general UNSW chit-chat (2 Viewers)

[velox]

Imagine all the tunneling they would have to do.

 

[Gavvvvvin]

Yeah our geos lecturer said it will never happen because the cost of the tunneling would be astronomical or something.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

I'm sure that they would have said the same for the original underground rail lines in Sydney to begin with, or the Harbour Bridge, or the M5, or any transport infrastructure that will actually serve a great purpose. It does seem unrealistic, and the report doesn't say that it's an official plan, but the state government (perhaps the federal government) has to do something with the train system sooner or later beyond the clearways project.

 

[phrred]

I'd hate to bring up the subject of railways again, but has anyone seen this?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/Christieplan.gif

Once again, from wikipedia, so take it for what it's worth.

the pictures too small when i open it. wat did u search for in wikipedia?

 

[velox]

Click on it to enlarge. Or you have a small monitor.

 

[Rekkusu]

Yeah our geos lecturer said it will never happen because the cost of the tunneling would be astronomical or something.

Well... >< Not really, it depends upon the technology of that civilisation. Look at Hong Kong, & Tokyo, our subways (underground train systems) were built way after all the residential buildings were built. And there are like way more stations than here in Sydney alone.

Gah, I think it's more to do with our Govt not spending our taxpayer's money wisely.

 

[velox]

Are you aware of the difference between tokyo/hong kong and Sydney in terms of urban sprawl? In those asian countries the tunnels wouldn't be long at all since the density is so high.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

But seeing as NSW's Labor Government is undertaking a massive debt-funded splurge to turn back the disaster of the Carr Government, I doubt RailCorp will see any new train lines. A good guide to what NSW will be doing in the future is in Iemma's '06 Budget.

I could have sworn I heard something about the Clearways project, which offers a direct contradiction to that. Damnit, as far as I know, I see the railcorp workers on the train line every day readying the East Hills line for the new rail line construction. Maybe I'm just imagining those things though.

And while I'm at it, I hear all this garbage about the disaster which was the Carr Government, yet I never hear exactly what was done under those governments that warrants it being called a disaster.

Yeah our geos lecturer said it will never happen because the cost of the tunneling would be astronomical or something.

Perhaps that $13 billion surplus could be used for actually doing something, instead of handing out moronic tax cuts.

 

[Curry]

Well... >< Not really, it depends upon the technology of that civilisation

Yeah, go the human civilisation!

 

[redslert]

But seeing as NSW's Labor Government is undertaking a massive debt-funded splurge to turn back the disaster of the Carr Government,

Do you know a single thing are politics? Or do you just randomly generate personal ideals which you think to be correct but have no single clue what you are talking about...

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

My guess: He reads The Daily Telegraph. Wait, maybe worse still - mX!

Not that I don't read mX. Did anyone notice that both mX and SMH printed exactly the same letter in their respective letter of the day columns last week? The differences in editing were clear though. I wonder which was more heavily edited. Did SMH edit it to make it fit in with it's usual intelligent sounding opinions, or did mX edit it to dumb it down for their mostly...dumb audience. I believe the latter is true.

 

[Curry]

Hey Neb are you staying at UNSW?

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

I have until about the 20th of September to work that out. I've been emailing USyd asking questions and the like, but their course just seems so much more complex than the UNSW one (and longer). So who knows. It's actually been quite a hard decision to try to make, and I'm failing at making that decision thus far.

 

[MedNez]

I could have sworn I heard something about the Clearways project, which offers a direct contradiction to that.

Yes, me too.

The Cronulla line has two sections where it's single track only. Both are currently being worked on to expand. Not really a new line, but they are constantly doing work on it.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

What have we learned today children? Right wing/conservative minded people can't string together a formidable argument regarding politics/current events.

I caught the blue line train to Sutherland (from Central) two weeks ago, as my dad was giving me a lift home from there. Nice views of Sydney from that line, but shitty trains. Where are the millenium trains I ask? I didn't see one, where as on the East Hills line I see plenty go past (if I'm not in one) every day.

 

[drewbrow1]

Nice views of Sydney from that line, but shitty trains. Where are the millenium trains I ask? I didn't see one, where as on the East Hills line I see plenty go past (if I'm not in one) every day.

millenium trains are sooooo uncomfortable unless you are a very thin midget.

the V-sets that go to newcastle & wyong pwn all the other trains in the fleet. you gotta get there 20 minutes early tho and get the nigel nofriends seat or you get central coast bogans sitting next to you.

 

[elfm]

the trains with the windows that curve at the top are teh winnar. the seats go up high so you can easily sleep on them

 

[blackfriday]

if they didnt give the telegraph away at uni for free no one would read it. besides, i like the pretty pictures in sydney confidential.

 

[Nebuchanezzar]

Uh, I study it. And let's not forget that where it not for the Carr ideal that we should sacrifice state development for a nice balance on the books, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Big freaking deal. George W Bush is the most powerful figurehead in the world and doesn't know shit about how to run anything properly. Don't get an elitist attitude regarding politics because you've studied it for 5 weeks at university.

Have you heard about the lack of beds in NSW public hospitals? Or that most of them turn away ambulances due to this? What about the massive payment the Carr Government happily took from the Cross City Tunnel's private builders, that Iemma now has to deal with? I could go on...

Wow, a grand list of two points against the Carr state government. I'm no fan of the current state of hospitals in NSW, but from what I'm aware of, the situation is rather similar in all states. Whilst a moron would make the assertion that the ALP can't manage hospitals, a person with a view of the bigger picture would see that perhaps it's the responcibility of all governments to uphold the infrastructure and servies to the smaller districts, such as a state. When the federal government is pulling in a healthy $13 billion surplus and makes no move to invest it in a worthwhile cause (and instead hands out trivial tax cuts!), then you've got someone who can take the majority of the blame.

Money isn't just throw randomly at crap, it's spent for a reason. The state government is losing money because by and large, it's spent it on infrastructure and services. NSW has Australias biggest population in a state. Surely a reponscible federal government would realise this and help secure services for that state instead of playing petty politics and depriving us of the basic services, such as hospital beds that we deserve.

As for the Cross City Tunnel, it's a mess. No-one denies that. Then again, it's rather foolish conjecture on your behalf to believe that Bob Carr is the evil genius who made everything retarded before he left, and just wanted to make life difficult for the next Premier. I had a great time meeting Mr. Carr at his history lecture earlier in the year, and from personal experience (albeit limited), I find it quite hard to believe that this man plotted to leave the Cross City Tunnel in the mess that it was.

Perhaps Iemma shouldn't have dilly dallied around and balked at any conclusion to the mess, before finally striking a deal how ever many months later. It may have been a mistake of Carr to even think about building the tunnel in the first place (even though it wasn't), but it's simply poor leadership to not know what the hell you're doing in a situation like that.

I read the Herald every day for the news, and the DT at lunch for the opinion (most Politics students would tell you that while the Telegraph is a daily amalgamation of unsubstantiated and sensational bullshit, it's the most popular newspaper in Australia, and therefore represents the views of many Australians).

A sad truth really, but not a truth that only a politics student could come up with as you so sorely believe. Every time I ask a Telegraph reader why they don't buy the Herald, the answer lies not in it's opinions or editorial bias (or lack thereof), but rather because of it's size. I suppose that's a good indication of the level of intelligence, or cultural awareness of the average Telegraph reader.

And that makes no difference to what view I hold about the NSW Government. I think Labor Governments in the states keep the Federal Government in check. But Carr made a mess of Sydney's infrastructure. And if you had taken a moment to think about what I said, I meant that we wouldn't be seeing anymore new rail-links, by definition the clearways project is more about reducing congestion than introducing our flailing rail system to more suburbs. Past this, I don't see Iemma investing anymore money when there are other more worthy causes.

Oh I saw it, don't think that I skipped it over. As someone who lives in the suburbs (unlike yourself [Paddington Piers]), I do see and experience the mass transit system in a much more intimate way than yourself. As such, I recognise that the Clearways project is a lot more than simply adding a few new sleepers here and there. It's reducing the congestion, increasing services, increasing express services and starting the basic steps of adding the new North-West rail link that is so sorely required for those districts. Despite that, there are only certain areas that are eligible for a new rail line going past their house. There's no need to add another line connecting random suburbs like some douches seem to think, nor is there any possibility of adding rail to the transit starved Northern Beaches. The Clearways project is a realistic first step in making the rail system, which is currently a fairly good system into an even better system.

The definition of the Clearways project serves no purpose here either. Take a look at a map of Sydney and explain to me where a realistic new rail line could be added? There's one major one that can, and will be added in the North West. Other than that, there's nothing that can and should be added at this point. I look foward to the new Campbelltown/Revesby-Redfern express service, and defining this as nothing more than a few new rail lines is complete and utter idiocy.

They don't work on some lines in Sydney. Now, I wonder whose fault that is...

I'm no engineer, but I fail to understand how these wonderful new trains could work on a line as old as the one from Redfern-Central which is nearly impossible to upgrade, and yet not work on the Sutherland line. Can someone explain this to me? Please?

 

[Dumsum]

Let's just go maglev.