I can't understand why the demo crew came In and decommissioned Tullamarine loop before passing lane #1 was up and running.The old Tullamarine loop was only 870 metres long, the only traffic that would fit in it would be pass's and grain trains. Normally the morniing up VLine pass cross's the north bound XPT at Passing Lane 2 or 3 so the presence of Tullamarine would very likely have little effect on the current situation.
If Tullamarine loop was still In service, the mentioned traffic congestion wouldn't be !
The future opening of passing lane #1 would be an upgrade that would supersede the old loop.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, a point I have just thought of......How long is passing lane 1?
We are in this ridiculos situation with Passing lane 1 and the resulting congestion for the want of probably less than 1 million dollars for the signallling, the loop after all is in place.
Talk about "spoiling the ship for the want of a half pennies worth of tar"
woodford
Woodford for clarification.With so much infrastructure work being planned in the 4 weeks from late this month, it's difficult to see the RRL project extending into 2015 at ALL.
With the Nth Melb flyover there are to be 2 x dg tracks with left hand running. At the Dynon end half way down the ramp the RRL tracks diverge as bg only and follow the alignment of the old Outer Goods Lines to junction at Spion Kop Jct (under City Link) with the bg track RRL track pair ex Sxs plats 15/16. The other tracks descend as now and split as dg into the car sheds and sg towards Sims St Jct.
At the Dudley St end the dg tracks off the flyover will cross Dudley St on the new track spans (beside fistful hall) independent of the East Suburban lines.
The throat entering Southern Cross country terminal is altered to have 3 x bg lines , and 2 x dg lines . (Instead of 4 bg , 1 sg)
The Down dg line on the flyover is altered to continue as two way single track on the Up side of Dudley independent of the East Suburban lines giving VLP trains access to platforms 7 & 8 between the East Suburban lines and car sidings .
The spaghetti junction in front of the old No.1 signal box is simplified and re-arranged also .
The outcome is that VLP South Western, Western, Northern and sg trains will have independent access to Southern Cross platforms 1 - 7 and 15/16 without interfacing with Metro trains at all. Seymour & Goulburn Valley trains will leave the East Suburban Lines at Franklin St as now.
On 22/12/13 Most Geelongs will use the new ground level RRL tracks between South Kensington & platforms 15/16 at Sthn Cross.
All Western, Northern, North East & sg trains are buses from late December to late January to allow the big track changes at Southern Cross and Franklin St.
Late next year or early 2015 Western & Northern bg trains should be able to use RRL as far as Sunshine. Finally when the now Deer Park - West Werribee section is finished the Geelong trains will then be able to use RRL tracks also from South Ken to West Werribee.
With so much infrastructure work being planned in the 4 weeks from late this month, it's difficult to see the RRL project extending into 2015 at ALL.It looks a bit that way, it appears the only major civil engineering work on the bypass is the grade separation at Sayers rd (just north of the Werribee river bridge). The October flyover shows they are only know just thing of starting to think this.
Consequently IMO the RRL project will be completed some time in the first half of 2014.
Mike.
It looks a bit that way, it appears the only major civil engineering work on the bypass is the grade separation at Sayers rd (just north of the Werribee river bridge). The October flyover shows they are only know just thing of starting to think this.IMO it's unlikely any early opening of the RRL will save the Napthine government. All of the seats the RRL travels through are in Labor electorates anyway.
As the state election is due probably late in November 2014 I am sure the current government would love the publicity from opening the bypass to show what a good "public transport" governent they are.......................
The ballast train usually has a loco both ends, I did not think to check this but I will have a look today, They normally have use a T class.That is correct, I did see the other end but had no chance to get a photo of it. Couldn't remember the number of the other loco, but it wasn't a T.
The loco is a NSW 830 class number 852.Will that fix the last of the ballast problems?
In the loop currently there is the new Loram edge ballast cleaner, the ballast train, one of the large tampers and a ballast plough.
I have noticed a number of high rail excavators so far mostly from "Howel Rail" being unloaded at various points along the line south of Wang.
Last year (I think, time flies these days) ARTC replaced something like 25,000 tons of ballast in around a fortnight south of Mangalore, looks as though they are going to try something similiar north of Benalla.
woodford
Last year (I think, time flies these days) ARTC replaced something like 25,000 tons of ballast in around a fortnight south of Mangalore, looks as though they are going to try something similiar north of Benalla.They seem to be, and that part of the line is quite deserving. Thanks for the informative post.
Will that fix the last of the ballast problems?
They seem to be, and that part of the line is quite deserving. Thanks for the informative post.
I recently travelled over the whole line from Albury to Melbourne, the poorest section on both lines was between around Winton way to north of Glenrowan, there was also some roughness between Avenel and Euroa way on the West line, this at the moment is not effecting line speed though.Will that be enough to finally finish the job?
I see more equipment has been delivered to Benalla, excavators and those large 4 wheel loaders all over the place.
Last year over the works period they cleaned out all quarries of high quality ballast for over 200 kilometres radius, I assume they will do the same thing this year.
woodford
Will that be enough to finally finish the job?This is asking for an opinion which is not what I am on here for, but since you asked............
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