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There's a new RMTransit (@RM_Transit) video up about high-speed rail from Melbourne to Sydney. (aus.social)
submitted 10 months ago by ajsadauskas@aus.social to c/fuck_cars@lemmy.ml
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There's a new RMTransit (@RM_Transit) video up about high-speed rail from Melbourne to Sydney.

It's definitely worth checking out. Reece makes the case that more overnight sleeper services and electrification are an important first step: https://youtu.be/IMUcV_nxsWY?si=8reQjPjsrwVTcecx

My two cents on the topic is that HSR from Melbourne to Sydney should implemented as a series of incremental upgrades, rather than a single megaproject.

Between the 1970s and 2010s, the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney was incrementally upgraded to a freeway-standard continuous dual carriageway road: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/operations/roads-and-waterways/environment-and-heritage/heritage/hume-highway-duplication/history

It wasn't done as single megaproject. Instead, it was done in small segments. A bypass around a town. A section of road between two town upgraded to dual carriageway. Eventually, over 40 years, the whole road was upgraded.

We should be doing the same thing with the train line from Melbourne to Sydney.

Not as a multi-billion-dollar megaproject, but as a series of discrete projects to upgrade sections of track to electrified HSR standard: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/24/start-building-now-to-fulfil-sydney-melbourne-high-speed-rail-ambition-labor-urged

That means faster train journeys from Melbourne to Sydney today, with full HSR rolled out incrementally over the longer term.

@fuck_cars #trains #HSR

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[-] nick_rogers@urbanists.social 7 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

@ajsadauskas @RM_Transit @fuck_cars

The Australian Parliment could do with a huge influx of people who have worked in deeply technical fields. People who have 20 years experience building bridges, designing mining equipment, managing road building, running a Hospital Emergency Department, coding a billing system that works, etc…

Our current crop of perception managers (aka bullshit artists) don’t even know where to start when it comes to actually getting the stuff that needs doing, done!

[-] treleanor@aus.social 3 points 10 months ago

@ajsadauskas @RM_Transit @fuck_cars Plus of course, my personal hobby horse: it needs to go through Canberra. Dammit! It’s the nation’s capital. Would be ideal alternative to air travel.

[-] chrisadamsecon@mastodon.social 1 points 10 months ago

@treleanor @ajsadauskas @RM_Transit @fuck_cars I did a little work on a VFT consulting project in early 90s. I love the Utopia episode: https://youtu.be/8av3knflbQo?si=t_C_yOZbRX8iB6sy.

[-] v81@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Very rarely do I have a positive view on posts in this com, but this is a rare exception.

No mindless, pointless, circle jerk hating, but rather a positive and legitimate wish and view toward an alternative.

People can hate on cars so they want, but since people and places end up making cars nesecary.

Earlier this year I needed to go Melbourne to Albury, usually a trip done in a car, but this time I had use of a car at the other end so I took the train. Was a fantastic trip. Access to a small food bar, toilets, the occasional stop at more significant towns.

Trains kick ass.

I'd love to see a better in town solution for transport, buses and whatever both in Albury and my home town aren't really up to scratch yet.

[-] jedsetter@aus.social 1 points 10 months ago

@ajsadauskas @fuck_cars

Hey @RM_Transit not sure if you're aware but nsw trainlink who run the syd-Melb xpt have placed an order to replace the xpts and it doesn't include sleeper carriages. I think that would've been worth including in your vid because it really kicks the can on expanding sleeper service another 30 years down the road. It's not insurmountable, but it's difficult to see expanding sleeper service as a viable way fwd when we have brand new carriages that don't have that function.

I think a bit of advocacy and awareness around that issue would be helpful!

[-] luciedigitalni@aus.social 1 points 10 months ago

@ajsadauskas @RM_Transit @fuck_cars totally agree. there is no excuse for work not to start immediately on upgrading the tracks between Campbelltown and Mittagong. That will have significant benefits for freight and passenger services to both Canberra and Melbourne

[-] jedsetter@aus.social 1 points 10 months ago

@ajsadauskas @RM_Transit @fuck_cars yeah there is no doubt about that. Gladys came so close to getting it...

this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2023
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