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Subject: Thurs.12.11.20 daily digest

Roderick

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Thurs.12.11.20 Metro Twitter
Moreland and Coburg remain closed until mid-December while work continues on station buildings. Trains run express Anstey - Batman, with buses connecting with trains at Anstey and Batman, also parallel route 19 trams. Bell Street, Coburg, is closed until early Wednesday (level-crossing work). Detour via Moreland Road or Gaffney Street.
Still in force? Spencer St northbound is reduced to one lane near Collins Street, as City of Melbourne upgrades continue outside Southern Cross station. Consider using King Street instead. Works are expected to be completed by mid November.
In force until late 2021.  South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South is reduced to one lane towards Cranbourne, as level-crossing work continues. Be alert for changes between Princes Hway and Dandenong Bypass. See  http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/disruptions/south-gippsland-highway-dandenong-south-changed-traffic-conditions
Werribee/Williamstown line: Buses replace trains on sections of the line at various times until the last train of Mon 9 Nov (works).
Buses replace trains on sections of the Sunbury line until 3.30 Sun 22 Nov (works).
7.27  Glen Waverley line: Major delays (an 'operational incident' near Burnley.  trains may terminate/originate at intermediate stations. Trains will be held or altered.
- 10.47 Minor delays, and clearing quickly.
10.48 Alamein line: Major delays (a fallen tree near Willison). Trains may terminate/originate at intermediate stations. Trains will be held or altered.
- 10.53 Buses will replace trains between Camberwell and Alamein.  Buses have been ordered, but may take over 60min to arrive.  Consider alternatives.
- 11.00 Buses may take over 45min to arrive.
- 11.20 Buses may take over 35min to arrive.
- 11.30 Buses are in operation, with more enroute. 
- 11.50 All buses in operation.
- 12.16 Trains have resumed.  First trains: 12.02 ex Camberwell, originating at Willison; 12.17 ex Camberwell, originating at Riversdale; 12.23 ex Alamein.
18.00 Lilydale/Belgrave lines: Major delays (equipment faults near Canterbury and Surrey Hills). Some trains will use altered platforms. Trains may be held/changed.
18.08 Craigieburn line: Major delays (police attending to a trespasser near Jacana). Trains will be held/changed.
- 18.11 clearing
Buses replace trains Dandenong - Pakenham from 20.30 until the last train (works).
21.25 Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Delays up to 20 minutes (an equipment fault between Noble Park and Yarraman).
- 22.21 The fault has been fixed; delays have cleared; trains are running to timetable.

Victoria plugs in record number of renewable energy generators. Miki Perkins November 12, 2020. 15 comments
<www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/victoria-plugs-in-record-number-of-renewable-energy-generators-20201112-p56dyj.html>

'Why rip everything up': Parramatta light rail stage two in serious doubt. Tom Rabe November 12, 2020
NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has given his strongest indication that the second stage of the Parramatta light rail will not go ahead.
Mr Constance on Thursday said the government was increasingly likely to instead use "trackless trams" or buses to service the stage two route between Camellia and Sydney Olympic Park.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance has indicated stage two of the Parramatta light rail will not proceed.CREDIT:LOUISE KENNERLEY
"Ultimately into the future if we had the option with either bus rapid transit or trackless tram technology, I think that’s what we’re going to do," he said.
"If I can provide trackless trams, why the hell would we go and rip everything up if we can avoid it."
Mr Constance said he would be "a mug" for not investigating less invasive and potentially more economical ways to service the region without laying tracks, and pointed out that trackless tram technology was not available when the government committed to stage one.
"For us, it makes sense to do that, and I’d be crazy not to ... I’d be a mug to not go and check this out."
Small businesses on Church Street, Parramatta have lost a lot of passing trade since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and construction of the light rail.CREDIT:WOLTER PEETERS
The nine-kilometre second stage has long been in doubt, complicated by the government's multibillion-dollar metro rail line between Parramatta and the central city.
Parramatta lord mayor Bob Dwyer implored the government to push ahead with the second stage of the light rail, pointing out that close to 30,000 more homes were forecast to be built along the route by 2036.
"The City of Parramatta has contributed significantly to the NSW government’s goal to increase housing supply by providing the largest number of housing approvals in the state," Cr Dwyer said.
"But we need the Premier’s continued commitment to provide the infrastructure to support this growth."
Opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns said the government needed to provide clarity to the community and commit to a specific transport option.
"It’s simply a roundabout way of saying to western Sydney that they are going to cancel a public transport project," Mr Minns said.
"Constance should be honest with western Sydney. If the project is off, let them know."
Western Sydney Business Chamber executive director David Borger said trackless trams or buses would not attract the same level of investment as light rail.
He warned the second stage would be a defining issue at the next state election.
"The NSW government has developed a strong narrative that it delivers what it promises when it comes to public transport," Mr Borger said.
"It would be a shame to throw that away now by breaking this promise to western Sydney."
Mr Constance inspected the first 50 metres of track laid for the light rail on Thursday.
Stage one will offer a service between Westmead and Carlingford every seven minutes when it opens in 2023.
Mr Constance said that, unlike those impacted by the CBD light rail, no businesses along the route of the Parramatta project had received any government compensation because it was running on time.
RELATED ARTICLE Transport Minister Andrew Constance, pictured with Premier Gladys Berejiklian, has said his priorities are the first stage of Parramatta's light rail line and a new metro line. Support grows for construction of Parramatta light rail second stage
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-rip-everything-up-parramatta-light-rail-stage-two-in-serious-doubt-20201112-p56dzy.html>
* Trackless trams are not a good substitute for proper trams. They are far inferior in terms of ride quality and, critically, cause damage on the road by passing over and over the exact same spot. Several systems in continental Europe are in the process of conversion to standard trams. The Chinese trackless tram, well, is just an experiment. Nothing indicates it will be any better than its predecessors.
* "trackless trams" = buses.
* We used to call them trolleybuses. There was a line from Rockdale to Sans Souci. They're everywhere in San Francisco. Overhead electric, quiet, minimal traffic disruption, safe etc etc. Just do it, Andrew.
* "Constance said ... trackless tram technology was not available when the government committed to stage one."
Nonsense. The electric trolleybus has been around for over a century.
Stage 2 was never going to be built. The Parramatta Light Rail was always about facilitating high density development on the Cumberland Hospital site. Why else would the track meander through that area to connect Westmead to Parramatta, a trip already connected by a 3 minute heavy rail link, or a 10 minute stroll through a park?
* So that would be yet another different type of vehicle in the greater Sydney transport network. What are we building - a transport network, or an exhibition of different vehicle types? We haven't brought back steam trams or trolley buses yet, nor broad or narrow gauge, maybe we could do stage 4 by Uber helicopter, bring back the monorail, how about sedan chairs now we've got more unemployed people to work for the dole? A new letter for Gladys' sign changes I for Incoherent. That'll do.
* 'Trackless tram' IT'S A BUS
* I really wonder if the libs could organise a pissup in a brewery?
* So-called "trackless trams" do look like a promising technology, and they are certainly cheaper to set up than light rail. But the tyres, like all tyres, will emit plastic micro particles into the atmosphere, and every time you add a new technology to our transport mix it increases the complexity of the system. So yes, they should be evaluated but they may still not be the right answer.
* I thought trackless trams were called buses.
* So then why rip up the Sydenham to Bankstown T3 Line Minister if we use your logic ? This is at a cost of $1 billion and will be a white elephant, will totally destroy businesses and cause total havoc on the commuters.
* Google "trackless trams", it appears this was an option a couple of years ago and can be done for around $6-8m per kilometre compared to this government's previous light rail projects of around $120m per kilometre.
* "Opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns said the government needed to provide clarity to the community and commit to a specific transport option." I think the Opposition need to clarify to NSW what they envision for the state rather than just criticising and taking an opposite view, as always.
* To quote Toned Abbs, an oppositions job is to oppose. Just following the lead of two thirds term Tones.
* I think the Government need to clarify to NSW what they envision for the state. Preferably without the redefinition of "plan" and "vision" to mean "whatever popped into the relevant Minister's head that morning".
* The Numbers Just Don't Add Up
* Another project that has been botched from inadequate planning and roughshotting of experts. We just add that cost overun onto the debt we need to pay odd and pass it on to the mug taxpayers. Shows great competence.
* Botched how TNJDAU?
* The biggest value of light rail, with rail in the road, is the permanence of the route. As the route can't be fiddled with, which happens constantly with busses, the route is invested in. A trackless tram is little more than a bus. An inferior option. Only rail can drive improvement in the area around a route. No one is going to rely on a bus being there forever.
* They proved not to be permanent back in the 1950s, so why now?
* I say stick with the light rail. It is more likely to become a well used public transport service than buses or trackless trams, which are basically buses. The route in question is likely to be busier than the L2 and L3 routes, which I think is suffering from less people working in the city, people being able to walk distances easily and other transport options available.
* they should never have ripped out the Carlingford train line - waste of money - much the same as the NW Metro which should have terminated at Epping
* Have you actually used the Metro? It is way, way better than the heavy rail services. Double the passenger capacity per hour. No stairs to impede people with disabilities. The platform gap is only about 2cm so it isn't a hazard to children, and you can push prams and wheel chairs right over it. Plus many other benefits. And the final service to Bankstown will significantly increase the capacity of all rail through the city once it opens.
* So, can these guys make a decision and stick with it or is their decision-making so bad that everything needs to be reviewed all the time?

AustralianSuper dumps Whitehaven Coal, commits to net zero by 2050. Charlotte Grieve November 12, 2020. 14 comments
<www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/australiansuper-dumps-whitehaven-coal-commits-to-net-zero-by-2050-20201112-p56e0h.html>

Why Victoria might need to slow down renewable energy surge. Tom Minear November 12, 2020. 35 comments With ATN
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/why-victoria-might-need-to-slow-down-renewable-energy-surge/news-story/0c1c82a1689bfa8588744967c6925cec>