Most of these discussions have been carried out in other Mildura threads.
Do we need another thread to re-hash every detail again?

Mods, could you please lock the thread.

Why lock the thread

As our Agent in Maryborough, Blinkey and others now have an opportunity, especially with the guaranteed certainty of Maryborough services re-commencing within the next two years of; taking pictures, checking out and reporting on station refurbs, level crossing upgrades and local gossip, particularly around Maryborough and Ballarat stations where the local employees will hear stuff 'on the grapevine' that doesn't make it into the mainstream media et al.

Requests to lock the thread are premature and very short-sighted  

Mike in Longreach.  

True move the mainline back to the platform. What was gained by moving the mainline away from the platform?
(Trains could take the curve 5 Km/h faster ?)

Your right, but the fact the station was no longer in use also factored in to the equation. Now Creswick will have a passenger service again, requiring a platform. The infrastructure exists already, I don't see the point in building new platforms or extending the current one when you can save money by losing a few kms on the curve.

Does any one know what the $50 million Is going to be spent on

The Bairnsdale and Ararat extensions cost nothing like that
(I was arounld 30 - 40 million for the both of them)

Consultants ?

Requests to lock the thread are premature and very short-sighted  

Mike in Longreach.   [/color]

Rubbish, Blinkey has already contributed in a previous thread.

Now we another thread open again, better to have the new info all contained in one thread, unless you prefer to trawl thru the same smeg again.

Mods, please....

Requests to lock the thread are premature and very short-sighted  

Mike in Longreach.   [/color]

Rubbish, Blinkey has already contributed in a previous thread.

Now we another thread open again, better to have the new info all contained in one thread, unless you prefer to trawl thru the same smeg again.

Mods, please....

If you don't want to be apart of the discussions them don't, no body is forcing you to read it. Frankly, myself, if this is your attitude I would rather you didn't.

Does any one know what the $50 million Is going to be spent on

The Bairnsdale and Ararat extensions cost nothing like that
(I was arounld 30 - 40 million for the both of them)

Consultants ?

Maybe station upgrades, if the trains will stop at Creswick, Clunes and/or Talbot they would need a lot of work. Things are also more expensive today also.

Creswick station is still in a good condition even the goods shed is still there. Clunes and Talbot platforms are right next to the line however Clunes is all fenced off and Talbot station is used as a nursery.

Requests to lock the thread are premature and very short-sighted  

Mike in Longreach.   [/color]

Rubbish, Blinkey has already contributed in a previous thread.

Now we another thread open again, better to have the new info all contained in one thread, unless you prefer to trawl thru the same smeg again.

Mods, please....

If you don't want to be apart of the discussions them don't, no body is forcing you to read it. Frankly, myself, if this is your attitude I would rather you didn't.

Does any one know what the $50 million Is going to be spent on

The Bairnsdale and Ararat extensions cost nothing like that
(I was arounld 30 - 40 million for the both of them)

Consultants ?

Maybe station upgrades, if the trains will stop at Creswick, Clunes and/or Talbot they would need a lot of work. Things are also more expensive today also.

Creswick station is still in a good condition even the goods shed is still there. Clunes and Talbot platforms are right next to the line however Clunes is all fenced off and Talbot station is used as a nursery.

If you think chatting about the same matters is thought inspiring, then mate, I'm happy to be away from you and your opinions.

There was a thread created for all these great idea. this is not it.

A lot of ideas, suggestions and daydreaming belong in the crackpot, bizarre and idiotic threa, which , I suspect many of your's belong in as well.

Apologies if this has been posted somewhere else but what stops (creswick, clunes, talbot) have been confirmed (if any) with the re opening of the maryborough line?

None as yet.

how does return of passenger services to Maryborough affect any possible future standardization of the line to Mildura?

will standardization now start at Maryborough and go north making the line from Ballarat to Maryborough, like the line to Ararat a deadend Broad gauge line.

will they just use the current SG line via Avoca instead of currently going via Ballarat and to Geelong

how does return of passenger services to Maryborough affect any possible future standardization of the line to Mildura?

will standardization now start at Maryborough and go north making the line from Ballarat to Maryborough, like the line to Ararat a deadend Broad gauge line.

will they just use the current SG line via Avoca instead of currently going via Ballarat and to Geelong

This has all been well talked about In a Mildura Passenger Train thread.

how does return of passenger services to Maryborough affect any possible future standardization of the line to Mildura?.....

will they just use the current SG line via Avoca instead of currently going via Ballarat and to Geelong

If/when the decision's made to SG Mildura, AFAIK pax trains will travel via Tottenham to North Shore on the SG, through to Ballarat, dual gauge or perhaps a DG platform 2 at Ballarat and onwards via Maryborough on the existing yet to be converted track.

Mike.  

There has been no talk of standardization of the Mildura track in the VTP

If/when the decision's made to SG Mildura, AFAIK pax trains will travel via Tottenham to North Shore on the SG, through to Ballarat, dual gauge or perhaps a DG platform 2 at Ballarat and onwards via Maryborough on the existing yet to be converted track.

Mike.  

what i mean is how will standardization affect the passenger service from ballarat to Maryborough that has just been announced as coming back.

If the section from Ballarat to Maryborough was converted to SG, then what does the Vline BG train run on. Otherwise passenger will have to change at Ballarat from Maryborough to get to Melbourne.

what is the point in returning a passenger service if the line will then have to be closed for conversion like the Northeast at the moment.

Either convert the line now before returning passenger services. or rule out conversion for years to come.

Apologies if this has been posted somewhere else but what stops (creswick, clunes, talbot) have been confirmed (if any) with the re opening of the maryborough line?

Creswick with a new platform ala Sherwood Park and Maryborough only - as of Friday. This is in the definite maybe pile and is subject to political whims. Time and cost as well as DDA compliance swung the result for Creswick.

Rick

[quote="The Vinelander"]
[i]The Brumby Government has also committed $50 million to reinstate passenger train services to Maryborough, via Ballarat. The project will include upgrading the track, associated signalling works and train stabling as appropriate.[/quote]

Would be nice to see this service operate via Geelong providing the option for Ballarat and Maryborough to gain access to Geelong?

Further towns on the Geelong to ballarat line would also see a return of passenger services.

Does anyone think this is still a possibility?

Regards
Brian

Hi Bevans

Check out the Echuca to Geelong thread on this page.  Would appreciate your feedback there

There are economic, environmental  and social arguments for linking of the Northern and Western  major regional cities with a decent passenger rail service.

Whether it happens or not  is a purely political consideration.

For a government to support such a proposition would require at least

(1) A strong local community support for the proposal

(2) Strong support for the proposition from the relevant local government agencies.

(3) The backing of the local government members of parliament, in this case members from the two Bendigo seats, Ripon, the two Ballarat seats plus those from Geelong.

These prerequisits are an absolute minimum  for any campaign to have such a service. If we want it, then it will mean getting off our back-sides and doing more than just write to this forum. Getting orgzanised, forming local committees lobbying  all around the place. The next state election is in the end of 2010  and I believe that this government needs the regional cities  to keep government. The time is ripe  but it wont happen of its own accord.

Blinky

[quote="bevans"][quote="The Vinelander"]
[i]The Brumby Government has also committed $50 million to reinstate passenger train services to Maryborough, via Ballarat. The project will include upgrading the track, associated signalling works and train stabling as appropriate.[/quote]

Would be nice to see this service operate via Geelong providing the option for Ballarat and Maryborough to gain access to Geelong?

Further towns on the Geelong to ballarat line would also see a return of passenger services.

Does anyone think this is still a possibility?

Regards
Brian[/quote]

It has been talked about here and there and there a lot of people who commute from Ballarat to Geelong and vice versa but nothing concrete but thats how Maryborough came about, a few whispers here and there to start with.
I first heard about Maryborough pass returning in early/mid 2007 and thought nothing would come of it.[/b]

Pls forgive me if this has already been reported:

A V'Line driver friend came into my travel agency yesterday to pick up his tickets to USA.  I quized him as to starting date of Maryborough services.

His reply ' We got a circular from the big bosses just  this week; Maryborough services  are not till 2010'.  

I asked about the line detouring away from Creswick platform. He replied Creswick will miss out but Talbot with its platform gets a guersney.

They will have to 'uproot' the  current Talbot 'museum' cum plant nursery cum picture framer cum? Will the present incumbrent finally be able to sell REAL rail tckets?  He has quite a supply of NSW suburban tickets circa ? plus some VR Talbot to  Ballarat etc circa ? Plus a ANR Sth Aussie 1984 Country T.T poster (that should be saved) + odds and ends of CR, QR memorabilia & even a CR coach ( Was it from the Tea & Sugar; I honestly forget).

Anyway it was a n interesting mish mash; he has done quite a job on obviously a limited budject and possibly without help. I is worth a visit before the renovators move in.

Comments please.  Hugh.

Hmm Talbot? I would have thought that Creswick would have been more viable than Talbot.

Hmm Talbot? I would have thought that Creswick would have been more viable than Talbot.

No doubt with the unique whistle of the VLocity piercing the still air of Creswick, whilst it races through the edge of town at up to 100KPH, this MAY galvanise locals to lobby the Member for Ballarat East to have the tracks slewed and spend the necessary $$ on refurbishing Creswick station.
It will really be up to the locals to agitate strongly though.

However as the track at Talbot is in place, then the Talbotians are very lucky, and will probably be at a population of 300, the smallest town to have a railway station on the V/Line network.

Pity you didn't ask about Clunes, however my feeling is if the track is in-situ with the platform, Clunes with a population of around 850 should also get the nod.

Mike, in Longreach.  

Think your 'driver friend' might be pulling your leg, or VLP are smoking crack.  Surely there are more bogans in Creswick than Talbot to subsidise?

Do ARTC have any control over the Mildura Line or is it Vic Trak exclusively?

Creswick will definitely get a new platform on the Melbourne side of the line.   This was decided upon to improve access to the town.

Talbot will not be reinstated.   Clunes is a remote but possible second.

Do ARTC have any control over the Mildura Line or is it Vic Trak exclusively?

Only the dual gauge Gheringhap - North Geelong C is ARTC. However I think the rest of the line is considered 'important' enough to get federal money under Auslink.