So easy to run an extra Shepp return service each day. Down just extend 1630 Dn Seymour through to Shepp. On Up originate an early morning Seymour commuter d/c H set ex Shepp. 65 minutes earlier than Seymour time, and drop existing loco hauled N set to depart from Shepp later in the am. This service can be run with existing rollingstock resources, and without requiring any infrastructure improvements between Seymour and Shepp.

What train speed to envisage here?

Only loco hauled currently allowed Seymour - Shepparton .  IIRC  loco hauled pass speeds are  Seymour - Mangalore 115kmh, Mangalore - Murchison East  95 kmh,  Murchison East - Mooroopna  100kmh , Mooroopna - Shepparton  95 kmh .

For DMU to run to Shepparton track needs upgrading to Class - 2  (viz: tie renewal  probably relay with cascaded 47kg rail ex RFR corridors, vontinuously welded .)  Also require boom barrier protection at most crossings .  This would allow 130 kmh DMU operation and a two hour trip time Shepparton -  Melbourne.    Four return trips a day can be run on the existing infra structure .  To run five trips a day requires  remore control of an existing crossing loop at Murchison East .

Only loco hauled currently allowed Seymour - Shepparton . IIRC loco hauled pass speeds are Seymour - Mangalore 115kmh, Mangalore - Murchison East 95 kmh, Murchison East - Mooroopna 100kmh , Mooroopna - Shepparton 95 kmh .

For DMU to run to Shepparton track needs upgrading to Class - 2 (viz: tie renewal probably relay with cascaded 47kg rail ex RFR corridors, vontinuously welded .) Also require boom barrier protection at most crossings . This would allow 130 kmh DMU operation and a two hour trip time Shepparton - Melbourne. Four return trips a day can be run on the existing infra structure . To run five trips a day requires remore control of an existing crossing loop at Murchison East .

Is that four trips each way per day? Two hours travel time brings Shepparton into line with the Ararat service. It would also free up loco hauled sets for other lines etc..

Is that four trips each way per day? Two hours travel time brings Shepparton into line with the Ararat service. It would also free up loco hauled sets for other lines etc..

Four return trips would be four each way.

Four return trips would be four each way.

Thats what I thought it would be, thanks for confirming that.

I received a flyer in the mail yesterday that testing of the RRL commences on Monday the 29th September.

Nathan

Have their been any pictures of testing anywhere yet? I've been keeping an eye on Vicsig but nothing yet.

EDIT: There's some pictures of a ballast train on the RRL website but nothing else yet.

ABC local radio report 9 passengers ex Shepparton on the first 05.15 service this morning.

ABC local radio report 9 passengers ex Shepparton on the first 05.15 service this morning.

I am not surprised, given the hour. The sooner they put in a 850 metre crossing loop at Murchison and upgrade the track for use by V Locities the better. Even an upgrade to 115kph for N sets would be a good start. Then expand to 5 services per day each way.

The train chosen to originate from Shepparton is too early what is needed is for the existing  0656  Up Seymour to originate from Shepparton at  0550 arriving Southern Cross at 0836 .  And alter existing  0631  Up Shepparton to depart later at  0830  arriving Southern Cross around 1110 .

On the Down  1631 Dn Seymour extended to Shepparton additional, plus the existing 1822 Dn Shepparton as now .  The above timetable would generate more patronage and provide a better spread of service .

The train chosen to originate from Shepparton is too early what is needed is for the existing 0656 Up Seymour to originate from Shepparton at 0550 arriving Southern Cross at 0836 . And alter existing 0631 Up Shepparton to depart later at 0830 arriving Southern Cross around 1110 .

On the Down 1631 Dn Seymour extended to Shepparton additional, plus the existing 1822 Dn Shepparton as now . The above timetable would generate more patronage and provide a better spread of service .

Thank you Kuldalai

You have suggested a far more sensible timetable

Duncs

Passenger numbers ex Shepparton for the first week of the 05.15 service. Mon - 9, Tues - 15, Wed - 9, Thurs - 33, Fri - 8. (Shepparton. News 22/10)

When the new RRL timetable in April 2015 is implemented, how will people travel from Geelong to Werribee seeing that all trains will travel via Tarneit thus missing Werribee?

Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight into this.

When the new RRL timetable in April 2015 is implemented, how will people travel from Geelong to Werribee seeing that all trains will travel via Tarneit thus missing Werribee?

Thanks to anyone who can give me some insight into this.

http://ptv.vic.gov.au/projects/buses/wyndham-bus-network-changes/

Weekday  Off Peak Geelong wil be every 20 minutes to  Tarneit, Wyndamvale, Lara, North Geelong, Geelong & South Geelong .  Every 40 minutes to Little River Corio, North Shore, Marshall and Waurn Ponds .   (Frequency to Marshall &  Waurn Ponds constrained by single line beyond Geelong.)

Two stopping patterns :  A:  Footscray, Sunshine, Tarneit, Wyndamvale,  Lara, North Geelong, Geelong, South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds .
                                 B : Footscray, Sunshine, Tarneit  then SAS to South Geelong .

Rumored a new push pull being put together (P+6 h cars+P)for Wyndamvale peeks. 4 morning and 4 afternoon.

Empty cars returning from Geelong at night now coming via Wyndhamvale to keep drivers conversant as well as cleaning rail.

...and there they go back to Lara* again via the RRL.
Full speed too!

@11:00am, they're heading back to Melbourne now.

And the  0722  Dn Warrnambool  and  1900  Dn  Warrnambool  run express from Footscray so also could be using RRL via Wyndamvale now .

Unbelievably the existing lx immediately on the Down side of Manor Junction is restricted to 130 kmh for Up and Down trains to/from Wyndamvale owing to an RRL  signalling  design stuff up .  It is supposed to be corrected to 160 kmh by RRL opening in April .

Before  RRL this crossing was OK for  West Line  160 kmh Up / 130 kmh Down,  and East Line  160 kmh  Down/ 130 kmh Up; so why a 130 kmh restriction applies on the Up on the West Line is not clear .

Manor Junction introduces a weird and unique situation in that  :

When the Single Line section is Little River - Werribee on either the East or West lines then two way running is possible as in the past .  BUT when the Single Line section is Little River - Deer Park West on either track then two way running is not possible between Manor Junction and  Little River. Given RRL was bought in well under budget one will regret not installing a pair of 80 kmh crossovers on the Down side of Manor Junction so as to be able to have two way running flexibility between Little River and Manor Junction in times of disruption .

Have been told 130 k limit is a speed restriction used while training is in place until all drivers are familiar with the track layout.
Regarding earlier post about empty cars, seems it was a one off due to Metro track occupation.

How much under budget is the project and could this amount have been use to invest in electrification to a railway station near manor junction for Geelong werribee and werribee Geelong passengers being able to change ?

How much under budget is the project and could this amount have been use to invest in electrification to a railway station near manor junction for Geelong werribee and werribee Geelong passengers being able to change ?

A long term plan is for suburban trains is to continue past Werribee and onto Wyndamvale creating a triangle at Manor with another station at Black Forrest Rd.

A long term plan is for suburban trains is to continue past Werribee and onto Wyndamvale creating a triangle at Manor with another station at Black Forrest Rd.

Some may be excused for thinking this should have been completed as a part of the original project.  No rail project should really be approved on this size without tripple checking the planning and ensuring no passenger flows are disenfranchised.

Werribee to Geelong and beyond passengers clearly are and visa versa.

How much under budget is the project and could this amount have been use to invest in electrification to a railway station near manor junction for Geelong werribee and werribee Geelong passengers being able to change ?

Well thats hard to say .  The previous Federal Labour Government with Infrastructure Australia blessing gave $ 3bn towards RRL and the Brumby State Labour Government  $ 2bn for a total cost of $ 5bn .

Then Napthine and Mulder got in and claimed it was way under costed at $ 5bn leaving them with a massive black hole .  Mulder claimed Labour had not included extra trains or signalling in the costing !!!  The same Mulder then sat on his hands from November 2011 to November 2012 before ordering 40 VL cars when VLP wanted  like  60 .  So when RRL opens there will be an acute shortage of peak capacity owing to the failure to order late 2011 , and then only 43 not 60 cars . New Labour State Government has promised 20 more cars bringing total ultimately to 63  VLP original request .

So Napthine and Mulder put knife to full RRL plan with flyovers eliminated at Sunshine and Deer Park West and other economies. The thing is built in the end with a turnback at Wyndamvale for around $ 4bn, and  now defeated Government says project was bought in $ 1bn under budget .  So who knows.

What can be said is that the project model used was excellent with sound project management and an experienced Project Manager, who achieved project completion 12 months ahead of schedule .

If it was a billion under budget then that shows Labours original costing was pretty good, and if it came in a billion under budget then it was idiotic not to have  better  junctioning arrangements at both Sunshine and Deer Park west .  Also RRL could have been extended on the Bendigo leg to the Down side of Albion for small additional cost.

The intention in due course is to extend the existing Werribee Metro service as sparks to Wyndamvale with interchange between VLP and  Metro taking place at Wyndamvale . So the existing Geelong Line will have a triangular link towards both Geelong and Werribee from/to Wyndamvale .  The junction on the RRL towards Werribee will be known as Black Forrest Junction.  Metro tracks into Wyndamvale will separate from VLP track pair and electrified .

How much under budget is the project and could this amount have been use to invest in electrification to a railway station near manor junction for Geelong werribee and werribee Geelong passengers being able to change ?

Well thats hard to say .  The previous Federal Labour Government with Infrastructure Australia blessing gave $ 3bn towards RRL and the Brumby State Labour Government  $ 2bn for a total cost of $ 5bn .

Then Napthine and Mulder got in and claimed it was way under costed at $ 5bn leaving them with a massive black hole .  Mulder claimed Labour had not included extra trains or signalling in the costing !!!  The same Mulder then sat on his hands from November 2011 to November 2012 before ordering 40 VL cars when VLP wanted  like  60 .  So when RRL opens there will be an acute shortage of peak capacity owing to the failure to order late 2011 , and then only 43 not 60 cars . New Labour State Government has promised 20 more cars bringing total ultimately to 63  VLP original request .

So Napthine and Mulder put knife to full RRL plan with flyovers eliminated at Sunshine and Deer Park West and other economies. The thing is built in the end with a turnback at Wyndamvale for around $ 4bn, and  now defeated Government says project was bought in $ 1bn under budget .  So who knows.

What can be said is that the project model used was excellent with sound project management and an experienced Project Manager, who achieved project completion 12 months ahead of schedule .

If it was a billion under budget then that shows Labours original costing was pretty good, and if it came in a billion under budget then it was idiotic not to have  better  junctioning arrangements at both Sunshine and Deer Park west .  Also RRL could have been extended on the Bendigo leg to the Down side of Albion for small additional cost.

The intention in due course is to extend the existing Werribee Metro service as sparks to Wyndamvale with interchange between VLP and  Metro taking place at Wyndamvale . So the existing Geelong Line will have a triangular link towards both Geelong and Werribee from/to Wyndamvale .  The junction on the RRL towards Werribee will be known as Black Forrest Junction.  Metro tracks into Wyndamvale will separate from VLP track pair and electrified .

Any indication of what will happen with existing Werribee suburban services after RRL opens? More frequent trains or no changes in the immediate future?