Is there any news/advice on upgraded facilities, expanded use or services for the Tennyson link to service the tennis centre when it opens next year? Or will it be Yeerongpilly that gets the job...

Thanks in advance...

When I purchased tickets for the Brisbane International to be held there in January, advice was that Brisbane bus and Citytrain travel was included, including the free shuttle from Corinda to the Queensland Tennis Centre.

Sounds like nothing extra to Tennyson station.  I'm wondering if Gold Coast trains will stop at Yeerongpilly for the week.

I think Yeerongpilly will be the main stop, as AFAIK they are construction proper paths/bridges etc. from there to the Tennis Centre.

Yeerongpilly is closer to the entrance, has a full length platform and regular services (with easy provision for additional capacity by stopping GC trains there), with the potential  for even chucking on some direct services to and from other parts of the network, eg Cleveland, Ipswich and Milton-Sherwood.  

They are constructing a walkway at raod level which mates up with the existing overbridge (which has the effect of making it impossible to extend the dual gauge siding that comes up from Clapham further north as a fourth track towards the City - this would have to go over the eastern side now as there is no space left on the western edge).

It will be interesting to see how large crowds cope with this path.  It is fenced in from the road and railway and the only entrance point is a fairly narrow gap at the ped crossing at the new signalised intersection.

Already asked about this in this thread.

Must say I am looking forward to this tournament, flying up on New Years Day, six days at the BI, back to Sydney, 9 days at the Medibank International, then down to Melbourne for the Australian Open for a fortnight.

(I probably will NOT want to see another tennis court come the first week of February).

Dave

Extract from Tennis@Tennyson Newsletter #1

"An overhead walkway will be built over Fairfi eld

Road to provide access from the Yeerongpilly

Railway Station to a pedestrian walkway

connecting with the Tennyson Riverside

Development. A multi-bay bus set down area

on Softstone Street will support the site on

event days."

Full link : http://www.tennisattennyson.com.au/pdf/ ... ition1.pdf

Others : http://www.tennisattennyson.com.au/comm_con.asp

Also of note

The Brisbane City Council plans to run city cats to Tennyson with a new stop however this is not going to be completed until after the first tournament

How times change - its a pathway and a set of lights to get over Fairfield Road now.

Sorry - don't think this will ever happen.  They've surveyed to Indooroopilly which would generate more traffic and it's uncompetitive (takes too long) in comparison to existing services.

I have also heard that upstream of UQ there are sections of river that are unsuitable for CityCats.

The Brisbane International tennis at Tennyson is now over for 2009.

The longish walk from Yeerongpilly station seemed to work well, as did the shuttle buses from Corinda which drove past Yeerongpilly station and into the centre.

The Translink site recommended using Corinda and bus rather than Yeerongpilly.  On Friday the message running across the destination screens at Fortitude Valley announced " Passengers for Tennyson board a (sic) Ipswich train & change at Corinda".  No mention it was a bus!

Earlier in the week the same site urged Gold Coast passengers to change to the all stations at Beenleigh for Yeerongpilly.  However, by the Friday when I caught TP27, the 08:34 from Helensvale, the automated station PA system announced the train running express to Beenleigh, stopping only at Loganlea, Coopers Plains and Yeerongpilly.  The train system didn't mention Yeerongpilly, though the guard made a good announcement approaching Beenleigh to announce the unscheduled stop for the tennis.  Many got off and large crowds were already making the trek across from the station.

When Mauresmo retired hurt after only 4 games in the last match at 15:10, a quick check of the timetable showed a 15:29 train from Tennyson to Corinda.  When asking directions from an official I was told that "Tennyson station doesn't work.  You'll have to go to Yeerongpilly".  She seemed surprised when I said there was a 15:29.  I eventually found directional signs to Tennyson station and reached it in about 12 minutes.  Despite more than 4000 people all leaving the tennis at once, we were the only passengers from Tennyson station!

Last Tuesday I went for a rid on some trains. I caught a Gold Coast train south and it wasn't stopping at Yerongpilly and got the next one back after getting off at Coopers Plains and it didn't stop either.  

The walk from Yerongpilly to the Tennis Centre isn't too far. Maybe a flyover and walkway to the standard of at Suncorp Stadium may help.

A pedestrian bridge is planned but it wasn't built in time for this tournament. The current arrangment of traffic lights supplemented by police to control traffic at busy times is probably adequate though. With only one or two major tournaments a year the bridge might be a waste of money. There are other things that could have been learned from Suncorp Stadium, though.

I imagine the venue may be used for events other than tennis though...

Part of the deal with building it was a "no pop concerts" rule. I have no idea what constitutes a "pop concert" for the purpose of the rule but I understand the redeveloped Suncorp Stadium had a similar rule but that has now been waived.

In my opinion it is a moot point anyway because there are venues of similar size in more convenient locations that are more appropriate for any type of event that isn't tennis (or maybe other court-sports like volleyball).

I will word it differently then:

It would be a huge waste of money to build a complex such as this for it to only be used twice a year. Therefore I would expect that it will get other use. There are other things in life besides tennis and pop concerts!

You say it will be a waste of money if it isn't used more frequently. I say it is a waste of money because it won't be used more frequently. All sports stadiums are a waste of money if viewed in purely financial terms. They are constructed to subdue the tax payer and they are quite effective at that task.

There will apparently be a myriad of events held at Pat Rafter Arena that will require the contruction of a pedestrian bridge. Can anyone elighten me as to which ones I have missed? I am genuinely interested!

We seem to have the Brisbane International once a year and maybe the occasional Davis Cup tie? Any other major tennis events? What about non-tennis events? There is nothing that could not be more appropriately accomodated at the Convention Centre or the Entertainment Centre. Both venues with configurations of similar capacity to PRA. Both are proper indoor entertainment venues with air conditioning and protection from the weather for all patrons.

I do not deny that the new Tennis Centre is a fantastic venue. Pat Rafter Arena is without a doubt the greatest tennis stadium in Australia (if not the whole world). My only point is that a pedestrian bridge is not a wise use of funds in the current economic climate especially when it will see so little use. It is a fully-functional, year-round tennis centre. Why disrupt that with some ill-fitting event that should be held elsewhere?

Been to Ken Rosewall Arena, Rod Laver Arena, Arthur Ashe Stadium, Centre Court at either the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club or Roland Garros?

Whilst PRA is certainly top class, to say it is the best in Australia, let alone the world, is stretching things just a little bit (actually, quite a lot).

Dave

Yeah sorry. I was only going to have one nip of hyperbole but I ended up guzzling the whole bottle.

I suspect it will be used for a lot of tennis based events that won't be in the public domain.  Apparently it is the only venue in Australia with grass, clay and synthetic surfaces

By that I assume you mean "not open to the public"? Can't make much money from that!

Its a government facility, it was built by the department of public works, in conjunction with mirvac, so therefore it doesn't need to be used for tonnes of tennis tournaments that are open to the public. An idea for the government would be to open the Tennis Centre when Tournaments aren't on and allow the public to use it, at the relavant costs. And before you say it, I can bet what that would be.

That is EXACTLY what happens at both the NSW Tennis Centre at Olympic Park and at Melbourne Park - the costs are actually quite reasonable.

Dave

Remember we are talking about the Queensland Government

The new Tennis Centre is open to the public and the costs are quite reasonable. It is (or will be) used year-round for tennis. That only strengthens my point.

Have you got prices off the web or something, not that I am against you I would just like to now, play a bit of tennis occasionally

http://www.queenslandtenniscentre.com.a ... court-hire

$17.50 an hour for an outdoor synthetic court.