Let me not steal James’ thunder from his excellent Sydney post. One small issue that he covers at length is the issue of terminus platforms and their capacity. I’m fascinated with a range of planning and design documents of late on this issue. For example Ferny... »

With the release of the NSW Transport Blueprint, and the release of the preliminary draft of the SMH Transport Inquiry, there has never been a better time for discussion of transport issues in Sydney. This is a transport strategy for Sydney that looks at... »

One of my frustrations with rail-fan oriented blogs and forums over the years has been seeing people treat rail systems as if they were the model railway layout they have at home, at 1:1 scale. A rail system is more than tracks and trains. Of... »

I don’t want to steal another poster’s thunder, and he will talk at more length about ferry policy in Sydney. But I will foreshadow a discussion by asking rhetorically – isn’t a Sydney Ferry just a train with a hull? I’m thinking of the following points: -capacity... »

Since my new job, as a human pedestrian crossing track circuit, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands, which I’ve been putting to reading. Amongst other things, I’ve been reading John Monash: A Biography by Geoffrey Serle (Melbourne University Press, 1982.... »

The start of a new year turns our thoughts toward the year ahead, while the end of the first decade of the 21st Century in one year's time gives us further pause for reflection and thought. There's been some points about the rail industry... »

I’ve started on my summer reading list and the first title to be knocked over is Designing Australian Cities by Robert Freestone. A broad sweeping title for a book which is narrowly focused on one topic – the City Beautiful movement of the first... »

I would like something more than a cliché filled soup – with all the usual ingredients, a bit of Salt , a dash of Birrell and Bolt, a bit of Fairfax on the side. I’m probably not the ideal reviewer for a work like... »