Chatswood to Epping Underground Rail Line

[nOchAos]

Major construction has been ongoing since November 2002. The project includes:

Twin underground rail tunnels (with one track in each tunnel), 12.5km in length and 7 metres in diameter
Connections to the Main North Line at Epping and North Shore Line at Chatswood
Three new underground stations in North Ryde/ Macquarie Park – with two services buildings for each station
Major upgrade of Epping Station, including new underground platform, new aerial concourse and new station facilities
Redevelopment of the Chatswood Transport Interchange

Major work has been ongoing since November 2002 to build the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line.

Tunnelling excavation commenced in late 2003 and was completed in July 2005 when the two tunnel boring machines reached Chatswood.

Excavation of the cut-and-cover tunnel beneath the Lane Cove River was completed in mid-2005, and following rehabilitation and landscaping works, the worksite was returned to the public.

Works within the excavated tunnels are ongoing, along with track work within the North Shore and Northern rail corridors.

The upgrade of Epping Station is well under way, and fit-out works have recently commenced at Macquarie Park and Macquarie University stations.


Source

Macquarie University Station


Macquarie Park


Macquarie Park




Epping Tunnel


Lindfield Tunnell


Chatswood

[MILIUX]

Yum! I love those stripies inside the tunnel.

They're constructing way ahead of schedule. So i wonder how many months in advance they'll open before official completion?

I have been to Green Square station, near mascot. It is very plain, not much outdoor activity, commute volume...just very sterile and lifeless. I wonder if it's going to be the same for those stations between Epping and Chatswood.

Empty & lifeless.

[sirhc8]

Originally Posted by MILIUX

Yum! I love those stripies inside the tunnel.

They're constructing way ahead of schedule. So i wonder how many months in advance they'll open before official completion?

I have been to Green Square station, near mascot. It is very plain, not much outdoor activity, commute volume...just very sterile and lifeless. I wonder if it's going to be the same for those stations between Epping and Chatswood.

Empty & lifeless.

I doubt it. There's not much around Green Square whereas along this line we have a university, major shopping centre and tons of medium commercial.

[Aussie Bhoy]

Awesome pics, send those rail tunnelers up to Brisbane when they are finished.

[MelbourneCity]

That looks good! When is it due to open?
How often will trains run, and what route will they operate?

[James]

Originally Posted by MelbourneCity

That looks good! When is it due to open?
How often will trains run, and what route will they operate?

The line is supposed to open in 2008.

The trains that will run will be every single train in the CityRail fleet except the Vsets (long distance commuter trains) and the Diesel stock.

The frequencies are meant to be 6 trains per hour in peak, and 4 trains per hour in off peak.

Of which 3/2tph are to come from Hornsby via Epping and through to the City, with the other 3/2 to form a shuttle service from Epping to Chatswood, and return.

That is assuming the government keeps to the original proposal.

[MILIUX]

Originally Posted by sirhc8

I doubt it. There's not much around Green Square whereas along this line we have a university, major shopping centre and tons of medium commercial.

Delhi Rd is a bit remote. It's near a giant cemetary and without pedestrian upgrade, not much incentive to use it.

Plus, for Maquarie University, it will be hella crowded during the peak times. The platform is not that wide, and concourse is pretty thin. Hmm...

[MILIUX]

Originally Posted by James

The line is supposed to open in 2008.

The trains that will run will be every single train in the CityRail fleet except the Vsets (long distance commuter trains) and the Diesel stock.

The frequencies are meant to be 6 trains per hour in peak, and 4 trains per hour in off peak.

Of which 3/2tph are to come from Hornsby via Epping and through to the City, with the other 3/2 to form a shuttle service from Epping to Chatswood, and return.

That is assuming the government keeps to the original proposal.

From what i have heard, the rolling stock will be the intercity tangaras (with swivel seats) which will be freed up when OSCAR is in operation for Central Coast/Newcastle line.

[nOchAos]

Originally Posted by MelbourneCity

How often will trains run, and what route will they operate?

Check out the projects profile from their website: Transport Infrastructure

Project Profile
The Epping to Chatswood Rail Line is the largest publicly funded infrastructure project under way in NSW.

The Epping to Chatswood Rail Line will be a new, underground passenger rail service connecting Epping to Chatswood via North Ryde. As part of the project, three new state of the art stations are being built in North Ryde/Macquarie Park. To accommodate the new line, Epping Station is being upgraded and the Chatswood Transport Interchange is being redeveloped.

Designed to meet the challenges of a growing population, the new line will be fully integrated into the CityRail network.

When complete in 2008, the new line will create capacity for an additional 12,000 rail passengers a day with train services running approximately every 15 minutes in each direction. In its first full year of operation (2009), the Epping to Chatswood Rail Line is expected to generate an extra 7.1 million new trips.

Current Situation

The Main West and Main North Lines are currently operating close to capacity, with considerable congestion on the network between Strathfield and the Sydney CBD.

The Epping to Chatswood Rail Line will provide an alternative path to the city via Epping rather than Strathfield. By diverting four citybound trains per hour on the Main North Line, the available capacity of the North Shore Line between Chatswood and the CBD is effectively utilised, freeing up capacity between Strathfield and the City for additional Main West services for an extra 18,000 people.

In addition, the growing employment and educational corridor of North Ryde / Macquarie Park is currently not serviced by rail. The new line will provide three new stations, providing direct rail access for the first time.


Project Overview

Major construction has been ongoing since November 2002. The project includes:

Twin underground rail tunnels (with one track in each tunnel), 12.5km in length and 7 metres in diameter
Connections to the Main North Line at Epping and North Shore Line at Chatswood
Three new underground stations in North Ryde/ Macquarie Park – with two services buildings for each station
Major upgrade of Epping Station, including new underground platform, new aerial concourse and new station facilities
Redevelopment of the Chatswood Transport Interchange
Key Benefits

Increased capacity for the CityRail network and less congestion on the Main West Line between Strathfield and the CBD.
Improved operation of the CityRail system - utilising capacity of the North Shore Line to alleviate congestion elsewhere on the network
Direct rail access for the first time to the growing area of North Ryde / Macquarie Park
Improved integration of public transport services and increased capacity for future patronage growth at Epping and Chatswood Stations
Increased use of public transport helping to improve air quality and ease traffic congestion.

[James]

Not quite. The Gsets have to be removed from outer suburban service (along with the removal of the toilet) to provide enough cars for the service.

Originally stage 3 of the Milenium trainsets was to provide enough cars to allow for the Epping-Chatswood line to occur (by alowing sets to be freed from sector 2 into sector 3), but with the indefinite postponement of Stage 3, and the emergency withdrawl of the 1st generation Vsets - this has left CityRail very vulnerable, stock wise.

It is quite likely that because stage 2 of the OSCARS of Hsets will not be in operation by the opening of this line that there will still be Gsets on Interurban runs (Replacing the Tangara interurban runs). Also at present only 50% of the Gset stock is maintained by Hornsby Depot, the other 50% by Mortdale depot, if all teh Gsets were to go to Hornsby, there would need to be a major stock swap by the depots which is unlikely.

[Randwicked]

Hey wow I didn't realise the stations were cavern-style like that.

[hornetfig]

Originally Posted by MILIUX

They're constructing way ahead of schedule. So i wonder how many months in advance they'll open before official completion?

Tunnelling for the Eastern Suburbs Railway was complete by 1976 but it didn't open until 1979 -- track, overhead and station fitout don't necessarily happen quickly.

[Mr Centrepoint]

Building the delhi road station near a cemetary is a little strange. Like whos going to commute to a cemetary?

[Muse]

I believe people do visit cemetaries...plus there are other ammenties and people living in the area.

Chatswood Station is really "busy" with construction atm. Lots of work yet to be done, but they seem to be working relatively quickly on it.

[Ipggi]

Originally Posted by Mr Centrepoint

Building the delhi road station near a cemetary is a little strange. Like whos going to commute to a cemetary?

In Perth on the Fremantle line, they have a train station at a cemetary. It's Karrakatta Cemetery, the largest in the state and the station is aptly named Karrakatta.

[Mr Centrepoint]

Is there anything like a shopping centre or a university nearby?

[invincible]

Originally Posted by Ipggi

In Perth on the Fremantle line, they have a train station at a cemetary. It's Karrakatta Cemetery, the largest in the state and the station is aptly named Karrakatta.

Springvale Cemetery (now the Springvale Necropolis) used to have its own branch line.

[papervagina]

Originally Posted by Mr Centrepoint

Building the delhi road station near a cemetary is a little strange. Like whos going to commute to a cemetary?

Well just a little further down Delhi road are TV studios, CSIRO, Microsoft, Oracle and several other companies. I suppose they put the station up near Epping Road so that it might be useful to both people who live on the other side of Epping Road as well as those that work in the offices in the other direction. The nearby tunneling site will probably be redeveloped once the line is complete, too.

[James Saito]

Originally Posted by Mr Centrepoint

Is there anything like a shopping centre or a university nearby?

There is Riverside Corporate Park including Microsoft across the cemetery.

[James Saito]

I wonder why there is no station at UTS Kuringai Campus although the rail track goes directly underneath it. UTS students and staff must be spewing!!