----- Forwarded message ----- To: Tdu Transportdownunder transportdownunder@...>
Sent: Friday, 12 July 2019, 12:31:32 pm AESTSubject: Wed.10.7.19 daily digest
Roderick
Yesterday was like Russian roulette with yahell: 18/22, 1/1, 0/1, 0/2
only 15/18 photos got through to tdu today6 now will reach TDU

190710W Melbourne 'Herald Sun':- letters (rail, energy, water).- AEC 'Beetle'.
- energy, electricity. with tdu.

190710W 'Brisbane Times':
- Brisbane Central redevelopment.

190710W 'SMH':
- Sydney train unpunctuality.
Wed.10.7.19 Metro TwitterPakenham/Cranbourne/Frankston lines: Buses replace trains Caulfield - Flinders St until the last train of Sun 14 Jul.- Is there a bus is running direct from Cranbounre to the city? I've been told that there is for the morning peak, but this isn't mentioned anywhere on your website.- Carrum station: Closed for months.Buses replace trains Frankston - Stony Point until the last train of Sun 14 Jul.Sandringham line: Trains will run to an altered weekday timetable until Fri.12.77.28 Cranbourne/Pakenham lines: Minor delays (an earlier faulty train at Murrumbeena).- 7.24 clearing.- Normal ticketing arrangements apply during this week's works.  Ticketing regulations are managed by PTV, not individual operators.7.52 Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: Minor delays (An ill passenger requiring medical assistance at Flagstaff).- 7.59 Clearing.- A defective train at Ginifer is causing major delays on the Sunbury line.  Why is it that this line gets the SHITTER, UGLIER trains than let’s say the Hurstbridge line even though we pay the same amount?- The Xtrapolis trains are not certified to run with passengers on the Sunbury line.  The new trains will only run on the Sunbury/Pakenham/Cranbourne lines when they are introduced.. As they come online, Comeng trains will start to be withdrawn.- What does “not certified” mean? The trains literally all run through the same tracks.  I don’t imagine it’d be impossible to “certify” the nicer trains to those lines. Rather than have them continue with the more fault-prone  Comeng trains.- The Sunbury line would also require modifications to power and signal systems before the Xtrapolis trains could be certified to operate there - but we're already working on making the appropriate modifications along the line for the new trains.8.44 Upfield line: Minor delays (an equipment fault near Flemington Bridge and an ill passenger at Flagstaff).- 9.13 Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: Minor delays clearing after ill passengers required medical assistance at North Melbourne and Flagstaff.12.10 Mernda line: Minor delays (police near Keon Park).- 12.19 clearing.14.43 Frankston line: Minor delays (an external power outage affecting signalling equipment near Chelsea).- 15.38 clearing.- Here we go again.16.07 Sandringham line: Minor delays (an equipment fault near Richmond).- 17.42 Clearing.- Female driver did really well relaying information (16.21 from Flinders St). She deserves a clap.- Just when I left early for the Mernda cancelled service, I met up with this.- More delays from Metro.  Well done.17.29 Lilydale/Belgrave/Glen Waverley lines: Minor delays (a passenger incident at Parliament).21.00 Lilydale/Belgrave lines: Buses to replace trains Box Hill - Ringwood (a tree branch fallen on tracks). Buses have been ordered but may take over 60 minutes arrive, consider alternative transport.- 21.10: 10 buses ordered, ETA 60min. [Blackburn has been designed not to allow reversal of up trains]. Consider local transport.- 21.23: ETA 50min.  Extended journey time 30 min- 21.39 ETA 30 min- 21.53 Five buses are in operation. Consider bus route 901.- 22..18 Ten buses are in operation.- 22.59 Buses will now replace trains CAMBERWELL-Ringwood [did Box Hill fail too, or was the panel operator's shift over?]. Extended journey time 45 min.- Buses will replace trains until last train tonight.- 5.19 (Thurs.) Trains have resumed.22.36 Mernda Line: Major delays (an ambulance needed at Keon Park). 
Melbourne Express, Wednesday, July 10, 2019* There's a chook on the loose on Eastern Freeway. Police are attempting to catch the rogue rooster.* Up to 2000 dock workers across Australia will go on strike for up to 3 days from today to protect their jobs from automation and the outsourcing of labour. This includes 600 workers in Melbourne, who will strike from Wednesday for 96 hours.  They are protesting against the loss of conditions in their wage agreement and to protect job cuts related to automation and the outsourcing of labour. There are concerns for fresh food and medical supplies awaiting export at the docks.* Senior police officers from around the country will meet in Melbourne today to discuss road policing.  The forum was called as a response to the nation's skyrocketing road toll. In Victoria, there's already been 161 lives lost this year, 57 more than the same time last year.  Police will look at current road trauma trends, road users most at risk and what adjustments can be applied to our road policing models.* A man has been punched and kicked by a gang at Southern Cross station. The 22-year-old from Hawthorn was on the concourse with a friend just before 5am on June 9 when he was approached by four other males.  When he asked one of them why he was staring, the male punched him in the face. The others then punched and kicked the man. The victim attempted to run away but fell. The group took his mobile phone from his pocket before fleeing. Police have released CCTV footage of four men who can assist with inquiries. They're described as Asian in appearance.* Police drones will be monitoring crowds at major Melbourne events and high-risk locations such as the MCG from next month following the launch of a specialist new drone unit.The drones are able to run 24/7 and use night vision. The drone unit is expected to be in full operation by the end of August and will see the force acquire up to 50 drones.But not everyone's happy. Liberty Victoria's Tim Warner says drones represent an intrusive mode of surveillance. "It would be an absolute boon to search and rescue, but that doesn't mean you want 'Constable Todd' to be looking over your balcony or back fence without some guarantees over what the restrictions and rules are about the use of the drones".The new gadget Victorian police might be bringing out at the next footy game. Vision: DroneShield.Play video What does a drone gun do?* 5.55 They're still on the buses on the Frankston, Cranbourne, Pakenham and Stony Point lines thanks to tunnel works.<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-express-wednesday-july-10-2019-20190710-p525pz.html>

Man punched and kicked by gang at Southern Cross station July 10, 2019A man has been punched and kicked by a gang at Southern Cross station after asking one of them what he was looking at.The 22-year-old from Hawthorn was lucky to escape with minor injuries in the vicious attack on the concourse at about 4.20am on June 9.Images of the men whom police would like to speak to after a bashing at Southern Cross stationPolice have been told one man in the group eyed the victim at the Bourke and Spencer street stairs. When asked what he was staring at, the male offender punched him in the face.The others then punched and kicked the man, who fell trying to run away, leaving bruises to his face and upper body.The group also stole the man's mobile phone from his pocket before fleeing toward Docklands on the concourse.Police have released images and CCTV of four males they want to speak to.  All were perceived to be Asian in appearance and aged in their 20s.Two were described as having a medium build, while the other two had slim builds.They were all wearing dark clothing at the time.Anyone who recognises the males or who may have witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/man-punched-and-kicked-by-gang-at-southern-cross-station-20190710-p525r2.html>

Fast food franchisee makes $21m compo claim for Maccas lost to Metro July 10, 2019. 20 commentsFirst, McDonald’s demanded the Andrews government supersize its compensation for demolishing the burger chain’s flagship city store to build a new underground rail line.Now, the franchisee that ran the store wants more than 13 times what the government originally offered – seeking $21.6 million, not the $1.6 million first put on the table – for terminating its Swanston Street business.The McDonald's store before it was demolished. The busiest city McDonald's, it sold $7.2 million worth of fast food that year.Credit:Penny StephensThe government, after disputing the claim from the franchisee, appears to have buckled and last month quadrupled its offer.But this $6.7 million offer was not enough for the franchisee, which has taken its fight to the Supreme Court.Combined with a separate McDonald’s Supreme Court claim for $70.7 million – instead of the $29.5 million it was offered by the government – the demands could see Victorians pay more than $92 million to shut down the fast food outlet.The store, which was next to the Young and Jackson pub, was demolished to make way for station entrances to the new Metro Tunnel rail line under central Melbourne.McDonald’s owned the store, and North West Investments ran it under a franchise agreement.The store opened in 1984 and with round-the-clock operations became the city’s busiest McDonald’s. It made food sales of $7.2 million in its final year of business.In a submission to government, the operator argued the store sold so many hamburgers and french fries because of its “unique location [close to] Flinders Street train station, Federation Square, St Paul's Cathedral and the Swanston/Flinders Street tram stops”.North West Investments is owned by businessman Ken Turner, who with McDonald’s told the government three years ago that shutting down the multi-level store would mean the loss of 175 jobs.Mr Turner told a franchising website he ran five stores around Melbourne, and company filings shows he has owned his company since 1982. His court documents say his company should be compensated because it has been “unable to relocate the business to another comparable location”.His claim for $21.6 million includes $19.4 million for “disturbance” to his business – including his planned future sale of the company.His company is also claiming $1.95 million in “solatium”, a legal term for compensation for inconvenience, loss or injury. And Mr Turner wants the government to pay $170,000 in fees for his lawyers Corrs Chambers Westgarth and financial advisors Ferrier Hodgson.The Age contacted North West Investments on Wednesday but Mr Turner was unavailable for comment.A spokesman for Department of Transport said that the processes of the Land Acquisition and Compensation Act were being followed in determining compensation for the land. But he said he could not provide further comment.“As this is an on-going matter before the courts we are unable to comment further at this time,” he said.McDonald’s was one of 95 properties the government acquired in order to build the $11 billion underground rail line, which will allow more trains to run through Melbourne’s city centre.Of those 95 property acquisitions, about 10 are expected to end up being disputed in court, although the dispute over the Swanston Street McDonald's is by far the biggest financial disagreement between an owner and the government.The first court hearing in the dispute is scheduled for later this month.Related Article The site of the old McDonalds site on Swanston st Melbourne CBD. McDonald's demands super-size compensation for losing busiest city store<www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/fast-food-franchisee-makes-21m-compo-claim-for-maccas-lost-to-metro-20190710-p525td.html>
Sydney's trains regularly fail to run on time during evening peak July 10, 2019. 112 comments
Commuters on Sydney's busiest rail lines are regularly unable to get home on time during the evening peak on weekdays, as new figures show the T1 Western and T8 South lines have been the worst performers over the last year for passengers.Trains on the T1 Western – one of the most heavily patronised – and T8 South lines did not meet on-time performance targets during the evening peaks on three out of five weekdays in the 12 months to early July.The T8 Airport and the T2 Inner West and Leppington lines also failed to meet on-time targets of 92 per cent of services running on time on almost half of weekdays over the past year.Overcrowding is worst at Town Hall station during the evening peak.Credit:Ryan StuartThe T4 Eastern Suburbs line, which benefits from the fact it is separated from the rest of the network, was the best performer during the evening peak from 3pm to 7pm. Trains on the line were on-time on 222 of the 256 weekdays captured by data from July 2 last year to July 5 this year.The figures from the state's transport agency for Sydney's passenger trains exclude weekends and public holidays. Sydney Trains' target is for 92 per cent of services to reach stations within five minutes of their scheduled time.Mathew Hounsell, a researcher at the University of Technology's Institute for Sustainable Futures, said the poor on-time running was due to a combination of factors, including crowding at stations such as Town Hall and Wynyard in the CBD forcing trains to wait longer."Crowded platforms push out dwell times. People cluster around the stairs at the north end of Town Hall," he said.Mr Hounsell said the performances of trains would worsen if the trend of a growing population and ensuing record increases in patronage of the rail system continued."The increased number of people has just overloaded the core stations of Wynyard and Town Hall, and the system ... will continue to struggle until the metro is opened," he said.Construction of the second stage of a metro rail line from Chatswood to the CBD, and onto Sydenham in the south, and Bankstown in the west, is due to be completed by 2024 at a cost of up to $12.5 billion. The first stage known as Metro 
Northwest from Rouse Hill in the city's north west to Chatswood  opened in May at a cost of $7.3 billion.Passengers are urged to spread along station platforms to help ease the flow of people on and off trains.Credit:Ben Rushton In the meantime, Mr Hounsell said measures such as encouraging commuters to use the full length of platforms, instead of bunching near escalators or stairs, could help improve times. "It's a matter of trying to engage passengers to change their behaviour," he said.Sydney Trains said the interconnected nature of the rail network meant train lines such as the T8 Airport and South, and the T2 Inner West and Leppington lines, took longer to recover from incidents compared to the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line."Sydney Trains works hard to restore services when customers are affected by unexpected incidents," it said. "The recent establishment of the Rail Operation Centre and signal improvements have significantly improved response times to incidents."The operator said its priority in the wake of major incidents was "always to provide a frequent service to get our customers to where they need to go rather than meet on time running requirements".With the city's population growing strongly, the T1 Western line from the central city to Richmond is under the greatest pressure from surging demand. The Berejiklian government has repeatedly warned the Western line will reach full capacity by 2030, justifying the need for a new metro line from the central city to Westmead near Parramatta.However, a reprieve for commuters from overcrowding on the T1 Western line is likely to be years away because Sydney Metro West is not due to open until the second half of next decade. The state government has committed $6.4 billion to a project expected to cost nearly $20 billion.Related Article Station such as Town Hall in Sydney's CBD is under pressure from a surge in rail passengers. 'Quickest, cheapest' way to boost Sydney's train services<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-trains-regularly-fail-to-run-on-time-during-evening-peak-20190705-p524ky.html>

TransLink holds $5 million in unused fares from expired Go Cards July 10, 2019.Millions of dollars is sitting on expired Go Cards waiting for commuters to stake their claim.More than 10 million Go Cards have been issued in south-east Queensland since the system was introduced in 2008.Commuters are missing out on more than $5 million in unclaimed funds from expired Go Cards..Credit:Fairfax MediaBut TransLink acting deputy director general Martin Bradshaw said, like bank cards, Go Cards had an expiry date - set at 10 years for adults."The 10-year time frame was initially set to accommodate the technology, however, customers continue to use Go Card beyond the 10-year period without issue," he said.Customers can extend the expiry date on their Go Card before it expires, or within 90 days following the expiry date, by taking it to selected retailers.The expiry date cannot be extended if the 90-day deadline is missed - and they are considered irreversibly expired - but any leftover money on the card can be claimed back by filling out a form on the TransLink website.Over the two years to June 2018, a total of 654,136 Go Cards became irreversibly expired and had still not had their balance refunded or transferred to another card as at June 18 this year.The value left on those Go Cards equated to an average of $7.90 per card - or a total of $5.17 million.Mr Bradshaw said any money remaining on Go Cards dormant for five years was reinvested into public transport initiatives to improve the TransLink network."Customers can request a refund of their balance at any time, even if those funds have already been reinvested into public transport," he said.In 2017-18, about $6.7 million on more than 780,000 Go Cards was forecast to be recovered by TransLink from cards that had not been used for five years.That was about $4.7 million higher than expected, and was partly due to clearing a "backlog" from the previous year.In 2014, former transport minister Scott Emerson announced Go Card funds that had not been used for more than five years would be reinvested back into public transport.Previously, there was an option for unclaimed cash to be transferred to the Public Trustee after only two years of inactivity.But Mr Emerson said that time frame was too short, and instead of the money remaining dormant, it would be reinvested back into public transport.Related Article Go Cards a gold mine with $6.7 million reclaimed by TransLink.<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/translink-holds-5-million-in-unused-fares-from-expired-go-cards-20190710-p525sf.html>
Brisbane Central platforms, lifts and escalators to be upgraded  July 10, 2019.The lifts and escalators at Brisbane's Central Station will begin to be replaced before Christmas and several of the platforms will be raised in a major three-year upgrade.The work is part of the $65 million upgrade of Brisbane's busiest train station, announced in 2016 but delayed for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.Brisbane Central Station is finally going to get its $65 million upgrade, three years after it was announced..Credit:Robert ShakespeareMore than 140,000 people catch a train to or from Central each day.Rail unions questioned the progress of the project when little work had begun before May 2018.On Tuesday, Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy said a contract for the work would be filled soon and work would begin "late 2019"."The major escalators connecting Central to the Anzac Square Arcade will be the first to be replaced,” Mr Easy said."This work is expected to start in early 2020."The replacement of lifts to platforms one to four will start later this year too."Additional escalators will go down to platforms three and four.Mr Easy said the escalator and lift replacements would continue through 2020 and 2021 and the complete project would be finished in 2023.Overhead equipment over platforms one to four will be replaced before these platforms are raised to meet disability access standards, he said.Mr Easy acknowledged the staged upgrade would take longer than initially predicted."Every train service on our network passes through this location every day," he said."More than 21 million customers move through Central Station each year, so upgrades to lifts, escalators and platforms needs to be carefully sequenced and planned."Mr Easy said some work had been completed before last year's Commonwealth Games.Artists' impression of Brisbane Central station's $65 million upgrade."The station’s back-of-house facilities were upgraded in 2017 and we refurbished the station’s concourse and platforms in 2018 including the replacement of roof sheeting, column cladding, new lighting and fans and painting," he said."The upgrade program was put on hold in 2018 ahead of the Commonwealth Games to ensure the station was fully operational for the event."Since then, we’ve revised the delivery strategy for the remaining works to minimise disruption to commuters and services as much as possible."No final decision had been made on proposed changes to Central Station's heritage building on Ann Street, which includes the clock tower."We’ve also revisited plans to change the roofing and facade on the outer concourse of Central Station that were shown in the project’s initial artist impressions," Mr Easy said."Given the importance of the station’s heritage building and clock tower, external changes to Central Station’s facade will need to be considered in accordance with future planning and development activities for this area of the city."Central Station: what work is planned and whenIn late 2019: Replacement of lifts to platforms 1-4 beginsFrom early 2020: Replacement of outer concourse escalatorsMid-2020:- Overhead line equipment replacement on platforms 1-4- Replacement of lift to platforms 5 and 6 and outer concourse lift to Ann StLate 2020: Replacement of escalators on platforms 5 and 6Early 2021: Beginning of early platform upgrade worksEarly 2022:- Platform upgrade design finalised- Start of main platform upgrade worksEarly 2023: Replacement of escalators to platforms 1 to 4 and installation of an extra escalator to platforms 3 and 4Related Article Questions raised over timeline of Central Station's $67 million facelift<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/brisbane-central-platforms-lifts-and-escalators-to-be-upgraded-20190710-p52605.html>
How we travel in real time: Perth's public transport hotspots revealed July 10, 2019
The travel patterns of Perth's public transport users have been captured for the first time in a fascinating snapshot that shows hotspots across our metro system.The RAC-driven year-long project Pulse of Perth maps travel patterns based on Public Transport Authority data to paint a typical day in the life of our public transport system and peak travel time hot spots.video The pulse of Perth. See the real-time travel patterns of Perth commuters in this timelapse. Video: RAC WA The data captured in October 2017 showed the busiest hour on Perth's public transport system was between 7.20am and 8.20am, when 920 buses and 45 trains service 63,000 people – the equivalent to 23 freeway lanes of traffic across the city or 50,000 cars.There are 360,000 boardings across buses, trains and ferries on a typical weekday of public transport use, which equates to a staggering 3.8 million kilometres of distance travelled daily across Perth.Almost a third of all typical weekday travel is between 7am and 9am during the morning rush to work, with absolute peak use hitting bang on 8am, when 21,750 passengers are aboard PTA services.The average distance a Perth commuter travels per trip per day is roughly 13km, which equals approximately 18.5 minutes of travel.RAC said early departures for bus services were more common during the AM peak, while late arrivals were more frequent during evening use."The Pulse of Perth project helps us see beyond the numbers and identify patterns and trends emerging across our public transport network," RAC public policy general manager Anne Still said."Understanding how commuters get around Perth is critical for planning and managing our road and transport networks, to improve efficiency and make our journeys easier and more reliable.Top 5 Destinations:AM Peak (7:00am – 9:00am): 1.Perth (31,332 passengers alighting)2.West Leederville (1855)3.Fremantle (1755)4.Bentley (1402)5.East Perth (1394)PM Peak (4:30pm – 6:30pm):1.Perth (3353 passengers alighting)2.Joondalup (1301)3.Warwick (1156)4.Murdoch (1144)5.Cockburn Central (1068)Busiest bus stations and stops:Morning:•Perth Busport•St Georges Terrace (near William Street)•Elizabeth Quay Bus Station•Wellington Street (before Forrest Place)•Murdoch StationEvening:•Elizabeth Quay Bus Station•Morley Bus Station•Perth Busport•Canning Bridge Station•St Georges Terrace<www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/how-we-travel-in-real-time-perth-s-public-transport-hotspots-revealed-20190709-p525la.html>
Letters to the Editor July 10 2019* There is a good case to start work on the fast train now. Given comments recently made by economists and others now might be an appropriate time for the Federal and State governments to look seriously at creating an essential infrastructure project such as a high speed rail connection from Sydney to Melbourne via Canberra.Not only would this provide a much needed stimulus to all the areas on the proposed track, it would also open up the country areas to the overflowing metro areas.This artist's impression of what a fast train might look like dates back to 1988.In addition it would have the added benefit of significantly reducing the impact of air pollution created by short haul flights between the three capital cities.Australia is lagging behind in both efficient transport systems and large stimulus producing infrastructure projects.* What a mess. On June 21 the ACT government released its City to Gungahlin Light Rail Project Delivery Report.The report attempts to convince ACT taxpayers Light Rail stage one will cost only $872 million, in January 2016 prices.I believe the project will have a Public Private Partnership cost of $1.355 billion in April 2019 prices.The report contains two serious miscalculations. One was to give the cost in January 2016 prices. This is very misleading, if not unethical. Another was the erroneous discounting of all costs paid or to be paid to the contractor, from January 2016 through to 2039 (the end of 20-year operations period), at a rate of 7.52 per cent per annum.This discount rate was used during evaluation of the tenders for the project, but has no place in determining the Present Value of future Availability Payments the government now has to make to the successful bidder.By using this rate the government is saying that the average depreciation of money from 2016 through 2039 would be 7.52 per cent every year. This is obviously an error.The correct, average depreciation rate is more like 2.5 per cent per annum.This gives a real PPP contract price of $1.355 billion.* Leave City Hill aloneRe "City Hill not driving light rail decision", (July 8, p3).Given private residential development is clearly not suitable for Capital Hill and Russell, two corners of our world famous National Triangle, it follows such development is also unsuitable for City Hill, the third corner."One City Hill", a very dense, apartment complex, is being marketed despite not having National Capital Authority development approval.It is stage one of "The Barracks", a huge mixed-use development proposed for the west side of the hill precinct, with little public space and intrusive above-ground parking structures.Included in the project is the privatised extension of Edinburgh Avenue to Vernon Circle. That urgently needed infrastructure, vital for traffic from Vernon Circle, should be government's responsibility."The Barracks" site should be bought back by the ACT Government for inclusion in an urgently needed, and binding, master design for City Hill and its southern environs.Such a design would need to respect the precinct's heritage and ecology, along with its visual connections with the Central National Area, Civic, the lake, and the nearby and distant mountains.The plan should not be bound by the current restrictive and cadastral subdivisions. It should be arrived though a properly conducted design competition.<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6265611/there-is-a-good-case-to-start-work-on-the-fast-train-now>