The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956)(about) |
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Thursday 1 July 1926
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NEW RAILWAYS.
PROPOSALS INVESTIGATED.
STANDING COMMITTEE'S REPORTS
Additional Suburban Line.
Reports on seven railway construction proposals were presented to the State Par- liament yesterday by the Railways Stand- ing Committee. The 36th general report of the committee was also presented.
Darling - Glen Waverley.
The committee recommends a new sub- urban railway, from Darling to Glen Waver- ley at a cost of £166,000, with £49,671 for rolling stock, to serve the district between the Camberwell to Ferntree Gully and the Oakleigh to Dandenong lines. The selected route leaves Darling station and traverses the existing unused line to a point just north of Waverley road, where a new sta- tion is proposed. The line then turns east, and runs parallel with and just north of Waverley road to Batesford road, with a station at the junction of the latter road and Warragul road (or Boundary road); thence north-east, crossing Grandview road and Salisbury street to about the centre of the golf links area adjoining Bayview road on the east side, where a station is proposed; then practically due east to the terminal station, just on the west side of Springvale road, with intermediate stations on the east side of the intersecting cross roads (Stevenson's lane and May's road). The proposed line runs parallel with High street on the north and Waverley road on the south, keeping, for the most part, little closer to High street.
It will be necessary for residents to pro- vide the land for the construction of the railway. The amount necessary for this purpose was estimated in November, 1925, as £30.200; in May, 1920, as £41,500; and when the land is actually resumed it will probably, amount to £50,000. In addition to providing the land free of charge the residents of the district will be called upon to pay a betterment rate amounting to a maximum of £10,000 per annum for
five years, or a total of £50,000, subject, however, to the maximum rate for any year not exceeding the loss on the new line for that year. It is calculated that there are 6,000 acres within one mile of the new line, and on an average rate spread over five years in the case of the better- ment rate, and for 15 to 20 years in regard to the land compensation rate, the tax per acre will be £16/13/4. This works out at £4/3/4 per quarter-acre allotment, or approximately 1/3 per foot frontage. It is not intended that a uniform rate shall
be charged on each property, but that the rate should be varied according to the dis- tance from the line. A train service of 24
trains daily will be provided, 14 of the
trains consisting of six cars. The terminus at Glen Waverley will be 13½ miles from Melbourne, the length of new construc- tion from the Darling line being 5 miles 71 chains, and the time take for the through journey to the city will be approxi- mately 35 minutes.
New Goods Line.
Approval is expressed by the committee of the proposal of the Railways Commis- sioners to run an independent line for goods traffic only between the Tottenham yards and the Melbourne yard. The new line will begin at the Tottenham yards, near the West Footscray station, running closely parallel with the existing line, on the north side, to within three chains of the Footscray, passenger platforms, when it will go underneath the main Bendigo line and Geelong line and pass down Bunbury street in a tunnel, emerging to the surface at the intersection of Moreland street, unit continuing then over the Maribyrnong river on a new railway bridge, thence across the West Melbourne swamp area (which is to be reclaimed by filling from the Appleton dock and elsewhere) to the proposed new locomotive depot adjoining South Kennington station; thence to the goods lines between South Kensington and North Melbourne, and on to the Spencer street yard. The proposal is estimated to cost £379,000 for the section from West Footscray to the Maribyrnong River, and £113,000 thence to the Melbourne yard. The existing level crossings over the Ben- digo line will be abolished at Albert and Nicholson streets, Footscray, and also the crossing over the Geelong (or Williams- town) line at Napier street.
Albion-Glenroy Line.
Dealing with the proposal to connect Tottenham via Albion to Glenroy, Broad- meadows, Somerton, or Craigieburn, the committee reports that such a cross-coun- try connection is justified, and will later on be recommended to Parliament, prob- ably from Albion to one of the stations named, but owing to the uncertainly re- garding the site of the new livestock yards a final report on the matter is deferred until Parliament has expressed its opinion as to a saleyards site. The most direct and cheapest route would be from Albion to Glenroy, at an estimated cost of £397,000, but as this proposal would traverse portion of the township of Glenroy, and as the committee felt that the expansion of the suburban area rendered it advisable to keep the heavy goods traffic clear of the passenger lines for at least as far as Broadmeadows, the amended scheme now provided for junctioning with the main North-Eastern line at a point about mid- way between Glenroy, and Broadmeadows, and running thence on a separate goods track to Broadmeadows station at a cost of £407,000. The Proposal to connect with Somerton would traverse the proposed live stock market site at Tullamarine, while the suggested Craigeburn connection would serve the Keilor and Bulla districts,
in which case separate tracks would be
necessary for the passenger service.
Connecting Keilor and Bulla.
A progress report was submitted regard- ing the proposal to connect the districts of Keilor and Bulla with the existing rail- way, system, the committee finding it im- practicable to reach finality on this ques- tion while the matter the live stock and
sale yards site is unsettled. The original
route suggested to serve this district was that leaving the Flemington racecourse line near Epson road and traversing parts of Ascot Vale and Moonee Ponds to near the Essendon High School, thence north-east erly to Keilor and Bulla. This was not regarded with favour by the committee.
the committee considers that possible developments in connection with the sale- yards site make it inadvisable to reach finality in the matter of serving the Keilor Bulla districts at present, because should a saleyards site be approved by Parliament in the area between the north-eastern and
northern lines it may be that the necessity for connecting the live stock yards by rail with Melbourne would permit of financial and constructional advantages for a line to serve Keilor and Bulla. The committee accordingly intends to report to Parlia- ment at a later date on this proposal.
Extension From Casterton.
The committee has recommended an ex- tension of the Casterton line to a 10-mile point at Nangeela on the Glenelg River, en route to Dergholm, with stations at Dunrobin (four miles), near Retreat (seven miles), and at the terminus. The esti- mated annual charges for the first year's operation amount to £7,125. and the re- venue to £2,938, leaving a loss of £4,187. The capital expenditure for the construc- tion of the line amounts to £77,000, and it is recommended that a gift, of £17,000 should be made from the developmental railways account so that interest will be charged on only £60.000. This will reduce the estimated loss on the line for the first year to £3,295.
Dookie-Katamatite Proposal.
The proposal to connect the Dookie to Katamatite cockspur line with the section from Benalla to Yarrawonga by construct- ing a connecting link between Dookie and Devenish, Dookie and St. James, or Kata- matite and Yarrawonga, is not recom- mended. The committee recently recom- mended a line from Yarrawonga to Oak- lands (N.S.W.), a distance of 37 miles, and when that construction is completed an al- ternative means of reaching portion of the Riverina will be available.
Corop Connection Not Favoured.
The committee does not consider it ex- pedient to connect tho district of Corop with the existing railway system. Calcu- lations of the railway construction branch surveyors show that there is only a small triangular area of 4,500 acres that would be more than eight miles air-line from an existing railway. This would mean approxi- mately 10 or 12 miles by road, and while in broken country such a distance might be regarded as too far to transpoit produce to is considered that in level country no great hardship is entailed. Furthermore, a line from Colbinabbin to Corop would run parallel with the line from Rushworth to Girgarre, at an average distance of 12 miles, leaving each line only six miles gathering ground, and probably rendering both lines permanently unprofitable. New Locomotive Shed.
The committee recommends, the Railways Commissioners' proposals for improved sta- tion, yard, locomotive, and other facilities at Ararat, at an estimated total expendi- ture of £85,763, or which £73,627 is charge
able to capital account, and £12,136 to
working expenses, the work to be spread over a period of threes years. It is pro- posed to erect a new locomotive shed, with
a dual turntable, to instal a mechanical
coal-handling plant, construct car repair roads, and provide a vehicle and pedestrian subway at the existing Albert street level crossing, while McLennen street will be closed altogether. The Ararat council offers no objection to the various proposals. The large "C" class engines now running between Geelong and Ararat cannot be brought into the Ararat shed, and the trains must be scheduled to permit of their running through to Stawell. This leads to uneconomical working, which will be re- medied by the construction of the new shed. The carrying out of the scheme will constitute Ararat the most important loco- motive depot on the main line to Service-
ton.
Combating Motor Opposition.
In this general report the committee states:--"The difficulties experienced by the Closer Settlement Board in settling men on reasonably priced land have been considered. In New South Wales the State
has power to take over any land required at
its value at the date of the commence- ment of the session of Parliament during which the act was passed authorising the construction of a particular railway serving the area. That provision does not exist here, and although the Victorian board has power of resumption, and may resort to
arbitration, land obtained in this manner would reflect the increased value caused by the advent of a new railway.
"The committee adds that road motor carriers may 'pick the eyes out' of the rail- way goods traffic, owing to the unduly high classification of the more valueable goods, and it is suggested that class 2 (the highest group) be abolished altogether, with a con- sequential raising of the rates on most low- grade traffic, with the exception of agricul- tural produce. The view is taken that unless something is done in this or other directions the motor traffic will extend and flourish on the best-paying goods, leaving only the dregs of the traffic for the depart- ment to carry."
NEW BORDER LINE.
Bridge at Gonn Crossing,
Accompanied by the chief engineer for railways construction (Mr. C. H. Perrin), the Minister for Railwasy (Mr. Eggleston) will leave for Murrabit, near Kerang, on the River Murray, this morning to open the new bridge at Gonn Crossing. The bridge is being built for the construction of the new border railway line from Murrabit to Stony Crossing. This line will be about 41 miles long, and it will open up a large area of rich agricultural land between the Murray River and the new bolder railway line which was recently constructed from Moama to Balranald. The area is well watered by a large number of creeks and small rivers. Construction work on por- tion of the new railway line is already being carried out.