Sydney Roads F3-M2 Tunnel Project

Intro

The NSW Government together with Transurban have issued a map to the community showing the "indicative" path for a tunnel to link the existing M2 with the F3 (now "re-branded" as the M1). The path loosely follows the existing daily bottle-neck route of the Cumberland Hwy/Pennant Hills Road, which parallels the current North-West (Epping to Hornsby) railway line. See www.rms.nsw.gov.au/f3tom2/ for details

Open Letter

2 ideas - 1 email (all for better value):

1) don't "provision for future widening" do it right the first time - history shows that every single major route in and out of Sydney needs to be 3 lanes (min). Save time, [overall] money and headaches and do it right the first time.

2) IDEA: move the Hornsby to Beecroft (or take it back to the already underground tunnel at Epping) railway line underground (while the machines are down there) and then sell off the very valuable above-ground real-estate corridor to help fund the project. Long term all the existing property's land value increases as noisy transport corridors are channeled below.

"Stand clear doors closing"

Over the past few months I've noticed that CityRail has installed orange flashing lights above each of the external doors on the older silver double-decker passenger carriages. These lights flash as the doors are closing. I'm a bit miffed on the purpose of these lights as they a fair way above the centre of the doors, so it's not like you would look up at a small flashing light when there are two big bright yellow doors siding shut at eye level. I could understand it if the lights started flashing before the doors started closing, sort of like an amber traffic light, it would act as a warning to hurry up a decide if you on or off the train. But they don't they start flashing as soon as the doors start closing.

The other possible use is that they are there for the guards to use, but I don't know how. Maybe they stay flashing if the door doesn't close properly?

Does anyone know what these new lights are for and why have they only been added now (when we are been told that there's going to be a heap of new trains to replace these trains over the next few years)?

Update: 29 May 2008

I was waiting for a train the other day in Strathfield and noticed that the lights tell the guard when the doors are stuck open.