Hobart light rail?

Darwin/NT & Tasmania Transport Discussion
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Roderick Smith
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Joined: Mon May 28, 2012 8:44 pm

Hobart light rail?

Post by Roderick Smith »

Roderick.
Hobart’s Northern Suburbs light rail push wins priority project listing.
Hobart 'Mercury' October 30, 2017.
THE bid for a public transit light rail service for Hobart’s Northern Suburbs has been given a boost after being listed by the State Government as a priority project.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said the Hobart light rail project, the third stage of the Tasmanian Irrigation Project and energy projects had been added to the state’s top infrastructure aspirations as part of the latest referral to the Infrastructure Australia Priority list.
“These priorities meet Tasmania’s future infrastructure needs across energy, irrigation and public transport and have the potential to create thousands of jobs,” he said.
Hobart Northern Suburbs Rail Action Group President Ben Johnston welcomed the listing. Also on the list are the Bridgewater Bridge, Burnie to Hobart freight corridor, stage three of the irrigation rollout, sewerage infrastructure upgrades and the UTAS STEM Centre.
“Importantly, all of these projects support Tasmania’s comparative advantages such as our capacity for additional renewable energy, our high rainfall, and the Hodgman Government’s decision to protect the rail corridor from Hobart to Granton for future light rail opportunities,’’ Mr Hidding said.
“I recently toured the rail line with the federal Minister for Cities Angus Taylor and spoke very positively about the potential for light rail to be further progressed as part of the Hobart City Deal, and this referral will add further weight behind the case to progress this.”
Mr Johnston said his only concern was there was no real time frame about when the actual business case will be put to Infrastructure Australia.
“We’re still worried [the project] might not be eligible for a City Deal if there’s not a clear business case,” Mr Johnston said.
Mr Johnston said the State Government and the Hobart and Glenorchy city councils had all prepared documents in recent years that could be drawn on to produce a business case.
“The State Government should take a lead and consolidate those documents in to one definitive business case,” he said.
But Labor’s Infrastructure spokesman Shane Broad said the Liberals had waited four years to take action on key infrastructure projects.
“Rene Hidding’s track record at delivering significant infrastructure projects for Tasmania is appalling,” Dr Broad said.
“The projects the Government has now ‘identified’ as priorities should have been their focus at the start of the term in government, not the end.
“Today’s announcement from the Minister is half-baked and smacks of desperation.
“The Liberals ridiculed Labor’s policy to advance passenger rail in Hobart, now they’ve copied it.”
Tasmanian Transport Museum’s Rod Prince, left, and Dave Batchelor announce a new heritage passenger rail experience for Hobart. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE.
Steam rail to go ahead.
PASSENGER trains will roll once more from Glenorchy to Berriedale after a rail heritage group won the right to run a tourist rail service on the line.
Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding announced the Tasmanian Transport Museum Society would have access to the idle tracks.
TTMS will return rail car and steam train journeys to the Hobart suburbs almost 40 years after they stopped.
Mr Hidding said a “corridor notice” would be tabled in Parliament that would allow TTMS access to the line.
“TTMS will still be required to seek all necessary approvals from the National Rail Safety Regulator, and they are working on a range of operational matters including the implementation of level crossing controls,” he said.
“Importantly, the heritage passenger rail experience will not preclude any future light rail operation on the corridor.”
TTMS president Rod Prince said he expected the experience would be popular.
“Over a normal year 3000 to 4000 people have taken train rides,” Mr Prince said.
“But all we offer at the moment is 450m which after a while becomes a little bit tame.
“With the expansion of services to, say, Chigwell giving people a 9km return journey, I think it will be booked out every time.
“We’ve been looking at that track for 3½ years. We knew it was in good condition, and we approached the minister and he was all for it.”
http://www.themercury.com.au/news/polit ... 45080e60ed
* As a victim of the Sydney Light Rail, having watched 150-year-old beloved ANZAC Parade Moreton Bay fig trees killed, 20,000-50,000 Aboriginal artefacts excavated, small businesses killed without any compensation, and $3 Billion wasted on 30 trams, which will carry 10,000 passengers less per hour than the buses it is supposed to replace.
And, to make matters worse, the transport minister, Andrew Constance tried to cancel the 'dog of a project' 2 years ago - see story in the Australian.
My advice to you good people of Hobart - don't do it!
Step one: Ask for a cost/benefit comparison between existing buses, other buses, or electric buses.
Australian made electric buses, run silently with no tracks or wires, all day long on a single charge (like Tesla Cars!) Each bus carries approximately 70 passengers.
The Sydney Light Rail is costing at least $3 Billion (incl. operating costs) For $3 Billion, we are getting 30 trams with a 'crush' or maximum safe load capacity of 13,500.
For $3 Billion, we could have bought 3,000 Australian made electric buses, with a capacity of 210,000 passengers, and not killed any trees, bankrupted small businesses etc. etc. etc.
Trams, especially on road trams, while beautiful, sentimental and adorable, are 18th Century technology and should remain in Museums, or heritage networks like Melbourne, and NEVER EVER retrofitted!
DON'T DO IT! DON'T DESTROY HOBART!
At least look at the pros and cons of Electric Buses vs. Light Rail Fail first!
* Tassy NIMBYs are toxic. What would electric buses do for congestion? How many fig trees and Aboriginal artefacts will be lost when the tracks are already there? Hobart needs this train.
* Still flogging a dead horse.
* Still waiting for the business case and business plan. There must be something seriously wrong since the proponents won't make them publicly available..
* I assume you'll support tolls on the new Bridgewater Bridge to ensure it makes a profit as well?
* Apparently you fail to understand the definition of an infrastructure project. As Donald Trump would say: sad. Still, you fail to reply to my query.
* Unfortunately Australian made silent electric buses that require no tracks or wires, run all day on a single charge and can evolve flexibly, with publicly owned, publicly operated UBER style technology aren't looked at as infrastructure!
How small minded we are. We are a pack of..
* "Hodgman Government’s decision to protect the rail corridor from Hobart to Granton for future light rail opportunities"???
What about all the other governments who didn't develop it either?
* If they embed the rail line in a road-base so it can be used for both buses and heritage trains, much like Melbourne's tram-lines, between King George V Ave / Elwick Rd and Queens Walk / Bellevue Parade, then they could run buses from Glenorchy to Hobart via the old train line to Cornelian Bay then via the Domain Hwy the rest of the way, picking up Brooker Hwy traffic at Cornelian Bay with a link-road and park & ride car-park.
* yes, but embed rail lines in road-bases become slippery, cyclist ‘death’ traps in the wet and, in these politically correct times, what are we going to do to make sure that the voice of minority cyclist groups are heard? The first motorists have been fined for using Tasmanian roads and not maintaining the correct distance from cyclists, a new front is needed, ‘Safer Road Surfaces for Cyclists in Tasmania’ has a lovely ring to it don’t you think? Look, the notion already has a FLA (five letter acronym) SRSCT, so the pollies will adopt the idea with open arms, half the battle won already!!
* Never mind the cyclists, there's room to fit two lanes plus move the bike track to the edge of the rail corridor. The only place where it's too tight to fit is the Risdon Rd overpass, which would need a pedestrian / bike overpass.
* Just don't do it. Light Rail should NEVER EVER EVER be mixed with cars on roads in the 21st Century.
NEVER! Only in a completely separate corridor! It is a train, and should be treated as such. The only reason it is 'light' is that it carries less people than a 'heavy' rail!
Flexible electric buses made in Australia are cheaper and better, for all.
Yes, trams are better, and beautiful and sentimental, but, unfortunately they kill people on roads.
* Don't do it! Just, don't do it. If you're thinking of doing it, come and talk to anyone living or working between Circular Quay (Sydney Opera House) and Kingsford and Randwick in Sydney, and ask them if they think its a good idea! Better still, come and have a look for yourself! Just, don't do it!
* Ease up...it's going to happen anyway and it'll be a good thing.
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