AUSTRALIA: HDC recommends Newcastle heavy rail line be cut at Wickham: Fight NOT over

[Red_Rattler]

HDC = Hunter Development Corporation
HBC = Hunter Business (Bozo to us) Council)

First, the fight to save this vital piece of infrastructure is NOT over. If we can save it before, WE CAN SAVE IT AGAIN, isn't that right people?​

First The Herald article

Second The Herald article

It also must be noted that The Herald is a major supporter of cutting the rail line. And yes the reporter should be sacked as she claims it is a poorly used rail line. I have plenty of videos and photos to prove that this is clearly not the case.

Now many knew (including myself) the report would recommend cutting the heavy rail line into the Newcastle CBD, as somewhere either the HBC or HDC had some sort of charter that they had to come to that agreement or something - I'm not sure what the exact wording was though.

Secondly, I have attempted to place a comment on the first article, however although it's too early, The Herald holds back many comments that are for keeping the railway as is.

Thirdly, if you support keeping the rail line, DO NOT vote in the poll, as their is NO option for it to be kept.

Once again, the heavy rail line is being used as a "scapegoat" claiming it is the cause of lack of people to the Newcastle CBD.

LAST EDIT: Their are a number of businesses that want the rail line cut.

 

[paulzmay]

Looks like you might need to - those links don't take you to the articles.

Every time I hear about what's going on in Newcastle I think the place must be stuck in a 1960s time-warp. The rest of the world is looking to build rail infrastructure so as to reduce congestion, CO2 emissions and dependence on oil. Some cities have spent millions on building the kind of city-centre infrastructure Newcastle is trying to pave over.

Admittedly, an at-grade line with loads of level crossings is not what you'd build now, given the choice, but I'm sure there are some creative ways that the dissecting effect of the railway could be reduced. Developments could be built across the tracks with escalators at front and back entrances, so the rail line effectively ran through the basement. Light rail could be an option, but it would have to include through services (and therefore track sharing) from all suburban destinations currently served. Changing at Broadmeadow for passengers from Sydney wouldn't be quite as much of an issue as changing during your daily commute.

An as for replacing a rail line with buses - :n: - my local rail line is currently closed for a complete ground-up refurbishment, and the replacement buses are a joke! Asking commuters to change to a bus for the last stage of their journey will sound the death knell for the whole system.

Paul

p.s. for those who don't know the layout of the place: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=newcastle+nsw&ie=UTF-8

 

[Red_Rattler]

Opps just try this:

No. 1 http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...he-trains-and-bring-on-the-buses/1522573.aspx

No. 2: http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...lueprint-backs-cutting-rail-line/1522572.aspx

Every time I hear about what's going on in Newcastle I think the place must be stuck in a 1960s time-warp.

No just greedy developers and some businesses who claim it "divides the CBD" - which is nothing but RUBBISH of course.

They claim the line "divides" the city, but you never here them say that the buildings along the line "divide" the city.

Admittedly, an at-grade line with loads of level crossings is not what you'd build now

Yet it is okay for RailCorp to install a brand new pedestrian level crossing at Woorona, on a main line that carries BOTH freight & passengers - oh did I tell you that Woorona is in the transport minister's seat?

Same reason why a smaller station called Bulli now has lifts, yet a main station Unanderra has no lifts.

Light rail could be an option, but it would have to include through services (and therefore track sharing) from all suburban destinations currently served. Changing at Broadmeadow for passengers from Sydney wouldn't be quite as much of an issue as changing during your daily commute.[/quote]Well yes it is an issue.

An as for replacing a rail line with buses - :n: - my local rail line is currently closed for a complete ground-up refurbishment, and the replacement buses are a joke!

It won't be specially designed buses, it will be the existing buses, and then their is the issue of maybe another 8,000 uni students moving into the CBD.

And all except three bus routes up to a certain point only run hourly - another decision by this Sydney-centric rotten government.

Asking commuters to change to a bus for the last stage of their journey will sound the death knell for the whole system.

That's what we are trying to get through the money hungry developers and other businesses that support it, I akin it to "Murder of a city by stealth"

Some useful links: http://saveourrail.org.au
http://nswrail.net

 

[Red_Rattler]

I'm having trouble editing the post above, as the links keep "springing" back to before I try to edit them so they will work.

Just go to the http://www.theherald.com.au & search for the two biased articles.