Background - dangerous railway crossings

• Victoria State Government established the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) to remove 75 dangerous level crossings throughout the state
• Williamstown has two dangerous crossings identified by LXRA: Kororoit Creek Rd (completed mid 2018) and Ferguson St (planned removal by 2022)
• Active community groups were established Willicrossing and Williamstown Railways Crossings FB Group
• Willicrossing - resident group mostly living near the railway line and campaigning against a Skyrail at Ferguson St crossing and any extra heavy truck traffic. Also concerned about suitable alterations to the road system
• Williamstown Railways Crossings FB Group concerned about all dangerous level crossings in Williamstown/Newport. Ferguson St where school children and cyclist have had fatal accidents; Giffard St where a primary student and a person with disability deaths occurred which is very close to Williamstown Primary School; Maddox Rd & Champion Rd level crossings on the regional rail line where primary school children from part of the Rifle Range and part of North Williamstown have recently been zoned to a school on the other side of the line. Senior campus secondary students from Williamstown also are zoned to school on the other side of the regional line.
• Formally the LXRA Ferguson St crossing Community Consultation process is about to start in November December 2019
• The Budget for the Ferguson St crossing removal is expected to be $200 million (average cost of the programme per crossing)

Is there a better safer solution underground and is it economically viable?

For many years and on many continents small diameter tunnels for smaller vehicles have been constructed:

• 1986 Channel Tunnel constructed - 2 large tunnels PLUS a smaller 4.8m diameter service/emergency tunnel 50km long and constructed under the seabed.
• Since 19th Century many small diameter tunnels constructed for the Australian mining industry. Around the world there are many small diameter tunnels constructed for industries including transport.
• From the turn of this century Hyperloop tunnels (usually above ground) have been proposed as ultra fast public transport solutions aimed at around 600kph and suitable to replace aircraft travel between cities. This involves specially designed no pollution vehicles travelling through tubes.
• In 2017 The Boring Company in California publicised the fact they were developing 3.6m small diameter tunnels to be built 10-20m below the ground. They are projected to use battery electric Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) instead of diesel driven TBMs. Autonomous Electric Vehicles (AEV) based on Tesla Model X vehicle chasis (ie vehicles already in use) could travel at up to 250kph in the Boring Company tunnels and use lifts or ramps to raise the vehicles street or transport hub level access.
• In December 2018 The Boring Company invited the public to the opening of the first tunnel in California - 1.8 km in length and costing $US10 Million.
• Future Boring Company projects can be found here. The first public transport project to open will be at CES in Las Vegas USA in January 2021. Tunnel construction is underway and expected to take 6 months according to contract documents.
• Large Rail and Road tunnels are astronomically more expensive to construct. In Melbourne Australia the railway tunnel under construction at the moment Metro 1 with 7.82m diameter is costing $1.2Billion per km - that is about 80 times more expensive than small diameter 3.6m tunnels which cost about $15Million per km.
• Competition in faster economical tunnel boring is occurring in the mining industry with Tunnel Boring Machines instead of drill and blast methods becoming more common ie in 2011 a Robbins Tunnel Boring Machines bored a 7km tunnel with diameter 5.49m at 4.8m per hour ie about 10days for 1km.
• In a Twitter challenge Elon Musk stated that a Boring Company tunnel from the Blue Mountains in Sydney to Sydney CBD would be possible at $AU15Million per km ABC article Station costs are additional but many stations could be very small, taking up about two car parking spots.
• In the 21st Century new Public Transport is likely to be seen all over the world starting in the next decade. Hyperloop systems are already being proposed between many cities of the world and a micro public transport better connecting residents to main railways is likely to be significant in transferring people from private vehicle journey to work to public transport. The Boring Company is a leader in promoting this form or transport but will not be the only company which can tender for projects. This was seen in South Australia in 2017 when 90 expressions of interest were received for the Hornsdale Battery Storage after the Twitter challenge between Elon Musk CEO Tesla and Australian billionaire Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon-Brookes that Tesla Powerwalls could be installed in 100days or be free

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THE VICTORIAN STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK SUITABLY QUALIFIED CONSULTANTS TO PREPARE A FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THE WILLIAMSTOWN TUNNEL LOOP PROPOSAL AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR A NEW FORM OF MICRO PUBLIC TRANSPORT CONNECTING BETWEEN THE RAILWAY NETWORK AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES THROUGHOUT MELBOURNE.

Williamstown Tunnel LOOP - deliberations

• WLT could offers a network of minibus size summonable public transport battery electric vehicles available 24/7 which connects Newport Railway Station Hub, shopping areas, tourist areas, education facilities, sports facilities, health facilities and commuter journey-to-work access
• On-demand public transport is designed for many categories of user and would include and assist persons in wheelchairs, persons "driving" mobility scooters, as well as those with prams, bikes, young children
• On the SW Growth Corridor train routes to Werribee which are currently at capacity in the rush hours, would have a reaI improved train service frequency with 8 trains per hour instead of 5 trains per hour (60% increase in services) when the Williamstown Branch railway line was removed
• Rolling stock from the Williamstown line would be freed up for other train routes such as the extra services to Werribee
• Very fast transfer from locations all over Williamstown, Newport and part of Altona North would then be provided to Newport Railway station where 8 trains per hour would be available on the Werribee Line - CBD/Newport/Werribee
• More commuters and others would be able to walk to Micro WLT stations as they are closer to homes
• Micro Stations can be located at existing heritage stations, shopping centre car parks, near schools and on street pavements would be as small as 2 car park spots at ground level
• Lifts would take AEVs up and down to turn into the main fast tunnel. Ramps could also be used where available land permits and for several vehicles.
• Environmentally friendly tunnel systems with battery electric vehicles need no smoke stacks - there would be no pollution in construction or operation. Only fresh air venting would be needed.
• No closure of regular train service on branch line during construction so there would be no interference with existing rail services
• Regular train line could continue operating during first few months after opening to allow for the anticipated rush of people trying the new micro public transport system
• Residents living near to Newport railway station would benefit from a reduction in parking needs in residential streets hundreds of metres around railway stations
• Similarly there would be a reduction in parking in Williamstown tourist/heritage areas and when major events such as cycle races and speed boat racing occurs at Seaworks
• Retention of heritage railway line station buildings with conversion to WTL stations accessing lifts to tunnels
• Travel needs survey could determine the best location of micro stations. Algorithms would determine best routes and station stopping efficiencies. Many origin to destination trips will not need to enter interim stations.
• Geotech specific to suggested would determine/confirm the most efficient tunnelling routes and also with the additional benefit that small tunnels can curve to avoid areas of harder basalt which is slower to bore. It is understood that the Williamstown peninsula would include a mixture of older and younger basalt and other rock/softer formations.
• The feasibility study would need to examine the viability of Williamstown as an initial proposal and also look at feasibility for other parts of Greater Melbourne

Importantly for the community living near the construction sites, building such infrastructure is quiet and invisible. It is below ground level by 10-20m, which means the only visible elements are in the entry/exit points plus there is no pollution.