Draft 2011 Timetable Changes Confirmed for Sunshine Coast

[Fares_Fair]

Hello All,

I HAVE RECEIVED THIS RESPONSE FROM QR TODAY REGARDING THE NEW (Sunshine Coast) TIMETABLE.

This is the first official acknowledgement I have seen that confirms changes to the timetable.
What those changes are remains to be seen.
I have made bold the relevant areas, hopefully it bodes well for us !


Thank you for your recent email regarding the new proposed timetable and in particular the Sunshine Coast Line.

As you are aware, Queensland Rail undertook a consultation process during November and December 2010
to give the community an opportunity to raise issues relating to the proposed draft timetables.

A large amount of feedback has been received through these information sessions as well as through the Translink website and their call centre including feedback from many residents of the Sunshine Coast.
All of the issues have been investigated to improve the outcomes that the timetable delivers to the community.We are planning to release a summary of the consultation along with the new timetable shortly but this has been delayed due to the extensive flooding and cyclone in the North that we have experienced.

This process is ongoing and I apologise that I cannot provide specific solutions to the issues you have raised regarding the timetable at this time.

Please be assured that additional information regarding changes to the draft timetable will be made available once the review process is complete and I thank you for taking the time to express your concerns regarding the draft timetable.

It appears the release is imminent. 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

 

[Stillwater]

Sounds as though QR is shuffling the deck chairs to have a timetable with more convenient departure and arrival times.  But will there be more deck chairs (trains)?  Perhaps FF, you can reply and ask whether QR has an approximate date in mind for when the new timetable will be ready, even if that is something as vague as 'late Feb' or 'early March', or 'second week of March' etc.

[Fares_Fair]

I'll ask SW, and say I won't hold them accountable for it as it's approximate only.
on my bike ...  :bi

unless ozbob has anything to add ...  (insert ears turned on logo here)   


Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Andes]

Hello Everyone, I am new to this website and think it is a great forum for the awareness and advancement of rail public transport.
As many of you are aware the current timetable for the Sunshine Coast is being fiddled with by the State government.  I would like generate some discussion on the possibility of an improved 'express' service from Nambour to Brisbane and vise versa. 
Unfortunately the upgrading of the existing railway alignment between Beerburum and Nambour will be delayed for a least another 16 to 20 years and the CAMCOS rail line, who knows?? therefore I think it is totally appropriate that the Government improve the existing speed of this service.

Maybe I'm being totally ignorant and selfish but why on earth can't we have an express service in a morning and afternoon peak time which runs from Brisbane to Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Palmwoods and Nambour???  These catchment distances would mean that commuters would only need to drive an extra few kilometres to cut out 6 stations. 
By removing six deceleration and acceleration segments out of the trip the two hour travel time from Brisbane to Nambour could be greatly reduced. 
This type of 'express' service could be applied to the Gympie north train only which is 'physically' different to the other types of passenger trains utilising the sunshine coast network???

[Stillwater]

What you seem to be suggesting, Andes, is a 'limited stops' run, with a train stopping at every second or third station -- leaving Nambour, bypassing Woombye and stopping at Palmwoods, and so on.  There has been some pretty exhaustive discussion of the SC timetable in this forum during the QR timetable consultation period.  No doubt there will be comment about whatever the new timetable is, but it is doubtful whether QR would make further timetable adjustments.  The critical factor is the limitation of a busy single track line with competing freight and passenger trains.  There are also flow-on impacts to scheduling closer to the city.

FF is working with his local federal member to explore options for obtaining federal funding for additional or extra long passing opportunities for trains heading in opposite directions.  In that context, therefore, your idea has merit.  However, at the rate these thibngs move, we would be talking years before capacity changes will occur on the ground, rather than months.  Keep up the suggestions though.

[#Metro]

I think it is a good idea, however I also think that Sunshine Coast really has to get a train service first.
'Soft' planning solutions like buses or timetabling are helpful in other places, but in this case, only a 'concrete' solution will do I am afraid.

Half of all services are buses, the buses don't seem to have a standard pattern either- random express

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/services-and-timetables/timetables/100823_sunshinecoast.pdf

Sunshine Coast line not very good.

[ozbob]

[Arnz]

My guess is that times will be adjusted and stopping patterns swapped between timeslots.

I'm guessing that the "much-despised" 9 stop express will be moved to the less busier peak timeslots (5:00am/5:26am and 3:30pm/4:30pm), whilst the busier timeslots will be running express Northgate-Caboolture.

The 45 min gap on the Sunshine Coast line during the afternoon will have to be moved elsewhere to accomodate the departure and arrival timeslot concerns of the commuters (maybe back to 4:30/5:15)?.  The current timetable has the 45 min gap at 4:32pm/5:17pm, and gap in the controversial draft timetable was moved to 5:04pm/5:47pm.  

As for the famous 5pm departure, thank gawd it's being addressed with the timeslot (hopefully, taking the official word on it) moved later and the stopping pattern being changed slightly to ease overcrowding.  Unfortunately though the 5:15pm+ commuters will still be stopping all-stations to Northgate (as per the Rosewood/Ipswich/Richlands/Caboolture/Nambour sectorisation) before running express to Caboolture. (Can't get everything accomodated unfortunately).

[mufreight]

Hello Everyone, I am new to this website and think it is a great forum for the awareness and advancement of rail public transport.
As many of you are aware the current timetable for the Sunshine Coast is being fiddled with by the State government.  I would like generate some discussion on the possibility of an improved 'express' service from Nambour to Brisbane and vise versa. 
Unfortunately the upgrading of the existing railway alignment between Beerburum and Nambour will be delayed for a least another 16 to 20 years and the CAMCOS rail line, who knows?? therefore I think it is totally appropriate that the Government improve the existing speed of this service.

Maybe I'm being totally ignorant and selfish but why on earth can't we have an express service in a morning and afternoon peak time which runs from Brisbane to Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Palmwoods and Nambour???  These catchment distances would mean that commuters would only need to drive an extra few kilometres to cut out 6 stations. 
By removing six deceleration and acceleration segments out of the trip the two hour travel time from Brisbane to Nambour could be greatly reduced. 
This type of 'express' service could be applied to the Gympie north train only which is 'physically' different to the other types of passenger trains utilising the sunshine coast network???

eliminating six stops represents at best a gain of six minutes and being only single track gains no benefit considering that there are opposing movements both commuter, long distance passenger services and freight services, the point has been reached where improvements to the infrastructure itself are required to enable a rail commuter service to be operated rather than the slower highly inconvenient rail bus service currently operated.

[Arnz]

Maybe I'm being totally ignorant and selfish but why on earth can't we have an express service in a morning and afternoon peak time which runs from Brisbane to Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Palmwoods and Nambour???  These catchment distances would mean that commuters would only need to drive an extra few kilometres to cut out 6 stations.  
By removing six deceleration and acceleration segments out of the trip the two hour travel time from Brisbane to Nambour could be greatly reduced.  
This type of 'express' service could be applied to the Gympie north train only which is 'physically' different to the other types of passenger trains utilising the sunshine coast network???

Current infrastructure won't allow this type of limited stops express train, especially the single track constraints north of Beerburrum (waste of slot/s, especially the sole counter-peak shuttle). 

Not to mention the early 1900s goat track alignment north of Landsborough would slow the train regardless.

[BrizCommuter]

Hello Everyone, I am new to this website and think it is a great forum for the awareness and advancement of rail public transport.
As many of you are aware the current timetable for the Sunshine Coast is being fiddled with by the State government.  I would like generate some discussion on the possibility of an improved 'express' service from Nambour to Brisbane and vise versa. 
Unfortunately the upgrading of the existing railway alignment between Beerburum and Nambour will be delayed for a least another 16 to 20 years and the CAMCOS rail line, who knows?? therefore I think it is totally appropriate that the Government improve the existing speed of this service.

Maybe I'm being totally ignorant and selfish but why on earth can't we have an express service in a morning and afternoon peak time which runs from Brisbane to Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Palmwoods and Nambour???  These catchment distances would mean that commuters would only need to drive an extra few kilometres to cut out 6 stations. 
By removing six deceleration and acceleration segments out of the trip the two hour travel time from Brisbane to Nambour could be greatly reduced. 
This type of 'express' service could be applied to the Gympie north train only which is 'physically' different to the other types of passenger trains utilising the sunshine coast network???

So that would reduce service to the non-served stations? Bypassing stations which already have an infrequent service is a bit daft. 

Another case of "I want an express to my stationitis"
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-want-express-to-my-stationitis.html

[Stillwater]

Anyone heard that 7th March is D-Day for release of the revised Ipswich-Caboolture-Sunshine Coast timetable?

[johnnigh]

Maybe they'll start advertising the improvements once the timetable is fixed in granite 

Telephone response from TL to my feedback/query 'why no advertising improved frequency?' was 'we don't want to advertise until the new timetable is out and we've solved all the problems. And we will advertise... 

but not on our website... 

[Golliwog]

Maybe they'll start advertising the improvements once the timetable is fixed in granite 

Telephone response from TL to my feedback/query 'why no advertising improved frequency?' was 'we don't want to advertise until the new timetable is out and we've solved all the problems. And we will advertise... 

but not on our website... 

One wonders though, will it be advertisment like bill boards on busy roads and the like, or will it be the usual, newspaper notices somethere near the middle of the paper by which point most people have either given up or aren't paying attention, or signs/billboards at/on stations (where they already have the people using it). Yes, letting the users know of the changes is definatly a positive, but shouldn't they also be trying to entice current non-PT users in?

[#Metro]

Maybe they'll start advertising the improvements once the timetable is fixed in granite  Roll Eyes

Telephone response from TL to my feedback/query 'why no advertising improved frequency?' was 'we don't want to advertise until the new timetable is out and we've solved all the problems. And we will advertise...  Wink

but not on our website...  Huh? Huh?

TransLation:

We totally forgot, please excuse us while we quickly bang together something behind the scenes and find an alibi excuse to fend off inquisitive inquiries   



To be fair, TransLink appear to have completely overlooked branding for high frequency buses that are non-BCC as well.

Advertising the frequency is so much better than the "there is a seat popping up near you"--- um, no there isn't and there hasn't been for many many years now!

[p858snake]

Advertising the frequency is so much better than the "there is a seat popping up near you"--- um, no there isn't and there hasn't been for many many years now!

Ah, the new seats billboards with only the QR logo and the Translink one.... One would think that there wasn't any improvements to busses (or other services).

[somebody]

Hello Everyone, I am new to this website and think it is a great forum for the awareness and advancement of rail public transport.
As many of you are aware the current timetable for the Sunshine Coast is being fiddled with by the State government.  I would like generate some discussion on the possibility of an improved 'express' service from Nambour to Brisbane and vise versa. 
Unfortunately the upgrading of the existing railway alignment between Beerburum and Nambour will be delayed for a least another 16 to 20 years and the CAMCOS rail line, who knows?? therefore I think it is totally appropriate that the Government improve the existing speed of this service.

Maybe I'm being totally ignorant and selfish but why on earth can't we have an express service in a morning and afternoon peak time which runs from Brisbane to Caboolture, Beerburrum, Landsborough, Palmwoods and Nambour???  These catchment distances would mean that commuters would only need to drive an extra few kilometres to cut out 6 stations. 
By removing six deceleration and acceleration segments out of the trip the two hour travel time from Brisbane to Nambour could be greatly reduced. 
This type of 'express' service could be applied to the Gympie north train only which is 'physically' different to the other types of passenger trains utilising the sunshine coast network???

There's little point having the stations if they aren't served by every train.  Elimbah, Glass House Mtns & Beerwah are busier than Beerburrum & Palmwoods.  You could argue that Elimbah & Beerburrum should have been closed in the duplication.

A bigger priority is abolishing the shuttles which terminate at Caboolture.  Also, there is little reason for serving Albion/W/T/Nundah in the off peak times.

[Stillwater]

Shuttles have their place.  Personally, I have no problem changing over at Caboolture, provided there are only a few minutes before the other train moves off.  Disagree about Palmwoods not being busy.  It is used by park-and-ride customers from Montville and Buderim, as well as by commuters from around Palmwoods Chervallum.

[Stillwater]

Just to check out the service, caught the 9.40am 'railbus' from Nambour to Caboolture today.  It ran express to Landsborough, then all stops to Caboolture.  Comfortable ride.  Once it got to Caboolture, the bus passengers alighted to wait for the Brisbane-bound train.  Guess what?  It happened to be the train that left Nambour at 10.04am. 

The train from Nambour ran all stops to Caboolture, then express to Roma Street, with the exception of Northgate and Petrie.  An all-stopper to Brisbane left Caboolture about five minutes after the express.

So what is the point of the bus?  It takes people to Caboolture to wait for the train that they could have waited for had they remained in Nambour.

[Arnz]

Shuttles have their place.  Personally, I have no problem changing over at Caboolture, provided there are only a few minutes before the other train moves off.  Disagree about Palmwoods not being busy.  It is used by park-and-ride customers from Montville and Buderim, as well as by commuters from around Palmwoods Chervallum.

Not for the bus feeder and P&R commuters.  They're effectively changing twice (or three) times. 

At least with the express runs in they change only once (Bus/P&R to Train). 

Making interurban commuters change more then twice would make most commuters think twice about catching PT, and would likely make most of them go back to their cars for the entire journey, thus clogging up the highways.

[somebody]

Shuttles have their place.  Personally, I have no problem changing over at Caboolture, provided there are only a few minutes before the other train moves off.  Disagree about Palmwoods not being busy.  It is used by park-and-ride customers from Montville and Buderim, as well as by commuters from around Palmwoods Chervallum.

Don't agree on the shuttles.  It would be better to run all stops from Nambour to the city than have to change and still have to stop at every station.

From the 2009 load survey, AM peak:
Nambour: 112
Palmwoods: 45
Landsborough: 381
Beerwah: 83
Glass House Mtns: 84
Beerburrum: 12
Elimbah: 55

Palmwoods is the busiest station between Nambour & Landsborough.

Just to check out the service, caught the 9.40am 'railbus' from Nambour to Caboolture today.  It ran express to Landsborough, then all stops to Caboolture.  Comfortable ride.  Once it got to Caboolture, the bus passengers alighted to wait for the Brisbane-bound train.  Guess what?  It happened to be the train that left Nambour at 10.04am. 

Not much logic there.  In fact, the bus is only 2 minutes slower than the train Nambour-Landsborough.

[somebody]

Hello All,

I HAVE RECEIVED THIS RESPONSE FROM QR TODAY REGARDING THE NEW (Sunshine Coast) TIMETABLE.

This is the first official acknowledgement I have seen that confirms changes to the timetable.
What those changes are remains to be seen.
I have made bold the relevant areas, hopefully it bodes well for us !


Thank you for your recent email regarding the new proposed timetable and in particular the Sunshine Coast Line.

As you are aware, Queensland Rail undertook a consultation process during November and December 2010
to give the community an opportunity to raise issues relating to the proposed draft timetables.

A large amount of feedback has been received through these information sessions as well as through the Translink website and their call centre including feedback from many residents of the Sunshine Coast.
All of the issues have been investigated to improve the outcomes that the timetable delivers to the community.We are planning to release a summary of the consultation along with the new timetable shortly but this has been delayed due to the extensive flooding and cyclone in the North that we have experienced.

This process is ongoing and I apologise that I cannot provide specific solutions to the issues you have raised regarding the timetable at this time.

Please be assured that additional information regarding changes to the draft timetable will be made available once the review process is complete and I thank you for taking the time to express your concerns regarding the draft timetable.

It appears the release is imminent. 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Isn't there a need for this information to be made public?

[Stillwater]

Not sure what's meant here.  Just what information are you desirous of making public?  If it is the revised timetable itself, the suggestion appears to be that it is subject to some internal review process.  That is, there is a new timetable, but it is going through some quality control re-examination.  That would seem to be a sensible thing.

QR/Translink chiefs, whose attention may have been drawn to other things by the weather crises, simply could have this matter sitting in their in-tray, awaiting sign-off.

The other sort of review that could be assumed to be occuring relates to a briefing to the Minister, Ms Nolan, from her department -- explaining how the concerns of people have been addressed in a timetable revision.

As to the actual complaints being made public, they are unlikely to see the light of day for the simple reason that no timetable revision could adequately address all the complaints.  The real solution on the Sunny Coast Line is to increase the capacity of the line itself.  All people can hope for is that the most efficient and timely timetable can be devised within the line capacity constraints.

Literally, right now the Sunshine Coast Line is being held together with plywood and clamps.  Praying also helps to keep the trains running to the timetable, I believe.

[somebody]

What I meant was the the info that the timetable *IS* to be reviewed should have an official announcement.

[Golliwog]

What I meant was the the info that the timetable *IS* to be reviewed should have an official announcement.

But that was kind of implied by the fact that they bothered to have consultation sessions all over the place.

[Fares_Fair]

What I meant was the the info that the timetable *IS* to be reviewed should have an official announcement.

You are right Somebody,

There has been no information, until this email from QR, that changes have even been taking place
and this caused much angst and anger amongst the Sunshine Coast commuter community.

I tabled the email here (at top of this post) to make it as public as I could.

There should have been an official announcement from TRANSLink or the Transport Minister announcing changes were being made in response to the feed-back.

Whilst I understand (from the RBoT press release) that the Minister directed changes to occur, and we are grateful for that.
She has been conspicuously silent on the entire matter, and hasn't answered my request for information, any information to be made available on progress.

It is unfortunate and shows the contempt held for the Sunshine Coast by this government.


Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

Yes, hopefully the announcements are not too far way now!   

====================

Media release 19 February 2011

SEQ:  Confirmation of Sunshine Coast timetable review is welcomed

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org), a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers, has welcomed confirmation that Queensland Rail and TransLink are working on a review of their proposed new timetable for the Sunshine Coast Line in the face of strong and overwhelming commuter criticism.

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The recent floods and cyclone that damaged Queensland's rail track network and posed operational difficulties for Queensland Rail has, we are informed, diverted resources away from finalisation of the much anticipated new timetable for the Ipswich-Caboolture Line and the Sunshine Coast Line north to Nambour.  While an increase in service frequency between Darra and the City, flagged in an earlier timetable revision, is welcomed those scheduling Citytrain services for the Sunshine Coast Line came under sustained criticism for the inconvenience of proposed train arrival and departure times at Central.  These times would have inconvenienced workers particularly and resulted in a longer train journey for many.

"RAIL Back On Track welcomes news that a summary of the community feedback and a revised timetable that addresses the concerns raised is being prepared and is nearing finalisation (1).

"A petition protesting the original proposed draft  timetable was presented to parliament this week (2), while an estimated 2000 protest letters, calls and other contacts were recorded by QR, TransLink and at the office of the Minister for Transport, Ms Rachel Nolan, who directed her department to reconsider the timetable changes.

"The latest advice from TransLink is that all the issues raised have been investigated, with a view to improving outcomes in a further revised timetable, which TransLink hopes to release shortly."

References:

1.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5401.0

2.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5422.msg47992#msg47992

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[somebody]

What about the Caboolture/Petrie/Sunshine Coast trains serving Albion/Wooloowin/Nundah and Toombul.  Is that going to be reviewed?

I for one would *FAR* rather a 9 minute frequency with a service 3 minutes quicker than a 6 minute frequency.

[ozbob]

What about the Caboolture/Petrie/Sunshine Coast trains serving Albion/Wooloowin/Nundah and Toombul.  Is that going to be reviewed?

That was raised at consultation sessions I attended so it is under review I would assume.  I am sure there was written feedback as well.

[somebody]

The other point is the 30 minute frequency north of Northgate.  Shouldn't something be being done about this?

EDIT: Not to mention the fat timetable on the Ipswich side.  Not sure about the Caboolture side.