Sydney: No more Northwest rail link (on again/off again)?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national...northwest-metro/2008/02/25/1203788248514.html

Oh well, maybe better not to buy NorthWest of Sydney after all? The NSW government keep changing plans so that nothing ever gets started and "more cost efficient"?!
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Bye heavy rail, now for a north-west metro

Linton Besser Transport Reporter
February 26, 2008

THE multibillion-dollar rail expansion pledged by the former premier, Bob Carr, has been wiped from the drawing board and the Government is instead poised to announce a new subway-style metro line to Sydney's north-west.

A $7 billion plan for a second harbour crossing and heavy rail line through the congested north-west to Rouse Hill has been superseded by planning for a single-deck metro system that would run independently of the trouble-prone CityRail network.

It would mean the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Plan, pledged in 2005 and almost ready for construction, will go by the wayside. Many years of planning would be required before the metro could become a reality.

It is not clear whether the cheapest and most advanced of the three rail expansion plan lines, the South West Rail Link, will still be built, but the two more expensive arms have been all but shelved.

The $1.8 billion Rail Clearways program is also under review. Some of its projects that have not yet begun are expected to be dumped. Many of the other $2.8 billion in rail capacity upgrades promised in the 2006 Urban Transport Statement have also been put on the back burner indefinitely.

Instead, the Premier, Morris Iemma, is expected to reveal details of an extended metro line between the CBD and the Hills District via Victoria Road and West Ryde.

Phil Davey, a spokesman for the Minister for Transport, John Watkins, said the Government remained committed to the North West Rail Line and "a second harbour crossing".

But he added that "the Government has made it very clear that metro rail is the future of public transport in Sydney".

Any announcement in coming weeks will be seen as a blow to the Treasurer, Michael Costa, who had tried to halt expansion of the transport network. In the closing moments of a cabinet budget committee meeting on December 18, he tabled a motion demanding that all government transport projects be put on hold pending a Treasury-led review.

The move was seen as an ambush of Mr Watkins, who was in Europe examining metro systems in Paris and London. The NSW Co-ordinator General, David Richmond, responsible for bringing together feuding transport agencies, was also absent.

Treasury officials have warned transport chiefs that even with the $10 billion from the proposed sale of the state's electricity generators, there may not be enough money to fund both the M4 East toll road, also yet to be announced, and a metro line.

A metro line to the north-west has been estimated to cost about $8 billion. But, unlike a heavy rail expansion, a metro line would be open to public-private partnership financing,.

The December meeting led to the establishment of a review committee chaired by the Treasury secretary, John Pearce, who also commissioned a study by Jim Steer, the former strategy director for London's Strategic Rail Authority, into each project's viability.

Heather Gilmore, a spokeswoman for Mr Costa, said that Mr Steer's appointment was "to evaluate the number of transport options currently being assessed by Government".

"The Treasurer's role is to ensure that public money is spent wisely," she said. "As has already been flagged, the Government is looking at a number of significant investments in transport projects including the extension of the M4 East and metro rail."

But the Herald understands that Mr Steer has since left for home. Mr Iemma had recently demanded progress on some of the transport plans still stuck in the pipeline.

The Herald revealed last September the Government's planning for the metro, originally dubbed the Anzac Line, which would run between Maroubra and West Ryde.

The route has since undergone extensive revision after Treasury made its distaste for the expensive Metropolitan Rail Expansion Program well known.

At the metro line's eastern end, the line is now expected to halt at St James station, using the old disused platforms built by the architect of Sydney's rail network, John Bradfield, in the 1920s.

The Government is considering a new central city station, and a corridor to Maroubra would be preserved for future extension.

Unless the metro travel times are swift, a traditional all-stops metro, with single-deck carriages and fewer seats, may be shunned by passengers, who prefer an express service on a route so long.

Five potential metro routes are on the drawing board.
 
It'll make suburbs with heavy rail more expensive, certainly. But Sydney can't house all the people it has along existing train lines, unless there's a LOT of medium and high density building. The NW will still attract plenty of people in the long run, if only because houses along train lines will get even more expensive!
Alex
 
It'll make suburbs with heavy rail more expensive, certainly. But Sydney can't house all the people it has along existing train lines, unless there's a LOT of medium and high density building. The NW will still attract plenty of people in the long run, if only because houses along train lines will get even more expensive!
Alex

In a way agreed on this, since they probably won't build any more train lines. But then since they will have to build a lot more high rises maybe those houses may lose their value since they will have less privacy?

Never know thae NW Rail Link and second cross harbour rail tunnel would cost 7 billion though ..... No wonder the Treasury is complaining. But I am still suprised that they are building the metro since it won't be that cheap either, as it would all be underground as well.

But then again it just wonders where all the money has gone from the taxes we pay in NSW? Everything is run down (roads, rails, hospitals, schools etc) ...... Almost of the point of no vision for the state .....
 
2GB matey, interview with ray hadley and watkins.

He mentioned that a light rail won't cater for the amount of people in the area and that the railway has to be heavy rail.
 
i'll be a very old man before any of this happens. Rouse Hill to the City via Ryde! I always thought the shortest distance between two points wasa a straight line.
 
2GB matey, interview with ray hadley and watkins.

He mentioned that a light rail won't cater for the amount of people in the area and that the railway has to be heavy rail.

Thanks for letting me know.

Oh well let see if the government actually put heavy rail to Castle Hill or not ..... At least they do part of it, better than nothing. Castle Hill, being a big commercial centre, probably deserves the line the most.

Still there are plenty of people at NorthWest not well served unless the line goes all the way to Rouse Hill.
 
I won't believe it until the first clod of earth has been turned here in the Hills :rolleyes: And I'm not the only cynical Hills resident either....

It's an ongoing topic that is dragged out prior to every election and gets rehashed every now and again in the local papers, with Baulkham Hills Council mayor Sonya Phillips currently on the warpath against the unfairness of the treatment of northwest residents vs west, due to toll rebates as well.

As long as most of the seats out here are safe liberal seats, the Iemma state govt will do diddly-squat to hurry up major transport plans such as this proposed railway line- heavy or light. It's been going on for too long- check out this parliamentary transcript from 1996, where they were complaining that nothing had been done, despite promises 10yrs previously by Bob Carr.... what a joke....

http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/HansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA19960919042
 
The lack of vision on the part of the NSW Labour government is mind boggling!

In 20 years time....Sydney is going to be so congested with all the traffic on the roads.

Places like Melbourne and Brisbane are going to be the places to be.

Time to think about a change of government given we have a labour government at the Federal level. :mad:
 
It's an ongoing topic that is dragged out prior to every election and gets rehashed every now and again in the local papers, with Baulkham Hills Council mayor Sonya Phillips currently on the warpath against the unfairness of the treatment of northwest residents vs west, due to toll rebates as well.
919042[/url]

I salute Sonya Philips. Has anyone from the goverment ever tried to justify why the "heartland" residents get rebates on tolls and residents in Liberal land dont? I would love to know how a party that prides it self on "social justice" can justify this.
 
I salute Sonya Philips. Has anyone from the goverment ever tried to justify why the "heartland" residents get rebates on tolls and residents in Liberal land dont? I would love to know how a party that prides it self on "social justice" can justify this.


Well probably if the role is reversed (ie Liberal in goverment) then they will do everything they can to please the liberals.

At the end government make most of their policies to win votes .......

So the only thing Hills people can do is to actually make their own seat as marginal Labor. Then you may see some action from the government. But I doubt that will ever be the case.
 
It's an ongoing topic that is dragged out prior to every election and gets rehashed every now and again in the local papers...
Hi Jacque,

Sounds a lot like the Spit Bridge upgrade for the Northern Beaches too. A bunch of safe Liberal seats and a proposal that keeps getting put forward just before an election as a done deal then pulled immediately following the election. I think us Northern Beaches types will be struggling under a lack of any public transport infrastructure and a huge bottlekneck through Mosman for road transport for years to come.

Its a good thing its so nice here on the beaches because its so bl@@dy hard to get out of here!

Cheers,
Michael.
 
Well the NW certainly needs something. My nice 3 bed brick home in the new side of quakers hill was bank valued at $380k 4 yrs ago. The 2 yrs prior to that we had extremely good growth so I obviously didnt expect it to keep up at that pace but gee wiz. 4 yrs later and the bank just valued it again at $380k. I had thought atleast $400k but wasnt to be. SO I would love to see something boost the NW. Some growth would be nice every now and then. Just glad the rents are going strong atleast ;)

Jayro
 
the unfair treatment of the Hills and northwest sydney in general is a topic that makes me farking furious.

There are just sooo many things that have been promised to the northwest and then immediately retracted following an election. It totally sucks that this area is a strong liberal area - we get neglected in every way...

Lets have a quick rundown....

1. The M2: Was planned back in the early 80s... finally built in mid 90s, and only due to private sector investment... and then a massive toll put on it... and only around half of the original planned length was built

2. Lane Cove Tunnel: wow... talk about a labor govt rort. Yeah, lets cut down the number of normal traffic lanes on Epping road to ONE, so that everyone is FORCED to use the LCT and pay the exorbinant toll - which has increased twice already (iirc)

3. Northwest rail link: we all know about this one. Been on the cards for longer than i've been voting.

4. Showground Rd: Ive lived in castle hill for 24 years, and in that time the state govt has not spent a SINGLE DOLLAR on fixing this road, despite the houses being so far back you could make it a freaken 6 lane highway with room to spare. Yes, its still single lane each way.... and suffers from weekend traffic congestion likeable to Parramatta rd at 5.30pm on a weekday.

5. Windsor Rd Upgrade: the only reason this went ahead thanks to huge protests by Hills residents... Carl Scully (got i hate that man) was going to postpone it ANOTHER TEN YEARS!! Did you know that at the time Windsor Rd had traffic volumes equal to and in some cases ABOVE the Great Western Hwy?? Current upgrades will be insufficient within 5 years.

6. Old Windsor Rd Busway: This is just a joke... seriously. They built a busway-only underpass for the traffic halting Old Windsor Rd-Seven Hill Rd intersection... thats right... normal traffic is still halted up by traffic lights, but there is an underpass built for the busway. Insane.


... i could go on.

Its such a same that no matter how many voters in the area show their views by how they cast their vote, there will be no effect.

Lets hope Watkins is serious about his promise.
 
Hi Jacque,

Sounds a lot like the Spit Bridge upgrade for the Northern Beaches too. A bunch of safe Liberal seats and a proposal that keeps getting put forward just before an election as a done deal then pulled immediately following the election. I think us Northern Beaches types will be struggling under a lack of any public transport infrastructure and a huge bottlekneck through Mosman for road transport for years to come.

Its a good thing its so nice here on the beaches because its so bl@@dy hard to get out of here!

Cheers,
Michael.

Surely fixing the Spit bridge is not going to solve the problem. All the traffic would just get banked up at Mosman.

They should just build a freeway all the way from Neutral Bay to Brookvale ..... But then the bottleneck goes to Neutral Bay instead.

At least Northern Beaches is served by frequent public buses, unlike Northwest and generally western areas which has infrequent private buses.
 
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