JUST goes to show this whole debacle was not put together for transport alone … so was it about …

-cashflow for future leveraging/sell-off to other interests?
-value capture?
-other real estate opportunities?

ADD to the cost of this mess the cost of the light rail and Sydney will have achieved far less than expected for a lot more money than anticipated …

Converting Sydenham-to-Bankstown line to Metro will disadvantage thousands, inquiry told

By Greg Miskelly

11 DECEMBER 2019

PHOTO: The new Metro trains are expected to be servicing the area by 2024. (AAP: Joel Carrett)

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Thousands of people will be worse off when the Sydenham-to-Bankstown heavy rail line line is converted to a Metro service, a NSW parliamentary inquiry has been told.

Key points:

• Nine stations west of Bankstown will lose all direct rail connections to the city
• Almost 20,000 commuters will be forced to change trains twice to reach stops including Town Hall and Redfern
• Sydney University says its students and staff will be disadvantaged by the plan
  

The inquiry into Sydney Metro Southwest yesterday probed how the multi-billion dollar project will blow-out some travel times after direct services are cut.

Around 20,000 commuters will lose their express trains to the CBD in the next three years when work on the new Metro line commences.

The stations facing cuts as part of the multi-billion-dollar blueprint to overhaul Sydney’s rail network are Berala, Regents Park, Carramar, Villawood, Leightonfield, Chester Hill, Sefton, Birrong and Yagoona.

The new Metro line is expected to open in 2024.

Roydon Ng, from community group “Restore Inner-West Line” said the impacts would be “devastating” to young people who work and study in the city.

“They will be isolated from the rest of the Sydney Trains network, having to change for the first time ever since the rail network was built,” he said.

PHOTO: Kaashif Ahmed says it will take him an hour to get to work. (ABC Image: Greg Miskelly)

IT professional Kaashif Ahmed relies on a 38-minute express train from Birrong to Town Hall to get to work.

His said his new trip would take over an hour, with two line changes required — the first at Bankstown onto the Metro, and then another at Sydenham back on to the heavy rail line.

“If that change comes in, I have to take three trains to reach Town Hall, which is such a pain for me,” he said.

Helen Huynh, a health sciences student at Sydney University, said she was also losing her direct connection from Yagoona to Redfern.

She said the NSW Government’s plans would “inconvenience” people in her area.

“The communications have not been effective for this multicultural community,” she said.

“There is a lot of Vietnamese people in this area.

“And they haven’t been shown any Vietnamese language communication as to what’s happening.”

A NSW Government submission to the inquiry said the changes will help deliver a 60 per cent increase in rail services.

“Sydney Metro, together with signalling upgrades across the existing Sydney rail network, will increase the capacity of train services entering the Sydney Central Business District — from about 120 an hour today to up to 200 services beyond 2024,” it said.

PHOTO: Helen Huynh’s direct service from Yagoona to Redfern is going to be cut. (ABC Image: Ross Byrne)

Sydney University submitted data to the inquiry showing more than 3,500 students and staff who “live within 2km of stations” would be disrupted.

Greg Robinson, the university’s Director of Campus Infrastructure, told the ABC “continuing with Redfern Station” as the sole rail option for the university was “not a sustainable strategy”.

“Students and staff living west of Sydenham will face about 15 per cent extra travel times, while those using the T3 limited stops service will face up to 26 per cent longer travel times each way,” he said.

He said a proposed Metro stop at Camperdown, which was rejected by the NSW Government, was sorely needed.

Sydney Trains CEO Howard Collins said converting the line to a Metro service would “disentangle” the city’s congested heavy rail network.

“Removing this branch line from the existing railway makes the system operate more efficiently, delivers benefits far and wide and removes a bottleneck,” he said.

The inquiry also probed whether some railway stations may close after the Metro opens — something that remains unclear.

PHOTO: Protestors outside NSW Parliament on Tuesday over the planned station cuts. (Supplied: Sammy Jane Freeman)

SOURCE:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-11/sydenham-metro-conversion-to-hurt-thouands-inquiry-hears/11787988

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IT always was about development … to deliver another 11 thousand holes in the wall …

The top stops along the new Metro Northwest line IT

• The top stops along the new Metro Northwest line

The new rail line runs from the lower north shore suburb of Chatswood. Photo: Peter RaeIn partnership with

The top stops along the new Metro Northwest line

OWEN THOMSON

JUL 4, 2019

When Sydney’s Metro Northwest officially opened to customers in late May, it did more than simply represent the opening stage of a comprehensive transport initiative.

Starting at Chatswood and terminating at Tallawong, the ambitious $8.3 billion undertaking also marks a new era of direct rail access to some of the city’s lesser-known parts.

As Australia’s largest public transport project, the Metro now offers a turn-up-and-go rail service to outer suburbs including North Ryde, Epping, Cherrybrook, Castle Hill, Kellyville, and Rouse Hill.

The mayor of The Hills Shire, Michelle Byrne, says the possibilities offered by the new line will markedly transform the area for residents and visitors alike.

“You can already see changes happening in response to the Metro around the new stations,” Dr Byrne says. “Work has begun at Castle Towers to incorporate a major link between Castle Hill Station and the ground level of the shopping centre.

“And we’re creating a plan for the Castle Hill Showground that will transform it into a vibrant hub serving residents near Showground Station and the broader community.”

Then there’s the long list of attractions set to be delivered by the project’s associated Metro Northwest Places Program – an initiative that aims to create well-connected and vibrant places for people along the line to live, work, shop and play.

“The Metro Northwest Places Program will deliver up to 11,000 new homes, parks and public open spaces, and community facilities from Tallawong to Epping over the next 10 to 20-years,” says Scott Gregg, executive general manager of projects for the NSW Government’s land and property development organisation, Landcom.

“These are transit-oriented developments where communities are built around modern transport, recreation and retail centres,” he says. “The new communities that will grow along the Metro Northwest rail line will enjoy high-quality public open spaces, parks, cycling connections, walking paths, play spaces and sporting grounds that are easily accessible to all.

“These public spaces will serve to support everyone enjoying these new communities – from the residents that will call these places home, to the people working in and around the new employment hubs that will grow along the Metro Northwest rail line.”

Infrastructure improvements resulting from the transport project are already generating many knock-on benefits, rendering suburbs along the route even more attractive to property developers and buyers alike.

The Langston is a case in point. Located just a stone’s throw from the newly renovated Epping station and 18 kilometres north-west of Sydney, this under-construction 470-apartment development combines high-density living with vibrant public spaces.

Conceived as a landmark residential offering, The Langston will also incorporate retail outlets and cafes, thereby creating a vibrant central thoroughfare with paved walkways and landscaped gardens.

“People see the intrinsic value that infrastructure projects add to property, and with one of the best infrastructure projects in Sydney having just opened right on our doorstep, The Langston has a prime position,” says Tim Rees, senior director of CBRE, Residential.

“You’ve got views to the city and retail downstairs and you’re 100 metres from the Metro line and a couple of stops away from Chatswood. The new line is definitely creating a charge of owner-occupiers looking for that connectivity into the city.”

With the Sydney real estate market bereft of urgency, Rees says buyers are now taking three-to-six months to make purchasing decisions.

“Not only are they looking for value, but also the quality and the best position,” he explains. “So, you’re finding that triple A-located projects like ours are getting buyers in this market.

“It’s not just about transport. It’s also about proximity to retail, schools, parks and lifestyle features.”

SOURCE: https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-top-stops-along-the-new-metro-northwest-line-855721/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=link-newsfeed&utm_campaign=c-nsw-content-newdevs-thelangston&fbclid=IwAR1WwX3AQeOpYCPfObUIV5IJEJflkK7Ri0CZXJvjoQUmCtZi4fgVWvvC1II

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HOW WONDERFUL SYDNEY!  But did you figure what will come with it?

MTR staff working to get the derailed trail back upright. Photo: Unlike the Sydney Metro NorthWest the tunnel appears wide; Engineers have raised warning about the narrow Sydney NorthWest Metro tunnel posing risk to life in the event of a crash or fire!

The Wings, a residential project by Sun Hung Kai Properties’ above the Tseung Kwan O MTR station. Photo: Edward Wong

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We invite you to view our Website for numerous reports on what lays behind the new infrastructure of the SYDNEY METRO … it’s all about more development … with a World-wide market for Deve-lopers … their Oyster!

IS the Hong Kong Consortium MTR seeking a like opportunity across Sydney as in Hong Kong?

The LNP Policies remain facilitating this … with the FIRB Ruling allowing developers to sell overseas, and the Real Estate Gatekeepers have been exempted from Anti-Money Laundering Rules in 2018!

Previously with the NSW LNP the foundation for the Sydney Metro was sealed! As early as 2012 developers were able to buy access to a Minister … known as the Dark Lord and the Call of Cthulhu.  A Pro Developer Group known as the “Housing Supply Association” was launched by the Minister …

The Office of Strategic Lands administers the functions of the Corporation  … the Minister for Planning is incorporated as the Corporation!

The Sydney Metro Bill for High Rise passed in the Legislative Council … an extract from Dr Mehreen Faruqi.  She said, “This is neither a holistic approach to transport planning, nor is this value capture.

This is simply a ticket to massive overdevelopment where there are no measures or protections in place for established communities around these proposed metro stations.

Their absolute disregard for communities and democratic planning is galling.

This Government is ripping up the perfectly functional Sydenham to Bankstown rail line, which is publicly owned and operated, to build a metro and hand it over to private operators.”

NOW the Sydney Metro a property developer that happens to run trains … under the Transport Administration Amendment (Sydney Metro) Bill 2018

SYDNEY … we have been warned that the Metro is a death trap with narrow tunnels … view report from John Menadue!

There’s more … SEARCH for:

-Compulsory Acquisition & Land Amalgamation

-The Office of Strategic Lands

-The Sydney Metro Privatised for Development

Proposed rail projects are expected to boost real estate development by more than $28 billion over the next decade. Photo: Peter Rae

Australia’s new rail projects will deliver $28b+ in property development: CBRE

TAWAR RAZAGHI TWITTER JOURNALIST JUN 5, 2019

Real estate developments near rail projects will reach at least $28 billion over the next decade in Australia, according to new research.

While Australians have an affinity for cars, with 6.5 million people commuting to work in them, the growth in rail transport has increased by more than 100 per cent in a quarter of a century, a CBRE report has found.  It also found the average commute distance had increased to 16 kilometres. 

Report author and CBRE head of research Bradley Speers said rail infrastructure was only set to grow and, with it, billions of dollars of neighbouring property development in the pipeline.

“Significant rail projects are underway in all capital cities … having that level of activity concurrently hasn’t been there,” Mr Speers said. “The reason that is occurring is that the population started accelerating 13 years ago and the infrastructure has had to catch up.”

The authors argued that amenities and housing within accessible distance, or 800 metres, of transport routes should be built in order to maintain liveability standards for residents commuting to employment hubs.

It listed several rail projects that will improve commuting conditions, and in some cases decentralise the country’s larger economies into an interconnected network of “satellite cities”.

It also estimated real estate development projects within railway station suburbs based on the known proposed and committed developments, but future announcements could see current figures rise significantly.

NSW

Sydney Metro Rail

This initiative includes the north-west and city and south-west projects, which will deliver 66 kilometres of new rail through the upgrade of 16 stations and the creation of 15 new stations.

The report forecast $1.4 billion of suburban development would flow every year for the next decade because of this rail project, with 15 per cent of these developments confirmed.

CBD to Parramatta

The proposed CBD to Parramatta link will provide an additional rail link to the two CBDs detailed in the Greater Sydney Commission’s three cities plan.

Construction is expected to start by the end of 2020 and is expected to create 113,000 jobs over 20 years.

Possible metro station locations included Westmead, North Strathfield, the Bays Precinct and Rydalamere, CBRE said.

Mr Speers said the amount of property development as a by-product of the rail project would balloon in years to come.

“The Sydney Metro West is such early days that we don’t even know the specific locations of those new stations. There’s no development applications [yet] so there’s plenty of upside,” he said.

He said the new train line encouraged development because “it’s allowing access to effectively new areas of suburbs that have been previously underdeveloped”.

Victoria

 

Melbourne Metro Tunnel

This project will establish five new stations across the CBD, St Kilda Road, North Melbourne and Parkville areas.

Once the project was finished by the end of 2025, the report forecast $707 million of surrounding development pipeline would flow through every year for the following 10 years, with 15 per cent of these developments confirmed, CBRE said.

The Arden precinct, which has seen growth in recent years, is expected to gain significant commercial and retail development.

“The Arden-North Melbourne precinct will deliver plenty of opportunities to developers because of the size [almost 50 hectares] of the proposed redevelopment area,” Mr Speers said.

“Population around the proposed station is expected to increase by 5000, and thus upwards of 2000 dwellings would be required to cater for that population growth. Additionally, there will be developments for commercial uses.”

Queensland

 

Brisbane Cross River Rail

This project will be integrated with the city’s extensive bus system, creating new stations at major commercial, retail and entertainment precincts. It is under construction and is expected to be operational in 2024.

CBRE said corresponding property development would be delivered over the next decade with an estimated cost of $268 million annually.

Mr Speers said the rail project would encourage redevelopment or regentrification in the areas it passed through.

“It’s going through established suburbs or areas. There’s nothing greenfield about it but it basically removes stock that might be getting old and redeveloping it with newer stock,” he said. “Typically, you get higher densities of your residential land use and that adds more value to development cots and the value of what you’re building.”

Western Australia

Perth Metronet

This is a nine-stage rail extension project planned to connect outer-ring suburbs that are undergoing greenfield development to the CBD. It will be integrated with the city’s extensive bus system, creating five new stations.

The Cross River Rail is under construction and expected to be operational in 2024.

CBRE said corresponding property development would be delivered over the next decade with an estimated cost of $66 million annually.

Mr Speers said the project was multi-faceted and would cater for Perth’s urban sprawl.

 

 

SOURCE:  https://www.domain.com.au/news/real-estate-development-near-rail-projects-will-be-more-than-28-billion-by-2029-cbre-report-845360/?utm_campaign=strap-masthead&utm_source=smh&utm_medium=link&utm_content=pos5&ref=pos1

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SYDNEYsiders … how many of you are aware that the Metro is not Public Transport?

The Chatswood to Epping Line – which was an engineering Award winning project was sold out soon after the Liberals took control of NSW to the Hong Kong High-rise Developer, MTR Consortium!

Following which the line was expanded out to Rouse Hill and Tallawong

-a more suitable French design train was rejected despite it having double deck carriages

-the tunnels reduced in size so that double deck carriages could no longer be used!

WILL this be like Transurban to gouge $$ from Sydneysiders?

WHY do you figure the Real Estate Sector were made exempt from the second tranche of the Anti-Money Laundering rules in October 2018?

AND will it mean even more high-rise en route, and greater gridlock throughout the Ryde LGA as more and more people arrive from overseas?

SYDNEY METRO PR Team was on board the train(s) this morning but will not be able to cover up this report!

With all the Spin that there would be a train every few minutes … Commuters haven’t given the Metro the tick of approval … having sat on the platform for more than half an hour!

SHARE!   Think of others!  Let them know!

Alex Chapman

Sunday, 26 May 2019 4:06 pm

#SydneyMetro Just broke down at Macquarie Uni. People are emptying the train, trying to get the train off the stati… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…—
YouEsBe (@Ned__Kelly) May 26, 2019

According to one commuter, Daniel, who asked for his surname to be withheld, delays spanned about 45 minutes.

“We got on at 1pm and were gonna do the full loop from Macquarie to Chatswood and back,” he told 7NEWS.com.au.

“But the trains were shooting past the doors and then having to reverse back to line up.

“It’s a farce, I can’t get home.”

He got off at Chatswood and waited at the platform.

“The screen said it would take 15 minutes, but it never counted down and we ended up leaving after half an hour.”

The new driverless trains’ doors are supposed to line up with automatic glass screens to prevent people standing too close to the tracks.

 

The line cost the state government more than $6 billion.

Sydney Trains have been contacted for comment.

For more NSW local news, head to 7NEWS.com.au

SOURCE:  https://7news.com.au/news/nsw/sydney-trains-debacle-chaos-on-opening-day-of-new-driverless-trains-c-133174?fbclid=IwAR2mAjgdg_W-GWXVUacPXQ6xoJfUmBp59lXsWxWL-j-CuraahbLpzgLPFbw

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THE AUTHOR of this article is John Maconochie who holds a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Melbourne.

He is an experienced Engineer, Investment Fund Manager, Project Developer and Electronic Platform Pioneer!

What the Sydney Metro website doesn’t tell you – as Mr Maconochie was informed by NSW Transport metro engineers at a meeting last year – is that the “customisation” for the Sydney Metro project is a considerate downsize from the standard-sized trains Alstom provides to other cities.

*This is due to the dangerously narrow tunnels.

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Related Article:   John Menadue:  Sydney Metro a Forty Billion Dollar Deception?

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SOURCE:  https://railpage.com.au/news/s/the-sydney-metro-northwest-tunnels-death-traps-in-the-making?fbclid=IwAR1owOSFtn6p7izFtUZ0THWM7TregzV7w4rwwWehHKMhbz_XH1peq7tgiDU

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