Re: Western Sydney Airport and metro progress
  TP

Not this topic, but re Metro West (Sydney to Westmead), the final
independent review report:

https://www.sydneymetro.info/media/document/38211

Tony P

On Thursday 7 December 2023 at 11:08:11 UTC+11 Tony Galloway wrote:

> I reckon studying a metro tunnel for about 50 metres would tell you all

> you need to know.

>

> Tunnels in any form are not interesting scenery.

>

> Tony

>

> On 6 Dec 2023, at 18:50, TP histor...@...> wrote:

>

> I'm familiar with the old types of tunnels from walking tours and riding

> in the end cabs and the whole public can study the metro tunnels from the

> trains! However, if the Airport LIne tunnel is a two-track tube for double

> deckers, I can understand how the tunnel clearances would be tight.

>

> Tony P

>

> On Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 16:12:35 UTC+11 Tony Galloway wrote:

>

>> None of the original tunnels (inc North Sydney and ESR) had walkways, you

>> walked on the track against the direction of traffic, watching the train

>> approach warning lights that gave you 90 seconds to get to an alcove. It's

>> mostly single track tunnels, the only double track tunnel of any length is

>> between Wynyard and Circular Quay.

>>

>> AFAIK all metro tunnels are single track so comparing them to the Airport

>> Line isn’t applicable - the smaller diameter single track tunnels would

>> have a bigger gap between the side of a train and the tunnel wall than the

>> larger diameter double track Airport Line tunnel.

>>

>> And also, AFAIK the metro walkways are for evacuating stalled trains, I

>> can’t see anyone entering a metro tunnel while trains are running. If

>> passengers need to be cleared from a stuck train on the Airport Line they’d

>> walk the down them adjacent track to the next station after holding all

>> trains.

>>

>> Tony

>>

>> On 6 Dec 2023, at 14:15, TP histor...@...> wrote:

>>

>> It would be interesting to know the bore diameter of this tunnel,

>> compared with the metro tunnels, which have a walkway. It reminds of all

>> that palaver years ago about the metro tunnels being too small for double

>> deckers. So they're presumably smaller, yet they have a walkway?

>>

>> Tony P

>>

>> On Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 14:01:58 UTC+11 Tony Galloway wrote:

>>

>>> The same problem would exist with single deck stock, even narrow stock

>>> like U sets.

>>>

>>> The double deck cars occupy virtually the same dynamic envelope as SD

>>> stock, the underfloor equipment filling the space that the lower deck

>>> occupies on DD stock.

>>>

>>> With a circular tunnel the only way you’d get a walkway in would be to

>>> make the entire bore larger.

>>>

>>> Tony

>>>

>>> On 6 Dec 2023, at 12:01, TP histor...@...> wrote:

>>>

>>> I'm getting the picture that the Airport Line tunnels were not built "on

>>> the cheap", but because they decided that the technology had progressed

>>> sufficiently to build future rail tunnels using TBMs which have the

>>> advantage of lining the tunnels as they go and, judging by the metro lines,

>>> seem to be quicker than using roadheaders etc, then having to line the

>>> tunnels. The downside for double deckers of course is their vertical

>>> dimension as you say. That may have contributed to not being able to have a

>>> walkway inside the tunnel as the metro does, but as was mentioned above,

>>> they might have decided that, if work was required inside the tunnel, they

>>> could reroute trains onto the Illawarra surface tracks. I wasn't involved

>>> in the project post-approval so I have no insight into what happened

>>> subsequently.

>>>

>>> Tony P

>>>

>>> On Wednesday 6 December 2023 at 09:36:11 UTC+11 Tony Galloway wrote:

>>>

>>>> It still has to meet standard structure/loading gauge clearances, but

>>>> the round tunnel shape, of which about 15-20% is taken up by the track bed,

>>>> means the tunnel walls are closer to the trains where the roof meets the

>>>> sides of the cars, and lower where the fish bellies of the double deckers

>>>> are close to the track.

>>>>

>>>> With this tightness there are no safe spaces for anyone on track where

>>>> two trains are passing.

>>>>

>>>> Tony

>>>>

>>>> On 5 Dec 2023, at 22:44, TP histor...@...> wrote:

>>>>

>>>> If the line was tunneled with TBMs, resulting in lined tubular tunnels

>>>> like the Sydney metro tunnels, I imagine that this would create a tighter

>>>> clearance for double deck trains. All previous Sydney railway tunnels had

>>>> vertical walls. Am I correct?

>>>>

>>>> Tony P

>>>>

>>>> On Tuesday, 5 December 2023 at 19:49:57 UTC+11 Tony Galloway wrote:

>>>>

>>>>> The type of tunnel construction precluded having refuges, and with the

>>>>> alternative route through Sydenham available, diversions were the easier

>>>>> option if anything failed in the tunnel.

>>>>>

>>>>> Apparently.

>>>>>

>>>>> Tony

>>>>>

>>>>> > On 5 Dec 2023, at 17:14, Matthew Geier mat...@...>

>>>>> wrote:

>>>>> >

>>>>> > On 5/12/23 16:59, Robert Taaffe wrote:

>>>>> >> When the airport line was designed it was intended that it would

>>>>> never be maintained under traffic, only at night or during possessions.

>>>>>

>>>>> >

>>>>> > So the assumption was that things would only break on schedule ?

>>>>> >

>>>>> > Actually given the state of some of the Sydney Citadis already, I

>>>>> think that thinking is being applied to them to.

>>>>> >

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