2017 - September Volume 72 Number 9 $10.00 RRP Incl. GST transit australia’s urban passenger transportta journal ISSN 0818 5204

Features Announcements on Infrastructure Australia corrridor protection The Battle of Revised services in Drouin and Warragul St Kilda Road replacement

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2017 - September Volume 72 Number 9 contents transit Features australia Announcements on trams______261 australia’s urban passenger transportta journal Infrastructure Australia corridor protection______263 Managing Editor: Tony Bailey Publisher: Transit Australia Digital The Battle of Brisbane______267 PO Box 192, BOTANY NSW 1455 Revised bus services in Drouin and Warragul_____ 269 Australia Ph: (02) 9341 8700 St Kilda Road tram replacement______271 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.transitaustralia.com.au Transit Newsfile Editorial Advisors: Hugh Ballment, Agnes Boskovitz, International______273 V M Isaacs, Stuart Keenan, L J Pascoe, National______273 Jeremy Wainwright, R K Willson Advertising: Tony Bailey Ph: (02) 9341 8700 New South Wales______273 E-mail: [email protected] Northern Territory______277 Website Co-ordinator: John Clifton Layout: The Little Website Company Pty Ltd Queensland______279 www.tlwsc.com.au South Australia ______279 Subscriptions: Tasmania______280 Print Subscription 2017: Victoria______280 Australia Overseas Airmail, AUD Western Australia______284 (incl. GST) Asia/Pacific Zone # Rest of the World Western Pacific______284 Personal $120.00 $190.00 $220.00 New Zealand______284 Corporate $180.00 $220.00 $250.00 South East Asia______285 # Asia/Pacific Zone incl. NZ, PNG, Fiji, Malaysia, India, Japan, China. Visa/Mastercard payments only : Indonesia______285 Subscription rates are for a calendar year (Jan to Dec). Malaysia______285 Subscribers wishing to commence through the year either may have issues sent or adjust the amount accordingly. Singapore______285 For Print Subscriptions go to: www.transitaustralia.com.au/subscriptions.htm Regulars and download form to mail or email. Interesting Website ______269 You can also subscribe securely online by credit or debit card via Industry______285 PayPal even if you do not have a PayPal account. Services Directory ______286 Digital Subscription 2017: Contributors______286 Latest and recent Back Issues: $7.99 each 12 month subscription: $68.99 AETA Notices______286 6 month subscription: $37.99 Mac and PC iPad and iPhone Go to www.pocketmags.com Visit the app store and search for Transit Australia download the Transit Australia app ISSN 0818 5204 Print Post Publication # 100004921 Transit Australia Digital Edition Published monthly by Transit Australia Digital. Opinions expressed in Transit Australia are not necessarily those of Transit Australia Digital or of the Australian Electric Traction Association or its members. No responsibility is taken for the now available at: return of any unsolicited articles or photographs. The Editor retains the right to edit or reject all contributions. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by the Publisher. Copyright 2017 Transit Australia Digital and individually named persons. No unauthorised pocketmags.com reproduction permitted in any form. Approval for reproduction must be sought from the Editor. Printed in Australia by Ligare, RIVERWOOD NSW iTunes Store ABN 91 368 242 461 Opposite Page Front Cover John Clifton was at ‘s Central Station on 6 August EMU car BEA 4099 was photographed by David when he took this photograph of the construction of Sydney’s Whiteford on 16 July as it headed an second new tramway as a CAF car on the first line, the IWLR, empty football special away from was approaching the terminus in the Colonnades at Central. West Leederville to the Daglish Note that the new line is adjacent to the station building rather turnback and passed Domain than the middle of Eddy Avenue. This also seems to be the first section of the new line where the poles for the overhead power Stadium, Subiaco, as supporters supply have already been erected, well in advance of the track made their way to the final western construction. derby to be played there between Fremantle Dockers and West Coast Eagles. The next local game should be at the new with its dedicated rail access. 259 Announcements on trams

Ian Manning has commented in the article opposite on announcements on board some public transport vehicles. In many places now passengers make comments about a perceived oversupply of announcements at stations, which often seem to be nonstop. This Bob Wilson photograph at Ashfield in Sydney was taken on 19 February 2015 and an observer can easily spot a large number of PA speakers under the awning.

The bus interchange in Christchurch, seen in this Bob Wilson photograph from 15 April 2016, has, because of the way it operates, to tell passengers which door to use for a particular service just before it arrives. Passengers can wait in a comfortable waiting area until the bus is ready to board.

260 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Announcements on trams Ian Manning In line with their peers overseas, and in a bid to improve the passenger minority of passengers (those who are both uncertain about where they experience, Australian public transport operators have lately invested are to alight and cannot see the visual display) must be offset against heavily in automated in-vehicle information systems. These replace the their nuisance value to other passengers, whose reading, conversation former haphazard system of loudspeaker announcements by on-board and snoozing they interrupt. personnel including drivers, guards and conductors. The early automated has opted for single-line LED displays which display limited systems were easily upset by out-of-course vehicle movements, but information, accompanied by a Voice which reads out, and sometimes the systems are now reasonably reliable and it seems to be taken for adds to, the written message. On suburban trains The Voice is female granted that they should be installed. The systems mainly provide but on trams it is male, perfectly enunciated and loud enough to be information on up-coming stops but may also convey messages about heard in a tram in full flight. This male Voice was first introduced on fares, routing, disruptions and the like. the low-floor trams where, in accord with international practice, it Is this a good investment? To the extent that urban travel is repetitive, contents itself with announcing upcoming stops and junctions. there is little need for vehicle-location information because travellers to Unfortunately the announcements on B class trams, and now also on A work, school and many places besides know where they are, know where class, go beyond international practice. First, the Voice announces each they have to get off and don’t need to be told. Even those who travel stop by number as well as by name. I have no objection to including in unfamiliar territory, tourists, locals venturing to new destinations, stop numbers in the LED display, but announcing them in a Voice too include many who are armed with smartphones which advise them not loud to be ignored has the psychological effect of making a tram-ride only when to get off but where to go after that. The target group for seem slower. I simply do not want be reminded that I have such a lot in-vehicle information on stops and routes would therefore seem to be of stops to go before it is my turn to get off. Second, in addition to new and other irregular passengers who are not smartphone-equipped, announcing each stop in advance, the Voice re-announces the stop after perhaps a significant minority in locations frequented by tourists but the doors have opened. Often these announcements are too late to be vanishingly small elsewhere. The target group for messages about fares, of any use as the doors have closed again before the Voice completes disruptions and the like is, of course, much broader. the stop name. and they are particularly intrusive in that they are The new generation of automated in-vehicle information systems made, at full volume, when the tram is stationary and there is much comprise two elements, visual displays and audible announcements. less background noise. Once again I have no objection to ‘this stop’ Two types of visual display are in use, the plasma screen and the LED being shown on the LED display but submit that the annoyance caused display. Plasma screens can display more information, on trams and by having the Voice read out the current stop is much greater than any they generally show the next three stops, not just the next one, help it may be those few passengers who have not heard the next-stop but are not as bright as the LED displays and not quite as easily read announcement and cannot read the LED screen. For this reason, ‘this from distant parts of the vehicle. Though the information they convey stop’ announcements should be eliminated, or at least considerably is useful to but a small minority of passengers, namely those who reduced in decibels. intend to alight at an unfamiliar approaching stop, visual displays are The annoyance caused by the Voice could also be reduced by removing non-intrusive and acceptable. The only caveat is that their installation unnecessary verbiage from its announcements. Where announcements and maintenance may absorb funds which would be better spent on are occasional it makes sense to begin them with a little preliminary other service improvements. noise, so that people tune in before information is conveyed. However, There is a clear case for continued audible announcements of service when announcements are frequent, as for tram stops, this is scarcely disruptions and the like, since the information conveyed is likely to necessary. The simple answer to this would be to delete the phrase ‘the be of interest to most passengers. However, the case for announcing next stop is’, or alternatively replace it by a musical alert. A particularly forthcoming stops is less clear. It is true that they continue the old creative version of this can be heard in Bergen (Norway) where a loudspeaker tradition (and its predecessor, the conductor who yelled distinctive little fanfare precedes the announcement of the name of out the name of stops), but are they necessary now that vehicles have each stop. These fanfares each take less time than ’s verbiage visual displays? The answer would have to be that they may be helpful yet are remarkably distinctive, ranging from jazzy to folk to classical. to passengers who have difficulty seeing the visual display, most Alternatively, if the authorities consider that the stop number is essential probably because the vehicle is crowded. Their helpfulness to this information, it could be used to introduce the announcement. Instead of ‘The next stop is Napier Street, stop number thirteen’ the Voice could simply say ‘Thirteen, Napier Street’. I accordingly plead with the Victorian public transport authorities to minimise the annoyance to regular passengers by streamlining their in-vehicle announcements and, most important, by deleting the re-announcement of each stop.

Bob Wilson also photographed this attractive timetable display, one of a number in the Christchurch interchange, which is also close to a staffed information desk. Printed timetables are becoming a rarity, which some regret. 261 Corridor protection

262 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Infrastructure Australia corridor protection In July Infrastructure Australia released a paper regarding the important The required land is usually in the form of a linear corridor. Under task of protecting various corridors, including those for public transport. an effective corridor protection regime, governments typically limit A summary follows. development on the corridor and progressively acquire the land. As Introduction such, when it is time to deliver the project, governments will own Australia’s governments have an opportunity to deliver an enduring most, or all, of the corridor. legacy by protecting critical infrastructure corridors and acquiring Corridor protection has two principal aims: them early. This opportunity could underpin our next phase of growth, • By protecting land today, governments can minimise the future enhancing the future economic and social prospects of all Australians. cost of building new infrastructure. Reserving a corridor limits The cost of inaction is estimated to run to billions of dollars. development on the land that would add to project costs. Early Our cities and regions will grow substantially over the coming decades. acquisition protects against the possibility that the cost of the Between 2017 and 2061, Australia’s population is projected to increase land will increase over time, increasing the cost of delivering the by 16.7m, the equivalent of adding a new city the size of each infrastructure; and year. In the context of tight budgets, an ageing population and growing • Corridor protection minimises the social disruption that occurs demand for services, building the infrastructure we need will become when infrastructure is delivered within developed areas. an increasing challenge. Many of the solutions lie in reforms to the Failing to protect corridors can result in a preferred alignment for a structure of markets and how to pay for infrastructure, but planning project being ‘built out’. As a result, rather than acquire developed for and building new infrastructure will also be the key. properties for the project, a future government may have to adopt a less The test for governments is how to extract maximum value from the direct route or decide to construct the project as a . This might infrastructure we already have, while delivering the infrastructure we well add substantially to the project’s costs, requiring governments to need as efficiently as possible. Improving long-term infrastructure draw on funds that might have been available to pursue other priorities. planning is an important means of lowering the cost of that infrastructure. Ultimately, a project may not proceed at all if it becomes too expensive Planning the right infrastructure early, timing its delivery to meet demand to be paid for by taxpayers or users. and ensuring it is fit for purpose enhances economic opportunity and We have successfully protected corridors in the past saves money. This is particularly true when it comes to identifying and Corridor protection has been successfully pursued in the past. During protecting infrastructure corridors. the mid-twentieth century, a number of jurisdictions applied processes Done well, corridor protection reduces the future financial costs of to protect future infrastructure corridors from development. We are the delivering infrastructure, while minimising the social costs of acquiring beneficiaries of that foresight. Infrastructure now viewed as essential to homes and businesses, and disrupting existing communities. It minimises the functioning of our largest cities was developed in the 1980s, 1990s the chance that infrastructure will need to be built in expensive ; and 2000s on corridors that were identified and protected in the 1950s, it protects against the situation where critical infrastructure is not built 1960s and 1970s. Examples include many Motorways, the Mandurah as a result of prohibitive costs. rail line and the O-Bahn in Adelaide. To prove the scale of the opportunity, Infrastructure Australia has More recently, governments have been less active in protecting new modelled a number of scenarios for the seven transport corridor protection corridors. Pro-active steps have, however, been taken following some initiatives in the 2016 Infrastructure Priority List. According to the notable state-based strategic plans that acknowledged the need to independently audited model, the protection and early acquisition of identify and protect corridors for major infrastructure projects. The NSW just these seven corridors could save Australian taxpayers $10.8b in land Government has identified a number of corridors needing protection, purchase and construction costs as measured in discounted 2016 dollars. and has commenced studies to define options for several of those corridors. In Victoria, the corridor for the Outer Metropolitan Ring/ Corridor protection reduces the future financial and social E6 has been protected, and there are proposals for the protection of costs of infrastructure other corridors. The current transport plan for Perth flags an intention ‘Corridor protection’ is a term covering a variety of actions that to protect an underground corridor for an inner city railway. governments can take to identify and protect land required to deliver future infrastructure. It is the first step in translating long-term Building on those actions, corridor protection efforts need focussed infrastructure strategies and plans into operating infrastructure that attention from governments to fund: serves the community. Corridor protection provides future generations • The feasibility studies and investigations necessary to define the with an affordable option to proceed with a project so that governments corridors requiring protection and, can then determine when and how to deliver the project, knowing that • Where appropriate, early and ongoing acquisition of the necessary the cost of delivery is likely to be much lower than if the corridor had properties. not been protected. Corridor protection is a pressing need in the context of Australia’s wider challenges OPPOSITE PAGE: Australia is undergoing a period of profound change, with the population TOP: On 24 May 2014 Peter Ferguson photographed the expanding, requiring governments to plan for substantial growth. approaches to Leppington Station on Sydney’s then under This is happening both in the established parts of our cities, requiring construction South Western Rail Link. This line was built underground and surface corridor protection, and also on their edges, to serve a developing area and did have the benefit of the where large new corridors are likely to be needed. fact that the corridor was generally secured before there The early investment this will require is a challenge at a time when was any development. governments face difficult expenditure and revenue decisions to close projected ‘fiscal gaps’. Governments are confronted by rising expectations BOTTOM: On the same day Peter photographed the for better infrastructure and services, rising costs in supporting an Leppington storage sidings from the other end of the ageing population and a declining proportion of the population that is station, where two tracks are designed to continue working and contributing to tax revenues. onwards in the event of an extension. The various Yet, without effective corridor protection policies, delivering critical NSW Governments involved in this project are to be infrastructure will become increasingly difficult. Otherwise, rising congratulated on at least showing some foresight with demand for infrastructure investment, and mounting costs of delivery, this project, despite one newspaper now publishing the could mean governments are unable to deliver the infrastructure required odd ‘empty line’ articles. to support a strong economy and our growing population. 263 Corridor protection

Another line being built ahead of major development is Melbourne’s South Morang to Mernda Rail Extension Project. On 13 August Rod Watson photographed construction from Bridge Inn Road looking North.

This second Rod Watson photograph on the same day shows the actual scale of construction at the same location.

264 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Corridor protection

Protection can save taxpayers and users billions of dollars However, acquiring entire corridors usually requires large, upfront outlays, Infrastructure Australia has modelled the potential cost savings funds that may be required for immediate infrastructure priorities. Even associated with protecting a corridor under a range of scenarios and so, substantial sums can be saved simply by reserving a corridor and believes that this is the first time modelling of this type has been then progressively acquiring the properties in question. This approach undertaken in Australia. The model and its assumptions have been to acquisition still avoids the large increases in land acquisition and independently audited. project costs that occur when land required for a corridor is otherwise Three different scenarios were modelled: subdivided and developed. • Do not protect now and acquire at construction where a corridor is In the early years after reserving a corridor, as a minimum, governments not reserved and the land required for the corridor is acquired in the only need enough funding to purchase properties where the affected two years leading up to the start of construction: owners have the right under current legislation to ask governments to • Protect and acquire now where the corridor is reserved from 2017 acquire their property. Other mechanisms are also available to minimise and all land for the corridor is acquired within two years: upfront costs for governments, while treating existing landowners fairly. • Do not protect now and tunnel in future where a corridor is not Rental revenues and value capture reserved and either tunnelling is undertaken on parts of the route that Land acquired for corridor protection purposes can often be rented out, were rezoned and developed in the intervening years, or sections of creating a revenue stream for governments between land acquisition a corridor not placed in tunnel are acquired in the two years prior to and project construction. These revenues will at least partially offset construction. upfront acquisition costs. In the past, governments have pursued this The ‘protect and acquire now’ and the two ‘do not protect’ scenarios approach, renting properties to interested parties, including previous set the ‘book ends’ within which other protection scenarios can also be land owners. tested. For example, various scenarios involving reserving a corridor Renting out the acquired properties for a productive use also minimises and staged acquisition of land fall within the end points. the risk that the community sees the land as an extension of local open Even taking a conservative approach, the modelling finds that, under space networks. Corridors protected in the past have sometimes been the ‘protect and acquire now’ scenario, governments could save up to used as open space for a long period, making it difficult for a future $10.8b in the cost of developing the seven projects, compared to the government to then use the land for its intended infrastructure purpose. ‘do not protect’ scenarios. In real, undiscounted terms, the savings As noted in Infrastructure Australia’s recent paper, ‘Capturing Value: would be to a maximum of $57.1b. Advice on making value capture work in Australia’, early acquisition The savings differ between the corridors, mainly because of variations of land required for a corridor can also be an effective platform for in the size and location of the corridor. For the larger projects, failing value capture. to protect a corridor and subsequently building sections of the project Other corridors should also be considered for protection in tunnel adds many billions of dollars to their cost. Smaller projects, An effective protection framework has the potential to lower the such as the Hunter Valley rail freight realignment, deliver important cost of delivering projects in corridors beyond those identified in the savings from corridor protection but on a more modest scale. Infrastructure Priority List. Around the country, governments and their The ‘do not protect and acquire at construction’ scenario also involves advisory bodies have identified a number of other corridors that could a risk that governments would have to acquire substantial numbers also benefit from some form of protection. We can reasonably conclude of houses and commercial properties. Under that scenario, housing that the cost of delivering infrastructure in many of those corridors supply pressures may have led future governments to rezone for urban could also be reduced through an effective protection regime. development land that was otherwise intended for the corridor. This Importantly, the case for corridor protection does not only apply to means that, in addition to the direct financial costs, failures in corridor large projects in greenfield areas on the edge of Australia’s cities. As protection will also have broader social and economic costs. our cities redevelop, protecting a range of smaller, ‘first and last mile’ The savings associated with the Outer Sydney Orbital and the High links is likely to become increasingly important. For example, with Speed Rail corridors are noteworthy, both because of the scale of the governments encouraging greater use of public transport, land may be potential savings and the immediate development pressures facing both required to accommodate public transport improvements in and around corridors. In the case of the Outer Metropolitan Ring/E6 corridor in existing centres. Likewise, targeted protection initiatives may be required Melbourne, the Victorian Government’s decision to reserve a corridor to facilitate the movement of freight and deliveries in the established will yield substantial cost savings. These savings could be further parts of our cities. Protecting underground corridors for future tunnels increased if land in the corridor is acquired early. will become increasingly important. This is especially important in The model used for this will enable governments to test a wide range of the established parts of our cities, where building foundations and assumptions and scenarios before deciding whether, when and where to underground carparks can compromise the alignment of planned projects. protect a corridor. More detailed modelling of individual corridors may State governments and councils will play an important role in ensuring yield higher or lower results. In developing detailed business cases for these opportunities are pursued. corridor protection, governments may test different alignments for a Building on the Australian Infrastructure Plan project, or a variety of assumptions about the timing of a project, growth In recommendation 9.4 of the ‘Australian Infrastructure Plan’, in land values and the development pressures that may affect a corridor. Infrastructure Australia called on governments to establish effective These more detailed investigations and modelling may lead governments corridor protection mechanisms and outlined the key elements of an to conclude that, in particular cases, corridor protection is not required. overall corridor protection framework. Nevertheless, the scale of the cost savings presented strongly suggests In its response to the Plan, the Australian Government formally supported that, in many cases, corridor protection can deliver substantial benefits for Infrastructure Australia’s recommendation, while noting that corridor individual jurisdictions and the nation. Based on reasonable assumptions and protection is also a matter for state and territory governments. conservative modelling, the cost of inaction appears to be prohibitively high. The corridors Progressive acquisition of land There were seven corridors studied: Over the long term, the price of land in Australia’s larger capital The Outer Sydney orbital, which may include a rail corridor; cities has grown faster than the rate of inflation. Previous analysis by High Speed Rail from Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney; Infrastructure Australia found that, in the 20 years to 2012, underlying Western Sydney Rail, including the new airport; land values in the three east coast capital cities grew around 3% per Western Sydney Freight Rail; year faster than the rate of inflation. In such circumstances, any delay The Port of Brisbane Freight Rail; and in acquiring land for a corridor can add materially to the cost of a The Hunter Valley Freight Line. project. Accordingly, the savings from corridor protection are likely to be best if the corridors are acquired now. 265 The Battle of Brisbane

This photograph by Myrddin on 2 July looks down from level 7 of the Suncorp Stadium on buses lined up in Black and Granzella Streets waiting to collect passengers from the bus station at the conclusion of the fight. The buses are marshalled in zones depending upon their final destination. On the left in Black Street and in three lanes across Granzella Street in the centre and back onto Milton Road are Chermside buses. From Granzella Street west along Black and Belleview Streets are Carindale bound buses, while on the other side of Black and Belleview Streets are Eight Mile Plains buses. City bound buses are not visible but are lined up along Castlemaine Street, which is in the foreground and Milton Road.

In this Myrddin photograph crowds flock to Milton station along the elevated walkway across and along Milton Road at the conclusion of the fight. The walkway runs from level three of the bus station, the roof of which forms a large plaza to Milton Station where the QR EMUs are headed. Some patrons seem to prefer to cross the closed Milton Road and use the normal footpath because of the crowds on the walkway. A similar walkway using a combination of footpaths and elevated walkway connects with Roma Street Station.

266 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 buses awaiting the return crowds were stored three abreast in Granzella The Battle of Brisbane Street and along Milton Road. Buses were two abreast, three in places, in Black Street back into Belleview Street: Carindale buses were on Myrddin the right side and Eight Mile Plains ones on the left. City bound buses On the afternoon of 2 July there was a world championship boxing were stored in Castlemaine Street and Milton Road. Buses for The Gap match in Brisbane when Brisbane’s Jeff Horn defeated Senator Manny were stored in Caxton Street and parts of Castlemaine Street. The first Pacquiao of the Philippines. According to a TransLink spokesman, buses to leave were also stored on the outer lane around the western ‘51,025 spectators attended the Battle of Brisbane and free travel to and and southern parts of the station. from Suncorp Stadium was available on all BCC buses and QR’s City Trains Network trains from 0600 before the event until 1900 after the event. QR was unable to supply special train services to the event because There were 18 special trains in addition to the timetabled service, with of the driver shortage problem. Instead, it put on special rail bus QR transporting approximately 36,000 passengers. Also there were services. Despite the weekend of 1-2 July having three major football 115 additional bus rosters with BT and Suncorp Stadium shuttle buses matches, the Gold Coast Marathon and the Battle of Brisbane, QR had making a total of 277 trips. According to news reports, this set a new reduced service timetables for the three Sundays of the winter school record for special buses and trains, for a sporting event in holidays: hourly on all operating lines except for the Sunshine Coast when the Lang Park venue hosted two world title fights. every two hours and the Airport every 30 minutes. It is doing this to Buses build up an overtime reserve so the already forcibly reduced services To take the attendees to the event BT ran from 0900, special buses can be maintained. Poor planning caused by the early opening of the on the normal routes that service Suncorp Stadium at Lang Park, for Redcliffe Peninsula line caused the overtime crisis and resulting driver football matches: shortage. Specials did appear to be run to the football matches on the • Route 1 ran from the City, Central Station, to the stadium bus station Gold Coast in July. As the Battle of Brisbane was a full day event via Ann Street; starting at 0830 with crowds trickling in until the main event at 1330, • Route 4 ran from Carindale via the Eastern Busway and it is understandable that special trains did not run to the event. Special Woolloongabba and the Captain Cook Bridge to the stadium bus trains were provided on all lines operating after the event however. station; Patrons using the railway had two ways they could enter and leave • Route 6 ran from Chermside via the normal route 370 to the stadium the precinct: bus station; • • From Roma Street Station across Countess Street, which was • Route 999 ran from Eight Mile Plains via the South East Busway to closed to traffic, there is a wide footpath and then walkway across the stadium bus station; and the railway tracks and through the former Police Barracks Precinct • Specials ran from The Gap to the Caxton Street stop at the stadium. and across Petrie Terrace, also closed to traffic, and down a wide All non- Caxton Street buses, Routes 1,6 and 999, reached the stadium footpath to the southern plaza; and bus station by entering via the Riverside Expressway from Ann Street • • From Milton Station along a specially built elevated walkway or from Captain Cook Bridge for Route 4, and using the Caxton/ along the tracks and across Milton Road to the southern plaza. Boomerang Street exit to Milton Road and then Castlemaine Street to Patronage was high on public transport, as people are now well and enter. At least one Route 1 bus came up Roma Street returning to pick truly used to having the ticket price include free public transport for the up departing crowds. Before the fight they showed the route number day. This event though did not cover ferry travel, it appears. Although and ‘Suncorp Stadium’ in both directions and afterwards, likewise the nominally valid for travel to and from the ticketed event, there is no route number and return destination both ways. real way of monitoring usage for other purposes. For those not familiar with the Suncorp Stadium bus station, it is under In all aspects the transport was a success with crowds quickly clearing. the southern plaza of the stadium and is reached by lift or stairs. It is a From 30 minutes after the event it was easy to board a bus and get a seat, very large trapezoid shaped platform surrounding the stairwell: three the queues being quite short by then. This was aided by merchandise sides are around 100 m long and the fourth much shorter. The western tents having sales, which meant many staggered their departure. A side serves Eight Mile Plains, the southern side Chermside, while the TransLink spokesman said ‘The stadium was cleared of spectators northern side’s two platforms serve Carindale and the City. This applies within 60 minutes with the crowds dispersing onto public transport for arriving and departing buses. On the southern plaza electronic or walking to Caxton Street and into the CBD’. TransLink, QR and signs and permanent signs directed the crowds to the trains or buses. BT must be congratulated for a job well done in clearing the crowds. Even which side of the stairways to use for your bus was indicated. On the return journey buses left via Castlemaine Street, Milton Road, Upper Roma and Saul Streets to North Quay to the return destinations, although some stayed on Roma Street. Buses were loaded up to three at a time on each platform, using both doors. Barriers and gates funnelled The platform level of the cavernous Suncorp Lang Park the crowds to the correct section of the platform. Chermside bound Stadium was photographed by Myrddin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the fight. The queues by then were rather small and would easily fit in the buses that have just arrived. Both doors are used for loading controlled by supervisors to ensure they are not too crowded. BT’s Toowong based MAN 18.310 bodied 1018 is in Bay 1 of the three platforms provided for City bound travellers, colour coded green. Another City bound bus is in 2 while in the distance a Carindale bound bus is in both 4 and 5. Each of the four platform areas are in separate pens entered through gateways centre right at the foot of the stairs. Chermside buses use platforms 6 to 9 while Eight Mile Plains ones use 10 to 12. Departing buses normally use the two way Chippendall Street visible behind 1018. When the station is in use it is closed to normal traffic to reach the historic Anglican Christ Church, Milton, which has been surrounded by the stadium and bus station. 267 Drouin and Warragul bus services

This Gary Davey photograph on 16 May, which was the third day of the new timetable, shows a service arriving at the Drouin North terminal after a circuitous journey from Drouin Station via Drouin West and Drouin East. This Warragul Bus Line vehicle is Scania K310UB with an Express body.

On 20 December 2011 Bob Wilson was at Noojee photographing passengers joining this Warragul Bus Line service to Warragul. The vehicle, 1993 AO is a MAN 14.240 with a Custom Coach CB30 body, delivered in 2010.

268 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Revised bus services in Drouin and Warragul Jeff Gill and Gary Davey On 14 May PTV and Warragul Bus Lines introduced revised town bus on a minor road about half a kilometre beyond the station and which services in the adjacent West Gippsland towns of Warragul and Drouin. is quite inconvenient for anyone who does not have his or her own The authors visited the area on 19 May and took the opportunity to transport. Timetables are not available at Warragul Station, a place at investigate and sample the new services. which many potential passengers would expect to find them, and we There are now four town services in Warragul: did not have time to check whether stocks are held at newsagencies, • Route 80 (South); post offices etc. Each bus stop in the CBD and, at least some, in the • Route 81(North); suburban areas appear to have a timetable display. • Route 82 (North); and It is interesting to speculate how many more people would use buses • Route 83 (East). if the FlexiRide option, which works so well in Woodend, had been There are two services in Drouin: adopted in Warragul and Drouin. In towns of their size and population • Route 85 (Warragul/Drouin South West); and it may be necessary to have two or even three buses available instead • Route 86 (Drouin North). of just the one which, in turn, would mean that the telephone system in use would need to be more complex, and passengers may occasionally There is also a ‘country’ Route 89 which operates two journeys per day face waits of 10 to 15 minutes if the nearest bus happens to be a fair way between Warragul and Noojee and is little changed as a result of the away at the particular time that they call, but none of these problems revisions. All the ‘town’ routes operate approximately hourly between is insuperable. Journeys would be direct which would encourage more surprisingly early starting times before 0700 Monday to Friday, but people to use the service and, surely, it would be preferable to have after 0900 on Saturdays, until last service between 1600 and 1700. buses running with passengers on board at times that the passengers There is no Sunday service. wish to travel than to have buses running empty every hour along Routes 81, 82, 83 and 85 all operate around the Warragul CBD in roundabout routes. order to give passengers a choice of stops close to the most likely For full route details, timetables and maps see- destinations. Route 80 is something of a curiosity as it starts from and www.warragulbuslines.com.au/TownService terminates at Warragul station, which is about half a kilometre short of Warragul’s CBD. In point of fact this service is through-routed with Route 83 and passengers can directly access the CBD by remaining on board the bus. However there is nothing in any of the printed literature to advise potential passengers that this through facility is available. Little thought appears to have been given to providing good connections between bus and rail. At Warragul timings of eastbound and westbound Interesting website rail services are almost simultaneous at 58 and 59 minutes past every Instructions for a self-guided tour of Sydney’s Central Station are hour and present an ideal opportunity for buses to connect into and available at – out of trains in both directions but useful connections happen only www.sydneytrains.info/about/heritage/tours spasmodically. In the mornings Route 81 services arrive at 50 minutes past the hour which is just before the two rail services depart in each direction. However in the afternoon the service is altered to arrive

January 2014 • $9.50 at 02 minutes past the hour which is just after both trains have left. TM ARHSnsw Bookshop Departure times of this service are a significant time after the two trains Remember when: Power stations and trainspotting BOOKS — MAGAZINES — DVDs — MODELS have arrived meaning that passengers arriving by rail face a long wait. Richlands–Springfield Central railway opens UGL/GE Powerhaul prototype locomotives Memories of the Old Ghan Line AusRAIL PLUS 2013 Only Route 83 offers reasonable connection times in both directions Australia’s largest and best selection of local and though, as with Route 81 a slightly different service pattern before and international railway and tramway magazines, after midday means that a 20 minute wait between arriving buses and books, DVDs, CDs and models... Kalgoorlie rail realignment options revisited departing trains in the morning becomes a 20 minute wait between train Published monthly by the Australian Railway Historical Society (NSW Division) February 2014 Australian VOLUME 65 • No. 916 arrivals and bus departures in the afternoon. On Route 80 passengers Railway ARHSnsw Bookshop

$8.00 RECOMMENDED PRICE INCLUDING GST wishing to make connections into or out of the trains face waits of about History ISSN 1449-6291 45 minutes. At Drouin station hardly any bus arrivals or departures 67 Renwick Street, Redfern make convenient connections into or out of the trains. Phone: 02 9699 4595 As happens so often in rural towns individual routes detour around UNIFORM GAUGE ISSUE Commonwealth versus States, Part 1 From Consolidation to Mikado (VR) Fax: 02 9699 1714 housing estates and double back on themselves in an attempt to bring as Troop Trains and Cattle Trucks Journal of the Australian Railway Historical Society Web: www.arhsnsw.com.au many of the population within reach of the bus service as possible. This Email: [email protected] in turn means that overall journey times are significantly inflated and, thus, are less attractive to a potential traveller. The revised services in Open Monday to Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm, Warragul and Drouin include some exceptionally roundabout journeys. and Saturday 9.00am to 4.00pm. Mail orders to: In some instances passengers need only two or three minutes to travel 67 Renwick Street, Redfern, NSW 2016 between two points in one direction but need to allow up to 20 minutes to travel between the same two points in the other direction. Under the MasterCard/Visa credit cards welcome Bondi Bondi to the Opera House to the Opera House previous timetable some residents who live about one kilometre west the trams that linked sydney

Sydney’s tram system was once one of the world’s largest, extending from Narrabeen in the north to La Perouse in the south; from Bondi in the east to Ryde in the west. Isolated steam-operated lines served other outlying districts. Trams also ran in Newcastle. From the 1920s to the 1940s there Illustrated titles are just a small selection of our were up to 1500 trams operating on 290 kilometres of line of Drouin used to enjoy a short bus ride direct between their home andserving the city and more than 70 suburbs. Trams carried more than a million people every weekday. It was a mighty undertaking, but a few decades later it had all gone. Apart from some localities that retain ‘junction’ in their name, the occasional kerbside shelter and some oddly placed areas of inner suburban parkland, there are today very few reminders of the time when Sydney was

a city of trams. dale budd With over 250 photos and informative text, Bondi to the extensive range. Visit our on-line bookshop for Opera House captures the colour and life of Sydney over the station and shopping centre. Under the new service pattern the busthe 80 years when trams were part and parcel of living in the city. It will fascinate those who can recall travelling by tram as well as others interested in seeing how Sydney has

changed between the tram era and today. randall wilson

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C O I R dale budd randall wilson they now find it quicker to walk between home and town centre and,FOR ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED IN RAILWAYS of course, they can time their walk to connect with the train. The authors made a round trip on Routes 80 and 83 and encountered ‘The finest range only three other passengers, two of whom were bus enthusiasts travelling of new and solely to experience the new services, so it does not look as though second-hand books’ the revised services had captured public imagination at that stage. There were printed timetables on the bus for some routes, but not all. The driver did say that the rest were available at the depot, which is 269 St Kilda Road tram replacement During the Toorak Road tramway construction along with the new junction at St Kilda Road there was a major replacement of trams by buses along a section of St Kilda Road. Bob Wilson took these photographs on 3 July.

The Arts Centre tram stop featured a large sign showing changes to services.

Trams and buses were photographed near the stop along with a road traffic notice advising of changes to the roadway.

Tram D 5015 was photographed near the Shrine stop with a number of PTV liveried shuttle buses in the background.

270 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 D5005 was photographed at the Shrine stop with a large group of replacement buses alongside.

At almost the same location tram B 2081 passed the line up of buses.

Finally, B2086 took its turn to start from the Shrine stop.

271 Transit Newsfile

272 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile ‘inconsistent ability to personalise’. Potential suppliers will be evaluated International on organisational, strategic and financial capabilities, ability to perform On 26 June Alstom and NTL announced the second Aptis prototype, a the requested services, resource capability and availability, proposed 100% electric solution for mobility, at Versailles in France. Aptis will project management methodology and ability to achieve milestones and be tested by STIF and Keolis on a bus route between Versailles and value. The shortlisted respondents will be delivering their final offers Vélizy from this month. Aptis has a full low-floor and three double- next month with a contractor announced in November. A ‘minimal viable doors, allowing smooth on-board passenger circulation and easy access product’ should be available by February next year. for prams and wheelchairs. Panoramic windows at the front and the rear Newcastle provide 20% extra window surface compared to a conventional bus, By late June the overhead had been installed over the heavy rail tracks as well as a lounge area at the rear. The vehicle integrates itself very at the new . At that time the $70m project was well into the urban environment, thanks to its four steerable wheels nearing completion, with opening expected in October. The building that provide a 25% reduction in required kerb space. The vehicle is is on two levels, with the ground floor open to the public and staff manufactured at the NTL plant in Duppigheim in the Grand Est region of housed upstairs. Fitting out of the office space was underway, while France and the main components are manufactured at five Alstom sites: landscaping, including a plantation of palm trees, had taken place on Saint-Ouen for the project management and system integration, Tarbes the ground floor and signs had been installed on the platforms. for the traction, Ornans for the motors, Vitrolles for the SRS system Just before midnight on 30 June 82 years of publicly operated bus and Villeurbanne for the electronic components of the traction chain. services in Newcastle came to an end. The last Newcastle Buses service National left the Newcastle bus interchange at 2316 for Swansea Heads, operated by 2061. On 7 July Infrastructure Australia released ‘Corridor Protection: Planning and investing for the long term’, which highlights the case On 1 July came into existence under the management for corridor protection and the public benefit of acting today. The of , with responsibility for Newcastle Buses and Ferries, idea is that protecting infrastructure corridors will reduce project plus the system when it is completed. Keolis Downer said costs and avoid much of the community disruption that can flow from there will be no changes to services this year, but there would be late acquisition of key sites. This would also minimise the need for service ‘improvements’ next year, with higher frequency services in underground tunnelling, where the cost can be up to ten times higher ‘key corridors’. than otherwise. Protecting nationally significant infrastructure corridors One of the first public moves by Newcastle Transport was reported in the especially means a limit to development encroachment, which has media that they will hire compliance officers to enforce the purchasing constrained project planning in the past. Every dollar saved through of tickets to reduce fare evasion on their buses and the Stockton ferry. early action on corridor protection is another dollar that can be invested It is also reported that bus drivers have become stricter in enforcing back into infrastructure to support future growth as a nation. Relevant passenger use of Opal cards. According to the latest statistics, the last corridors listed are: TfNSW analysis of revenue loss in Newcastle revealed some $397,000 • The Outer Sydney Orbital, which may have rail on it; and in unpaid fares between July and December 2016. An average of 83% • The Western Rail Line. passengers paid in May 2016, which improved slightly to 85% in There is a feature article in this issue dealing with the subject in more detail. November. Newcastle was in the bottom three for passenger compliance, just ahead of Penrith and Wyong buses. There were comments that fare compliance staff had not been seen on buses for many years. TfNSW is looking for suppliers to build a digital platform that will give the state’s public transport users a consolidated From this month sections of Hunter Street will be closed for light rail access point to manage different transport services. The Customer Channel construction. Transformation Program, CCTP, is aimed at building a single sign-on or My Transport Identity capability to access several NSW Transport- Regional NSW related services via a single dashboard. The services could include Opal, Ettalong ferry wharf, on the Central Coast, was closed for just over a bike lockers, social media alerts, ticket bookings and others. According week in late June and early July so that Central Coast Council could to TfNSW the current platform is ‘complex and fragmented’ and has an undertake $240,000 worth of upgrade works. The project included alterations and additions to the existing Ferry OPPOSITE PAGE: Road wharf walkway as well as the installation of a new gangway and Top: Mat Barber supplied this photograph from 21 June pontoon. Council also undertook emergency dredging in the Ettalong channel after the State Government provided $150,000 for the work. 2009 of Sydney based ’s m/o 007, a MAN 10.155 with PMCA body, which suffered a The Palm Beach Ferries welcomed the dredging work and wharf major mechanical fault in November 2016, followed by a upgrade, but called for broader long-term solutions for the waterway, saying that the dredging will only last for a short time. decision to scrap the bus for parts. The registration was re-used for a new Scania K310 which was delivered as Sydney m/o 6681 and then became m/o 007 just after delivery. A new approach to ensuring that Sydney’s rapid housing growth is The photograph shows the old m/o 007 at Ormonde matched by infrastructure construction has been announced by the Parade Hurstville on a Route 954 service to Hurstville Greater Sydney Commission. In recognition of concerns that the pace of housing development has not been complemented by other services, Grove. the commission will establish ‘Growth Infrastructure Compacts’ as BOTTOM: From early August further double deck buses mechanisms for government agencies to stage and implement what is entered service in Sydney, firstly on Route M92 from needed in different areas. The first compact is being trialled around to Sutherland with Transdev and then on the Greater Parramatta and Olympic Park area, but about five or six Route T80 from Liverpool to Parramatta with Transit other areas across Sydney are likely to be identified for compacts Systems. On 11 August Vic Solomons photographed over the next two years. Sarah Hill, the CEO of the Greater Sydney Transdev m/o 6712, a Bustech CDI as it turned under the Commission, an organisation set up last year to take the lead on planning and development across Sydney, said the concept of Growth railway bridge into Argyle Street Parramatta at the end Infrastructure Compacts was one of a number of ‘game-changers’ her of the long journey from Sutherland and . The organisation had been asked to develop. The commission, however, faces other bus is possibly 1296, a Transit Systems B7RLE with a multiple pressures in implementing the new model. Amid record housing Custom Coach CB80 body. approval and construction numbers in Sydney, the NSW Government 273 274 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile is also establishing a growing number of ‘priority precincts’ where it The pontoons and ramps are wide and uncluttered, allowing easy direct thinks significant rezoning and higher density can occur. Recently the egress to the pedestrian concourse at Barangaroo South, without being Government has announced priority precincts at Westmead, Schofields, impinged upon by meal rooms or food outlets. A feature not readily Leppington and Riverwood, in addition to others already announced, obvious is the facility to insert temporary queuing barriers when such as Arncliffe, Epping, Canterbury and Ingleside. required, which will allow staff to maintain separation of boarding Under the proposed model the Greater Sydney Commission and and disembarking passengers at busy times. other agencies would develop 10, 20 and 40-year visions for an area Ferry blogger Rob Sandell has made some pertinent comments regarding considered for a compact. The analysis would also model how that the types of ferries required in the Sydney fleet, with the comments growth would be staged, and what infrastructure and open space was following a brave effort by a group based in Mosman to save a ‘Lady’ needed to complement it. The scenarios would then be evaluated by in operational condition. Rob points out that in an ideal world, the most the Government’s infrastructure delivery committee. If endorsed, the efficient ferry operation would have one class of vessel. This minimises compact would provide the basis for spending decisions across agencies. maintenance costs, the crew only need skills currency for one type of The transport shops at Wynyard, and Railway vessel and controllers have maximum flexibility in allocating boats Square closed permanently after the end of business on 30 June. across rosters. But the world of is not an ideal one and it is not sensible or possible to use the same vessel class in all of Opal the various marine environments. Sydney’s waterways have diverse Passengers travelling between Manly and on a Sydney characteristics with four different sets of performance requirements: Ferry are able to use their MasterCard at the Opal gate to tap on in a • The ferry to Manly can be subject to big swells when passing Sydney trial that commenced on 7 July. This means that readers for Heads and difficult surge conditions at the Manly terminal; the F1 service will now also accept credit and debit cards, or a mobile • The runs to Watsons Bay and Rose Bay are long and best suited to a device linked to one of these accounts. The cost of a journey using high speed ferry and passenger journey time expectations have been will be the same as an Adult Opal single trip ticket raised by the SuperCats; and is initially only available for those with a MasterCard, with other • Inner Harbour routes such as Neutral Bay, Mosman and Darling providers set to join over the next year. An Opal single trip ticket is Harbour cover short distances, but with multiple stops and speed more expensive than the fare charged on an Opal card and users of a restrictions where slower but highly manoeuvrable and fast loading MasterCard will lose the benefit of any transfer discount. vessels are needed; and Sydney buses • Parramatta River runs need shallow draught and low superstructures There was an announcement on 5 July of the provision of $49m to allow ferries to pass under bridges. for more than 120 new buses, extra routes and many services as a So the best option would be to standardise the fleet into four vessel substitution for rail services from Epping to Chatswood while the rail classes. Including the ‘Lady’ boats and the newly acquired, but not then line is converted to Metro standard from late 2018. There will be a total in regular service, ‘Heritage’ class, there are currently seven, with all of seven temporary bus routes, including a dedicated shuttle service the inefficiencies inherent with a hotch potch. On top of this there are to . The contract for the extra services is worth a variety of charter vessels which are used to fill gaps in the rosters as $35.4m and has been awarded to CDC and Transdev. needed. (Technically there are at least nine vessel classes because the A report has advised that the Parramatta Road Guided Electric Transit ‘Lady Herron’ and ‘Lady Northcott’ are very different from each other System, GETS, is an Inner West Council response to TfNSW’s latest and the youngest Manly ferry, ‘Collaroy’ has many technical features effort on Parramatta Road which recommended a kerbside BRT between which separate it from the rest of the ‘Freshwaters’.) the City and Burwood or Strathfield. A planned LRT was apparently Assuming the ‘Heritage’ class is the new standard for the Inner Harbour, rejected because of the many pinch points caused by wide LRT vehicles. it does make sense for the ‘Lady’ class to be withdrawn. Within 10 or GETS would be narrower. A Parramatta Road transit improvement 15 years it will also be time to farewell the ‘First Fleet’ Class, so then was a condition of approval for the WestConnex motorway. The there will be just one class of vessel operating in the Inner Harbour, council believes some kind of improvement needs to be implemented all with similar performance in speed over water, loading speed, immediately WestConnex Stage 3 opens, before traffic on Parramatta manoeuvrability and ability to run to schedule. There are those who Road builds up again. point to the unique features of the ‘Lady’ boats. They have a greater Twelve double deck buses are to be introduced on Routes T80 and M92, passenger capacity than either the ‘First Fleeters’ or the ‘Heritage’ with six on each route. These are probably being delivered with the class . ‘Northcott’ can carry 800 and ‘Herron’ 550, while the new boats 38 vehicles for the B Line mentioned below. The 12 may be in service carry 400. But there is a solution to this, which is more agreeable to when this is published. passengers according to Rob. Passengers would surely prefer a 400 Northern Beaches B Line capacity ferry operating at 15 minute intervals to Taronga Zoo than one By mid-July the 38 double deck buses to operate the service had started carrying 800 passengers that runs twice an hour. For 95% of Zoo runs, to arrive. The bright yellow buses are being assembled and test driven a capacity of 400 is adequate when operating at 30 minute headways, in Malaysia. They are designed by Gemilang Australia, while the MAN so the operators could slot in extra boats for the times when demand A95 chassis is manufactured in Germany and assembled in Malaysia. requires more capacity. One of the major limitations of the ‘Ladies’ The buses will carry 85 seated and 15 standing passengers. is their unsuitability for use at wharves requiring tight manoeuvring. They have been restricted to the Taronga Zoo and Mosman routes, with Sydney ferries capability for Manly runs, which the ‘Heritage’ class vessels can also On 26 June the new ferry terminal at Barangaroo was opened and King do, or special event services to Cockatoo Island. Street wharf closed as a Sydney ferries terminal. At the same time there was an announcement of a further increase in Parramatta River services Sydney light rail from October. After the opening ‘Fred Hollows’ made an official first In the last issue we mentioned that Sydney is operating on two different trip for the new vessels, apparently called the ‘Emerald’ class, but it light rail standards, which perhaps deserves some explanation. The became obvious in the following weeks that the vessels had not been IWLR was built as a one off line well before there seemed to be accepted into service. The new wharf appears to be vastly superior to any need for a standard and, as a result, because it was going onto a either the or Circular Quay for crowd management. former railway, simply fell back to a railway type set of standards. By the time of the decision to build the second line was made, someone OPPOSITE PAGE: seems to have discovered this lack of standards and decided to import In early August there was an announcement of a basically European set, possibly from Alstom. Unfortunately this changes to train service routings to commence with means that Sydney has two nearly incompatible lines. The Alstom the forthcoming new timetable. TfNSW supplied this cars going for maintenance at Lilyfield will probably have to transfer diagram of the new routes. at night, very slowly. 275 Transit Newsfile

On 7 August Vic Solomons photographed new tram track in George Street at Park Street, Sydney, outside the Queen Victoria Building. This gives an impression of how the power contact rail in the APS system is fitted.

This view of the completed track was taken in George Street near Grosvenor Street on 11 August by Tony Bailey. At this stage the restoration of the road was not complete.

276 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile

CBD&SELR • Excavation and civil works for six stations at Crows Nest, North During June one of the Alstom trams was put through testing in France Sydney, Barangaroo, , Pitt Street and Waterloo; and at the Alstom test facility, which saw the Citadis X05 operate along a • Four double-shield, hard rock, gripper type TBMs and one 750 metre test track and reach speeds of 70 km/h. specialised TBM for tunnelling under Sydney Harbour. From 7 July Alfred Street between Loftus and George Streets, and Loftus Following community consultation, crushed rock will be removed Street between Reiby Place and Alfred Street were closed for light rail by barges for the excavation work that takes place at Blues Point, construction. At the location of the Circular Quay terminus, most of Barangaroo and under Sydney Harbour. Once the tunnelling contract Alfred Street will eventually be transformed into a leafy, traffic-free is complete in 2021, work will continue along the 30 km length of pedestrian boulevard. the project to lay tracks, fit out stations and alter the existing line At the Randwick stabling facility the entrance is a double track level from Sydenham to Bankstown. TfNSW conducted geotechnical work crossing over Alison Road about 100 m west of where the Randwick under Sydney Harbour to help determine the best way to construct the branch of the tramway crosses the same road. At the entrance to the tunnels, taking rock and soil samples from more than 50 boreholes. depot is a Scissors Crossover where the left hand track leads into a long These geotechnical works confirmed a specialised TBM is required building which could be an inspection shed. The other track appears to tunnel through a combination of sandstone, clay and sediments to junction with one track going into the shorter building, which could between North Sydney and Barangaroo. Because of the scale of the be a wash plant, and the other goes to the back of the site where there project, the final tunnelling contract value may vary with fine-tuning appears to be a reversing movement required to enter the storage area and optimisation involving the six other major contracts, for which itself. Overnight on 11 July a tram was delivered onto one of the entry tenders have yet to be received. tracks, with another not expected until this month. Two planning modifications have been lodged with the Department of Premier on 17 July visited what will be the first Planning and Environment for assessment for the following changes completed platform at Wansey Road, Randwick, at the same time to the Project: announcing that eight kilometres of track, or one-third, had been laid. • Sydenham Station and Trains Facility South: to allow work to start sooner on this major part of the Project; and • Martin Place: to facilitate the fully integrated station and over station In a document sent to the Commonwealth to demonstrate that the development solution proposed by the Macquarie Group Limited, if project will not affect items of national environmental significance, their unsolicited proposal to the NSW Government is successful. Parramatta Light Rail has stated that the line will operate daily from 0500 to 0100 the next morning, or 2500 as some timetable software It is further reported that at the northern entrance to Victoria Cross call it. The line will operate an all day peak from 0700 to 1900. This Station the only entry method will be four 27 passenger lifts. Patronage apparently gives a 7.5 minute headway on the line all day. There will at the station is forecast to reach 42,100 a day by 2026, and 45,500 by also be extra services during major events, such as sporting events at 2036, which TfNSW says supports the case for a second entrance on Western Sydney Stadium. Construction is expected to begin in June McLaren Street for Victoria Cross. Based on the forecast patronage, 2018, with completion in June 2023. A TfNSW spokesman said an a TfNSW report on the proposed changes predicts a maximum queue EIS will be published later this year. There have already been media for the lifts of 20 people and wait time of 21 seconds when all four are reports that the emergence of the Sydney West Metro has resulted in in operation. If a lift is out of service, it forecasts a maximum wait of the proposed second stage of the light rail line being terminated at 48 seconds. Almost one-fifth of the people passing through Victoria rather than Strathfield Station. Cross are expected to use the lifts at the northern entrance to get to the station’s platforms about 31 m below the surface. The main entrance, via a pedestrian plaza to Miller, Denison and Berry Streets will have Sydney Trains has been experimenting with new electronic equipment to the station below. that detects graffiti vandals in the act, called Operation Mousetrap, which uses the on train CCTV and its connection to the control centre. An In late June consultation began on the project. Sydney Metro West will ‘electronic nose’ sensor is installed in each carriage and reacts when it provide a direct connection between the CBDs of Parramatta and Sydney detects fumes from known paints or marker pens used by vandals. Once and will work with the existing T1 Western Line, effectively doubling detected, an alarm is triggered in the command centre and the cameras rail capacity from Parramatta to the CBD, and linking communities record the vandalism as it happens. Meanwhile, any security/police in along the way. The final number of stations and the alignment of the the area can be alerted to the specific train and carriage number so they line will be finalised through community and industry consultation. can move in to make an arrest. If the vandal finishes before they arrive, Four key precincts to be serviced have been identified as: there is still video footage available. According to Howard Collins, • Parramatta, where the number of jobs is expected to double over the CEO of Sydney Trains, ‘We’ve had over 70 instances of this kit being next 20 years to 100,000; triggered. We’ve had 50 people being charged with offences. And as • Sydney Olympic Park, which will be home to 34,000 jobs and more we roll it out now to other trains it’s proving even more successful.’ than 23,000 residents by 2030; Edgecliff Station has received an Opal activated bike shed with space • The , Sydney’s new innovation hub where 95 hectares for 50 bicycles. of land is being regenerated; and A large number of weekend service changes have been announced for • The Sydney CBD, allowing access to the existing public transport the forthcoming timetable change. Transport Minister Andrew Constance network and Stages 1 and 2 of Sydney Metro. said the changes reflect a 68% increase in weekend demand between The project is expected to be built largely underground and be operational 2013 and 2016, and also reflect more accurate counting resulting in the second half of the next decade. from the introduction of the Opal card. Changes include reintroduced weekend services on the and increased services on the Western and Northern lines. Mr Constance stated that 14m car trips From 1 July all Australian seniors and pensioners over the are made in Sydney each weekend, saying frustrated motorists were age of 60 are able to travel at no charge on public buses increasingly opting for public transport. across the Northern Territory upon production of their entitlement card. Sydney Metro City & Southwest Darwin buses There was an announcement on 22 June that the $2.81b tunnelling The trial of a driverless bus ferrying passengers around Darwin’s contract for the Chatswood to Sydenham section had been awarded to waterfront has moved into its second phase, with a driver still on the John Holland CPB Contractors Ghella Joint Venture, with the first board. In January the bus began transporting passengers between of five TBMs to be in the ground by the end of next year. popular tourist areas in the Darwin Waterfront and Stokes Hill Wharf. The Sydney Metro City & Southwest tunnelling contract involves: Darwin Waterfront Corporation say that more than 3,500 passengers • Twin 15.5 km tunnels from Chatswood to Sydenham; rode in the first six months. Every journey to date has been under the 277 Transit Newsfile

In Newcastle by 16 August service relocation work for the tramway was underway at Hunter Street at Civic enabling John Beckhaus to take this photograph. On the same day John also photographed Keolis Downer Newcastle Transport 1423, a Volvo B12BLE Euro 3 with a Custom Coach CB60 body, in Hunter Street bound for Warners Bay. The only sign of the change of operator was the new logo on the front of the bus and a change to the name of the registered owner under the driver’s window.

278 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile watchful eye of a human operator monitoring, recording and reassuring card/paper ticket data and do not include passengers transferring from anxious passengers. The ‘revolutionary’ part of the trial, driving on a connecting bus service who purchased a paper ticket from another open public roads, is now finished and the bus is now learning to operator. Bus patronage initially fell when light rail was launched navigate pedestrian areas. between Gold Coast University Hospital and Broadbeach and buses were redistributed from the busy coastal spine to allow higher frequency Queensland east-west integrated routes to be established. These have created an Brisbane buses increasingly connected and convenient network as evidenced by the The Queen Street bus station is 29 years old and is receiving patronage growth in 2015-16. There is a misconception that light rail is an upgrade to improve it for passengers. This will include: only used by tourists. While each year approximately 1.5m passenger • Improved environment and waiting facilities; and trips are made from the heart of Surfers Paradise via the Cavill Avenue • Upgraded accessibility. station alone, passenger surveys have shown that 76% of users are local residents. Work commenced on 26 May, with completion due early next year. 2018 Commonwealth Games It was noted in early July that the QEII Stadium bus station and part By the end of June it seemed that all of the stations between Beenleigh of the commuter carpark have been demolished to make way for the and the Gold Coast were being renovated, presumably for the construction of the State Netball Stadium. Commonwealth Games. A trial of a shared-ride form of public transport or Demand Responsive At the same time the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games partners Transport, DRT, is to commence in Logan City this month, co-ordinated released the plans for transport operations for the event. The Transport by TransLink. According to TransLink, DRT is a pre-booked, shared Operations, TOP, outlines the best way for spectators and the workforce, transport service that provides an alternative to personalised services volunteers, athletes, officials and media to get to venues. The TOP such as taxis or ride-share services like Uber, in suburbs where other details improvements to the transport and road networks to support public transport is not available. DRT eligible passengers will be able the Games, including park ‘n’ ride sites, Games shuttle buses and to call or go online and book a ride to get them to an appointment or additional rail services. All 18 trams of the expanded fleet are to be to a transport hub for the same price as a TransLink fare. in service over the Games period, operating at six minute headways. Throughout late June and July there was continuous industrial action by BT drivers over conditions, mainly consisting of strikes and refusal Gold Coast light rail to collect fares. The Gold Coast City Budget, presented on 19 June, included funding of $20m towards the completion of the Light Rail extension to Helensvale Brisbane trains and $5m for planning of the Light Rail extension to Burleigh Heads. There were major problems with train operation on the night of 28 June Extension to the Gold Coast Railway when at about 1715 all trains lost communication with the control centre, and trains were stopped in stations. By about 1900 communications By the end of June the overhead was being erected over the light rail had been re-established using mobile telephones, except in the city extension at Helensvale. tunnels where trains had to be moved one at a time. It was not known Toowoomba why trains could not operate by observation of the signals. On 18 June TransLink introduced a new bus network in Toowoomba. QR is to recruit additional station staff to assist mobility-impaired Consultation on this was completed in mid-2016, with feedback being passengers using the NGR trains in a move to get the 15 sets already received from more than 1,490 people. The new network includes received into traffic before the end of the year. It was stated that QR eight routes with more than 1,150 services per week, as well as more is working ‘closely’ with the Bombardier-led Qtectic consortium and frequent trips, longer operating hours, plus the introduction of Sunday other stakeholders including the Department of Transport & Main Roads services on main routes. ‘to address design issues with the new fleet’. The braking problems which saw deliveries suspended earlier this year are reported to have South Australia been solved. ‘While this work is underway, it is important that we Adelaide buses continue to prepare our network so that they enter service seamlessly The first Australian designed, engineered and manufactured this year’, QR stated. QR plans to put the first units into service on electric bus to be used on a public transport system in the Airport and Gold Coast lines, to provide additional capacity during Australia has been launched in South Australia. The bus, one of two the Commonwealth Games. The provision of boarding assistance at electric buses and two low carbon emission diesel buses to be built by stations has been an issue. Because the older EMUs operate as pairs of Precision Buses with the support of a $2m Northern Economic Plan three-car sets with the guard in the centre, QR has established ‘assisted grant, will be used as part of a citywide trial on Adelaide’s public boarding points’ at the centre of each platform, but on the six-car NGR transport network. Fifty additional buses are currently being built sets the guard will be travelling at the rear. The assisted boarding point with buses to be sent to New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. will remain in the middle of the platform, with station staff providing assistance rather than the guard. QR has therefore committed to staff the Adelaide trains stations on the Gold Coast and Airport lines ‘from first service to last’, The SA Government has announced that it has provided more than $22m requiring the recruitment of an extra 21 customer service employees to over the next four years to increase train services during evenings, join the current team of 650. As well as being able to provide increased weekends and major event periods. The additional services will run assistance to passengers, this change will also mean ticket windows on the Gawler, Outer Harbor, Belair, Tonsley and Seaford lines. Once and toilets will be open for significantly longer periods. the $85.5m extension of the Tonsley line to Flinders Medical Centre is completed, peak-hour services on this line will increase to 20 minute Gold Coast headways. New timetables will be released later this year and the Overall public transport use on the Gold Coast has increased more than changes will include Gawler, Outer Harbor, Seaford and Tonsley, and 32.4% in the two years following the introduction of light rail. G:link Belair lines running to 30 minute headways instead of 60 minutes on has recorded 21m passenger trips in under three years. TransLink weeknights. figures show 21.8m combined bus and tram trips in 2015-16. Prior to the introduction of the light rail network the total number of journeys Rail patronage has increased from 10.7m trips in 2009-10 to 14.1m in in 2013-2014 was 16.5m. In 2015-16, the light rail carried 7.68m 2015-16, a rise of more than 32%. passengers and that figure is estimated to have increased to 8.03m in There has also been an announcement that work is to start next year on 2016-17 and is expected to grow to 8.72 million in the coming year. a branch into Port Adelaide with a station to be built in Baker Street, Light rail carried an average of 640,000 passengers a month in the 2015- close to the Dock One residential precinct. The previous service into 16 financial year, well above the city’s population on census night of Port Adelaide was discontinued in 1981, and Port Dock Station was 555,721. These patronage figures are only based on G:link specific go demolished in 1989, with a police station and courts now on the site. 279 Transit Newsfile

The new station will be served by a one kilometre double track branch service will operate for a six month trial period while arrangements off the Outer Harbor line at Grange Road. The branch is intended to for a permanent service are finalised. serve growing numbers of office workers, residents and tourists. Some commentators have suggested that the railway may be a replacement Melbourne buses for the previously announced tram service and that it may also require The trial of Victoria’s first autonomous buses at La Trobe University will an increase in the number of services from Adelaide so as not to reduce have 15 person buses running between a public transport interchange services to Outer Harbor. and the centre of the campus. The initial stages of the trial will be in areas without traffic, and include an attendant ready to take control On 10 July the SA Government called an EOI for Stage 1 of the of the bus if needed. If successful and demand is strong, then further electrification of the Gawler line, with the intention of commencing trials will have an unstaffed bus self-driving to pick up students and early works between Adelaide and Salisbury by the end of the year. take them to different locations on campus. The La Trobe University The $152.5m first stage is being funded by the SA Government. The trial is a collaboration between academics, Keolis Downer, HMI EOI closed on 1 August. Continuation of the project to Gawler is Technologies, the RACV and the Australian Road Research Group, and dependent upon Commonwealth funding. The Gawler electrification has been part-funded by a $375,000 VicRoads grant from the Smarter works will include: Journeys Program. The electrically powered HMI shuttles in the trial • Installation of the overhead wiring system including some of the use state-of-the-art sensors and GPS systems to navigate. masts and gantries; • Installation of a new signalling system; PTV tested digital passenger information on five buses on Routes 477, • Installation of an Automatic Train Protection system; 478, 479, 482, 484 and 543 from 26 June until 24 July. The test measured • Installation of a new fibre optic communications system cable; and the accuracy and consistency of the information and identified whether • Service relocations, vegetation trimming and removal and other additional development needs to be undertaken. For the purpose of the works necessary to enable the electrification to proceed test, on board screens displayed a map with the bus location and the next three stops and included audio providing next stop information. Significant works have already been undertaken, including the installation of nearly 300 masts and rail track modification works necessary for Melbourne ferries electrification. An upgrade of Salisbury station is currently underway Searoad Ferries, trading as Western Port Ferries, has been awarded the which will include the installation of ticket validation gates, new ticket contract to run the Western Port Ferry Service between French Island, machines, improved CCTV and lighting, and extra accessible parking. Phillip Island and Stony Point. The new contract will increase the number of services by more than 30%, including a new daily service directly Adelaide trams from Stony Point to Phillip Island. The additional services will start this There is ongoing geotechnical and service location work in North month and coincide with the introduction of a new vessel, which has Terrace for the tram extension from mid-July until the end of this month. capacity for 95 passengers and better luggage storage. Searoad Ferries also run the car ferry service between Queenscliff and Sorrento. They Tasmania have been contracted to run the service for five years from 1 July. The Hobart ferries Western Port Ferry Service currently carries around 32,000 passengers Usage of the River Derwent for the operation of commuter a year, with that number expected to rise under the new operator. ferries is one of the many suggestions being proposed to reduce Hobart’s ever growing traffic congestion following a meeting in Hobart in early Melbourne trains July. Apart from State and Local Government politicians the meeting Metro Trains has warned the Government that three of Melbourne’s rail was attended by transport planners and engineers, such as Matthew lines have breached capacity at peak hour, with three others to follow Brooks of GHD Engineering and Dr James McIntosh, lobbyist Ben within the next two years. The three lines are the Sunbury, Craigieburn Johnston of the Northern Suburbs Light Rail group, Incat Chairman, and Upfield lines, with the next three to be the Cranbourne, Pakenham Robert Clifford, one of Australia’s main shipbuilders and Michael and Werribee lines. Metro has proposed bypassing the more Roche, Director of Navigators, a Hobart ferry operator and Megan often in the peak and running trains direct to Flinders Street and Southern Morse, Acting CEO of Metro, the major bus operator in Hobart. Cross, to gain more capacity on the network. Metro says the problem is most urgent on the ‘northern group’ of lines that service Melbourne’s Victoria booming north-west suburbs. The Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines share one of the City Loop’s four tunnels. The Government’s solution to the issue is the , which is to open in 2026, Ballarat Line improvements but Metro has said ‘there is an urgent need to develop a solution for On 4 July there was an announcement that a consortium of Lendlease, the Northern Group to ensure that there is sufficient capacity on this Coleman Rail and SMEC is the preferred bidder for the work on the group until the commissioning of Metro Tunnel in 2026.’ The warning Ballarat line. The upgrade will duplicate 18 km of track between is contained in Metro’s 2016 Strategic Operational Plan, which was Deer Park West and Melton, paving the way for future electrification leaked to the media. The plan reveals Metro has set an internal target to Melton. The project will also construct extra passing loops, new to run 95% of trains on time by 2026, the same year the Metro Tunnel train stabling, upgraded stations, more car parking, and relocation of opens. But it has also warned the Government that Melbourne’s rail stabling from Bacchus Marsh to Maddingley. A final proposal will now network needs significant investment to fix problems, such as peak be developed, with a contract due to be awarded later this year. Major hour congestion in the City Loop, and ageing trains and signals. Metro construction is expected to start early next year. also expects the Cranbourne/Pakenham line to overflow next year, for Since February, more than 200 site investigations have been conducted the same reason; a lack of capacity in the City Loop. This is in part and nearly 90 boreholes have been dug to understand ground conditions because the Government continues to run peak-hour Frankston trains along the corridor, and inform design and construction of the project. through the Loop, Metro said. It has proposed running more Cranbourne/ Geelong Pakenham trains direct to Flinders Street as an interim solution. It also said the Werribee line will be ‘at capacity by 2019 once the additional On 7 July the Murrell Group ceased operating their Geelong Station paths provided by the Project have been used’. The to Avalon Airport Shuttle and SkyBus temporarily took over the route $11b Metro Tunnel will remove the Cranbourne/Pakenham lines and with lower fares. SkyBus also reached an agreement with Geelong the Sunbury line from the City Loop, and release capacity for more Taxi Network to provide a pick-up and drop-off service throughout trains to run on other lines. But given it is not scheduled to open for Geelong, the Bellarine, and Surf Coast. The Geelong region SkyBus another nine years, Metro has urged the Government to commit to OPPOSITE PAGE: a series of smaller investments to help it keep pace with passenger This PTV shows the extent of major construction work growth. These include removing rail bottlenecks such as junctions and around Melbourne in the school holidays in early July. single-track sections. 280 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile

281 Transit Newsfile

David Whiteford photographed TransPerth’s BEA 4107 as it led a six car set into West Leederville Platform 2 having run an express football shuttle from Perth on 16 July. TransPerth had many staff on duty for crowd control and to ensure everyone disembarked terminating trains. The mustard and white sculpture to the right is one of a matching pair on either platform; actually they are the footing remains of the station’s wooden footbridge.

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On the afternoon of 13 July Metro’s train control centre failed at 1600, wider platforms, more natural light and sweeping arches. There will be with no indication of what caused the system failure. Immediately all revitalised open space above ground at all five stations, and additional trains were halted where they were while staff identified the problem entrances to reduce crowding on major streets in the CBD, including and got the system back online, which took well over an hour. Some two entrances at City Square, and at Swanston Street, Flinders Street, media reports suggested that Metro had ruled out hackers as the cause , Franklin Street and La Trobe Street. In Parkville, of the system failure. The Metro Trains investigation was launched a new entrance will be built on the doorstep of the Royal Melbourne immediately and engineers worked through the night. Metro said that Hospital, giving those going there better access to the Hospital. the systems have multiple protections and redundancies in place and Walkways at Flinders Street and Melbourne Central stations will be the investigation was looking at why these did not keep the network put underground, allowing passengers to change easily between the running. In November last year, Victoria’s Auditor General concluded Metro Tunnel stations and the City Loop. This will include the existing in a report that there were ‘significant weaknesses’ in the security of Degraves Street subway. Metro’s and V/Line’s control systems, not helped by ‘inadequate’ Domain Station will feature a floating timber canopy and sit below governance by PTV. The Auditor General found that there was a lack the new tram interchange on St Kilda Road, helping ease pressure on of understanding between PTV and train operators about ownership, the busy tram corridor. roles, and responsibilities; no strategic direction to develop minimum Two days later there was a further announcement of the installation of security requirements for control systems; inadequate risk and compliance High Capacity Signalling, HCS, in the tunnel. The contract was signed management processes; and limited progress in addressing the findings with an alliance of CPB Contractors and Bombardier Transportation, of its 2010 audit. He warned that potential cyber attacks could shut called Rail Systems Alliance, for the $1b contract, which includes the down services for extended periods of time, inflicting economic harm first installation of HCS and the matching communications system on on the state. an existing rail network in Australia. It was stated that HCS allows Projects trains to safely run closer together, meaning they can run more often. Caulfield to Dandenong The technology will enable trains every two to three minutes, creating a On the night of 17 July the first beam was placed over Corrigan Road, true ‘turn-up-and-go’ train network for Melbourne. The signalling will Noble Park. This was the first beam placed across a road on the Caulfield operate the 65 high-capacity trains currently being built, which will run to Dandenong Project. on the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham line via the Metro Tunnel. Dedicated control centres will be built in Dandenong and Sunshine Kororoit Creek Road to support the new technology and monitor trains. (If any reader can An investigation has begun into the feasibility of duplicating the Altona compare this with the Alstom Urbalis CBTC system being installed on loop, which deviates from the Werribee line in Newport and rejoins it the Sydney Metro, the Editor would be grateful). on the approach to Laverton, about 7.5 km west. The Government has commissioned Aurecon to complete the study. The study will investigate Additionally an EOI opened in that week for the final major works options for increasing service frequency on the line, but comes with no package for the Metro Tunnel, the Rail Infrastructure Alliance. The $1b guarantee the Government will commit to any of its recommendations. contract will be to design and construct the eastern tunnel entrance in What the government has committed to is duplicating 800 m of track South Yarra, the western tunnel entrance in Kensington and associated between the junction and Kororoit Creek next year as part of the removal works across the Sunbury to Cranbourne-Pakenham corridor, including of the Kororoit Creek Road level crossing. Last month it replaced the upgrading track power and conventional signalling. off-peak Altona Loop shuttle with direct trains to and from Flinders Melbourne trams Street Station. The August timetable change reversed a change made In June YT delivered 98.65% of services, with 83.94% of these arriving in 2011, which cut Altona Loop services so more trains could run on on time. Both service delivery and punctuality improved on May, with the Werribee line. What Aurecon is believed to be investigating beyond punctuality improving by 4.2%. Additional services were operated for those improvements is for the line to be duplicated as far as Seaholme, a number of special events including concerts and AFL, hockey, rugby the first of three stations in the heart of bayside Altona. This would union, and soccer matches. Students from RMIT and enable Metro to run more than three trains an hour and reduce the Victoria University travelling to the Showgrounds for exams also had practice of bypassing the loop to make up time. additional services provided. Trams share the city’s roads and traffic Melbourne Metro congestion is the leading factor affecting tram performance, which is There was an announcement on 16 July that Cross Yarra Partnership, why YT continues to work closely with on-road partners including CYP, a consortium led by Lendlease Engineering, John Holland, VicRoads to find ways to make journey times more reliable. YT manages Bouygues Construction and Capella Capital, has been selected to build the network in real-time to adjust to the road conditions. the Metro Tunnel and the five underground stations. The new section of track in Toorak Road opened on 12 July. It seems The five stations will each have separate identities and will include that the first tram to use the track was B2 2058 on the night of 11 July, while the first in-service tram, on Route 6 to Moreland, was D2 5005, OPPOSITE PAGE: at about 0530. About ten minutes later, the first in-service Route 58 to On the same day David photographed two empty six West Coburg was D1 3530. About the same time, B2 2049 arrived on car ‘B’ sets as they passed at the Haydn Bunton Drive Route 67 from Carnegie bound for the University. overbridge near Subiaco’s Domain Stadium as crowds Tram fleet made their way to the stadium’s final western derby Not all of the details published in the July issue regarding Kew depot AFL match between Fremantle Dockers and West Coast taking over from Glen Huntly of Route 78 were correct, so the correct Eagles. The Dockers’ purple predominated in the information plus some extra follows. The actual takeover was on 1 May, crowd as it was a Dockers home game. The set closest not 30 April, this was so that all timetables changed on the same day, 1 to the photographer was running empty from Daglish May. Also seven A1 class were moved from Glen Huntly to Southbank turnback to Perth while the other set had disgorged its and seven A2 class were moved to Kew, so that it still has only A2 passengers at West Leederville, just around the corner in class trams. Glen Huntly still has some A1 class trams. the background, and was heading for the turnback. Such 30 April was the last day that Route 78 was operated by Glen Huntly events are usually the only time ‘B’ sets are seen on the Depot and the last operation of Z3 class trams on the route. The last Fremantle line as they are usually used on Mandurah – Glen Huntly tram on the route was A1 class tram 257 on GH 57 run at 2410 from North Richmond early on 1 May. Thus ended Glen Huntly Perth – Butler services. The 2018 matches will be held at Depot’s 52 years of operation along Chapel Street. Glen Huntly took over the new stadium being built on Burswood peninsula on the now discontinued Route 77 Prahran-Princes Bridge from Hawthorn the Armadale railway. Depot on 14 February 1965. Route 77 ceased on 2 November 1986. 283 Transit Newsfile

On 1 May Kew resumed Route 78 North Richmond – Balaclava via 54,000 segments for the 9,000 lining rings was in full production at Prahran after an absence of 22 years and 29 days. The first service tram a pre-cast factory established in a local warehouse. The contract also to run out of Kew on Route 78 was A2 269 on K71 run that departed includes excavation of 12 cross passages, three emergency exit shafts Kew depot at 0441. Kew Depot had originally taken over Route 78 at depths of up to 20-26 m, a surface station at Forrestfield, and two along with now discontinued Route 79 on the closure of Hawthorn depot cut-and-cover stations, at Belmont and Perth Airport. It also includes on 14 February 1965. Kew then shared routes 78 and 79 with Glen connection of the new line with existing rail infrastructure at Bayswater Huntly from 30 October 1972. Glen Huntly took over full operation of Junction for connection via the Midland Line to the city. routes 78 and 79 from 2 April 1995. Route 79 ceased on 27 July 2014. The machines procured for the Forrestfield Link are the ninth and tenth The allocation of trams at Kew now numbers 57 with 21 A2 class trams VDMs manufactured following development of the technology for 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 268 269, 270, 274, 280, 282, 283, 284, 286, excavation of the highly karstic geology of the central section of Line 287, 288, 289, 292, 293, 296 and 300 along with 36 C class trams. 1 of the Klang Valley MRT in Malaysia. For the Forrestfield drives, Infrastructure work the PTA of WA specified dual mode VDM technology because of its There was track renewal at the St Georges Road and Miller Street ability to operate in two modes. The second VDM has now arrived in Junction at Preston from 29 July to 1 August. The work improved Perth, and is scheduled for launch this month. The twin 8 km drives several parts of the intersection including: are scheduled for breakthrough in April and June 2019. • Automatic track switches; • Removal of redundant track on the north west corner; and Western Pacific • Improved timing of T-lights at the junction. New Zealand Regional Victoria Associate Transport Minister Tim Macindoe has launched By late June the Victorian Government had been advised that it was the first product of a ‘Transport Outlook’ project, the successful in gaining a further $1.5b for regional services from the ‘Transport Outlook: Current State report’. The Transport Commonwealth. Outlook project aims to provide information, data, and analysis on New Zealand’s current and future transport system. There was an announcement on 4 July that real-time platform information Information included in the report ranges from public transport patronage is now available on the V/Line website and smartphone app. This gives in the main urban centres, freight volumes through ports, passenger passengers details about arrival and departure platforms at Southern numbers through airports, transport deaths and injuries, composition Cross Station about 30 minutes in advance. The feature is supported of the vehicle fleet, through to the use of different travel modes for by the real-time screens installed at 33 regional stations. work, education, and personal business. Some of the major statistics Western Australia highlighted in the report include: • New Zealanders spend on average just under one hour a day Perth buses travelling; The new Charles Street bus bridge and busway opened on • Two car households are now more common than single car 25 June, when more than 30 northern suburbs bus services households were altered to operate across it, saving up to six minutes on peak • In 2000/2001 there were 86m public transport trips and by June journey times. The $32.1m project included construction of a 120 m 2016 this had increased to 148m; bus only bridge over the Graham Farmer Freeway and the new Roe • The vehicle fleet has grown 44% since 2000; Street freeway off-ramp into Northbridge. Additionally, 500 m of new • Rail patronage in Auckland has grown by 67% in five years; bus lanes were created on Charles Street between Newcastle Street and • Only one third of young people have a driving licence, compared Janet Street in West Perth. Construction continued on a bus storage with nearly half in 1989; and facility off James Street in Northbridge and new accesses from the bus • Only 3% of 5-12 years olds use cycling as a mode of transport. bridge to this facility, both to be completed last month. About 16,000 passengers and 1,200 buses are using the bridge and busway each day. Auckland Patronage continued to show impressive growth in May, helped in part Perth trains by there being an extra working day compared to 2016 and many more The City of Wanneroo will seek Commonwealth funding for a rail project than the 17 in April 2017. Total patronage was 8.72m, an increase of through the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. The Rail Smart project 11.1%, while the trains carried 1.98m, an increase of 18.5%. Rail aims to use technology, innovation and data to improve efficiency, patronage reached a milestone of 19m in 12 months, up from 10 m connect real time data to decision-making, provide opportunities for just four years earlier. local business and attract investors to the region. The proposal is to use On 30 June the NZ Government and Auckland Council signed an technology to analyse public transport data gathered from passengers agreement establishing Limited, CRLL, to assume at Clarkson, Butler, Joondalup and Mandurah. The data and analysis responsibility for delivering Auckland’s City Rail Link transport. will be used to assist the design of future stations at Alkimos, Eglinton and Yanchep. If the funding application is successful, the program AT has announced a package of customer service and safety improvements will involve partnerships with the Planning and Transport Research under a Safety and Fare Enforcement, SaFE, project. This includes more Centre, ECU, UWA, Curtin University, the Department of Transport electronic gates and the testing of a new role of Transport Officer, created and Water Corporation. in response to legislation passed by Parliament in August. The electronic ticketing gates and the employment of an initial 18 Transport Officers Forrestfield-Airport Link are intended to improve safety while discouraging fare evasion. The The two tunnel boring machines for the line have been named and are new gates are intended to encourage everyone to pay, while making it being decorated with creative designs submitted by local schoolchildren. more equitable for those who already do. It is also intended to reduce More than 100 students entered a competition for the chance to be vandalism at stations. The new legislation is expected to provide a part of the project. The first TBM has been named Grace, and the Transport Officers with warranted powers to enforce fare payment; second Sandy. they will be able to issue infringement notices to fare evaders as well By mid-July final preparations were under way for the launch of the first as provide assistance to passengers. The Transport Officers will work of the 7 m diameter Herrenknecht variable density TBMs, or VDMs. initially on the Western line to test the new legislation and scope of the Following nine months of manufacture and testing at the Herrenknecht role. The use of Transport Officers will be extended across the network factory in China, the first machine arrived in WA, in May, and was and at least 120 could eventually be employed. transported to the Forrestfield site. Assembly for the launch has been In late July excavation work for the cut-and-cover rail tunnels under in the 260 m x 22 m wide transition ramp dive structure, construction Albert Street for the CRL began. Excavation started at the Wyndham of which began in October last year. A slurry treatment plant for the Street end and moved towards Customs Street. The CRL project team VDMs has been established at the launch site and fabrication of the 284 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 Transit Newsfile Industry and the Connectus joint venture contractors have provided viewing Choa Chu Kang Bus Interchange to New Bridge Road Bus Terminal. windows at the Wyndham Street pedestrian crossings. Excavation at the This was part of a three month trial by the Land Transport Authority, southern end, to a depth of 18m is expected to be complete next month LTA, to test the use of such buses to reduce dwell time. This trial and the northern end by the middle of next year. The tunnels will then came three months after Tower Transit introduced a three be constructed with a cast-concrete floor, walls and roof before the door double decker bus, on 13 March as part of a six month trial. The trench is backfilled. By spring 2019, this section of Albert Street will single deck vehicle can carry up to 90 passengers and one wheelchair, be reinstated with a new road surface, bus lanes, widened footpaths and but with only 24 seats rather than the previous 30 to 40. Designed by street furniture. Cut-and-cover construction is being used at each end land systems and speciality vehicle firm ST Kinetics, the bus has USB of the CRL tunnels, between Britomart Station and the future Aotea ports, ergonomic seats, digital information panels and LED exterior Station on Albert Street and, later, where it connects to the western line lighting. There is also a driver fatigue detection system that vibrates at Mt Eden. Between Aotea and Mt Eden Stations, the tunnels will be the driver’s seat to help prevent dozing off at the wheel by examining between 13m and 42m below ground and bored using a 7m diameter the speed of eyelid movement and facial expression of the driver. TBM. The first stage of the project, from Britomart to the Wyndham From 30 July visitors to Island have the option of taking a Street intersection with Albert Street, represents about 10% of the 3.4 public bus service to and from the island. Previously the island was km twin underground tunnels between Britomart and Mt Eden. only accessible by the Sentosa Express , cable car, taxis, Christchurch cars, coaches or by foot. Route 123 has been rerouted to terminate at Property developers, residents and the Tramway Historical Society Sentosa’s Beach Station bus terminal, providing a direct connection have called for tramway expansion. Developers with property interests from multiple points in the central region of mainland Singapore. The on lower High Street want the route extended through Poplar Lane to service calls at three stops within Sentosa: , the end of High Street where it meets Madras Street. City council staff Merlion Plaza and opposite Merlion Plaza and the fare is the standard have recently lodged a report on the extension and possible further Singapore distance-based fare. extension beyond High Street is also being considered. Council staff are confident that the timing of the extension could be aligned with nearby construction on High Street, which was damaged by the February Industry 2011 earthquake and has been closed since. Development is under way along the street itself and in surrounding areas. A research alliance to develop ‘on demand’ public transport solutions in Newcastle, using computer modelling and gamification Wellington (the application of game-design elements and game principles In mid-July Greater Wellington Regional Council signed contracts in non-game contexts) approaches, will eventually see the four with the new operators, Tranzit and Uzabus for nine bus routes across parties, University of NSW, Keolis, Keolis Downer and France’s the region. This will see the introduction of electric buses from July transport research institute IFSTTAR, market the applications next year in the form of 10 double-decker electric buses, followed by internationally. ‘This is the first time an operator and researchers another 10 in 2020 and a further 12 in July 2021. By mid-2018 it is have got together to optimise the design of a public transport planned that 80% of all buses will be new, the majority of complying service,’ said Ms Leila Frances, Chairman of Keolis Downer. In with the Euro6 emissions standards. The use of larger capacity vehicles December 2016 Keolis Downer won a $450m ten-year contract and more efficient scheduling will enable 400 buses to do the work of to operate Newcastle’s buses, ferries, interchanges and the light the current 500 strong fleet. Tranzit is hiring 380 drivers and ordering rail service. The research partnership will initially use computer 228 new buses. New timetables will also be introduced next July along modelling developed at UNSW’s Research Centre for Integrated with a single ticketing system and simplified fare structure. Transport Innovation, rCITI, and gamification approaches pioneered The closure date for the trolleybus system is the last day of next at IFSTTAR. On demand transport is an advanced, user-centred form month, 31 October. of public transport with flexible routing and scheduling of small to medium-sized vehicles operating in a shared-ride mode between South East Asia pick-up and drop-off locations according to a passenger’s needs. A relatively new concept, it is gaining ground as a way to service Indonesia low-density areas. Dr David Rey, a lecturer in UNSW’s School of Jakarta Civil and Environmental Engineering, will lead the first project: The tunnel project on the High Speed Railway linking Jakarta to Bandung creating algorithms, based on patronage and travel data to model was officially launched on 15 July in Walini in Bandung Regency. The bus routes in lower-patronage areas to improve response times Jakarta-Bandung HSR project contract was signed in Jakarta in early and patronage. ‘Routing, with fixed schedules, is well researched, April between a consortium of Chinese and Indonesian firms. The 142 but buses don’t know exactly how many people are waiting at a km railway project is expected to shorten the travel time between the stop, or where will passengers disembark,’ said Dr Rey. ‘We’d like two cities from three hours to 40 minutes. to explore schedules with more dynamic demand options, by first modelling the uptake of various combinations of bus trajectories, Malaysia and see if introducing or skipping stops at particular times might Kuala Lumpur boost patronage and create a better service where and when it’s needed most.’ The Newcastle data will give researchers a theoretical Phase two of the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang, SBK, line opened on model of an efficient ‘on demand’ transport service that can then 17 July. be considered in areas that have similar characteristics, in order Work is currently underway on MRT’s second line, the Sungai Buloh- to better integrate passenger needs into a multimodal network. Serdang-Putrajaya, SSP, line, which is to be completed in 2022, while Contributing to the research will be Jean-Luc Ygnace, a senior the third line is still being planned. research engineer at IFSTTAR’s Transport Engineering Laboratory in France, who has led studies of new technologies in transportation Singapore and how these can help encourage public transport patronage and The 7.5 km Tuas West MRT extension of the East-West Line opened to improve congestion, economy and safety. passengers on 18 June and is expected to carry 100,000 passengers a day. A 26 ha maintenance depot has been built near Gul Circle Station, ComfortDelGro Corporation Australia, CDC, has become the largest which can stable 60 trains, including the 13 additional trains purchased bus operator in Australia to adopt the Mobileye ‘Advanced Driver to operate the extension. Assistance System’, an early warning system for on-road vehicles, in a move to enhance safety and decrease the risk of accidents by The first three door, single deck bus, configured as one entrance and its drivers. With 90% of all Australian crashes caused by minor two exits, made its first trip on 19 June on SMRT’s Route 190 from (cont. on p286) 285 Services Directory AETA Notices

MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES Membership enquiries are welcomed to the contact person in each Division, as listed below. People in other areas should contact the nearest Divisional Secretary. VICTORIAN DIVISION For meeting details and enquires please contact Hugh Waldron on 03 9889 5140 in the evening between 1930 and 2030. PO Box 114 Canterbury Vic 3126. QUEENSLAND DIVISION Meets on the last Friday of even numbered months (for December contact the Secretary), contact: Neil Douglas, 12/36 Hillardt St., ROBERTSON, Qld 4109; Ph. (07) 3875 1090. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC TRANSIT ASSOCIATION Normal meetings are held bi-monthly on 4th Friday, February to October at the Box Factory, 59 Regent Street South, Adelaide, off Halifax Street, contact David Beres (secretary) 0438 600 202 e-mail: [email protected] or Roger Wheaton (08) 8331 9043 for details. Postal address PO Box 208, Para Hills SA 5096. www.sapta.org.au/ 21 October: Peterborough Steamtown Excursion, all day. Bus will depart from Fennescey House, contact secretary for price. Family and Partners welcome. 27 October: Annual General Meeting, presentation to be announced. ACT TRANSIT GROUP Meets on the second Thursday of each month at the Ainslie Football Club, Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie at 1830. Contact David Cranney on 0421 174 951 or [email protected]

Opposite Page The new Sydney ‘Emerald’ class ferry ‘Victor Chang’ was photographed by Tony Bailey at Circular Quay as it awaited its next trial run on 11 August. Note the change in colour scheme to green over the Bridge in comparison to the Manly ferry behind. The building behind the crane is the former Goldfields House, which is suffering the fate of many other Australian CBD buildings at the moment as it is demolished for a replacement building.

Rear Cover On 9 April Scott Mitchell was at Brisbane’s Roma Street Station when he managed to photograph adjoining trains Industry (cont. from p285) in the form of IMU 178 and an Electric Tilt Train set ‘City of mistakes such as distraction, fatigue or being slightly above the Maryborough’. speed limit, the installation of Mobileye aims to minimise at-fault incidents, prevent collisions and injuries, and potentially save lives. On 30 June Alstom’s Ballarat Workshops celebrated 100 years of Contributors to this issue include: manufacturing of rolling stock for the Victorian rail network. The Abcnews.com.au, ACT Government, Action for Public Transport, site was opened in April 1917 by Victorian Railways, in response to Australasian Bus and Coach, Australian Timetable Association, political pressures from provincial groups for decentralisation of Hugh Ballment, John Beckhaus, David Beres, John Clifton, Ian G manufacturing from Melbourne. With the breakup of the Victorian Cooper, Department of Transport Vic, Jim Donovan, Fairfax Digital, Railways in the 1980s, the workshops passed to the State Transport Ian Hammond, Albert Isaacs, Victor Isaacs, Dean Jones, KiwiRail, Ian Authority and then the Public Transport Corporation. With later Lynas, Ted McDonald, Michael McGinty, Allan Miles, Minister for privatisation, the workshops were purchased by Alstom Australia Infrastructure and Regional Development, Minister for Transport in 1999. Since taking over the site in 1999, Alstom has received NSW, Minister for Transport Qld, News.com.au, Parramatta City orders from the State of Victoria for a total of 101 six-car X’Trapolis Council, Les Pascoe, John Prideaux, PTV, Railway Gazette International, trains. The workshops have been a significant employer over the Darren Room, Rod Smith, South Australian Government, Greg years, often employing generations of families that have resulted Sutherland, The Jakarta Post, The New Zealand Herald, TransLink, in parents and their children working side by side. The site has also TunnelTalk, UITP Australia/New Zealand, V/Line, Hugh Waldron, seen the support and development of many apprentices into trade Jeremy Wainwright, Rod Watson, Roger Wheaton, David Whiteford, professionals while also supporting a significant local supplier base. Alan Wickens, Bob Wilson, . 286 TRANSIT AUSTRALIA 9/17 287