Timeframe Construction is expected to begin in 2010
Cost More than $650 million
Project description
Melbourne’s north, including the areas around Lower Plenty and South Morang, is booming. To serve this area, the Epping line will be extended to South Morang.
Five kilometres of track will be duplicated between Keon Park and Epping, and a second platform built at Thomastown. Thomastown and Epping stations will also receive upgrades to improve accessibility.
Three and a half kilometres of new double track will be laid beyond Epping, and a new fully staffed, premium station will be built at South Morang . Services will run from South Morang every 10 minutes in the peak and every 20 minutes at off-peak times.
The new station will include 500 car parks, a safe drop off area, taxi rank, bus facilities and bike lockers.A new bridge is now being built at Clifton Hill, to overcome a bottleneck and build in more space for trains coming down from the north, paving the way for the extension to South Morang. Preliminary design work on the Keon Park – Epping duplication and South Morang extension is well advanced.
Project benefits
Two tracks between Keon Park and Epping and an extension to South Morang to allow more trains to run and cater for future growth in the north.
A new station at South Morang serviced by up to 380 trains each week,
services from South Morang to run every 10 minutes at peak times
More info also here.
The only bit I don't get is the last sentence. Why does the statement say it will be serviced by up to 380 train per week when the existing Epping station without the proposed works is serviced by 440 trains per week. Does this mean that at least 60 trains will terminate at Epping or will 60 services be removed?
It appears short sighted to not extend all services to South Morang. Maybe it is a sequence timetable issue? who knows. I hope they get it right and also allow for future extensions to Mernda and other growth areas north of Epping.
Currently trains depart Epping every 11 to 12 minutes during the morning peak. Of course making this every 10 minutes is good as it means at least one more morning peak train. Hopefully it will also alleviate the couple of trains that have 15 min gaps either side (like the 8:26am) that get extremely over crowded most mornings.
4 comments:
10 to 12 minutes at peak times!!
My God you have it good.
After I get up from 'my shoe box in the middle of road' I catch the Hurstbridge line, which we share with the Epping Line closer in.
We have, at best ,30 min between trains! Even at peak.
It's not fair (he cries).
I will be lying across the Epping line in the morning as a protest against the discrimination in favour of the Bogans in Epping.
We hippies from Hurstbridge are way more important!
Craigy - do what everyone else does and drive to Eltham or Greensborough. In the morning peak they are closer than 10 mins now.
I won't relate my story about the twenty 20 cricket earlier in the year when there were 6 greensborough / hurstbridge trains before an Epping one. All because of something that happened at 6am apparently.
Also you have to remember there are a shite load more people living north of Epping now compared to in the hills out your way.
Ahhh.. but the parking.
I would need to get the 6.30am train from Eltham or Greensie to get a park.
As it is I drive to Wattle Glen - 20 min from home.
More people out your way, but you should see the new estates going in at Doreen and Mernda....BIG
I need a job closer to home...Cheers
Mernda and Dorren are on the alignment of the old Whittlesea line which follows the Plenty Road alignment. You can see the reserve on Google Maps.
If the Epping Line is extended it would pick up these developments.
My issue is that the govt allows these developments to grow and then decides to do something. By then everyone has a car and is used to using them. It should be the other way around.
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