A meet and greet of high-profile officials from Transport for NSW,

the NSW Government, the Federal Government, Private Investors

and Private Corporations contributing to NSWs Infrastructure and
facilitation for Sydneys growth onto the world stage. Aviation
development (a key interest on this blog) here in Sydney requires
growth in population and economic activity, and development
blueprints alongside facilitating transport growth will pave the way
for it. A special thanks for attendees/speakers:
-Michael Kilgariff (Managing Director at Australian Logistics Council)
-Craig van der Laan (Chief Executive Officer, Barangaroo Delivery
Authority)
-Rob Stokes (Minister for Planning)
-Tom Gellibrand (Deputy Project Director Rapid Transit Integration
at North West Rail Link (Transport for NSW))
-Jamie Briggs (Federal Member for Mayo at Australian Parliament)
-Jim Betts (CEO at Infrastructure NSW)
-Dennis Cliche (Chief Executive Officer at WestConnex Delivery
Authority)
-Simon Pagett (Head of Urban Renewal at Urban Growth, NSW)
-Gladys Berejiklian (NSW Treasurer / Minister for Industrial
Relations)

With being related to with acquired knowledge from experience in

planning/development, environmental economics and
operations/scheduling studies, personal suggestions for the
Northwest Rail Link after the NSW Major Projects Conference
(SYDNEY 24-25/11/15) were made as follows. These are oriented
around least development costs, least development and
engineering inputs, and highest output and returns on investment
for the government and private operators:

CURRENT SYDNEY METRO PROPOSAL

The EIS for the metro shouldnt be hindered by expansion. A

shuttle (despite inefficiencies in interchanges) is required from
Chatswood to Cudgegong Rd

In agreement with Dr Garry Glazebrook on the NWRL, that

this lines business case to cross the harbour is dependent on
getting buses off the Harbour Bridge, and getting passengers
quickly and efficiently onto the Metro. Ideally on the other side of
the Warringah Freeway (Military Road)?

If its all in for the state government on Barangaroos

development, a station should firm up from the option as required.

The only justification for routing the metro to the University of

Sydney is if there is an interchange at Newtown and Parramatta Rd,
along with if there is an O/D catchment beyond the university, and
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (due to limited development capability).

With Waterloo bound for major redevelopment as the heartland of

South Sydney, is also suitable for the metro (despite longer
distance) contingent serving the Alexandria Industrial Estate, and
placing some bus routings pulled from the SELR route onto
Elizabeth Street (Waterloo) for Eastern-Suburbs bound services
(and inner western services if route selected). Requires geographicdiversification from Green Square station.

More Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line trains need to stop at

Sydenham. The 4 track corridor for freighter trains and double-deck
passenger services need to be retained. This is done by Metro train
lines surfacing parallel to the Sydenham corridor, north of platform
1&2 of Sydenham station.

The NSW TrainLink maintenance (XPT/Xplorer locomotives)

base at Sydenham needs to be kept undisturbed.

Illawarra Line services can now expand 4 track services on

service-dedicated corridors. This may require developing Wolli
Creek station for 2 more platforms (and track alterations with it) IF
NEEDED. This would allow T4 services to go from 20 services per
hour to 26-36 (give or take according to capacity intended from East
Hills Line to City via Sydenham corridor). Added services need to
be stopping St Peters and Erskineville.

Total capacity on the East Hills line (via Airport/Sydenham),

and all Illawarra service additions bound for City Circle would add
up to 20 services an hour. With 2 free platforms at Central (for
terminating services dedication given minor track alterations), total
capacity on those 2 lines for Central via Redfern (Platforms
7/8/9/10) goes up to 28 (given 4 turnarounds per hour per platform
at Central).

Initial reports on a terminating base/stabling-yard at

Sydenham, or extension to Hurstville could interfere with freight and
passenger networks. All traffic would need to continue onwards to
the Bankstown Line, with turnaround-dedicated platforms where of
highest demand (ideally a 1/2-track turnoff at Campsie at
frequencies wherever business case and demand facilitates)

Bankstown stabling-yard constrained by space (1 track with

constrained MRO facilities, or 2 without it). Considerations to go
further.
SYDNEY METRO EXTENSION PROPOSAL

Current studies rotate around extending the Bankstown tracks

to Liverpool via Sydney Airport. On current Bankstown Line tracks,
the major works will severely interrupt freight-rail outreach, freedom
of traffic for the heavy rail network, and severely hinder network
recovery capabilities mutually. Proposal via Bankstown Airport,
Condell Park and Moorebank would require extensive tunnelling,
major works at Bankstown and surfacing destination (between
Cabramatta and Liverpool). The Moorebank Intermodal Freight
Terminal (to be discussed later) would only make it worse.

Congestion on the Western Line beyond breaking point, with

fares and congestion tipping to business case of the Toll Road
WestConnex (as commuters take to the road). Highly criticized by
the public, government advisory bodies, professional consultancies,
professionals in the transport field, advocate groups, and most
importantly voters. Also Liverpool passengers would be given a 10
minutes reduction time in travel, but any development of more
stations along the line could reduce that to almost 0 (not to mention

also the overcrowding problem the South Line faces not being
solved, but rather only channelled in a different direction.

An alternative independently produced (cost and

development-wise) is to run the Metro through to Birrong,
underground to Lidcombe via Regents Park (or over ground at
expense of stations Sefton to Carramar losing direct city services),
and a maintenance/stabling yard expansion for Metro at current
facility in Rookwood. If underground, the previous Inner Western
Line can resume with direct services between Carramar, Sefton and
the city

After this, the rail could run on ground or tunnel where

required to Strathfield by either following the current Main Western
Line via Flemington and Homebush. Option to run through Sydney
Olympic Park as dedicated corridor (only if major development for
commercial/residential precinct materializes).

From Strathfield, the Metro will replace Inner Western Suburbs

trains (currently starts/terminates at Homebush, with capacity on 2
tracks capped at 8-10 trains per hour), follow parallel to the Main
Western Line (underground, serving Burwood, Croydon, Ashfield,
Summer Hill, Lewisham (and possible light rail interchange),
Petersham, Stanmore and possibly Newtown (with tracking
flexibility contingent on demand). If done, the tracks could run to
Central via Newton, University of Sydney and Parramatta Rd and
create an orbital Sydney Metro (with capacity for 15 trains per hour
each branch line track of the orbitals (give or take depending on
demand and service terminations).

Implications of this is enormous, with rapid limited stops South

Line, Western Line, Northern Line and Intercity (north & west)

capacity lifted from 48 trains per hour (with stopping pattern

limitations dragging to 40) TO 60 trains per hour (with ability to
drastically increase capacity on Western Lines, Northern Lines and
Intercity Services. The Inner West will also be ready for expansive
development thanks to train service upto (capacity of) every 4
minutes each way as oppose to todays 15 minutes. Hinders need
for WestConnex. Speeds up train speeds and mitigates delays.
NOTE: Ashfield and Newtown overground stations resume
operations, with a service hike of 12 trains to upto 35 trains an hour.

The Liverpool Councils bid for the metro should be replaced

by filling the abundance of slots the East Hills line and dedicated
K2Rq quadruplication. With a new single track branching between
the South Line to the East Hills line (tracking Liverpool, HolsworthyRevesby (option), Sydenham, Redfern, Central), passengers could
enjoy commute times from the current 50mins to as low as 35mins.

FREIGHTER RAIL PROPOSALS

With the above mentioned, the entire Sydney Trains network

frees up significantly, with ability to tackle key congestion areas
head-on, and facilitate growth across Sydney. The above also
respects dedicated freight corridors which immensely contributes to
the NSW economy.

The St Marys intermodal will be congested to run along tracks

already at capacity throughout the entire day. With
clearance/distance times delaying trains and hindering upto 5
passenger trains per freight train per hour per track, surplus
congestion associated to terminating/shunting/car-management

interactions to live undedicated train lines could cost passenger rail

transportation capacity during pivotal times, or vice versa impact
volumes of goods capable for transport to and from the St Marys
Intermodal

With Moorebank also off the cards, The Liverpool council

urged Badgerys Creek. Placing an intermodal hub at Badgerys
Creek (thanks to high investment on roads alongside preserved rail
corridors), would be ideal thanks for cross-beta aviation-freight
growth feeding airport development, strong economic and GDP
contributions from the industrialized precinct, and induced growth,
significance and decentralized jobs creation in South Western
Sydney. With todays rail tracks ideal for freight trains on the SWRL,
a preserved rail corridor from Port Botany to the Southern
Highlands via Enfield and Liverpool, and the growing significance
for linkage and proximity to Port Kembla, Canberra, Melbourne and
regional NSW, the South Western region offers the most ideal
intermodal hub with the highest capacity to offer, and the highest
flexibility. And with a proposed line to St Marys from the South West
Rail link, it also relieves congestion on the Main Western Line which
requires growth, and allows to directly serve more regions across
inland NSW. Current development across the Northern Line and
Newcastle/Hunter Line would also allow steady growth and flow
through to Northern NSW, Brisbane and Queensland.

HEAVY SUBURBAN/INTERCITY

T1: More trains from Penrith/Blacktown/Schofields/Richmond

to the City and to Hornsby (upto 20/h), with rest onto East Hills and

Illawarra. Space for more NSW TrainLink services to

Springwood/Mt-Victoria/Lithgow/Gosford/Wyong/Hamilton (and
beyond) to Central

T2: More services from Macarthur/SWRL/Revesby/Liverpool

via East Hills line Central (terminating upto 8 shared with T4) to City
to Macarthur/Liverpool/SWRL via South Line (with possibility for
Inner Western Line from Lidcombe to Liverpool via Regents Park).
Also more direct NSW TrainLink services from Moss-Vale/Goulburn
(and beyond) services to Central.

T4: Increase in capacity offered from

Waterfall/Cronulla/Hurstville to Central (shares upto 8 with T2), to
City to Bondi Junction (upto 20/h) OR excess onto City Circle and
onto T2 or return to T4. More direct services from PortKembla/Kiama to Central

T5: Sharp increase in capacity and services along the corridor

thanks to freed up space between Glenfield and Merrylands along
with Harris Park to Schofields.

T6: Possible direct services to Central and to Hornsby (based

on demand and development proposals).

T7: Same abundant capacity (with reduced capability for direct

City services). Can be developed as part of Metro.