Light rail sent down a spur

Populations don’t usually depart altogether, just the age range changes.

Trains are better for all age ranges than buses.

and far more pleasant.

LR was never going to be funded in the budget anyway.

Why the focus on light rail? One project funded was an extension of the O’Bahn system in Adelaide, serving its north-west suburbs. The O’Bahn allows everyday buses to run either on a public road and/or a purpose-built busway. Used in various European cities. There’s a significant construction cost for the busway but no expensive rail rolling stock. And because buses have route flexibility, you’re not locked into having rail continue serve areas where inevitably demographic change will mean the population departs at some time in the future. Imaginative, and worth a look.

Gungahlin Al and PM are correct. The IA shortlist published in December is fascinating reading. Is clear that many projects submitted did not satisfy the criteria laid down by IA for submissions, or were not ‘shovel ready’. I think the PWC Business Case for light rail had flaws – which we were only able to see when it was released to the public on the thursday eve prior to the easter long weekend.

The big bonus or public transport advocates from the PWC business case is that it confirms that light rail would be a benefit to the ACT economy. It also states that the current bus network is costing the ACT economy.

In discussions ACT Light Rail have had with people at the federal government level, this is not a one off deal. Because light rail did not receive funding in this round, doesnt mean it never will. The ALP see the IA program running for their term of government.

Id like to see Mr Stanhope show some vision and provide funding for an initial route. The ACT could afford 200 million over 5 years for an initial route to be constructed.

By claiming the ACT government can never afford infrastructure and that ONLY federal money could deliver light rail, the Stanhope government exposes itself as an intellectually weak administration. Its an argument a first year economics student could shoot through with a spitball from a straw.

I also dont believe that the Stanhope government in any way tried to derail the IA bid. That makes no sense at all. The bid was underdone, relied on old data and demanded all or nothing. It was shortlisted (a positive) and sent for further study (also a positive).

Light rail rolls on.

In this budget JC. Gold Coast $365m. $20m for Brisbane routes study.

Gungahlin Al said :

And this is underlined further by the successful funding of similar systems in several other Australian locations.

What systems would these be? Unless I am mistaken the only new light rail project in Australia over the past umpteen years is Sydney circa 1996.

Sure Adelaide has had refurbishment and extension, and Melbourne keeps slowly growing too, but where else is there?

Also the $1B profit over how many years is that figure? Even at a high fare of $4 per ride, that is 250M passengers, not taking into account any running costs.

So the TWU members continue to drive buses and the CFMEU memebers get to pull down belco interchange. ANd both contribute $$$ to the stanhopeless government. Threat over, light rail gone. Toot toot!

i suppose we shouldn’t expect to much from the ACT Government when they are prepared to leave bus passengers standing on the roadside in teh cold while they knock over the interchange.

Gungahlin Al said :

Schizophrenic as always Pandy. You support the light rail concept for Canberra but hate anything and everything ACT Light Rail does.

The reason the bid failed was evident even in your own explanation – the dodgy, unenthusiastic and all-or-nothing presentation of the bid by the ACT ALP government that was clearly set up to fail.

Whereas ACT LR have only ever sought to have the network kicked off with one or two keystone routes built. How exactly is ACT LR responsible for the ALP’s deception?

The undeniable fact is that the PWC cost-benefit analysis has confirmed what many (and I) always suspected: that the government(s) could actually build the entire thing and not just break even – but MAKE money – to the tune of over $1 billion.

And this is underlined further by the successful funding of similar systems in several other Australian locations.

+1.

Well said! Blaming ACT LR Coalition for something they didn’t do, and in fact for something they stated was poorly conceived, is ridiculous.

Schizophrenic as always Pandy. You support the light rail concept for Canberra but hate anything and everything ACT Light Rail does.

The reason the bid failed was evident even in your own explanation – the dodgy, unenthusiastic and all-or-nothing presentation of the bid by the ACT ALP government that was clearly set up to fail.

Whereas ACT LR have only ever sought to have the network kicked off with one or two keystone routes built. How exactly is ACT LR responsible for the ALP’s deception?

The undeniable fact is that the PWC cost-benefit analysis has confirmed what many (and I) always suspected: that the government(s) could actually build the entire thing and not just break even – but MAKE money – to the tune of over $1 billion.

And this is underlined further by the successful funding of similar systems in several other Australian locations.

ACT Light rail missing out wasn’t surprising, since the project didn’t even make it into Infrastructure Australia’s “pipeline” projects list. The Majura Parkway, on the other hand, made it on to the “ready to go now” list, and was pretty much the only such project that missed out in the budget.

I’m starting to think KRudd has something against Canberra