The site has been updated as from today with the construction updates for the next few months.
Iāve been thinking about CRR and the bottleneck between Dutton Park and Salisbury.
I think based on the current circumstances, the solution to the bottleneck would be to quad track between Dutton Park and Salisbury. From what I can see on Google Maps, it looks like Fairfield and Yeronga stations could use the island platform for all stations services and the side platform could be demolished and used for an additional track. The GC track pair can run along the eastern side. After Yeerongpilly the all stops track pair could raise in a flyover so that the GC trains can have a branch underneath to access the yards at Clapham. Moorooka could be reconstructed with an island platform on the Western side. Rocklea could also use the island platform and Salisbury could also be reconstructed with either an island on the western side or 4 platforms for interchange with the future Flagstone/Beaudesert line. Freight would share the all stops track pair, and ideally both tracks on that pair would be dual gauge for interstate freight and passenger services.
Potentially Iād even go one step further and extend the Salisbury all stoppers to a station at Acacia Ridge.
While I wish the original tunnel to Yeerongpilly was constructed, it will be the most cost effective solution. There will be some property resumptions, but something has to happen to improve the capacity.
While there are also issues that need addressing between Salisbury and Kuraby, at least once the LGCFR project is done and if this was done, the line could easily sustain 15 minute all day services on both the Beenleigh and GC lines.
Highly unlikely though. QR already rebuilt all the stations from Yeerongpilly to Boggo Road with the 3rd side platform. Furthermore, the 3rd side platform is directly connected to beefy footbridges, making it even more difficult to remove the 3rd side platform.
I guess the most realistic thing the QR will actually do to increase capacity on the 3-track bottleneck (I said this about like seven times, but I am going to say it again) is to have GC trains stop all stations from Yeerongpilly to Boggo Road in the off/counter-peak.
Wouldnāt that just wipe out any time savings just gained from CRR and LGCFR project?
Increases capacity of the 3-track corridor though. We either have to sacrifice the time savings of the GC/Beenleigh trains or the capacity for the bottleneck from Yeerongpilly to Dutton Park. Itās very much a big trade off.
Once we approach line capacity, the GC trains will be travelling at all-stops speeds whether or not they actually stop.
Thatās why we need the 9 car sets by 2030. As you can only run so many 6 car trains effectively and efficiently on sector 1.
There seems to be not much momentum towards nine car trains. Stations are being set up for six car (although some will have space for future extensions). Things like platform screen doors are being installed for six car trains. Unless you can convince CRR and others to set up properly for nine car trains, it is not going to happen for some time yet.
Then make the GC trains stop at all stations in that corridor. If the GC trains match the same speed as all-stop trains, why not provide more train services for stations between Yeerongpilly and Boggo Road?
All Iām going to say about the whole project is that itās only gonna end up becoming a horrible headache for every single stakeholder involved in this mess.
Quad-tracking the whole corridor with realigned geometry, some dive under tracks at Boggo to solve the flat junctions, reworked platforms at South Bank and South Brisbane (with new platform 4s) and ETCS signalling wouldāve been a lot better use of taxpayer dollars instead of what weāre getting.
Sure, weāre getting new stations but Woolloongabba lost its main reason to exist by moving the new stadium to Barrambin, while Exhibition will have less than ideal walking connections to RBWH and making passengers change trains at an Albion station that still doesnāt show any sign of full rebuilding.
Seriously.
What the hell are we getting in the end? We donāt even have enough trains for this thing.
Enjoy trying to explain to the general public that we spent $10B+ on a tunnel that ends in two choke points, without trains to operate it at the designed frequencies, with somehow slower stopping patterns.
CRR shouldāve started at Salisbury. Iām not sure how that can be fixed now, though.
Can TBMs extend an existing tunnel somehow, even where there are no stubs?
Itās going to be very difficult to extend the TBMs without tunnel stubs, as they have to deal with all the pipes and wiring.
As far as Iām aware, there are plans to make Woolloongabba a high-density inner suburb after the demolition of the Gabba; the Woolloongabba stations would provide key PT access to the yet-to-be-built high-density area.
Thatās not an Olympic build, so those planning exemption wonāt apply.
BCC zoning laws donāt allow a 40 storey apartments next to a school.
That land should be used a park.
Gabba would be an ideal place for a mid-size (20-25k) stadium, something Brisbane is currently lacking.
Yo. The Brisbane Arena is now planned for the Go Print site at Woolloongabba, adjacent to the new Cross River Rail station.
Any plans on having a museum dedicated to sports and sport history at the site of the Gabba once the Gabba is gone?
Because its a Priority Development Area, Economic Development Queensland sets the zoning in the PDA Scheme. The block that The Gabba and East Brisbane State School is on is zoned for 20 storeys, the block that the CRR station is on is zoned for 50 storeys, and the area fronting Vulture and Stanley Streets opposite are zoned for 45 storeys. The broader precinct has stacks of 30+ storey areas as well.
I donāt believe those are absolute limits either - Iām fairly confident additional height will be given in exchange for affordable housing / public space contributions.
The webpage says the PDA could deliver 24,000 houses, but I canāt see that in the PDA scheme itself.