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The Ballieu/Napthine government's Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport Rail Link study has been released, along with the <a href="/news/the-ballieu-napthine-governments-rowville-rail-study-ignored-the-elephant-in-the-room" target="_blank">Rowville</a> and Doncaster studies, this past week.

Direct links to the Public Transport Victoria hosted documents for the MARL - Melbourne Airport Rail Link study are below:

<ul>
<li><a href="http://corp.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/Melbourne-Airport/Melbourne-Airport-Rail-Link-Study-Overview.pdf" target="_blank">Study overview and findings</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://corp.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/Melbourne-Airport/Melbourne-Airport-Rail-Link-Study-Executive-Summary.pdf" target="_blank">Executive summary</a></li>
	<li><a href="http://corp.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/Melbourne-Airport/Melbourne-Airport-Rail-Link-Study-Technical-Report.pdf" target="_blank">Full Technical report</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Key points</h2>

<ul>
<li>The study team spearheaded by Parsons Brinckerhoff have assumed the rail service following the Albion East base case will be an extension of services running through the Melbourne Metro tunnel. This has the effect of pushing the estimated travel time from Central Melbourne to Melbourne Airport out to 30 minutes.</li>
	<li>The study compared the Albion East base case (favoured and reserved by the Bracks/Brumby government) with multiple options which resulted in three primary candidates:
	<ul>
<li>a direct tunnel link from Footscray via Highpoint SC, the old Maribyrnong Defence site and Avondale Heights with a north westerly approach to the airport</li>
		<li>a direct link continuing on from the Flemington Racecourse line via Highpoint SC, Maribyrnong Defence Site and Avondale Heights with the same approach to the airport as the direct link from Footscray and the Albion East base case.</li>
		<li>and a branch off the Craigieburn line with a westerly approach to the airport</li>
	</ul>
</li>
	<li>only the Craigieburn line branch option provides a higher Net Present Value rank above the Albion East case case.</li>
	<li>a new MYKI fare zone would be created to charge a premium fare for airport access</li>
</ul>
<h2>Cutting through the gumpf</h2>

The direct link options - via Footscray and Flemington Racecourse - provide an opportunity to focus new urban development surrounding the stations along the routes (Highpoint SC, Maribyrnong and to a lesser extent Avondale Heights) but are essentially twice the estimated cost of either the Albion East or Craigieburn options. Let's simply rule these two options out based on cost alone - the Moonee Valley/Maribyrnong LGAs have a lot of scope to increase PT usage in their respective areas through better utilising road based PT: expanding tram lines and creating more permanent bus lanes.

The Craigieburn line option is estimated to cost around about the same price as an Albion East, but take a longer time for an end to end journey: not to mention services would be mixed with Craigieburn and Upfield services in the city loop (post Melbourne Metro tunnel opening) and throughout the whole line, thus limiting the ability for faster and more express airport services.

This brings us back to square one - the study by the Bracks/Brumby government a decade ago is essentially still valid and they were right to protect this corridor for a future Rail Link. It's what the study has focused on, in terms of operations, on the Albion East base case that needs picking apart.

<h2>Forget the rest, Albion East it is</h2>

The curious assumpton, or at least that's the impression I got from reading through the full report, study findings and executive summary, is that the Albion East route to Melbourne airport will become a 3rd branch of the Sunshine-Dandenong metro line which will be created when the Melbourne Metro tunnel is opened and the Melton line is electrified.

Point 3.4.1 on Page 24 of the full report states:

<blockquote>
"Regional Rail Link is a new rail line that separates regional trains from the metropolitan trains. This will provide dedicated tracks from Sunshine to Southern Cross for trains from Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat. The project will provide greater capacity for Melbourne rail services to cater for the residential growth that is occurring in the western growth areas of Melbourne.

This project is relevant to the Melbourne Airport Rail Link because it may present an opportunity to use these new rail lines for part of the alignment or increase capacity on the existing Metropolitan rail network to allow for MARL services. It also presents the opportunity for an airport service to connect at stations that are being upgraded as part of the Regional Rail Link."
</blockquote>

It goes on to say:

<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>A meeting was held on 19 June 2012 with key representatives from the Regional Rail Link Authority to discuss the current status of the project and the likely opportunities/constraints it may have for MARL. The following key points were summarised from the discussion that are of relevance to the AAS:</li>
	<li>there is potential to unlock latent demand at Platforms 1-7 at Souther Cross Station to accommodate new services, as V/Line locomotives are phased out of operation in the future</li>
	<li>The RRL design uncovered a range of constraints, including:
	<ul>
<li>limited reservation through Footscray for new tracks</li>
		<li>the need to widen bridge spans between Sunshine and Footscray</li>
		<li>the Sunshine Orchid (a threatened flora species) at Sunshine, resulting in changes being made to the design</li>
	</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>

Then spread across pages 28 and page 29, there's this:

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/tulla_study_pages28-29.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="From Pages 28 and 29 of the Final report"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/tulla_study_pages28-29.jpg?itok=n4GrGlVV" title="From Pages 28 and 29 of the Final report"></a>

Can PTV please explain why using the Regional Rail Link tracks are not considered suitable in the strategic rail operations plan?

Further questions that need to be asked:

<ol>
<li>Above and beyond the current 10-12 trains per hour (TPH) that currently operate to Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, how many more services are likely to operate once the new Regional Rail Link (RRL) tracks are operational?</li>
	<li>Rather than provide extra frequencies on the regional lines (in particular Geelong), has there been any study into lengthening key platforms on lines to allow longer trains and more premium express services to operate to regional centres?</li>
	<li>When will the RRL tracks between Sunshine and Southern Cross have their signalling system upgraded to cater for 2 minute headways/30TPH?</li>
	<li>How is PTV going to manage Bendigo line conflicts now that metropolitan services have been extended to Sunbury?</li>
	<li>Presumably, the Melton electrification project will require a grade separated junction just beyond Sunshine station: was this factored into the Regional Rail Link's Anderson Road grade separation design?</li>
	<li>When will the new Tarneit corridor be expanded and connected to Werribee (forming a triangular junction in West Werribee) so this linecurrently under construction becomes purely a regional link to Geelong with Wyndham Vale and any station built along this corridor being serviced by Metro?</li>
</ol>
In <a href="/news/half-of-the-melbourne-airport-rail-link-is-currently-under-construction">part two of this series</a>, I'll take a look at how the extra capacity on the new Regional Rail Link tracks could be used with V/Line operating services between Southern Cross and Tullamarine.
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Alastair Taylor

Questions still remain on the Melbourne Airport Rail Link study

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We said our <a href="/about" target="_blank">Hello World</a> back on March 8th and we've now passed a full week of being live and open for user account registration. At time of writing, our analytics platform tells us 2400 people have notched up 27,000 page views covering articles, database listings and forum threads in this time, a big thank you to all.

Until now we've assumed the project database is intuitive enough for people to understand how to use it, however I thought I'd whip up a small guide just in case we were wrong!

<h2>Project Database: The How To and the What Is</h2>

One of the core features of Apartments.com.au that we're very proud of is the Project Database. Essentially it is an independent list of urban projects which fit our urban vs. suburban criteria.

All projects are categorised by the Local Government Area (LGA) they are located in, with the exception of the City of Melbourne LGA which is broken down further (CBD East End, CBD West End, Southbank, Docklands, St. Kilda Road etc) owing to the volume of projects in these specific areas.

Where previously on the <a href="http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197" target="_blank">SkyscraperCity</a> forums (if you're one of those who've been active with us in the past) you had to sort through thread upon thread to find a project, we've deliberately and entirely separated raw data out from the discussion threads.

The search form can be filtered by several levels - select one or many. Once you've made your selection in any of the fields (detail below on what each option is) click the Submit Search and you'll be redirected to a Search Results page. Hit the clear form to reset the whole search form.

The bare bones search functionality we have provided from day one:

<ol>
<li>
Search By LGA - select a specific LGA, this will show you any project we have published in the LGA you selected</li>
	<li>
Search By Property Type
	<ul>
<li>
Townhouse - typically 2-3 levels in height on their own title with shared walls.</li>
		<li>
Low-rise - apartment buildings up to 5 levels in height</li>
		<li>
Mid-rise - apartment buildings between 6 and 12 levels in height</li>
		<li>
High-rise - apartment buildings from 13 levels and up.</li>
		<li>
Institutional - hospitals, schools and other associated public buildings</li>
		<li>
Transportation - any buildings which are associated with private or public transport networks.</li>
	</ul>
</li>
	<li>
Search By Project Name or Address - start typing a project name, a street name or a suburb, the form automatically attempts to find a project you are searching for. You can override the initial results by typing what you're looking for in and then clicking Submit Search, likewise for the following search options.</li>
	<li>
Search By Developer - start typing a development company's name and the form will automatically attempt to match what you have typed with what is in the Apartments.com.au project database.</li>
	<li>
Search By Architect - start typing an architect's name and the form will automatically attempt to match what you have typed with what is in the Apartments.com.au project database.</li>
	<li>
Search By Builder - start typing a building/contracting company's name and the form will automatically attempt to match what you have typed with what is in the Apartments.com.au project database.</li>
</ol>
Unlike articles on Apartments.com.au, there are no direct comment threads per project: this is deliberate as a project's lifecycle can span years and managing long discussion threads is easier to manage in a forum format. Where a project is relatively small, we have grouped them on a Suburb basis in the forum, otherwise there is a 1 to 1 relationship between a single project database entry and a Projects &amp; Construction forum thread.

Another way to search for a project, is to look at the <a href="/architects" target="_blank">Architect</a>, <a href="/developers" target="_blank">Developer</a> or <a href="/builders" target="_blank">Builder</a> taxonomies which we have exposed for full view in "glossary" form if you're interested in browsing, rather than searching for a specific Project. We list all the Architects, Developers and Builders we have in our system and you can then "search for term" which can then show you a page of any projects which match those tags.

<h2>Our favourite, the Project Map</h2>

The project map will expand - in volume of projects (at time of writing, we have published 200 individual projects with approximately another 100 to come) and in terms of extra functionality like searchability in within an LGA/Suburb - and no doubt become the most useful tool to Apartments.com.au's audience.;

The concept is simple: just plot all the projects in our database in a map so everyone can witness the sheer number of metropolitan-wide projects which are going to make their mark on the city - we believe we are ahead of the curve with providing such information and this is the way we believe we are going to enhance community and urban development industry interaction for the benefit of a future Apartments.com.au.

<h2>We want feedback</h2>

If you haven't already, register a user account which will allow you to post comments and importantly you will see the most up-to-date information. If you're not logged in to our site with your own user account (free and subject to our <a href="/content/privacy-policy">Privacy Policy</a> and <a href="/legal" target="_blank">Terms of Use</a>), you will see a cached version which only refreshes every couple of hours - this is a technical decision we made to not overload our server's resources from the get-go.

We're developing a technical roadmap and we want your input! Post a question/comment below or start a thread in the <a href="/news">Forum Issues</a> sub-forum.
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Reflecting on our first week & a user guide for the UM Project Database

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The Ballieu government when it assumed office in 2010, came to power promising to study various metropolitan rail extensions around Melbourne: Rowville, Doncaster, Avalon airport and Tullamarine airport. In the middle of 2012 public submissions were called for by the study team comprising SKM, Hassell, Mott MacDonald and Phoenix Facilitation and just last week, the final report was released by the government. You can see all the documents released <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/publications/" target="_blank">here</a> on the <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/" target="_blank">Rowville Rail Study</a> website.

<h2>To summarise</h2>

The findings of the report, it has been recommended and found:

<ul>
<li>a rail line down the North &amp; Wellington road median is viable with a few caveats, namely relating to rail capacity further up the line and the project being dependent on the Melbourne Metro tunnel project and Dandenong corridor expansion.</li>
	<li>by 2046, 68,000 people will use the line on 4 stations (Monash University, Mulgrave, Waverley Park and Rowville), 16,000 of which will use the service in the morning peak (7-9am). However the study teams report states that a further patronage study should be conducted when/if the project proceeds as per <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rowville-Rail-Study-Final-Stage-1-Report_Executive-Summary-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">page 4 Executive Summary</a>.</li>
	<li>the overwhelming majority of community sentiment wants a one-seat direct train journey to the CBD, refer to: <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rowville-Rail-Study-Final-Stage-1-Report-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Table 8, Page 34 Final stage 1 report</a>.</li>
	<li>the line would run at a peak frequency of 6 trains an hour in a shuttle or full Dandenong corridor expansion scenario and limited to 3 trains an hour without the Dandenong corridor expansion scenario - refer: <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rowville-Rail-Study-Final-Stage-1-Report-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Table 7, Page 35 Final stage 1 report</a>.</li>
	<li>the line east of Huntingdale, as a best case, would be a mix of tunnel, open cutting and elevated structures, refer to: <a href="http://www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rowville-Rail-Study-Final-Stage-1-Report-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">Figure 17, Page 40 Final stage 1 report.</a>
</li>
	<li>station platforms would be able to take 9-car trains that are mooted as part of the Dandenong corridor expansion.</li>
	<li>and perhaps most importantly: "Although this first stage of the study is focused on a rail link specifically between Huntingdale and Rowville along the Wellington Road corridor, previous studies and the many comments we have received from the community and stakeholders over recent months have raised other ideas and possibilities, which we summarise diagrammatically in Figure 14.</li>
</ul>
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/rowville_alternatives.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rowville Alternatives - taken from Final stage 1 report www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/rowville_alternatives.jpg?itok=X5qybzRn" title="Rowville Alternatives - taken from Final stage 1 report www.rowvillerailstudy.com.au" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>

The final paragraph, to my mind, is the most important point: this study was done purely in isolation for a very specific corridor with vague representation of how this can fit amongst a metropolitan-wide strategy for improved public transport (this is not the study team's fault: rather the state government's). By focusing just on the needs of commuters who work in the CBD or people travelling to Monash, the study has shot itself in the foot by dooming it to the "too hard basket" (as I argued in my <a href="/news/submission-to-the-rowville-rail-study" target="_blank">Rowville Rail Study</a> submission).

Providing increased rail access to suburban areas which have a lack of them is, absolutely, an admirable goal: one I support. But I do not support entrenching the notion that train lines are arterial routes just for people who work in the CBD - despite the well documented benefits for Monash University - this is precisely what a branch line of the Dandenong corridor will do.

<h2>The elephant in the room</h2>

The elephant in the room is actually referred to in the graphic above - that involved re-opening parts of the old outer circle rail line corridor from Alamein crossing the Gardiner's Creek Valley, Monash Freeway, Glen Waverley line at East Malvern station and then sending the line in a tunnel under Chadstone - the suburb - with a station at the shopping centre itself and then continuing on to Oakleigh and Huntingdale.

The overarching caveat the Rowville Rail study has thrown up is that the line is dependent on the Dandenong corridor expansion + Metro Tunnel.

Although I will continue to argue for a regime change in the way we plan, build and operate our new rail corridors in the future (refer to the proposal section in my <a href="/news/submission-to-the-rowville-rail-study" target="_blank">Rowville Rail Study</a> submission) when it comes to new rail lines in Melbourne, if the government of the day is adamant that we must continue to use the rail technology that is deployed across Melbourne now - they must consider dropping the one-seat journey notion to the city for Rowville and widen the scope of the now needed (as the study team suggest) 2nd study into this area.

Despite the study team fulfilling its brief - which was narrow in its terms - we need to widen the scope for the 2nd study by looking directly at an Oakleigh-Chadstone-East Malvern-Alamein link. Creating the Rowville line as an extension of the Alamein line has a milder dependency on Dandenong corridor expansion (there will still be a requirement for more services on the Dandenong corridor to take the transfers from the Huntingdale-Rowville section, but there won't be a direct need for the Dandenong corridor to be expanded to take the extra 6 trains an hour from Rowville as well): it could be done earlier and benefit a much larger section of our community.

<h2>Re-opening (parts of) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_Circle_railway_line" target="_blank">the outer circle line</a>
</h2>

As a first stage: Rowville-Huntingdale-Oakleigh-Chadston-East Malvern-Alamein-Ashburton could be built as one project. With a 4th platform to the south side of Camberwell the Rowville line can start operating as a Rowville-Camberwell line on 10 minute off-peak and 6-7 minute peak frequencies with 6-car train configurations.

Instantly, Wellington Road corridor residents, students and employees obtain rail access with the option to change trains for citybound (or vice versa) services at Huntingdale, Oakleigh, East Malvern or Camberwell.

Notionally auto traffic around Chadstone would reduce given that it is only a one train change (at Camberwell, East Malvern, Oakleigh or Huntingdale) from suburbs like Berwick, Cranbourne, Mount Waverley, Mitcham, Croydon, Ferntree Gully, Richmond or Hawthorn and with the opening of the Melbourne Metro tunnel, it would only be a one-train change (at Oakleigh) for people living in Footscray, Sunshine or Sunbury - this has the potential to add passengers to multiple rail lines outside of peaks and on weekends when many people visit Chadstone: the state government would be squeezing more revenue out of existing lines to help pay for any debt / interest it accrued to build the Alamein-Rowville line.

There's an opportunity to reduce the cost of constructing the four new Wellington Road stations and the extra platforms at interchange stations as the Burnley-Camberwell-Alamein corridor would continue to operate standard 6-car train configurations, not 9, as mooted with Dandenong corridor expansion.

There's also an opportunity to further reduce the delivery costs of one new station - by endeavouring to initiate a PPP with Gandel Group/CFS Retail Trust (owners of Chadstone SC) through highlighting the direct and valuable benefit of increased centre patronage by way of a rail link.

In a second stage: Laying a 4th track from Burnley to Camberwell (much of the groundwork was done when this section was originally triplicated) and a reconfiguration of the Richmond - Flinders Street section for the Burnley group lines would allow the Rowville line to run through to the terminus at Flinders Street, therefore becoming a truly multi-functional mass transit line. It would become the stopping-all-stations link between Richmond and Camberwell (with all Belgrave and Lilydale trains only stopping at Glenferrie). The missing link between Alamein, East Malvern, Chadstone and Oakleigh would provide a cross-town, non-road path to connect activity centres such as the educational and employment hub at Swinburne University, the services and retail sector-focused Camberwell &amp; Chadstone SC, services and retail sector-focused Oakleigh, educational, R&amp;D and employment hub at and surrounding Monash University, the high-tech Mulgrave industrial area and of course the predominantly residential areas in Waverley Park and Rowville.

In studying this kind of link, the impact on the Monash FWY, Warrigal Road and Dandenong Road in and outside of peaks should be measured. Swinburne University - another large patronage generator - would move from a two train change (at Phase 1 completion) to a one-train change for people who live in the greater South East quadrant of the metro area.

The LGAs of Boroondara, Stonnington, Glen Eira, Monash and Knox City will have a greater opportunity to focus increased residential and commercial densities in the immediate areas surrounding all existing and new rail stations, with the likely outcome being evenly distributed population growth over a wider area of the metropolitan Melbourne area.
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The Ballieu/Napthine government's Rowville Rail Study ignored the elephant in the room

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Update: 30/8/13.  Kevin Rudd has announced if the ALP are re-elected on September 7th, they will establish a Minister for Cities.  We welcome Federal Leadership in cities and hope everyone who views the following lecture walks away with the same impression we did: increasing density in appropriate areas - distributed thoughtout entire metros - increases localised economic opportunity away from the central cores of Australia's cities.  
If we're to have a debate the future of our cities, we believe strategies like Transforming Australian Cities should be at the forefront of outlining alternatives to never-ending outer suburban growth and a way to get a better return out of each and every Australian city's existing infrastructure for future productive growth.
Original Text 11/03/2013:
The City of Melbourne's Director of Design, Rob Adams, authored a report in 2009, which was then revised in 2010, on how it is possible to grow Melbourne by another 2.5-3.5 million people by utilising a mere 10% of the existing urban area - without sprawling further and further beyond the Urban Growth boundary.
If you have a spare hour, a must for anyone wishing to understand the Transforming Australian Cities strategy should watch <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfnynzD0yDI">t</a>he following lecture Rob gave to the Simon Fraser University in Canada where he paints the historical context and goes through the 11 steps of elimination to calculate the area available for redevelopment in future.
 
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lfnynzD0yDI" width="100%"></iframe>
The <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/Statistics/Documents/TransformingCitiesMay2010.pdf" target="_blank">supporting documentation</a> is also available on CoM's website. 
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/transforming_australia_cities_banner.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Title page from the Transforming Australian Cities report - © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/transforming_australia_cities_banner.png" title="Title page from the Transforming Australian Cities report - © City of Melbourne" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
 
 
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Transforming Australian Cities - a must read

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Vancouver's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SkyTrain_(Vancouver)" target="_blank">SkyTrain</a> started out as an expo line back in the 1980s and has now morphed into three major lines with a fourth on the way.  If you have a spare 30 minutes, I recommended watching this suavo <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9kGEdcYTPs" target="_blank">1985 documentary</a> produced by the operator of the Skytrain Network, BC Transit,  titled "Going to Town" - despite the huge clunky-keyed keyboards, 1980s haircuts and retro livery schemes, it provides a brilliant insight into how automated train networks operate.
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Line" target="_blank">Canada Line</a> is the latest (not including the under construction Evergreen Line) to be open for passengers.  It was built for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics as a mass-transit option for Vancouver's southern suburbs as well as an airport link to YVR airport.  It's automated like the Millenium/Expo lines, but the trains themselves are conventional in the sense they do not use linear induction motors and the "4th" rail like the Expo/Millenium lines do - the line effectively operates the same kind of service and can operate in the same way (i.e flick of a switch, trains can be added into the network to meet acute demand when and where necessary) with the same fares applying network wide.
The purpose of the article is to familiarise people with driverless rail technology - it's not a big scary unknown that would require 10 government studies even before a proper planning process kicks off.  The same principles of rail planning apply: ruling gradients, distances between the train and platform are uniform, disability access is encapsulated throughout both vehicle and station design etc.  The railway itself looks very much like a conventional line with a few minor nuances:
<ul>
<li>
		the lack of line-side signalling, this is because there's no driver's to look at them!  The smarts of the system are remotely controlled.</li>
	<li>
		the platforms are shorter than what we're used to, that's because the system is capable of extremely high frequencies thus not requiring longer trains.  The lines are built for higher-than-Metro-Melbourne train frequencies from day one - the lines simply use smaller vehicles.  Scalability becomes a project of extending platforms (if they're not already built for future expansion in the initial build) and ordering more vehicles to operate longer trains.</li>
	<li>
		there's a mixture of underground, at grade and elevated track. Vancouver has effectively built this system from the ground up and the city didn't have a history similar to Melbourne's where we grew along the rail lines that spiralled out of the core of the city.
		<ul>
<li>
				This marked difference is in fact actually a national difference between Australia and Canada - Australia's early railways, like Canada's, were private monopolies, but Australia's were nationalised very early on and it became the government's job to expand the rail networks where much of the Canadian high capacity mass transit networks in Vancouver, Toronto &amp; Montréal were built from the 1950s onwards.  </li>
			<li>
				In general terms, Toronto's subway, Montréal's metro and Vancouver's skytrain are limited to inner areas and do not have the same metropolitan-wide scope Australian city rail networks do: Melbourne has the arteries, it's now time to connect them outside the inner city.</li>
		</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Comparitively speaking, even without doing a government study it is, on paper, highly plausible that such a line, or system of lines to expand and link existing conventional lines outside the inner city, could be implemented in Melbourne for a lower capital outlay; why?
<ul>
<li>
		The standard platform length for new lines (Rowville Rail Study) utilising the existing fleet will be 250 metres so 9 carraige trainsets can be run (Melbourne Metro Tunnel is mooted to be built with this standard) - Canada line trains are 2 married motor cars measuring 41 metres in total length, thus the platforms in each of the stations are under 50metres in length.  As a rule of thumb should such a system be built in Melbourne, stations with 100m platforms would provide scalable capacity to fit 4-5 car trains.  Shorter platforms whether they are at grade, underground or elevated = reduced station construction costs.   </li>
	<li>
		The 2 carriage Canada Line trains have a standard seating+standing capacity of 330 people, "crush" capacity is 400 per 2 carragie train. A Comeng, X'Trapolis or Siemens that currently roam the Melbourne network have crush capacities around the 800 mark for a 6 carraige train.  </li>
	<li>
		The key point is that the Canada Line will, and does, operate on more than double the frequencies of any single train line in Melbourne - thus providing the same level of service, but in a way that is more attractive to the travelling public: frequency of service.  The number of seats in a train should never be the main attraction, it should be how frequently the train comes and how quickly it can get you to your destination. Whether it's travelling longer distances or getting you to a connection - this is heavy rail's role in an urban transport network: high frequency, high capacity and high speed trunk routes with the "last mile" work taken care of by road-based public transport options if the passenger does not live, work or shop near the train station.</li>
	<li>
		The trains have a smaller profile (dimensions - and don't require overhead catenary as they're powered by 3rd rail) and this translates into smaller infrastructure profile requirements: tunnel diameters are smaller, clearances above the train's roof is not as high (for overhead bridges).  Smaller infrastructure requirements therefore translates into, on paper, lower capital expenditure requirements.  Any new lines in Melbourne will require underground components; it's a fact of life, no government or authority wants to create more level crossings in a city that already has way too many of them - elevated and underground sections must be part of the solution, not part of the backlash.  </li>
	<li>
		Using a Tunnel Boring Method of constrution, the Canada Line (or a solution like it built to the same standard in Melbourne) yields a 12-15% reduction in tunnel diameter as compared to the existing City Loop tunnels.  Canada Line had a 6.1m Tunnel Boring Machine dig the TBM components (internal diameter is 5.3m), <a href="http://www.protransbc.com/canada-line/">source</a>.  City Loop: external diameter 7m, internal diameter 6m (sources vary).</li>
	<li>
		Cut and cover tunnelling: Canada Line 4.26m high and 4.6m wide and are built either side by side or stacked on top of one another.  An <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X%27Trapolis_100">X'Trapolis</a> class train has a height of 4.2m + requirements for more space to fit catenary above the trains.</li>
	<li>
		The slimmer profile (and therefore weight) of the trains also means if a cut-and-cover method of construction is selected for a segment of rail line, you can innovate considerably by double stacking the 2 tracks below the surface in a wide road median - minimising distruption during construction to road traffic as well as nearby houses and businesses.  This is especially relevant to Melbourne given roads like Warrigal Road, Station St (Box Hill), Wellington/North Roads, Bell St, Melrose Drive (Tullamarine), pre-redevelopment Fisherman's Bend could all have the road space temporarily reduced whilst work is underway.  </li>
</ul>
Example of cut-and-cover construction employed in Vancouver.
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover1.png" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
 
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover2.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover2.png" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
 
<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover3.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-702px" src="http://urbanmelbourne.info/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_702px/public/pictures/article-images/stacked_cut_cover3.png" title="Example of a stacked cut and cover tunnel construction employed on Vancouver's Canada Line, source http://seabc.ca/documents/seminars/071114_Canada_Line.pdf" typeof="foaf:Image"></a>
In a conventional train line system with conventional line-signalling, the signals themselves are sign posts, among other things, for the start and end point of a fixed block - this separates trains and stops them from running into each other.  For example on any train line in Melbourne currently, a train you may be travelling on will traverse several fixed blocks deliniated by a signal and the signal tells the driver if it is safe to move into the next block and also tells the driver at which speed they should proceed through to the next block.  Vancouver's Skytrains are themselves a moving block - as the train moves forward, so does the block, thus maintaining separation and tells trains that are behind to either speed up or slow down depending on how close the trains are together - this is all handled automatically with oversight in a centralised control room.
It's this moving block concept which allows the Vancouver skytrains to run at incredibly high frequencies - on the Millenium/Expo lines the theoretical min separation of trains is 75 seconds.  Small trains, very large capacity.  Currently you will only see frequencies of 2-3 minutes on the Burnley or Northern City Loop tunnels - this can be upgraded (and should to squeeze as much capacity out of the existing network as possible).
Some of the recently released Rail studies into Tullamarine, Rowville and Doncaster all assume convention trains will run on these lines and have purported to gold-plate everything making the proposals appear overbuilt, unnecessary and above all else costly giving any government of the day a free kick to place the projects in the too hard basket.  There are cheaper to build, practically off-the-shelf, solutions available worldwide with the same company that built Vancouver's first skytrain line having a large presence and therefore transferable knowledge pool, in Melbourne.
The set of photos below were taken on the opening day of the Canada Line back in 2009 - photographer is Ian Ius on the <a href="http://skyscraperpage.com/forum/">SkyscraperPage</a> forum and they are being republished here with permission.
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Vancouver's Skytrain network - a model for Melbourne's future rail lines

Submission to the Rowville Rail Study

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

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Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

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Alastair Taylor

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