Planning and Operation
Ways in which efficient planning and operation of transport systems can be attained. This section also includes plans for potential future transport projects.
Hanging from a strap
Melbourne’s strap hanging has been in the news today. The contention is that 45 minutes is too long to hang from a strap. I agree, but I wanted to look deeper at the issue of standing versus sitting on mass transit and commuter trains. The first thing I would mention is that mass transit railways... »
Melbourne Rail Network
As most of you have probably guessed my interests in transport lie primarily within the optimisation and efficiency side rather than the more photography side of transport. This post is mostly a very quick look at optimisation of the Melbourne Rail Network. As we know, the current setup has approximately 16 lines converging onto four single... »
Dandenong Line upgrade
Arguably the most important commuter line in Melbourne is the Dandenong line, simply because it connects Melbourne CBD with the proposed second CBD of Dandenong, as well as being the single longest commuter line in Melbourne being approximately 58 kilometres long. The Dandenong line is essentially a dual track line from Richmond to Pakenham,... »
Reaching a dead end: terminal roads
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 Grove is proposed to have a third platform. http://www.qr.com.au/SEQIP/Images/KFG-Newsletter-Nov09_tcm30-28816.pdf Leppington on the... »
Sydney Transport
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 the transport demand and expansion from more an operational viewpoint... »
Some inconvenient thoughts
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 ripe for debate that have been rolling around in my... »
Canberra: What might have been?
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 couple of decades of the C20th. As we enter the second... »
Christmas: Will the turkeys vote for it?
I’ve been busy with other things but am keen to keep this place going with useful contributions to public transport thinking. I’ve been a bit guarded about my line of work but let’s just imagine this post is relevant to it. I caught the end of an exchange in the Herald Sun letters section. The person... »
Publicising our research – answering a call for papers
The 2010 Australasian Transport Research Forum has put out a call for papers that closes at the end of January 2010. If you've got a piece of research that you've done on a transport topic, why not share it with the rest of the transport world? »
Back to the future – Mainline electrification in Australia?
Recent issues of UK rail magazines have discussed the merits of extending conventional (medium speed up to 200km/h) rail services along the remaining non-electrified main lines in that country. Some of these have recently been announced, including in Scotland, while other iconic possibilities include the Great Western Railway territory, a famous home of fast... »