CBD & South East Light Rail

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
Stu
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CBD & South East Light Rail

Post by Stu »

Light rail gets the green light - first stage to run from University of NSW to the CBD. EXCLUSIVE by Andrew Clennell The Daily Telegraph December 06, 2012 12:00AM.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/l ... 6530812380


A STAGED construction of a light rail line from the University of NSW in Randwick to the CBD is expected to be announced, with a second line from Central to George St to be part two of the project.

Premier Barry O'Farrell will announce next week that work will start at the university and go to Central Station, followed by a commitment to build light rail from Central through George St to Circular Quay.

The plan is expected to go to cabinet next week. There now seems little hope of Infrastructure NSW's Nick Greiner and Paul Broad's idea of building a $2 billion bus tunnel under George St - instead of light

rail. While Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian was told to find savings for her George St light rail project, she is understood to be winning the argument.


The announcement will be seen as a compromise option which would keep Ms Berejiklian and Lord Mayor Clover Moore happy but avoid digging up Sydney during the next election.

The Transport Minister and Transport for NSW's preference had been for work to begin at the Quay - in George St - and make its way through to Central. But many in the cabinet, including Roads Minister

Duncan Gay, are opposed to light rail down George St amid fears it could create even further congestion. There were also concerns another capital project would put the state's AAA credit rating at risk.

Ms Moore has promised $180 million towards the project if the George St leg goes ahead.


Government sources said the idea would be to start construction of the railway at UNSW and for it to travel to Randwick Racecourse and the SCG, then on to Central. After that, a second leg could be built

down George St to the Quay. The announcement of the new light rail line is expected to be part of the government's response to Infrastructure NSW's State Infrastructure Strategy, the Metro Strategy and

Ms Berejiklian's Long Term Transport Masterplan. University of NSW vice-chancellor Fred Hilmer urged the Premier to go with the Randwick-to-Central project first. "Analysis shows the two projects should

be considered independently," he said. "Less than 1 per cent of staff and students coming to UNSW commence their journey in the CBD - 85 per cent start from areas outside the eastern, CBD and inner-west

suburbs, making Central Station by far the most important interchange point. "We have the spine for the proposed light rail to Randwick and the University."
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NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian. Source: The Daily Telegraph
NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian. Source: The Daily Telegraph
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boxythingy
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by boxythingy »

So the Stage 1 line will have 2 branch lines?
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by stupid_girl »

>>Less than 1 per cent of staff and students coming to UNSW commence their journey in the CBD - 85 per cent start from areas outside the eastern, CBD and inner-west suburbs, making Central Station by far the most important interchange point.

Does it mean that the new light rail line will be through-routed to the Inner West light rail extension?
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by crimsontide »

No, it means they get to Central by their usual method and then interchange for light rail.
On the project itself I will believe it when I see it. their have been that many "studies"and "proposals"put forward but still nothing has changed.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

Mmmm there are some good route outcomes in that scheme. :)

I'll give Gladys a tip for saving money on the CBD line. Don't listen to those advocating wireless power, that'll save heaps both in construction and operation.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by Albion Victor »

Hmmmm, seems to me that I can remember there being quite a network of "light rail", (Tram), lines servicing these very areas in ye olden days, removed by the politicians because buses could do the job cheaper! I suppose if you live long enough you see it all!
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by iDionz »

Yeah they're stupid for getting rid of the light rail, but then it did bring the opera house which is a Sydney icon!
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by The Inspector »

They never got rid of any light rail as they never had any, the current light rail line is the first in Sydney. The original tram network would not be considered as light rail, it was simply a tram network.

From Wikipedia,

Light rail or light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems. The term is typically used to refer to rail systems with rapid transit-style features that usually use electric rail cars[1] operating mostly in private rights-of-way separated from other traffic but sometimes, if necessary, mixed with other traffic in city streets. If this is the case, then under the law of many countries such systems are legally tramways, although the vehicles which run on them are sometimes designated "supertrams". Modern light rail technology is flexible and adaptable, and whether any given system is considered a true rapid transit system or not depends on its characteristics.[2]
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

The Inspector wrote:They never got rid of any light rail as they never had any, the current light rail line is the first in Sydney. The original tram network would not be considered as light rail, it was simply a tram network.
Forget all that crap Inspector, it's still a tram system. "Light rail" has another meaning in the US, here it's just political lobbying language, there's no operational difference.
tonyp
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

Albion Victor wrote:Hmmmm, seems to me that I can remember there being quite a network of "light rail", (Tram), lines servicing these very areas in ye olden days, removed by the politicians because buses could do the job cheaper! I suppose if you live long enough you see it all!
Yes, well ....

Pity about our hard-earned taxes being sucked into wasteful political stupidities over the years.
Stu
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by Stu »

Roads Minister Duncan Gay is not happy. The job description of the roads mInister portfolio must be to oppose any progression of public transport, even if you're own party is trying to implement an improvement with public transport. Duncan Gay doesn't answer to the people of the state or his party, he answers to his masters inside the roads lobby.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

Stu wrote:Roads Minister Duncan Gay is not happy. The job description of the roads mInister portfolio must be to oppose any progression of public transport, even if you're own party is trying to implement an improvement with public transport. Duncan Gay doesn't answer to the people of the state or his party, he answers to his masters inside the roads lobby.
It's curious that his concern is congestion in the CBD but isn't that congestion caused largely by cars coming into the CBD? What are cars doing coming into the CBD anyway, that's a job for PT. The answer staring him in the face is to get cars out of the CBD.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by boxythingy »

Looks like it will still be forcing people coming from the North to change at Central, rather than at Circular Quay for buses/light rail. Until then we should still expect some excess crowding, although the nature of light rail will alleviate some problems facing the 891s today.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by simonl »

tonyp wrote:It's curious that his concern is congestion in the CBD but isn't that congestion caused largely by cars coming into the CBD? What are cars doing coming into the CBD anyway, that's a job for PT. The answer staring him in the face is to get cars out of the CBD.
I would have said that the majority of cars have the sense to stay away from George St. Mind you, giving two lanes for PT on George St would be pretty good!
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by AEC Decker »

iDionz wrote:Yeah they're stupid for getting rid of the light rail, but then it did bring the opera house which is a Sydney icon!
Just build a tram depot under the Opera House and rename it Fort Macquarie. :twisted:
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by simonl »

Does Gladys read ATDB? A few things which have been proposed on here seem to have been implemented.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by moa999 »

Good news.
The alignment from Central to Moore Park will be interesting.

The Telegraph map appears to suggest Devonshire or Belvoir.
Would also be interesting to see if they use Chalmers as the terminus, or maybe repurpose platforms 26/27
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

simonl wrote:Does Gladys read ATDB? A few things which have been proposed on here seem to have been implemented.
A strange coincidence indeed. 8)
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by Fleet Lists »

I am sure some of her advisers do keep an eye on this board.
Living in the Shire.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

moa999 wrote:Good news.
The alignment from Central to Moore Park will be interesting.

The Telegraph map appears to suggest Devonshire or Belvoir.
Would also be interesting to see if they use Chalmers as the terminus, or maybe repurpose platforms 26/27
RMTS (Roads Maritime and Tramway Services), formerly RMS, will be bulldozing a swathe 100 metres wide from Moore Park to Chalmers Street. 300 houses will be resumed and demolished. :wink:
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by tonyp »

Fleet Lists wrote:I am sure some of her advisers do keep an eye on this board.
And some members of this board keep an eye on her advisers.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by mubd »

Stu wrote:Roads Minister Duncan Gay is not happy. The job description of the roads mInister portfolio must be to oppose any progression of public transport, even if you're own party is trying to implement an improvement with public transport. Duncan Gay doesn't answer to the people of the state or his party, he answers to his masters inside the roads lobby.
It's not his party. He's a National Party member, so he is not used to the concept of urban environments and their transport requirements.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by bambul »

moa999 wrote:Good news.
The alignment from Central to Moore Park will be interesting.

The Telegraph map appears to suggest Devonshire or Belvoir.
Would also be interesting to see if they use Chalmers as the terminus, or maybe repurpose platforms 26/27
The feasibility study (which was never officially released, but did feed into the transport masterplan) had 4 potential alignments, 2 to Central (along the surface of or in a tunnel underneath Devonshire St) and 2 to Circular Quay (one via Oxford St, and I forget the other). The latter 2 were ultimately rejected, as it was decided light rail should go to Central (and then subsequently to Circular Quay from there).

So I'd say the map is showing Devonshire St.
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by simonl »

The title of the article is ridiculous. It should be "Light rail expected to get the green light". The article states that cabinet hasn't even met to discuss it yet!
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Re: Light rail gets the green light: stage 1 UNSW to CBD

Post by boronia »

moa999 wrote:Good news.
The alignment from Central to Moore Park will be interesting.

The Telegraph map appears to suggest Devonshire or Belvoir.
Would also be interesting to see if they use Chalmers as the terminus, or maybe repurpose platforms 26/27
Or create platforms 28/29 above them...lots of wasted footpath there.
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