The Sunshine Coast Case

Rail duplication Beerburrum to Nambour

By: Jeffrey Addison For: Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Minister for Transport and Multicultural Affairs Time: 2:30pm Tuesday, 30th August 2011

Purpose of this meeting?

To make the Transport Minister aware of the significant issues surrounding passenger rail services and freight rail transport between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. This section is a part of the North Coast Line (NCL). The NCL is a 1680km national north-south freight corridor from Brisbane to Cairns. It is predominately a single line, 3 6 narrow gauge track. The Sunshine Coast section of this railway has a great potential for encouraging the use of public transport and easing congestion on the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast. Rail travel times can be reduced, services can be increased and reliability can be improved. After June 6 when the new timetable was implemented, Brisbane to Sunshine Coast journey times became longer (time-wise) than those pre June 6 - which already are the longest (both time-wise and distance) on the SEQ rail network. There are significant cost savings to be made by moving freight off roads and onto rail and this also limits carbon emissions. Highway road maintenance can be reduced by a decrease in heavy vehicles. Road accident costs can be saved and road trauma reduced. In its present state the rail services are severely limited due to a single line congested track from Beerburrum north to Nambour/Gympie. As a symptom of its congestion, 44% of total passenger weekday services from Caboolture to Nambour (Sunshine Coast) are rail buses in lieu of trains. This 54km journey by car takes approx. hour, but by rail bus its up to 1 hours. This does not promote public transport use. The need to upgrade this section of the NCL has been identified in several planning and policy documents, including the SEQ Regional Plan 2005-2026, the SEQ Infrastructure Plan and Program 2005-2026, the Draft TransLink Network Plan 2005, and the Rail Network Strategy for Queensland 2001-2011.

What needs to occur?

The urgent duplication of the line from Beerburrum to Nambour to allow for real improvements, i.e. better transit times, more services and improved reliability to Sunshine Coast passenger and NCL freight rail services.

The Evidence: Point 1. Queensland Government Population Projections, 2011 Edition. http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/products/publications/qld-govt-pop-proj-qld-sd/index.php The Sunshine Coast will grow by 60% in the next 20 years and is the 3rd highest growth area in Queensland. Its 2nd highest in the south-east quarter. The population today (2009) is 323,400 and is projected to be 508,200 in 2031.

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Point 2. A joint report produced by both State and Commonwealth Government departments, the 2007 Brisbane-Cairns Corridor Strategy exposes the critical need for rail duplication to improve freight & passenger services and relieve congestion on the line.
http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/publications/files/Bris_Cairns_Corridor_Strategy.pdf

This strategy was developed by; The Australian Government Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS); the Queensland Department of Main Roads (QDMR) and Queensland Transport (QT). This 2007 Strategy identified 7 major strategic issues. First and foremost being: the efficiency and safety of passenger and freight movement in the section between Brisbane and Gympie; and another: the competitiveness of the North Coast Railway Line and its capacity to handle long-term growth in freight; The 2007 Strategy, in its analysis under Current Corridor Performance p7, states; a major current impediment to the corridors overall performance as rail congestion between Brisbane and Nambour. TABLE 3 Summary of Transport Issues in Regional Centres, tells us on p13, with reference to Caboolture, Sunshine Coast and Gympie track sections; Poor rail track alignment impedes efficient transit times. Under Short Term Priorities (to 2015) p19, it recommends; Continue the current programme of road and rail works ... aimed at addressing rapid growth on the corridor between Brisbane and Nambour/Gympie. This is with reference to increasing rail freight capacity. Most Likely Future Scenario, p14 predicts; up to four per cent a year growth for rail freight. Under Rail, p15, it says; If freight transport growth was sustained at more than three per cent a year, there is concern that current NCL infrastructure may not enable rail freight to grow at the same rate, thereby resulting in the freight growth over three per cent a year spilling over to road transport. See Non-Bulk Freight Growth section at bottom of Page 5 of this report. Unfortunately, all work ceased on the rail duplication work in April 2009, leaving a single line bottleneck from Beerburrum. It did not result in improvements to rail services, nor did it reduce travel times. In fact, the latest timetable revisions resulted in increased (not reduced) travel times! A Ministerial briefing note dated 15 July 2009, confirms that the benefits of increased capacity would not be fully realised until the rail duplication is completed to Landsborough.

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Point 3. This infrastructure construction work has been delayed until 2020 for duplication and realignment to Landsborough (originally promised by Hon. Paul Lucas by mid-2012). The Nambour duplication was originally proposed for completion by 2026, but now is delayed until at least 2031. These works are a part of the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program (SEQIPP) for 2010-2031. Point 4. Caboolture to Landsborough Rail Upgrade Study: Needs Assessment by Queensland Transport (2002), http://www.arup.com.au/clrs/genfiles/needs_assessment_executive_summary.pdf Conclusion p(iii), states; In summary, it has been concluded that the majority of the desired levels of service cannot be met with the existing rail infrastructure. Hence, an upgrade of the Caboolture to Landsborough (my note: NOT Beerburrum) section of the main north coast rail line is needed." The needs assessment found that an upgrade (my note: to Landsborough) will: "improve the level of service for passenger and freight rail services in terms of service frequency, hours of service, seating capacity, freight capacity, reliability, and travel time; allow for a progressive increase in rail services throughout the day and a consequent decrease in Rail bus services in the corridor;" 44% of weekday trains are buses, theres no rapid rail service to the Sunshine Coast. Point 5. Landsborough to Nambour - Initial Advice Statement by Arup Engineers (2007), http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/docs/library/pdf/mp_landsborough_nambour_rail_IAS.pdf The Initial Advice Statement to the Queensland government for the LandsboroughNambour rail corridor stated under: Section 2.3.2.1 Do nothing Option; "It is likely that the region would experience adverse socio-economic effects should the NCL between Landsborough and Nambour not be upgraded. Increases in demand are likely to significantly challenge the ability of the current infrastructure to support an acceptable level of rail service in the future. Point 6. Inner City Rail Capacity Study: MBP (2008), http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/da0198b7-14c9-4603-98db0bfa1ed65fe3/pdf_icrcs_stage_3_technical_pre_feasibility_appendix_a_3_passenger_ demands.pdf

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This study produced for Queensland Transport and jointly prepared by Maunsell |AECOM, Parsons Brinckerhoff, KPMG, Veitch Lister Consulting (vlc) & SYSTEMWIDE, states under; Service Numbers North p20, The Caboolture and North Coast lines have the greatest forecast increase in patronage before 2026, whereas the Shorncliffe, Doomben and Airport lines are NOT expected to increase greatly. Point 7. Submission to Infrastructure Australia re: the Brisbane Cairns Corridor (2008 from 2006 paper) by Dr. Philip Laird, FCILT, Comp IE Aust, University of Wollongong http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/public_submissions/published/files/82_sma suniversityofwollongong_SUB.pdf Reduction of total costs including external costs. p2, "Rail is three times more efficient than road in using fuel to move freight." A special corridor. p5, Section 4B. "The Caboolture - Nambour track is now probably the most congested section of single rail track in Australia. It was recognised as congested as long ago as 1994 in the BTCE report of the National Transport Planning Taskforce." This congestion is shown by freight train curfews during peak hours, expanding the Brisbane Rockhampton electric tilt train transit time from 7 hours (pre-2003) to the 7 hours and 25 minutes it is today, and the ubiquitous (44% weekly services) rail bus. Point 8. The Sunshine Coast Regional Council Interim Roadmap 2010 (2010) http://www.rdasunshinecoast.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Sunshine-CoastInterim-Regional-Roadmap-Final-20101125-v3_online1.pdf Section 2.12 Transport, states; ... transport demand has been growing strongly as well. There are signs that the currently (sic) infrastructure is having difficulty coping with the current demand. Visitors to the region ... are saying that congestion on the Bruce Highway is a deterrent. A number of initiatives are proposed to alleviate some of the demand and these include: Major network additions (e.g. the proposed CAMCOS public transport corridor, North Coast Rail duplication or the Multi Modal Transport Corridor). Section 2.12 Transport; goes on to state; However, even these would not adequately meet the projected demand under each population scenario and more would be required to meet the needs of a substantial population increase. A reported 87,000 person increase in Sunshine Coast residents (SCD 26.8.2011) in Caloundra South, Palmview and other coast growth areas within 10 years will require infrastructure improvements between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

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Point 9. National Transport Commision (sic) Rail Productivity Review Submission by QR Limited (2008), http://www.ntc.gov.au/rfcDocuments/QR%20Limited2008100614090277.pdf It identified the major problem for freight on p11, The infrastructure for longer trains also needs to be provided. Train lengths on Queenslands North Coast Line are limited by the length of the smallest loop (currently 682 metres). The prospect of a doubling of average freight train length on a rapidly growing and potentially rail-friendly corridor represents one of rails most significant national productivity opportunities.
This shortest passing loop on the NCL is located at Palmwoods (between Nambour/Lborough)

Point 10. QR Submission to Productivity Commission by QR Limited (5 July 2006),

Review of the Economic Costs of Freight Infrastructure and Efficient Approaches to Transport Pricing

http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/48577/sub053.pdf

North Coast Line Study, p94, This analysis includes an estimate of the future transport task (based on underlying market growth rate estimates) in the corridor and identification of the economic benefits for government and society associated with investment in rail Note: Figures below refer to North Coast Line from Brisbane to Cairns and are $2006. An investment of circa. $300 million in a number of below rail projects on the NCL could result in: (note present value PV = 2006 dollars)
Extraction of just over 850,000 tonnes of general freight / containerised traffic from road to rail on NCL markets. Road accident cost savings of Present Value $43 million over 20 years. Environmental gains valued at PV $23 million over 20 years. Road pavement / maintenance savings of PV $94 million over 20 years from reduced heavy truck movements. Benefits associated with better transit times, improved service reliability and improved service availability valued at PV $127 million over 20 years. Benefits to rail operators and customers valued at PV $143 million over 20 years. Potential reductions in rail freight costs in the range of 2% to 6% across NCL markets if gains to above rail operators are passed on to customers. An increase in GTKs (gross tonne kilometres) on the NCL associated with additional containerised traffic of 34% over and above underlying growth. The figures shown above total $430m (in 2006 dollars) in potential savings, for a $300m (in 2006 dollars) outlay.

Non-Bulk Freight Growth, p107, From Table A.3 Rail and Road expected average annual growth rates, 1999 to 2025. Corridor By Rail By Road
Sydney - Perth Brisbane - Cairns 4.4% 4.2% 3.0% 4.0% HIGHEST FREIGHT GROWTH SECOND HIGHEST FREIGHT GROWTH

Original Source: BTRE (2006), Demand Projections for Auslink Non-Urban Corridors: Methodology and Projections, Working Paper 66, Table 2.16.

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Summary:
The issues identified are: 1. Significant population pressures on the Sunshine Coast. It has the 3rd highest growth in Queensland, after West Moreton and Mackay respectively. (Source Qld. Govt statistics) 60% growth projected between 2009 and 2031. 2. Congestion: The 2007 Brisbane-Cairns Corridor Strategy identifies a major impediment to North Coast Line overall performance as rail congestion between Brisbane and Nambour. 3. Rail congestion limits passenger services. This is confirmed by the 26 buses that replace passenger trains every day. 44% of weekday services from Caboolture to Nambour are rail buses which take up to 3 times longer to travel 54km (car hour, rail bus up to 1 hours). 4. Rail congestion limits freight services. Freight curfews operate (limits on freight train movement during peak travel times). 1500m freight trains cannot operate here due to short passing loops (currently 682m). 5. Poor track alignment impedes efficient transit times for passengers and freight. Winding tracks and steep grades inhibit rail service speed and efficiency. 6. Improvements from the $298m rail works between Caboolture and Beerburrum, completed in April 2009, will not be fully realised until the duplication is completed through to Landsborough. No gains were achieved by the early cessation of work. Beerburrum is now a bottleneck. 7. Under the Do Nothing scenario It is likely that the region would experience adverse socio-economic effects should the NCL between Landsborough and Nambour not be upgraded. Arup Engineers (2007) 8. Increases in demand are likely to significantly challenge the ability of the current infrastructure to support an acceptable level of rail service in the future. Arup Engineers (2007) That future is here.

Objectives: What do I hope to achieve?

Construction of the duplication of the North Coast Line (NCL) from Beerburrum through to Landsborough ASAP with planning and funding for completion to Nambour by 2020.
Timeframe: Landsborough to Nambour - Initial Advice Statement by Arup Engineers (2007) p9.

The duplication of the line will benefit the national north-south freight corridor and enable improvements to world class standard for Brisbane to Sunshine Coast rail services. Conclusion: The evidence of the urgent need for the North Coast Line duplication from Beerburrum to Nambour is indeed overwhelming (and growing rapidly).

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