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Articles on rail transport

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Another election, another infrastructure promise – in the Andrews government’s case, a $50 billion suburban rail loop. Penny Stephens/AAP

Infrastructure splurge ignores smarter ways to keep growing cities moving

In the election bidding wars, parties commit billions to transport projects, often before all the work needed to justify these has been done. More cost-effective alternatives hardly get a look-in.
Victoria has led the way in upgrading intercity rail services with medium-speed VLocity trains that have a cruising speed of 160km/h. Joe Castro/AAP

Let’s get moving with the affordable medium-speed alternatives to the old dream of high-speed rail

High-speed rail for Australia has been on the drawing boards since the mid-1980s but has come to nothing. Three states are developing medium-speed rail with federal funding, but NSW is missing out.
In contrast to most big airports where public transport provides a large proportion of passenger access, 86% of access to Melbourne Airport is by car. David Crosling/AAP

Melbourne Airport is going to be as busy as Heathrow, so why the argument about one train line?

Good public access for Melbourne Airport and others like it depends on not fixating on one solution, like a single rail line, but instead developing multiple options integrated with the city’s needs.
Sydney’s WestConnex is being constructed as a “high priority” project, despite its business case failing to meet Infrastructure Australia’s stated requirements. Ben Rushton/AAP

A closer look at business cases raises questions about ‘priority’ national infrastructure projects

Analysis of the business cases for three of the biggest projects deemed “high priority” by Infrastructure Australia raises questions about the process.
Very wet weather is likely to persuade many regular cyclists and walkers to travel instead by car if they can. This is Bondi Junction after a storm hit Sydney. David Moir/AAP

Too wet? Too cold? Too hot? This is how weather affects the trips we make

The relationship between weather and our travel choices is complicated. We can’t change the weather, but, with many other factors in play, good policy and design can reduce its impacts.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance and the Coalition government are under pressure to fix long-standing problems with Sydney’s train system which have now come to a head. Daniel Munoz/AAP

This is how Sydney’s transport system has gone off the rails

The real challenge is finding appropriate ways to invest in public transport that will not only take pressure off the system but also support improved travel on all modes, including cars.
Fire crews douse derailed tanker cars carrying crude oil in downtown Lac-Mégantic, Que., in this July 6, 2013, file photo. A trial is now underway for three former railway employees charged in connection with the fatal train derailment. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson)

Technology to prevent rail disasters is in our hands

As the Lac Mégantic rail disaster trial begins, here’s how technology can help prevent a repeat of the tragedy that killed 47 people.
Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2013. Subways abound in fine particles often carried by brakes or trains. Diego Torres Silvestre/Flickr

Commuting by subway? What you need to know about air quality

Subways seem like the perfect solution to improve air quality in cities. But what about air quality underground?
Rail investments have brought Ballarat, Geelong and other regional centres closer in travel time to Melbourne than many outer suburbs. Tony & Wayne/flickr

This is how regional rail can help ease our big cities’ commuter crush

Victoria offers lessons in the benefits of integrating metropolitan and regional planning, using regional rail to shrink distance and ease the pressures of growth on our big capital cities.
Malcolm Turnbull has made clear his apparent enthusiasm for a rail line to Melbourne Airport – with or without state government support. AAP/Julian Smith

Airport rail link can open up new possibilities for the rest of Melbourne

A rail link is a big step towards transforming transport access and land use in ways that will enable a much bigger city to remain liveable. And Melbourne can learn from Sydney about this.
Sydney’s bus services are a mix of public and private-operated routes, which complicates any estimates of potential cost savings. Dean Lewins/AAP

Why touted public transport savings from competitive tendering are too high

Estimated cost savings for rail and bus franchising from Infrastructure Australia and PwC will have government treasurers salivating. Problem is, the figures are almost certainly far too high.
Customers who arrive on foot, by bicycle or by public transport contribute significantly more to the restaurant trade than the business owners realise. Mik Scheper/flickr

Parking isn’t as important for restaurants as the owners think it is

A new study shows that restaurateurs would be better off advocating for better public transport access to their precincts rather than for more parking.
Premier Mike Baird (right) has been out promoting the Sydney Metro project, but has yet to explain how the benefits of massive public investment will be shared. Stefanie Menezes/AAP

Sydney Metro’s Sydenham-to-Bankstown line – nirvana or nightmare?

Who’ll profit from the value uplift arising from the huge investment of taxpayers’ funds in creating better-serviced, higher-density suburbs? And what will the changes mean for existing residents?
China has the most extensive high-speed rail network in the world, which has helped reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. Jason Lee/Reuters

High-speed rail? At $200 billion we’d better get it right

High-speed rail is now a well-established technology and Australia needs it, as long as the project ticks all the boxes needed to deliver both private and public benefits.
Malcolm Turnbull is known to favour public transport, but he also sees the need to twin the development of higher-density activity centres with rail infrastructure. AAP/Dan Himbrechts

‘The 30-minute city’: how do we put the political rhetoric into practice?

The ‘30-minute city’ goal is about more than urban rail and other transit projects. It means transforming our cities into centres of activity where work, study and services are all close by.
Interest from international investors looking to take over Asciano, operator of rail company Pacific National, shows that the sector is still seen as a steady market. JULIAN SMITH/AAP

Transport outlook: larger companies will survive global economic downturn and slowdown in mining

International investors competing for a stake and the Federal Government’s positive outlook for mining are both good signs for the largest companies in the transport sector.
Research shows that elevated rail, like this design for Moreland station, has many advantages. Evelyn Hartojo, Melbourne School of Design

The ‘sky rail’ saga: can big new transport projects ever run smoothly?

Elevated rail to remove level crossings, done properly, has many benefits – and the alternatives are more disruptive and costly. But announcing projects with little consultation is asking for trouble.

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