To help save an in use rail line from developers, please vote in this media's poll

[Red_Rattler]

To help save a frequent & well used heavy rail line from developers (that between Newcastle & Wickham &/or Broadmeadow), with regular passenger trains, we ask that you vote in this media's poll.

The poll link: http://www.theherald.com.au/polls

Please be aware though the question about the poll question relates to this article and is worded:

Do you agree or disagree with Jeff McCloy and Hilton Grugeon?

Cutting the line you choose agree.
Keeping tghe line you choose disagree.
And I will make a note that it is possible to vote more than once.

PS: And now they want to rename Wickham, Newcastle or Newcastle!

 

[paulzmay]

Looks like the poll's in the rail line's favour at the moment. That's good to see...

Paul

 

[Tokkyu40]

So far the poll seems to be going against the developers by 2 to 1.:Y: I can see their point, though. Rail access improves transportation and vitality, but they can't sell condominiums on land that has a rail line running through where they want to put the front lobby.
A local developer here paid for improvements to the local station in exchange for the right to develop condominiums on the adjoining property. Now passengers can get off the trolley and walk right into their homes.

Claude

 

[Euphod]

Hmmm, only let me vote once.

 

[Red_Rattler]

Developers such as those mentioned in the link in the first post, GPT, SOME businesses (& a certain hobby shop manager that sells trains also wants to see the rail line removed) claim that the line is under used, and that the passenger runs are virtually "empty."

Click on http://www.platformone.fotopic.net/c1599427.html and tell me if you think the line is under used?
This train was a 2 car train, it is now timetabled as a 4 car train, as it was getting overcrowded.

(Most of the cars around only have one driver - ie: no passengers!)

 

[paulzmay]

I'm impressed - virtually none of the trains on my line in Adelaide are 4 car - the majority are 2 or 1, but they are currently in the middle of a major upgrade. It really does seem that Newcastle planners are stuck in a timewarp... about the only city in the western world considering removing key public transport infrastructure.

Paul

 

[Tokkyu40]

"Virtually Empty" is a relative term. To the people who want to bulldoze the trains, it's "virtually empty" if you can still squeeze through the door without importing pushers from Tokyo.

Claude

 

[bassist118]

Gutted the polls closed, only just found the thread, I would have voted even tho I live in the UK. I hate to see threats for lines to close with the possiblility of more freight and cars on the roads killing our planet (even steam engines kick out less pollutant than the equivilant number of cars for the engines horsepower and you have to remember that a loco with 1 horsepower can pull around 5 times the load or a 1 horsepower motor vehicle.) sorry but I'm waffeling a bit and getting political but the governments need a serious rethink about transport as a whole. Our goverment just granted Gatwick Airport another runway rather than a dedicated high speed rail link with Manchester - Glasgow and Leeds. In my opionion transport ministers should be made to give his car up and experiance everyday what us laymen have to put up with.

Very very glad to see the railway won through prehaps opionions are changing

:clap::clap:

Andy

 

[Red_Rattler]

It's not a freight line, (only when they do trackwork) it's a passenger line.

Back to the topic of this post. It seems as though The Herald is hiding the many comments that are in support of keeping the line, as I have a source and other information that suggests comments where written on the day of the article, yet The Herald (at the time of this post) has only approved those that are in support of cutting the rail line.

PaulzMay said:
. . .about the only city in the western world considering removing key public transport infrastructure.

And many people have mentioned this time & time again.

PS: Sorry Auran, don't want sound political, but I believe it IS relevant, but it seems the former planning minister Frank Sartor is trying to challenge Nathan Rees for the NSW Premier position.

Frank "dollars" $artor as premier - um ARRRGGH!

 

[Red_Rattler]

about the only city in the western world considering removing key public transport infrastructure.

Now that is odd, you're from a different city than Newcastle (make that a different state), and you are saying EXACTLY (latest was Tuesday) what other people are trying to drum into these developers who want this land (they see it as valuable real estate)

PS: Why did I bring this thread up again? Because I saw Paul's comment after I was checking if to make a new thread or just stick it in here, & thought I'd reply after - think it be better in a new thread.

 

[Red_Rattler]

I have just noted that it seems as though the group called Fix Our City (FOC) is going to ramp up their campaign for removal of the heavy rail to Newcastle station. It is quite clear that the majority want the rail line to stay

 

[Klinger]

ask them if they want it all on trucks instead

Some moron posted that sort of comment on a news story about moving the line here in Denver out east for new Light Rail and EMU construction (use the old roadbed) and said all trains should be scrapped because its "old technology"

Not many people even bothered to acknowledge his existence.....