I'm not sure how Transport for NSW has any real defence against this
litigation. They have taken more than four years to do what Melbourne shows
could be done in 120 days * -- and could be done in 10 sections of one km
each over that time, not by closing the whole 12km length for four years as
TfNSW did, causing massive disruption and the destruction of many small
businesses.

To quote Amelia Birch from the article: It was clear the project had been
"poorly handled" and carried out "without any sense of care and efficiency
towards businesses".

It was Transport for NSW that shunned Melbourne as "knowing nothing about
light rail" and then building the heaviest rail lines ever constructed
anywhere on the planet, with tram tracks being slotted on top of huge slabs
of concrete up to 3m deep. I hope Ms Birch and her fellow litigants have
engaged some Melbourne experts to tell the court how quickly and simply
tram tracks can be laid in busy city streets.

* I base 120 days of construction on the example of Toorak Road West in
Melbourne, a 1.2km stretch of inner suburban major road that had never
carried tram tracks. It was laid with a double-track tram line including
overhead wires and connected to existing track at each end including a
major new tram junction at its western end in 10 days in mid-2018. Trams
began using the new line in service on the 11th day. Transport for NSW
split the two CSLR lines into some 19 sections all built simultaneously
(allegedly to speed construction), taking four years now of end-to-end
chaos without a single passenger yet to be carried.

--
david mcloughlin, New Zealand
"I apologise in advance for being today."

On Monday, 15 July 2019 13:46:53 UTC+12, Greg Sutherland wrote:

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