That backfired: over 64 km truncated. 

Doubt on promise for 200km/h fast rail without new trains March 22, 2019
Scott Morrison's promise to build 200km/h fast rail services between Melbourne and Geelong will not be possible without new trains, a leading expert says.
The Prime Minister has promised to build high-speed rail line where trains would travel up to 200km/h, slashing the travel time between Geelong and Southern Cross Station to 32 minutes.
It would take about 10 years to build, with construction to begin in two years and the state government expected to pitch in $2 billion.
But Mr Morrison's $4 billion pre-election cash splash does not include money for new trains.
The federal government has pledged to create a fast rail link between Melbourne and GeelongCredit:Joe Armao
Alan Tudge, federal Urban Infrastructure Minister, said $2 billion would go towards duplicating the track between Sunshine and Wyndham Vale, creating a dedicated line for the fast rail.
Illustration: Matt GoldingCredit:
Separating the tracks would also increase capacity on the existing Geelong line, which has been plagued by overcrowding and poor reliability since the opening of the Regional Rail Link in 2015.
The remaining $2 billion would be spent on upgrading the Geelong line.
Mr Tudge said new trains were traditionally bought by the state.
John Hearsch, president of expert rail think-tank Rail Futures, supports the push for faster rail to Geelong and says separating the tracks is long over-due.
But 32-minute services would not be possible without new trains, he said.
"Even with the substantial track upgrade and extra tracks, the best existing trains could achieve under ideal conditions is 39 minutes," he said.
"The existing [V/Line] rolling stock is designed for a maximum speed of 160km/h and is not authorised to run any faster."
The federal and state governments are at odds over what fast rail to Geelong will cost.
Victoria's Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the project would cost between $10 and $15 million.
She said it would require the removal of 14 level crossings, which would cost $2 billion alone.
The state government set aside $150 million to plan for the fast trains to Geelong before last year’s state election.
Mr Hearsch agrees it would cost $2 billion to remove the level crossings. And he estimates the entire project will cost $5 billion in total.
The new line would cut city-to-city journey times down to about 30 minutes.Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
The multi-billion dollar promise came as good news for Liberal MP Sarah Henderson whose electorate of Corangamite is considered one of the government's most vulnerable seats at the upcoming election.
Ms Henderson’s narrow margin of 3.1 per cent in the seat was virtually wiped out in a redistribution of the seat’s boundaries last year.
Newer, Labor-leaning suburbs in south-west Geelong were brought into the seat and the Liberal stronghold of Colac was shifted into neighbouring Wannon..
Minister Allan said she welcomed the infrastructure funding, but said "the funding put up by the Prime Minister won't deliver what he's promising".
“If they want to help deliver fast rail to Geelong they should ... get on board with our plan to build brand new tracks from Southern Cross Station to Wyndham Vale,” she said.
But Public Transport Users Spokesman in Geelong Paul Westcott said the promise was a "great start" and would finish off what the $3.65 billion Regional Rail Link was supposed to do.
The announcement closely mirrors a promise made by the state opposition before the election to build a $19 billion high-speed regional rail link allowing for 32 minute services from Melbourne to Geelong.
Faster rail between Melbourne and Geelong is not rated an urgent priority by Infrastructure Australia, which says it will be needed in the next 10 to 15 years.
Related Article The federal government has pledged to create a fast rail link between Melbourne and Geelong.  Fast rail to Geelong? Do they really think we're that stupid?
Fast rail between Melbourne and Geelong would slash travel time in half
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/doubt-on-promise-for-200km-h-fast-rail-without-new-trains-20190322-p516q3.html>
* The fastest in the early 1960s was 52 min.
The fastest after the upgrade to 160 km/h was ~45 min.
The fastest after the futile 'Regional Fast Rail' was no better, indeed was worse.
There are better ways of clawing back 13 min, if that is even worth doing.
Frequency and capacity and convenience beat absolute speed on a section that short.
Add in the time from home to Geelong, negotiating the 'interchange', and the same in Melbourne and to the work place.  The megabillions are a complete waste.  Do something useful.
* Wasn't there a previous attempt at 'fast' train travel by Bracks/Brumby et al? Didn't that end in a farce of expensive upgrades, then trains running slow because of brakes, poor track etc etc. Farcical.
I predict they'll aim for 200km/h and barely get 115km/h; barely. That will, of course, only be on cool days. On hot days the tracks will buckle, the brakes will overheat and the drivers will call in sick.
Yep, I smell another lemon; sickly waste of money.
* Why can't Australian governments do strategic planning? On the one hand we have multi-billion dollar megaprojects that come from a minister's thought bubble, have no connection to any long-term urban plan, score a few glossy brochures, and are quietly shelved after a few years when the authorities finally work out that the economics don't stack up.
On the other hand we have the daily really of more traffic, more congestion, more road building, constantly playing catchup with no real vision for what we want the city of the future to look like.
There is no need for a very fast train over a distance like 70 kilometres. A moderately fast train, at a fraction of the cost, would spare billions for other important projects.
Existing trains on the existing tracks via Werribee, with some track amplification and a Newport bypass from Tottenham to Laverton, should be able to get to Geelong non-stop in about 40 minutes. That might cost one or two billion. Compared with a very fast train it gives 80 per cent of the benefit for 20 per cent of the cost. We have to think about benefits and costs and what other good things we could do with the money.
* Another kite Morrison flies to see if it takes off. He is now picking selected seats to announce support for project she never intends to deliver. Now, if the constituents in these seats fall for this trap, they deserve the disappointment.
* Mr Morrison, Mr Tudge - you and your government have collectively had 5 years and 306 days since you were elected to fix things like:-
- public debt levels
- wages growth
- fancy new trains and infrastructure.
There are only 56 sleeps until 18 May left.
Scott and all your government ministers, what the bloody hell have you been doing all this time?
* I have one promise for Morrison and his inept government. Electoral wipeout.
* Judge the Coalition Federal Government on what they HAVE DONE, not on what they say they WILL DO.
* Please, let us just get the Airport Rail Link built first which will benefit many, many Victorians and others. We have been waiting since the opening of Tullarmarine in 1970 (yes fol;ks 49 years ago!). Enough of this High-Speed rail pie in the sky.
* Forget a 200 kmh. train from Geelong, can the residents of Gippsland please have a reliable rail service of any speed ? Without our own regional rail link to bypass the busiest suburban line our trains, when they do run, are lucky to average 60 kmh. from Traralgon to Southern Cross. Once again we are the forgotten region of Victoria.
* In ten years new trains will be required with or without fast rail. The Andrews government is constantly whinging about the lack of money from the Feds but when it is promised they have to whinge some more. Can't we be positive about the development rather than all this partisan rubbish?
* Agree. Even though It's not going to be delivered, because they're not going to win.
Regardless, it has merit. Geelong is booming, and thousands are moving there each year. Why not create a viable rail connection so residents can work in Melbourne.
* Current Velocity railcars are geared for 180km/hr. In UK similar trains operate at 200km/hr. Some large (10 or 12 cars) double decker trains are needed for Geelong and Ballarat lines. Powered by 3300kw diesel locos on each end. Could have up to 1800 seats. Use these on busiest peak, non-stop services. Use Velocities for all stations trains with lots of stops.
* The only questions that really matters is: do Victorian voters believe Morrison would do it if re elected? Are they that trusting?
* I know I don't trust Hendo.
* I bet the commuters of Frankston, Pakenham, Belgrave, Lilydale, and other similar suburban lines are feeling really enthusiastic about a 32 minute service to Geelong.
* To be fair Geelong doesn't deserve it but Hendo is a big donor magnet so they need to look after her.
* Is it reality? Tell them they're lying!
* Don't worry about the trains, with so many years to completion there is plenty of time for them to be ordered and with potential improvements in technology why order now?
* 'The federal and state governments are at odds over what fast rail to Geelong will cost.'- ie. nothing will get done! In Canberra we have a Govt. that is committed to flat out lying and in Victoria we have a Govt. that has budgeted on fairyland and didnt forsee the gap in stamp duty that a housing collapse might bring. We have an utter vacuum of leadership in this country.
* A 200kph train service - going 60km's. And are there any stops on the way?
* The population of Geelong is around 160,000.
An investment into "poles and wires" to accommodate the transition to renewable resources would make more sense.
Noting that the "poles and wires" from the coal resource will become redundant over time because renewable is sourced from different geographic locations
* The poles and wires might be useful if some power hungry industries can be located where the existing power stations are, and renewable power is fed back.
* 160 000 where are you getting that figure? It's closer to 200k. The problem with Geelong is it's size. The same as NYC with 8.5 million people. Watch what happens when property flat lines. Geelong will be a smoking crater.
* Another, not surprisingly, desperate attempt for votes! Still, to be fair, watching Scomo’s press conference, it was obvious he had done his homework and was across the detail! Not! Hope he doesn’t follow the lead of his Victorian colleagues and sign contracts before the election!
* what's missing is anything positive coming from the journo's or more importantly anything positive or commitment coming from Labor except from Jacinta Allan saying on the new her government was working on it, two bob each way.
* What's missing George is the $3.5 billion funding that MorrisCon won't release to Victoria. The only commitment being shown, is for Henderson's seat of Corangamite.
* Andrews broke the promise not the Libs, I believe the money for east west is still available and that's what it was originally promised for.
* This is so all the immigrants being dispatched to the “regions” according to coalition policy can commute to Melbourne every day where the jobs are.
* So let me get this right...
- Morrison is chipping in $2B (and asking/demanding VicGov to put in an equal $2B)
- VicGov needs to buy all the rolling stock (+ $1-2B)
- VicGov needs to remove the level crossings (+ $2B)
- VicGov has already earmarked $150M to plan the project (form the Vic State election)
- Morrison is just copying Guy (but scrimping and only putting in $2B in what would cost $10B)
Wow! Not only is this funding announcement grossly misrepresentative of Morrison's proportion of contribution, its already a project underway by the VicGov.
If this is what Morrison's lot are offering, it would have to be one of the most vacuous of policies in modern politics.
Time for real change, real reform and real policies. Time for a real government. Come on May!
* Someone please tell scoalmo and young josh that the Simpson's Monorail episode was a fantasy.
* scoalmo can only offer a few $bill because the young learner treasurer is still trying to work out the difference between billions and bazillions and until he works it out there isn't much money to go around.
* A promise of top quality train tracks, but without any trains. This is going beyond not fully thought through, well into they're not really trying any more.
* 32 minutes to Geelong? With the usual four stops in 30 minutes before North Melbourne, that leaves two minutes to get to Geelong. A fast train indeed.
* Why spend a fortune on new trains to gain 7 minutes? Isn't 39 minutes from Geelong good enough? It takes about that to get from Greensborough to the city. In fact last night going to footy we were packed in like sardines, 1500 on the train I reckon. We should have triplicated tracks through inner suburbs to run more express services from the outer before we spend billions to perhaps save 7 minutes to regional locations.
* Governments need to forget about promising"fast trains" at election time... no one is fooled. We need to instead insist on reliable, more frequent and slightly faster trains. Anything else is just pie in the sky and a fraud on taxpayers. Currently regional trains can't operate when the temperature gets above 35C and passengers get put on buses... its a joke???
* 'This is my leader and I'm ambitious for him!' COALMo $2,000,000,000 empty promise is more like a tin serves no purpose except annoying loud.
$2,000,000,000 however put as a down payment to build infrastructure and provide services to regional cities as a long term plan to decentralise relieving pressures on capital cities should be considered.
His offer of BULLSHIP I fleet now found to be lacking, another thought bubble and another conjuring trick to save Sarah.
* A promise to fund a fast train in a marginal electorate just before an election ...and without bothering to check with the State Government which has to build it? ScoMo must really take us for idiots.
* "Scott Morrison's promise to..." At that point I think a reasonable person might expect a caveat on the lines of, "Picture is for illustration only and actual contents may differ markedly."
* This project is so serious that the Prime Minister consulted widely before it's release - with the Herald Sun and The Geelong Advertiser. Accidently - he forgot to consult with the State Government who would actually have to do the project. This was a mere unimportant oversight - I mean yeah sure they have the information on how to do the project and they have a full list of infrastructure projects to deliver already from their recent election and of course the project is not even on the priority list for Infrastructure Australia or Infrstructure Victoria - but if Scott wants it surely Dan will agree - right?
The Stunt Man strikes again. No real policy work, no ability to deliver the project, no intention to work with the State Government, no understanding of what work is required to deliver the project, no understanding of what it costs.
What sort of management is this ? imagine putting such a proposal up to your bank - or as a capital project to a corporation. This is a stunt - and Victorians should punish this rubbish at the polls - to be treated with such contempt - to think our votes can be brought with a few empty poll driven promises with not even the smallest effort. I dont care what colour your politics are - stunts like this are just a sign that you have not got a clue and dont care. We dont need you Scott - we need a government that will lead - not just continuously pull stunts.
* Scott Morrison is all rhetoric. If the people of Australia can't see it then our education system is stuffed.
* Welcome to reality
* Hey ScoMo when is that you will build a rocket for us to colonise Mars. May be you can allocate about few billions in your election promise. Don't take us for idiots like you.
* So Morrison is spruiking Bullet Trains . But within a day we’ve learnt neither the $2 billion by either Feds or State will go to buying them and far more costs excluded.
Sounds like ScoMo and RoboCall Henderson are snake oiling quests there the thimble is
* Bullet trains are a tad faster than 200km/hr - as in double that speed.
* 'This is my leader and I'm ambitious for him!' COALMo wanted to be the black knight to save Sarah from certain defeat for her seat of Corangamite.
Unfortunately charging in on a nag and brandishing a wooden lance, he again has been exposed as more promise than action by experts who again makes him look like a dunce without doing his sums.
His offer without upgrading the tracks without new trains is another half baked scheme on the eve of an election. So BULLSHIP I like TITANIC II sank before voters' eyes.
* The distance from Melbourne to Geelong is 75km. China is increasing their fast rail network by 3200km this year alone. When we get serious about fast rail, we will pay Chinese contractors to come and build it for us. They will do it better, faster and cheaper than we can do it ourselves.
* It's a little like the movie quote " the truth! you cant handle the truth" Build a train line of 75km in 10 years? with one wheel barrow and a donkey, maybe.
* All VLine Geelong to Melbourne passengers want is a reliable services and a seat on peak hour / did anyone ever tell them that metro has no peak hour charges / same price all day and fares a few years ago were reduced and free before 715 am / not sure if peak hour still charged but was a few years ago
* VLine (and others) don't want reduced fare Seniors and Concession Holders taking up space on Peak Hour services to/from Melbourne. Rightly so, preference should go to full fare passengers. I am a regular user of VLine to MEL and use off peak. Think around $8.10 return - you can't beat that.
* Regular commuters already get concession fares
* The last paragraph states it is not an urgent priority, with Infrastructure Australia saying it won’t be required for 10-15 years. According to this article the construction is estimated to take 10 years with it to start in 2 years.
On my maths, if the government does act now on this, they are with a chance of actually meeting a future infrastructure need.
But hey better to put it on the shelf and criticize.
* This would require thinking beyond the government's term which many fail miserably when it comes to infrastructure
* So dear readers, as suspected... this was just another brain fart by Shouty McShoutface
* $4++ billion to save 13 mins why not.just double the frequency of trains theteby going from every 40 mins to 20 mins.
Only engines and dome carriages would be required as carriages could be used from other now less full trains.
This would slash 20mins of the waiting time at a fraction of the cost. It would slso be of massive benefit to all the people that might miss the train..
* I’ve been on those dome carriages in the US. They are great, but I don’t think the views between Melbourne and Geelong really justify them.
* Listening to Morrison, Tudge and Henderson yesterday it was clear this announcement was just a stunt.
No costing done. No design, no implementation plan, no consultation. Contacted Vic gov for the first time the night before - so no partnership, totally at odds with Minister Tudge’s City Deals approach.
It’s a recycle of vic liberal election pitch, but with the cost estimate slashed without rationale.
This was just an empty promise with no intention or possibility of following through.
* You only need to look at two lines to see whats going on here...
"good news for Liberal MP Sarah Henderson whose electorate of Corangamite is considered one of the government's most vulnerable seats at the upcoming election"
"Faster rail between Melbourne and Geelong is not rated an urgent priority by Infrastructure Australia"
* The slash & burn ex Treasurer must be getting really desperate to buy votes. Can't wait for the empty promises comes Budget night.
* The trains already running are not that old. We just need the team from Pimp my Train, to add a few more herbs to the donks . We already had the The Regional Fast Rail project between 2000 and 2006 . Seems we didn't quite nail it at the time then.
* Morrison was highly visible in Melbourne this week. Mainly because the Liberal Party wanted him to be invisible in NSW the week before their election.
* Frankly the cost benefit doesn’t stack up. Rather than putting in fast rail put in more trains. An extra 15 minutes is not the issue, it is crowded trains that don’t run often enough that are. 15 minutes is not a problem; if you have a seat and you haven’t waited an hour for the train to turn up. Give the Vic. Government money to buy trains. Oh, that’s right, that wouldn’t be grandstanding for the federal election; silly me thinking it was about a sensible solution. At least they aren’t saying the answer is to upgrade the highway.
* Do some of both. Speed up to a 45 minute service. An average of only around 108km/hr. Build much bigger double decker commuter trains with 150 seats per car, not 76. More small trains is not the answer, just adds to track congestion. As long as commuters get a seat, journey time is shorter than driving and trains are reliable, the result will be welcomed.
* With scotty it’s like that song, we’re on the road to nowhere..
* Must me time to watch an other episode of Utopia. When does that next series start?
* I think it has started.... but in reality!!
* We have a meeting next week to discuss this.
* Abbott discovering climate change and the Paris agreement. ScoMo discovering rail. And now Frydenberg making out that the budget is going to boost real wages.
LNP caring about the environment and living wages? Must be election time!
The week after they won these promises would all be swept away with some imagined excuse.
I will never trust ScoMo or Abbott.
* Actually I think the excuse would be unimagineable, but otherwise agree with everything you say
* I can think of one serious problem. Hendo won't be around to deliver it.
* Jacinta Allen said the project would cost between $10 - $15 million. Cheap!
* You will find Jacinta Allen did actually say 10 -15 billion. Not cheap but better value than another stadium.
* "Faster rail between Melbourne and Geelong is not rated an urgent priority by Infrastructure Australia, which says it will be needed in the next 10 to 15 years."
But whoever is suggesting that throwing money at voters in marginal seats has anything to do with "urgent priorities" other than the priorities of a desperate Liberal National Party?
* To be fair, Infrastructure Australia is just a lobby group for NSW. Nothing south of the Murray is ever urgent.
* But... if IA says it will be needed in 10 - 15 years... and it will take at least 10 years to build.... (join the dots!)
* Sounds like one of Rudd's desperate brain farts, promising to move Australia's naval bases to Queensland before becoming toast: talk about deja vu. Poor old Scomo still hasn't learned to stop digging when in a hole.Oh dear, how sad never mind.
* This announcement only proved how little imagination the Libs have. A fast rail link promise before an election has been done to death. One hoped they could have offered another imaginary solution to a real problem, then they may have been believed.
* In a world where few of us understand the technology involved all we want is for someone, without an axe to grind, to tell us what actually works and what doesn't and what it is going to cost. We don't have the expertise so please do not try to take advantage of that with spin. We do not appreciate it and we are getting tired of it.
* Typical from Ad Man from Mad Men. Instead of using tax-payer money to finance the Coalition election campaign, call the election and use your own money.
Ours is most obviously required elsewhere, to the benefit of the society we all live in. 
Fast rail to Geelong? Do they really think we're that stupid? March 22, 2019.  101 comments
Doubt on promise for 200km/h fast rail without new trains
Fast rail to Geelong. It sounds like an exciting infrastructure announcement from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
It's not. It’s precisely the sort of breathtakingly cynical political manoeuvre that voters are now so exhausted by. Do they really think we are this stupid?
The federal government has pledged to create a fast rail link between Melbourne and Geelong. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
Thanks to decades of more talented political operators than Morrison dodging and weaving their way past elections while voters’ blood boils over nothing being done on transport, announcements about multi-billion-dollar infrastructure promises simply won’t wash anymore.
And that’s just the cynicism that’s set in among voters over the inertia – quite aside from the pork-barrelling nature of announcing a project not even rated an urgent priority by the national infrastructure agency.
On Friday, Morrison and four Victorian Coalition MPs went to Geelong to promise that travel times from Geelong to Melbourne would virtually halve, from 61 minutes to 32 minutes.
The $4 billion project, they said, would start within two years!
The catch? State Labor would have to match Canberra’s $2 billion with $2 billion of its own.
Regardless of the Andrews government's claim that $4 billion won’t be enough – something in itself that’s startling enough to be worthy of a fact-check – the telling point is when Morrison told Premier Daniel Andrews.
Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson on Friday told ABC Radio’s Jon Faine that Andrews had been told on Thursday night. The state government confirmed the phone message from Morrison came late that night.
For a project that, in funding terms, was enough to build 160 new high schools.
This is precisely what voters are sick of on infrastructure – the same tired promises being rolled out time and again by politicians who seem to know little of the details of the projects they are pledging, but know the minutiae of how their clever political wedges will play out.
It amounts to a complete failure to govern for the fast-growing population when it comes to infrastructure.
This is no way to plan a city, a state or a nation. A functioning system would require states – that know the details of their transport needs – and Canberra, with its billions of dollars, to work together responsibly and with respect. Not a phone message at 8.30pm on a Thursday from one leader to another.
Infrastructure Australia and Infrastructure Victoria were meant to help solve these problems. Sadly, so degraded has the public service become at both levels of government that neither have the courage to tell MPs the hard truths about what’s required.
Perhaps the most gobsmacking aspect of Morrison’s announcement on Friday, via a NewsCorp story referring to bullet trains and European-style links that was part of a 20-year vision?
The precise same promise was tried less than six months ago by Matthew Guy.
The electoral result? Given Morrison and his fellow MP’s enthusiasm for the proposal, you would think it helped elected a swag of Liberals in Geelong and surrounding areas.
Nothing of the sort; Labor candidates in the region recorded thumping victories.
Former federal MP Darren Cheeseman took the state seat of South Barwon from the Liberals with an 8 per cent swing.
Geelong Labor MP Christine Couzens recorded double the primary vote of her Liberal competitor.
Labor’s Lara MP John Eren took 70 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.
And on the Bellarine, Lisa Neville turned her once marginal seat into safe Labor territory with a 7 per cent swing.
Of course, there’s a reason the public is now so desperately cynical about transport announcements, and Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan was out on Friday providing abundant evidence of why.
She referred to the proposal from Morrison as a thought bubble just weeks out from an election.
That she could do so with a straight face – having herself last year promised $50 billion on a “suburban rail loop” cooked up independently of her state’s transport bureaucracy – was impressive.
The difference though, is that Coalition governments have promised big and delivered little on infrastructure since they came to office in 2013 – remember Tony Abbott’s hope to be remembered as the infrastructure prime minister?
Andrews and Allan have thrown everything into building major infrastructure, knowing that talking big and delivering zero on transport leads to electoral oblivion of the sort John Brumby once experienced here in Victoria.
It’s what Morrison should expect in this state, despite Friday’s promise.
Related Article The federal government has pledged to create a fast rail link between Melbourne and Geelong Morrison 'can't deliver' Geelong rail plan for $4b, minister claims
<www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fast-rail-to-geelong-do-they-really-think-we-re-that-stupid-20190322-p516kh.html>
* Poor so-called 'RFR' got descoped by the federal government, not approving the Werribee - Tarneit suburban link, and then state Lib, which had the arrogance to boast 'under time and under budget'.  The public never wins.  Of course, RFR should have been built electrified and to the NSW Bradfield profile for futureproofing.  Even now, it offers the best route to the airport, and a two-tier service could be provided with suburban trains to Tarneit (using equipment withdrawn by the useless PTV) and Geelong trains not stopping at suburban stations.                     

Queenslanders will not know if Fast Train is viable until after poll March 22, 2019
Talking points
•The Federal Government on Friday promised $8 million to develop a business case for a Fast Train option between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
•In January 2018 it awarded $20 million for a business case for a Fast Train concept between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
•The business case for the Sunshine Coast Fast Train is not due until July 2019, after the May 2019 federal election.
Queenslanders will not know whether or not a Fast Train concept in south-east Queensland is viable until after the 2019 federal election.
A business case for a Gold Coast version of a Fast Train concept was revealed on Friday, plus very general plans to extend the heavy rail line to the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta.
The federal government has pledged to create a fast rail link between Melbourne and Geelong.
On the Sunshine Coast, however, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull had announced money in January 2018 for a business case for Fast Train concept to the Sunshine Coast, from Nambour to Brisbane.
“I am expecting the business case to come back in July,” Sunshine Coast federal MP Ted O’Brien said on Friday. “From there it goes to Infrastructure Australia.”
The federal election is expected to be held in May 2019.
Infrastructure Australia is the peak body prioritising infrastructure projects around Australia for additional federal funding.
The idea is to have trains run at 150kmh and travel between Brisbane and Nambour in 45 minutes.
The Sunshine Coast stretch alone of a Fast Train concept would cost “billions of dollars”, Mr O’Brien said.
The Sunshine Coast Fast Train bid is being prepared by a Sunshine Coast business consortium called North Coast Connect, which includes Stocklands – who are building the Aura residential development at Caloundra South – and engineers and planners SMEC, Urbis and KPMG.
The business case will work out where the Fast Train can work with the existing rail lines and where new rail lines for Fast Trains would be needed.
Aura's Ryan McIntyre and his family at the new residential estate at Caloundra South, where a future rail link will run.
It will also identify a range of routes to Nambour and includes testing of the side rail line through the Aura residential complex to Maroochydore. This segment has been identified for three decades as the CAMCOS (Caboolture to Maroochydore) corridor study.
Mr O’Brien said he believed the Fast Train concept remains viable.
“While there will always be challenges, it remains viable,” he said.
Mr O’Brien said he was not yet in a position to reveal exact dollar amounts or track options, because that work was now being done by the business consortium.
“But I anticipate the business case identifying routes because ultimately it is based on those route options that the costings are done.
“So you are looking at using a mix of existing Sunshine Coast rail corridors as well as the CAMCOS corridors.”
A Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman confirmed the Sunshine Coast business case was still being evaluated.
"This means operational, technical, financial and environmental impacts of the project are yet to be determined," a departmental spokesman said."Any proposal for fast rail would need to complement the existing network, appropriately address future network requirements and include consideration of staging and integration with related network enhancements," he said.
"Rolling stock, resourcing and (train) stabling requirements are also critical."
On a separate rail project, the federal government has already promised to contribute $390 million to add a $780 million second rail line – duplicating the track – between Beerburrum and Landsborough.
The Queensland Government believes the federal government should contribute more than 50 per cent of the funds for this work.
However, this stretch of rail is within the Sunshine Coast Fast Train Brisbane to Nambour concept.
Federal Labor on Wednesday promised to set up a High Speed Rail Authority to evaluate the various high-speed-rail projects if it wins the May 2019 election.
Meanwhile, the Federal MP for the Gold Coast seat of Moncrieff, Karen Andrews, on Friday said people should not be sceptical about a Gold Coast Fast Train concept announced so close to a federal election in May.
That concept promises a trip between Brisbane and the Gold Coast in 35 minutes, but no planning has been done.
It follows work on the City Deal for South East Queensland, where fast train travel is key.
“What the Liberal National Government has committed to is to fund a business case; $8 million to fund a business case to look at fast rail between the Gold Coast and Brisbane,” Ms Andrews said.
“Also we are looking at extending the rail line south from Varsity Lakes through to the Gold Coast Airport.”
Related Article Labor has indicated they would create a rail authority and start buying the land. The duelling rail plans for south-east Queensland
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queenslanders-will-not-know-if-fast-train-is-viable-until-after-poll-20190322-p516qf.html>The duelling rail plans for south-east Queensland March 22, 2019
Brisbane commuters will be able to catch a bullet train to either the Sunshine Coast or Melbourne — depending on who wins the next federal election.
Labor has reignited the decades-long dream to build a high-speed train from Brisbane to Melbourne, promising to appoint a High Speed Rail Authority if elected.
Labor has indicated it would create a rail authority and start buying the land.Credit:AP
The authority would be in charge of securing land along the proposed corridor, at a cost of $2.8 billion.
"High speed rail would revolutionise interstate travel, allowing people to travel between capital cities in as little as three hours at speeds of up to 350km/h," Labor infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese said.
The proposed route for the Brisbane to Melbourne bullet train.  Credit:Infrastructure Australia
The train would connect Brisbane and Melbourne via the Gold Coast, Sydney and Canberra, if the route proposed in a 2013 feasibility study was adopted.
The study, ordered by Labor before it lost government, was shelved when the coalition came to power and scrapped the High Speed Rail Authority in 2014..
Mr Albanese said the government had ignored the blueprint for six years.
The coalition has agreed Australia would need high-speed rail, but said it was up to the states to acquire land for the corridor first.
“High-speed rail has to be part of the landscape in the future,” Federal Cities and Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge has said..
“Corridor preservation is critical, [and is something] only state governments have the power to do."
On Wednesday, the government hinted at investing in fast-rail projects, including a link from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast, to help ease congestion at “pinch points”.
“Those pinch points are important because often you can spend as much time trying to get onto the freeway as you can actually be held up on the freeway itself,” Mr Tudge said.
The minister was tight-lipped on details, but was expected to reveal more about the government's $75 billion commitment on infrastructure nationwide when the budget was handed down on April 2.
“We've mentioned fast rail briefly in the documents, which have been circulated,” Mr Tudge said on Wednesday.
“We'll have more to say about that at a later time.”
A plan for 45-minute train trips between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast was put together by a 26-member LNP political bloc dubbed Team Queensland in early 2018.
The North Coast Connect project, along with two other fast-rail plans in NSW and Victoria, were selected to share in $20 million of federal funding to develop a business case.
The Queensland project would see the long-awaited duplication of the line between Beerburrum and Nambour, and add a new rail spur connecting main coastal hubs to Brisbane for the first time.
Related Article Both sides of politics say it's time for high-speed rail, but neither has committed money to it yet.  Time to 'bite the bullet' and build high-speed rail: Albanese
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-duelling-rail-plans-for-south-east-queensland-20190321-p5166r.html>

We got a sneak peek at riding Canberra's light rail March 22, 2019.
For months, I’ve had a dream. It comes to me when I’m sandwiched at the back of an ACTION bus on my way into The Canberra Times Assembly office of a morning.
I close my eyes, and instead of meandering through the rat-runs of the inner north or trundling in traffic, I’m gliding down Northbourne Avenue, past all the clogged cars, straight into the centre of the city.
Which is why Friday was my best commute into work yet. After suffering through years of detours and road closures, watching the trees get chopped down and replanted, the rails go in and the wires go up, I finally got to take the light rail into the city.
I live well over a kilometre away from light rail so I really didn’t see myself ditching the bus that stops right out the front of my house in favour of the tram too often, despite my daydreams.
But nevertheless I strapped my walking shoes and backpack on, and with the excitement of a kid on the first day of school, headed down to the Dickson Interchange.
Less than 15 minutes later I was getting kitted out in high vis and a helmet ready to get on.
(That’s not something ordinary passengers will have to deal with, we had to gear up as it’s still in the testing phase).
Minister for Transport Meegan Fitzharris for her first ride on Canberra's light rail.Credit:Elesa Kurtz
Trams seemed to come and go quite regularly even though they’re not yet working to their operational timetable. With one expected every six minutes during peak times though you won’t have to wait very long to get on board.
There are “platform validators” at every station where you need to tap your MyWay card before getting onto the light rail.
I’m told if you’re catching a bus to get to a light rail station, you need to tap off the bus and tap onto light rail. It won’t charge you twice as you have a 90-minute transfer window from the time you first tap on.
The inside of the tram feels huge, probably because it is the emptiest I will ever see it at this hour. The air conditioning is glorious, the seats are spacious and the windows are huge. And yes, it has that new tram smell.
I blink and we’re at our first station. Seriously, it felt that fast. But the ride is also really smooth and quiet so it feels like you’re hardly moving at all.
Already, we’re at the Elouera Street station. Then the Alinga Street terminal. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten from Dickson to Civic so quickly.
One of my fellow journos tells us she actually got a bit motion sick on the trip, but thankfully didn't become the first person to chunder on light rail. What a milestone that would have been.
Passengers will tap their MyWay cards as they get on and off the tram.Credit:Elesa Kurtz
When we’re bundled off the tram, I’m worried one of the doors is going to squish me but I’m assured they have automatic sensors so that can’t happen.
The driver has no control over the doors though, so when you want to get off you have to press a button to release the door yourself.
Walking from the station to work, I can't believe it's over so fast. I've been waiting so long for this. In fact the part that feels the longest about the whole trip is waiting for the green man at the traffic lights to cross the road.
Thankfully the rest of Canberra will not have to wait much longer either. Light rail is expected to start running on April 20, with free trips for all on the day.
You can even enter a ballot for a special preview trip on April 18, with 150 double passes up for grabs.
So the $939 million question is will Canberrans actually use this service?
As someone who consciously chooses to use public transport but misses buses with alarming regularity, I can definitely see myself walking that extra bit further in order to know there's a light rail vehicle coming along soon.
I recognise not everyone can do that, especially if you're not as mobile as I am or if your personal circumstances aren't as flexible.
I also know how painful the traffic light changes associated with light rail have made travelling anywhere along the corridor if you're in a car or bus.
But if you're open to trying something new, I have a feeling you will love it as much as I did.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/we-got-a-sneak-peek-at-riding-canberra-s-light-rail-20190322-p516gz.html>

Want to be one of the first to ride light rail? Here's your chance March 22, 2019
Canberrans can win the chance to ride on the light rail two days before it opens to the public, with a public ballot opening on Friday for the first tickets.
The Gungahlin to Civic leg will be opened to the public on Saturday, April 20 - the Easter long weekend - Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris announced on Tuesday.
Canberra Metro customer service officers Joanne Meeuwissen and Garry Starling ahead of the planned launch of the light rail on April 20.Credit:Elesa Kurtz
But a special community preview loop will run on Thursday, April 18, with 150 double passes up for grabs.
Ms Fitzharris said the start of light rail was an "exciting moment in Canberra's history", with many people "eagerly waiting to get on board".
“Canberrans have seen the progress of light rail all the way from the planning stages to now seeing
light rail vehicles running up and down the route as they complete their final tests," she said.
"We want to give people the opportunity to experience light rail with this community preview, prior to the official launch."
Ballot entries close on April 3 and are restricted to one entry per person. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Free rides will be offered on April 20 to mark the start of light rail. Buses will also be free throughout the network to encourage people to try public transport.
Canberrans can also get a whole month of free travel when the new bus timetable begins on April 29.
Enter the ballot by registering your details at the ACT Transport website.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/want-to-be-one-of-the-first-to-ride-light-rail-here-s-your-chance-20190321-p5167r.html>
Light rail driver back on the job after running red light March 22, 2019. 3 comments
A light rail driver who was suspended after running a red light and nearly colliding with a car is back on the job, Canberra Metro has confirmed.
Meanwhile new footage has emerged of a Canberra driver illegally parked on the light rail tracks during a red light.
Canberra’s light rail is set to launch on April 20. Credit:Karleen Minney
Both the light rail consortium and Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris are urging people to be careful around the tracks, ahead of the start of services on April 20.
Ms Fitzharris said "people are really taking notice of light rail now" with testing occurring along the entire Civic to Gungahlin route and a major community awareness program going on.
However The Canberra Times has been supplied with video of a driver sitting on the light rail tracks at Mitchell on Thursday afternoon waiting to turn right.
Witness Dion Kirkland said the driver sat there for the entire light cycle. Stopping on the light rail tracks can result in a fine of up to $3000.
Ms Fitzharris said it was a "big change" and would take some time for motorists to become familiar with light rail.
"Please be alert as you’re travelling on near or across the light rail route, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists but also for motorists as well," Ms Fitzharris said.
But it's not just car drivers behaving badly around light rail. Canberra Metro chief executive Glenn Stockton said the driver who was under investigation for running a red light and almost taking out an Uber driver was back at work.
A car stops on a red light on the light rail tracks at Mitchell.Credit:Dion Kirkland
“That driver went through some retesting, some recertification and that driver is now back in service. I’m confident in the driver’s ability," Mr Stockton said.
Canberra Metro is also looking for more drivers ahead of the light rail launch.
A Transport Canberra spokesman said Canberra Metro Operations was seeking to "complement its existing team of trained drivers who have achieved their driving competency certificates with a small number of new trainee drivers"..
"This is a regular part of managing our human resources as we approach the commencement of light rail services," he said.
Meanwhile, the light rail project is likely to gain accreditation just before its public launch next month.
Asked whether it was a good idea to announce the start date before project accreditation was finalised, Mr Stockton said that was "a question for government" but it was always expected accreditation would be granted "just prior to going to service".
"As I said we need to ensure that we've gone through the testing and commissioning process because that allows the accreditation authorities to have confidence that the process has been completed," Mr Stockton said.
Mr Stockton also said there were no impediments to achieving accreditation although there was "there’s a tremendous amount of work still occurring along the project".
"A lot of it is finalisation of elements along the alignment so they’ll be works to complete the landscaping, finalise curb and gutter intersection alignments as well but we’re also continuing our testing and commissioning," he said.
Ms Fitzharris said a "responsible government always has contingency plans" and the public would be advised if the date ha to be pushed back.
"What the certification process will provide to the government and the Canberra community assurance that this is a safe light rail project and one that will provide enormous benefits for years to come," she said.
Ms Fitzharris will also meet with the federal minister for the national capital and external territories about light rail to Woden in the coming weeks..
Asked whether Canberra Metro was in talks with the government about also building the second stage of light rail, Mr Stockton said their focus was delivering stage one.
"At the appropriate time the government will take their own decisions around stage two," Mr Stockton said.
Related Article Minister for Transport Meegan Fitzharris for her first ride on Canberra's light rail. We got a sneak peek at riding Canberra's light rail
<www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/light-rail-driver-back-on-the-job-after-running-red-light-20190322-p516im.html>

Frankston trains resume after major delays near Southland
Herald Sun March 22, 2019
Trains have resumed after commuters were hit with major delays on the Frankston line. Generic picture: Chris Eastman
Trains have resumed on the Frankston line after an earlier incident shut down the line near Southland, as footy fans rush to make the first bounce at the MCG
Commuters faced major delays ahead of the clash between Collingwood and Geelong tonight after a person was hit by a train near Southland railway station.
Buses replaced trains on the Frankston line between Moorabbin and Mordialloc after the incident just before 4pm.
Metro Trains reported about 6.40pm that services resumed on the line.
Something big going down on Bay Road near Southland. An ambulance, 3 buses, multiple police cars and a crime scene van all parked in a row. And now a fire truck has arrived. pic.twitter.com/cQMa4eDscu — George Ivanoff  March 22, 2019
Frankston line: Buses are replacing trains Moorabbin - Mordialloc (a person hit by a train).  40 buses are currently in operation with an extended journey time of up to 90 minutes.
More details https://t.co/9k2eekuBcm pic.twitter.com/OGryHR7bQJ — Metro March 22, 2019
Earlier, Metro Trains spokesman Andrew Nelson said passengers were being warned to plan ahead and expect delays.
He urged fans travelling to the MCG to take special care in getting into the city.
“With extended travel times expected, passengers are being urged to use alternative transport options to get to the MCG.”
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/law-order/footy-fans-stranded-as-frankston-trains-shut-down-near-southland/news-story/dafba384cf4c7b1a98d598e6edbec915>

Geelong fast rail backed by Andrews Government but more cash needed after PM’s $2 billion March 22, 2019
video: Bullet train between Melbourne and Geelong
Scott Morrison is open to upping his $2 billion contribution to a radical plan to run bullet trains between Geelong and Melbourne as the state government warns it could cost as much as $15 billion.
Victoria has cautiously welcomed the election-eve Budget commitment, revealed by the  Herald Sun, to slash travel times between the CBD and the state’s second biggest city to just 32 minutes.
But it is expected to take a decade to complete the overhaul, with the state government identifying several expensive projects which must be built first to make Mr Morrison’s fast rail vision a reality.
Victorian Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said: “We welcome more infrastructure funding for Victoria and the federal government’s interest in this project — but the funding put up by the Prime Minister won’t deliver what he’s promising.”
She said Victoria was “already well and truly committed to delivering fast rail for Geelong” after kicking off a $50 million planning process last year.
Scott Morrison and his federal colleagues at Geelong station. Picture: Alan Barber
Early work by the state government shows the total bill could be between $10 billion and $15 billion, with the immediate priority to electrify a metropolitan rail line to Wyndham Vale so regional rail services can run on a separate line.
Authorities would also need to remove 14 level crossings between Southern Cross station and Geelong, tipped to cost almost $2 billion.
New electric trains to run to and from Geelong would cost at least several hundred million dollars as well, while further track duplications and station upgrades would also be expensive.
The other main priority to enable fast regional trains is improving rail access from Sunshine to the CBD, which is being investigated as plans are developed for the $13 billion rail link to Melbourne Airport.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Premier Daniel Andrews earlier this month.. Picture: Stefan Postles (AAP)
A massive tunnel under Melbourne’s inner western suburbs is one option being considered.
Mr Morrison said the $2 billion announcement was “a serious investment” but added: “If the costs are greater than that, then we’ll have to address that at the time.”
Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Alan Tudge said trains to Geelong could run up to 200km/h, with some express services and others to stop at stations along the way.
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But the state government is understood to believe a service that takes 35-45 minutes with slightly slower trains will be more feasible.
The federal and state governments have already co-operated on major regional rail upgrades, after patronage nearly doubled over the last decade with similar growth forecast by 2030.
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/geelong-fast-rail-backed-by-andrews-government-but-more-cash-needed-after-pms-2-billion/news-story/8ee1a82be8ae458d59072bc7ded1b1c5>
* Travel reviews at least state that the journalist was a guest of the airline.  This opinion piece didn't state the journalist's Liberal affiliation.  The project is ill conceived and useless, and has been spruiked with useless figures.  Geelong platform to a remote Melbourne Southern Cross platform is only part of a commuter journey.  The proposal won't 'slash' travel times: that part comes down from 45 min to 32 for some people some of the time.  A trivial improvement for excess money.