For a bit of a visual guide. Docklands is bordered by the yellow lines.
What needed to happen was for the CBD to be more naturally extended down to the waterfront. That would involve sinking the train lines redeveloping everything along what is now Harbour Blvd, to create a destination. As it stands, the trains and Etihad are one enormous obstacle that are very difficult and time consuming to traverse. Lonsdale St etc should be able to extend all the way to the water to create new city blocks. Can’t happen with the stadium there.
Yep when they rebuilt Spencer St station the tracks should have been sunk below road level, until rising on approach to Flinders st station, also removing the 19th century viaducts with the Hoddle grid except for Lonsdale St extended into Docklands and Docklands Stadium built North-South between Bourke and LaTrobe St and new gardens built on decking over the rail tracks bordered by the stadium, Spencer, Bourke and La Trobe. With the Aquarium located in the Docklands precinct instead of in the way wrapped around the rail viaducts on the north bank of the Yarra.
Melbourne just needs less clubs and one stadium, the MCG.
Melbourne footy fans don't want the indignation of going to a 'second' venue so just give them one and less teams playing in it.
Solves multiple problems.
Yeah the aquarium makes it pretty difficult now. Plus sinking the rail alongside the river would be difficult to say the least.
You want to travel in a train below and alongside a river?
I wasn't aware that there was a river going along Spencer street or between etihad and the rail lines? Sure maybe along Flinders street but that's not where I was talking about
Yeah true, i should of said docks, but i wouldn't feel safe under there.
Its fine, I mean the rail lines are already below the ground level, they just need to be dropped by another 2-3m and you can deck over them and then put something on top, i.e. a garden/park. Maybe even have a few pubs up there with beer gardens or whatever. I reckon it would be awesome
If you are sinking the lines at Southern Cross that pretty much locks you into sinking the lines at Flinders St station as well. There is only so much grade changes you can put train lines through and they have to be flat at the station. You then have to consider getting under all of Flinders St, Spencer St, Kings Way, William St and Queensbridge. Add in the Aquarium and the river and its a crazy difficult project. Probably at least the cost of Melbourne Metro or East-West link and the problem of cutting off a lot of the city to the south. It would be a great to happen but just not plausible sadly.
Agreed. Covering the area highlighted in blue seems like the logical change to "open up" the Docklands. Although, I am not a city planner, just a dreamer.
You'd have to sink them though at least another meter, I know they're below ground level but you need clearance. Also you'd have to build support columns for the decking anyway so a large reshuffling of the lines would be required, or at least the removal of some lines. Might as well sink them as well and do it properly. Also you wouldn't need to sink the Flinders street part, just have it go down to a lower point. Would only have to increase the slope gradient ever so slightly.
Yeah I'm really not sure what clearances the rail needs there. Especially the diesels? But remember if you are only sinking the Southern Cross bit then they go into the climb for the Flinders section it might be just too much. Again I can't remember what the maximum slope is that the trains can handle
Melbourne just needs less clubs and one stadium, the MCG.
Melbourne footy fans don't want the indignation of going to a 'second' venue so just give them one and less teams playing in it.
Solves multiple problems.
Agreed. Covering the area highlighted in blue seems like the logical change to "open up" the Docklands. Although, I am not a city planner, just a dreamer.
There's weight limits, which drastically devalues the land to developers.What you're talking about can be done. Just like the Plans to Develop Fed Square East as shown below. Won't happen for any foreseeable future. Not sure why though. Seems like the city could cash in financially while making the city better if sold to the right development.
