car park – Transport for Melbourne

Sunshine Super-Hub Still Fails

The following article by John Hearsch, President of Rail Futures Inc provides a clearer understanding of the importance of reinstating the standard gauge platform at Sunshine which has been omitted in the latest plan for the redevelopment of the rail station and was reported in an earlier blog. It highlights the importance of careful planning for all infrastructure projects.

The Rail Futures Institute reports that the failure to re-instate the former standard gauge platform as part of the forthcoming Sunshine station re-development will seriously impact North Eastern/Riverina travellers some years in advance of the Airport railway opening, in fact from as early as 2025 with the Metro 1 tunnel opening.

Rail Futures President John Hearsch said “there will be a number of serious impacts on North Eastern/Riverina travellers from 2025 when the Metro 1 tunnel opens, unless the former standard gauge platform at Sunshine is re-instated by then.” From 2025 with the Metro 1 tunnel opening connectivity with Metro train services will alter for some suburban lines and the opportunity will present itself at Sunshine to vastly improve connectivity between other V/Line train services and also offer North Eastern/Riverina travellers direct connectivity to new high demand inner CBD locations adjacent to the five new Metro 1 stations.

From Metro 1 opening in 2025 suburban trains proceeding from Sunbury through the CBD to Dandenong, Pakenham and Cranbourne will be routed via the NEW Metro 1 tunnel and five (5) new stations at ARDEN, PARKVILLE, STATE LIBRARY, TOWN HALL and ANZAC (at the Domain) to then continue via Caulfield to Dandenong, Pakenham and Cranbourne. As such Albury / Riverina passengers on standard gauge trains passing through Sunshine will NO LONGER be able to change at Southern Cross for stations on the Dandenong, Pakenham and Caulfield lines, e.g. travelling to Clayton for Monash University or Monash Medical Centre. Instead such passengers would have to change trains TWICE; first at Southern Cross and then again at Caulfield to reach Clayton.

However, Mr Hearsch pointed out “Re-instatement of the standard gauge platform at Sunshine will allow Albury & Riverina passengers to simply transfer to Metro 1 trains at Sunshine maintaining direct connectivity from the North East and Riverina to the Dandenong, Pakenham and Cranbourne Lines with the one simple change of trains at Sunshine, maintaining direct access to Clayton.” Further the Rail Futures Institute says that failure to re-instate the standard gauge platform at Sunshine will amongst V/Line regional trains deny NORTH EAST / RIVERINA passengers of the benefit to access via Metro 1 the five new CBD stations at Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.

This is particularly important in respect of direct access at Parkville station to the adjacent Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter Mc Callum Cancer Centre, Dental Hospital, Royal Children’s Hospital and Melbourne University Precinct. Mr Hearsch added “without this direct connectivity to Parkville, passengers will be forced to use taxis, or multiple tram routes from Southern Cross to reach these destinations and in doing so will incur up to 30 minutes of additional travel time.” “Such indirect travel with multiple changes being most inconvenient to those with young children and the elderly especially those with a disability.”

Mr Hearsch also pointed out “That with a standard gauge platform at Sunshine, Albury / Riverina passengers would have the bonus convenience of direct interchange with frequent V/Line train services to/from Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo; allowing these travellers to save on average 30 – 40 minutes on their through journey ; by NOT having to go all the way into Southern Cross only to come out again through Sunshine on their Geelong, Ballarat or Bendigo train – as currently happens.”

Federally Funded Railway Commuter Car Parks – Another example of political pork barrelling

The Federal Opposition has rightly accused the Federal government of using the $389 million car parking program as a political rort and is another example of abuse of governance and proper process which we have raised on a number of occasions. But it also raises fundamental issues including the need for a transport framework/strategic plan and an independent process for evaluation and ranking investment programs which is essential to ensure precious funds are spent in areas of greatest need and strategic objectives are met in the most cost-effective manner.

Station car parking does have a legitimate place in a Victorian transport plan for a modal interchange strategy which promotes greater access to the public transport network, but it is a very costly way of doing this and in some situations is totally inappropriate. This is particularly relevant at inner city stations which can be accessed by tram, bus, taxi or where many people simply walk or cycle to the station. Promoting and improving these access modes requires minimal investment in supporting infrastructure and should be top priority. These are locations where the cost of land is relatively high and its use for commuter car parking cannot be justified. In these situations provision of more commuter car parking would simply generate more car traffic but would also encourage people to drive further from outer areas to enable them to travel in a cheaper fare zone.

Middle – Inner city stations such as Glenferrie, and Camberwell Stations are examples where commuter car parking should not be provided in the first place and limited to drop off and pick-ups (“kiss and ride”) but these have been included in the federal government’s car parking program. The Camberwell commuter car park is of particular concern because it is used extensively (inappropriately) by local traders and shoppers and is accessed from Burke Road, a tram route that is already heavily congested. To encourage more road traffic for commuter purposes would simply add to the congestion and its detrimental impact on tram services, particularly in morning and evening peak travel times.

Construction of a commuter car park at Glenferrie adjacent to another tram route on Glenferrie Road would never be recommended for similar reasons, but the cost at this location would be prohibitive. The land would have to be acquired and a multideck car park built. The total cost would be very high for zero net benefit and planning and development issues for such a development would be hugely problematic and politically fraught at the local level. It is amazing none of these issues were taken into account.

None of the above is rocket science and should have been reflected in the federal government car parking program. If priorities had been established independently of

government by state government departments responsible for public transport this rorting should never have happened. But this raises more fundamental issues about the relevance of the motor vehicle in a zero emission world and its impact on travel and transport and the infrastructure required to support it in the future. That is a subject which all governments at all levels need to start responding to as a matter of urgency.