesea by about 2050