-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 June 2018 3:12 PM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Tues.5.6.18 daily digest.

Attached.

180605Tu Melbourne 'Age':
- truck hits D2.5017 (with B2.2116 blocked).
- Bourke St massacre.
- Melbourne SC delay.

180605Tu Metro Twitter - tbm.

180605Tu Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters (station recycling bins).
- energy, lng. at flickr
- quack ads. [culture of the era].
- tram wires down.
- truck hits D2.5017.

180605Tu 'SMH' - greater Sydney proposal.

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

Roderick.

Tues.5.6.18 Metro Twitter.
7.40 Belgrave line: Minor Delays (police near Boronia).
- 7.48 & 8.02 still minor.
- 8.09 The 7.57 from Tecoma started from Upper Ferntree Gully; we are
checking with the control station for why there were no announcements.
11.09 Truck into City Rd bridge.
- What else has the truck hit to cause the damage to the cabin?
17.21 Alamein/Belgrave/Lilydale/Glen Waverley lines: The 17.01 down Belgrave
has been terminated at Southern Cross (a train fault). Other services may
be delayed or altered to run direct to Richmond.
- 18.09 How much extra time should we allow? Pretty poor service again.
- 18.17 Delays have now mostly cleared in the cbd area. The most-recent down
Belgrave departed on time.
- 18.19 I haven't been able to get on the last two Glen Waverley trains
from Richmond. 18.25 Just got on the third train.
17.37 Why can't I get on a Hurstbridge train from Melbourne Southern Cross?
- 18.16 Most Hurstbridge line services are running on or close to time at
present.
- 18.24 "most". The 18.10 Greensborough - Hurstbridge is still at
Greensborough waiting for a clear run.
- 17.44 Minor delays Dandenong - Pakenham (an equipment fault near Cardinia
Road).
- 19.58 Let's hope that the not-so-frequent Cranbourne service, which seems
to have lost the ability to go direct from Westall to Cranbourne during the
works, is also altered or will we have to sprint across the station again?
17.49 Minor delays citybound South Morang - Clifton Hill (an equipment fault
near Regent).
- 17.56 the proper term is "endure", not "allow".
20.54 Minor delays Heidelberg - Hurstbridge (police).
- 21.11 Trains now on the move, with major delays.
A barge, two massive cranes & 20 piles will hold up the new bridge across
Patterson River, Carrum. Engineers Shauna & Marissa explain how we're
building the bridge - key to the removal of several level crossings along
the Frankston line. https://youtu.be/Gs_UNzXg_48
Our Tunnel Boring Machines are coming together! Parts of the machines are
being finished right now.

Melbourne Express, Tuesday, June 5, 2018.
9.44 Route 19 trams have resumed along their normal lines with delays.
9.11 Major delays on the Craigieburn line.
9.03 VicRoads says it will still be another few hours before traffic is
cleared up along Sydney Road after an earlier crash between a truck and a
tram. The truck is yet to be removed from the scene and Yarra Trams
officers still need to investigate the tracks and damage to tram involved in
the crash. The road remains closed inbound at Harding Street and outbound
Walsh Street.
7.47 Police on the scene at a truck and tram crash in Sydney Road,Coburg.
Sydney Road is still blocked after an earlier crash between a truck and a
tram. Yarra Trams is working to rerail the tram.
On the trains, there are minor delays on the Belgrave line (police).
7.44 - Limited bus replacement service is operating between Stop 28 Moreland
Rd & Stop 34 Bell St. This disruption is expected to take some time to
clear.
7.22 Two people sustained minor injuries in the crash. One man, aged in his
30s, is being treated for knee injuries; another man, aged in his 50s or
60s, is being treated for facial injuries. Both men are in a stable
condition and will be transported to the Royal Melbourne Hospital soon.
7.18 No route 19 trams are operating between stop 28 Moreland Road and stop
34 Bell Street. Passengers may want to consider Upfield line trains from
Coburg and Moreland, or bus 512 along Harding Street to connect with route 1
trams.
7.17 The crash occurred at 6.20; the tram was derailed by the impact. "Our
priority is the welfare of our tram driver and passengers and the truck
driver". [usual spin]. Paramedics are on scene. Crews are working as fast
as possible to rerail the tram and restore services.
7.13 Sydney Road is blocked at Reynard and Munro streets in both directions.
VicRoads is urging drivers to use St Georges Road or Nicholson Street
instead. It's not known at this stage how long the road will be closed.
7.02 There were some passengers on board the number 19 tram when is collided
with a truck on Sydney Road. It's not known yet how many.
6.54 A truck and a tram have crashed in Coburg. The collision is blocking
all lanes of Sydney Road at Baxter Street. Traffic is heavy and motorists
should consider using St Georges Road or Nicholson Street to avoid the
closure.
A car drives in circles outside Flinders Street Station shortly before the
Bourke Street massacre. Photo: Supplied.
6.36 - No Route 19 trams between Stop 28 Moreland Rd & Stop 34 Bell St (a
collision in Sydney Rd). Consider Upfield line trains from Coburg or
Moreland, or Bus 512 along Harding St to connect with Route 1 trams
6.29 No route 19 trams between Stop 28 Moreland Rd & Stop 34 Bell St (a
collision at Stop 31 Edward St & Sydney Rd).
6.01 Works alerts on the Cranbourne, Frankston, Pakenham and Stony Point
lines.
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-express-tuesday-june-5-2018-2018
0605-p4zjg7.html>

~7.50 Melbourne Herald Sun Tues.5.6.18.
Route 19 trams have stopped between Moreland Rd and Sydney Rd in Coburg
after a truck collided with a tram.
A tram and truck have collided on Sydney Rd in Coburg. Picture: David
Crosling.
Sydney Rd is closed at Baxter St.
Motorists should use St Georges Rd or Nicholson St this morning
Tullamarine Fwy (M2), Melbourne Airport - lanes closed northbound, Two lanes
blocked outbound near.
Yarra Trams asked commuters to consider Upfield line trains or bus 512 along
Harding St to connect with route 1 trams.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tullamarine-freeway-crash-closes-two-nor
thbound-lanes-causing-delays/news-story/31462e58ac5405d0b36d7bc4e80b0abb>

Train fault causes commuter chaos at Southern Cross Station 5 June 2018 -
17.45.
Commuters have faced delays from Southern Cross Station after a faulty train
left crowds stranded on packed platforms.
A train fault on a 5.01pm Belgrave-bound train meant the train had to
terminate at Southern Cross with passengers forced to disembark. The faulty
train was then moved through the City Loop, causing delays on other lines.
"It started from one train being terminated at Southern Cross and it's had a
bit of a knock-on effect," Metro Trains spokesman Andrew Nelson said.
Commuters stranded at Southern Cross station. Photo: Miki Perkins
Passengers were crammed on to platforms nine and 10, experiencing delays on
the Belgrave, Alamein, Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines.
Crowds at Southern Cross Station, which have now cleared. Photo: Matthew
Furneaux
By around 6.15pm, crowds had largely cleared, with normal services resuming.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/train-fault-causes-commuter-chaos-at-so
uthern-cross-station-20180605-p4zjn7.html>

Geelong VLine staff sickness days on the rise in 2018
Geelong Advertiser June 5, 2018
Geelong VLine services continue to be plagued by staff sickness. Picture:
Christopher Chan.
MORE than 100 trains on the Geelong line have been cancelled or altered this
year due to staff sickness, VLine data shows.
Last month more than half of the 31 trains cancelled or altered due to staff
sickness were between Friday and Monday.
VLine staff are not required to produce a medical certificate for taking
sick days on either side of a weekend.
But the rail operator does ask its staff for medical certificates for sick
days on either side of a public holiday.
VLine spokesman James Twining said less than 0.4 per cent of all Geelong
line services are cancelled due to staff sickness each year.
"VLine is in the process of briefing the government on its review of train
cancellations caused by staff sickness," Mr Twining said.
The review ordered by Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan on April 3
came after the Geelong Advertiser revealed 52 trains were cancelled or
altered due to staff sickness in February and March.
Just eight trains were affected by sick staff in April but the number almost
quadrupled in May to 31.
VLine data shows 31 trains were cancelled or altered due to staff sickness
last month with 13 affected across three days.
Yesterday four trains on the Geelong line were cancelled due to staff
sickness before a person died after being struck by a train near Lara
station.
The incident caused significant delays on the line with more than five
services replaced by buses.
VLine notifies commuters of cancellations via Twitter but does not specify
if cancellations are due to sick train drivers or conductors.
Track congestion, maintenance requirements, and train and signal faults have
also been the major causes of delays in the first five months of the year.
Almost 11,000 trains were scheduled in the first four months of the year,
500 of which have been cancelled.
VLine's latest performance data for April shows the regional rail operator
failed its punctuality target - which allows trains to run up to six minutes
late and still be considered on time - on the Geelong line by 0.5 per cent.
The rail operator has met its punctuality target of 92 per cent in just two
of the 33 months since the opening of the Regional Rail Link 2015.
VLine has about 1800 staff including more than 445 drivers.
<www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/geelong/geelong-vline-staff-sickness-days
-on-the-rise-in-2018/news-story/8053ffdc50c5bbf789b19d03878e581c>

Strikes to impact on major infrastructure projects 5 June 2018
Work on major NSW infrastructure projects including power stations,
steelworks, light rail, national defence and a new jail will be affected as
hundreds of specialist trade workers go on strike for three days from
Wednesday.
The projects in the Hunter and Illawarra regions include the Eraring and
Bayswater power stations, Mt Thorley and Mt Arthur mines, Orica, the RAAF
Base Williamtown, Bluescope Steel at Port Kembla, and the construction of
the new Nowra correctional centre.
Work on the Newcastle light rail faces disruption as 430 Downer workers go
on strike for three days at the Hunter and Illawarra sites in an effort to
win a 3 per cent pay increase from a company that unions say has become
massively
profitable.
The Newcastle light rail project will be disrupted. From left, Brad
McDougall, ETU organiser; Cory Wright, AMWU assistant state secretary; and
Justin Page, ETU assistant state secretary. Photo: Simone De Peak
Downer Group's engineering, construction and maintenance division has a
number of large jobs in both regions and members of the metalworkers and
electrical workers unions have voted to take a range of industrial action
including a
three-day stoppage and an indefinite ban on overtime.
A mass meeting will be held on Wednesday morning at Hexham near Newcastle,
with striking workers expected to reassemble in Newcastle and march to the
light rail site in the city's main street, Hunter Street.
Downer is managing the light rail and has union members involved in
high-voltage electrical work but much of the job is being done by other
companies not affected by the industrial action.
Striking workers will also gather outside Bluescope Steel's Port Kembla
steelworks on Wednesday morning, with further rallies planned for Thursday
and Friday.
Bluescope Steel in Port Kembla Photo: Orlando Chiodo
ETU state secretary Dave McKinley said on Tuesday that his union and the
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union had been in talks with Downer
management since January to replace an enterprise agreement that expired at
the end of March.
McKinley said workers were outraged that they were being asked to accept
cuts to workplace conditions and a minimal pay rise at the same time that
Downer had reported surging profits.
"For the last half of 2017, Downer reported a big jump in after-tax profit
to more than $78 million with much of that driven by the engineering,
construction and maintenance division, which not only reported having $1.5
billion of work in hand, but saw earnings before interest and tax leap more
than 30 per cent," Mr McKinley said.
"These profits came on the back of workers enduring a two year wage freeze,
reductions to their site allowances, and lower redundancy benefits. These
workers are the reason profits are surging, yet they're been denied a fair
deal that sees them receive the benefit of their hard work."
Manufacturing workers union assistant state secretary Cory Wright said it
wasn't an ideal situation to stop work on the light rail but "ultimately
workers have to do what they can to try to get a better wages outcome."
"Everything's going up around them and managers are getting million-dollar
bonuses on top of already big salaries," Mr Wright said.
"You have to remember that back in 2015, last time around, workers took half
the 4.5 per cent rise they were after, or 2.25 per cent, and took an actual
cut in some allowances and benefits.
"Now the company is doing extremely well, management is being rewarded, but
the best they can come up with is the same 2.25 per cent with no return of
the previous conditions."
A Downer spokesperson said the company was working with the government to
ensure the strike action had minimal impact on the light rail project. The
light track is under construction with three main crossings from Hunter
Street shut at the moment as track work continues.
"Downer remains available and willing to have further discussions with
employees and unions to negotiate a new enterprise agreement," a
spokesperson said.
"We have offered a sustainable and fair 2.25% pay increase, which is above
CPI and above current market pay rates, and also includes no changes to
existing conditions."
The unions said that as well as the light rail site and the steelworks,
other affected jobs included Eraring and Bayswater power stations, Mount
Thorley and Mount Arthur coal mines, the Williamtown RAAF base, the Orica
ammonium nitrate plant on Kooragang Island and a new correctional centre
being built at Nowra.
About 300 of the striking workers were in the Hunter.
<www.theage.com.au/business/workplace/strikes-to-impact-on-major-infrastruct
ure-projects-20180605-p4zjmp.html>

Thousands of extra bus services to ease congestion in Sydney 5 June 2018.
Commuters in some of Sydney's most congested suburbs will get thousands of
extra bus services as part of an investment in the city's public transport
network.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejikilian will announce on Wednesday an extra 2000 bus
services for western Sydney, the eastern suburbs and the northern beaches,
Fairfax Media understands.
The new services are expected to be in areas including Bondi, Parramatta,
Strathfield and Randwick. Photo: Louie Douvis
There will also be extra services added to some regional areas.
As part of the goverment's budget spend, the new Sydney services are
expected to be in areas including Parramatta, Strathfield and Burwood as
well Bondi and Randwick.
It follows an announcement earlier this week that $133 million will be
included in the budget for upgrades to at least 11 train stations across the
state's rail network aimed at improving accessibility.
The work at stations in Sydney such as North Strathfield, Wahroonga,
Roseville and Kingswood will include lifts, ramps and footbridges.
Ms Berejiklian said the upgrades meant 90 per cent of customer journeys were
now accessible.
"We are committed to making public transport accessible for customers with a
disability, less mobile customers or customers using a pram, and that is why
this budget includes funding to upgrade accessibility to at least 11 more
stations across the state," Ms Berejiklian said.
Of the 307 stations on the suburban and intercity networks accessible, 173
are now accessible, according to the government.
<www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/thousands-of-extra-bus-services-to-ease-congest
ion-in-sydney-20180605-p4zjnt.html>
* How many of these bus services are going to be privately run?

How Sydney could be transformed into a 'global economic powerhouse' with 10
million people Jun 5, 201.
The Committee For Sydney has recommended higher-speed train travel between
Newcastle and Sydney. Photo: Max Mason-Hubers.
The Sydney of the future could be a "global economic powerhouse" of 10
million people, which spreads from Wollongong to Newcastle, according to a
report from an independent think-tank.
After a year of investigation, The Committee For Sydney has recommended the
creation of a "sandstone mega-region" linked together by high-speed rail.
Not only would investment in greater infrastructure links improve the
economy, the report claims, it would also lead to more affordable housing,
as 40,000 new homes could be built along the rail corridors.
Wollongong and Port Kembla should also have faster transport links to
Sydney, the report says. Photo: Rob Homer
The new network would centre on Parramatta, rather than the Sydney CBD, and
generate thousands of local jobs in Newcastle, Gosford and Wollongong.
Commuting times to the Sydney CBD should be cut to 40 minutes from Gosford
to Sydney, an hour from Newcastle to Parramatta, and an hour from Wollongong
to both the Sydney CBD and to Liverpool, according to the report.
"Only high capacity and fast heavy rail can bridge the distance to link
separate cities," it said.
A conception map of the proposed, speedier rail links. Photo: Cox
Architecture
Eamon Waterford, director of policy at the Committee for Sydney, said the
proposal had two main components - a faster rail link from Newcastle and the
Central Coast to Parramatta, and improving the speed of travel between
Wollongong and Sydney. A new rail link between Wollongong and Liverpool
should also be created.
"It feels like we've been going around in circles on high-speed rail for 30
years", Mr Waterford said. "We wanted to set very modest objectives."
..Related: Fast train a quick fix
..Related: Rail to push unaffordability to regions
..Related: High speed rail should concentrate regionally
"This is not high-tech, this is pretty basic stuff. They were delivering
these kind of speeds in France in the 1950s".
The rail network was envisioned primarily as an opportunity for commuters,
and would see less-frequent services outside peak hour, he said.
There were would be no stops between Wollongong and Campbelltown - apart
from potentially one at Port Kembla - with three to four stops estimated
between Wollongong and Sydney City, and five to six estimated between
Newcastle and
Sydney.
Mr Waterford said that aside from the increased number of houses being built
in the areas along the corridor, it would be beneficial for residents in
those key areas particularly in terms of improving employment opportunities,
with
areas such as the Central Coast having youth unemployment rates nearing 20
per cent.
"For people locked out of the housing market, locked out of the jobs market
- the benefits of a sleepy suburb aren't really benefits," Mr Waterford
explained.
Improved transport links could also rebalance the commuter flow - which was
at present overwhelmingly people coming from regional areas to Sydney for
work - and encourage more people to commute in both directions, both towards
and away from the CBD.
"You're already getting a raw deal from your relationship with Sydney, this
will help rebalance the scales," he said.
A high-speed rail connection to Canberra was not included, he said, because
it was "a lot harder to get to Canberra within an hour"
"If you want a place to work as a single economic entity, the magic time is
an hour", he said, adding there could be an argument for including the
Southern Highlands and Mittagong.
Sydneysiders were already moving to Gosford in droves, selling agent Paul
Starr, from Starr Partners East Gosford, said.
The agency said Sydney buyers make up 57 per cent of their sales from May
2017 to April 2018, compared with 38 per cent from May 2014 to April 2015.
Mr Starr cited affordability as a key factor driving the increase in
interest, and added that he had also had buyers looking from further north -
close to Newcastle - who wanted to shorten their commute time to Sydney.
"The homes up there are much cheaper than here." he said "But people are
saying it's too remote. I do believe a fast train would have an impact."
A potential high-speed rail network for the East Coast of Australia has been
mooted of late, with Federal Labor MP Anthony Albanese calling for high
speed rail links from Brisbane to Melbourne, via Sydney and Canberra last
year.
Infrastructure Australia released a report in 2017 recommending that key
land along a high-speed East Coast rail corridor be secured within the next
five years to prevent future costs blowing out.
The federal government has also dedicated funding to investigate the
business case for a high-speed rail system - cutting an hour from the
current journey time - between Sydney and Newcastle.
The NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance, was
contacted for comment.
<www.domain.com.au/news/how-sydney-could-be-transformed-into-a-global-econom
ic-powerhouse-with-10m-people-20180605-h10z3s>

Council has 'grave concerns' for new Queen's Wharf pathway 5 June 2018.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/council-has-grave-concerns-for
-new-queen-s-wharf-pathway-20180605-p4zjmn.html>

Queensland Rail's $41 million overtime bill for train drivers and guards 5
June 2018.
Queensland Rail has forked out more than $41 million in overtime payments
for train drivers and guards since the start of mass service cancellations
on the network.
In October 2016, the much-vaunted opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line
led to hundreds of services being cancelled due to a shortage of available
train drivers.
Queensland Rail has spent millions of dollars on overtime since October
2016. The operator was tasked with hiring more drivers and lowerings its
reliance on overtime in the Strachan report. Photo: Suppied
After rolling cancellations, the Strachan Inquiry revealed a Queensland Rail
preference to operate with a 5-10 per cent undersupply of train crew, with a
consequent reliance on unsustainable levels of overtime in the lead-up to
the new train timetable.
An LNP question on notice has revealed the total overtime bill since October
2016 was $41.59 million.
There was also $22.96 million spent on replacement rail buses and taxis for
Queensland Rail customers.
The most recent figures show Queensland Rail paid Citytrain drivers almost
half a million in overtime in just one fortnight in April, and $312,000 to
guards.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington described the overtime payments as "staggering".
"Queenslanders are paying an obscene amount for overtime but services aren't
improving," she said.
It comes after new figures revealed Queensland Rail had a net increase of 38
new drivers since October 2016.
But Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the data clearly showed a reduction
in overtime.
"Doomsday Deb needs to stop being loose with the truth and misrepresenting
data for political gain," he said.
"In 2018, we will train more drivers than the LNP trained in their entire
term of government."
Mr Bailey said overtime was a standard part of train crew's working patterns
at Queensland Rail, like many industries that relied on shift workers, and
did not apologise for paying workers appropriately.
"This enables required flexibility in the workforce to meet demand changes
associated with special events that occur periodically," he said.
"Strict processes are in place to ensure that rosters, and any offered
overtime, comply with Queensland Rail's fatigue standards."
Mr Bailey said it was heartening to see a trend over six months of reducing
levels of overtime for both drivers and guards.
"[This] reflects the increases of new drivers and guards entering the train
system as they finish their training and commence work," he said.
Mr Bailey said external recruitment of drivers and guards was in its final
stages, with offers expected to go out in the near future.
The best-paid Brisbane train driver earned almost $200,000 last year, by
performing a staggering 952 hours of overtime.
That was the equivalent of an extra 18 hours worked every week of the year.
The average number of overtime hours for Citytrain drivers was 6.45 hours
per week in 2016-17, which amounted to an average of $511 per week in
overtime pay.
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/queensland-rail-s-41-million-o
vertime-bill-for-train-drivers-and-guards-20180605-p4zjif.html>