All aboard the Santa Express!

[ozbob]

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/MediaReleases/Pages/AllaboardtheSantaExpress!2011.aspx

All aboard the Santa Express!

1/12/2011

With just three weeks until Christmas, Santa is making a very special trip to South East Queensland when he jumps on board the Santa Express.

Queensland Rail is rolling out the red carpet for its special guest, as Santa takes time out of his busy schedule to spread the Christmas cheer across the City network from 12 to 16 December.

Queensland Rail A/ Chief Customer Officer Max Kruse said children were invited to hop on the special Santa Express to sing Christmas carols, receive candy canes and have their photo taken with the man himself.

"Santa is a very busy man, but he's made a special exception to join us on the Santa Express which will travel across the South East Queensland rail network next week," Mr Kruse said.

"We are delighted Santa can join us again this year in spreading the Christmas cheer this festive season from Caboolture to Rosewood, Varsity Lakes to Cleveland, and everywhere in between.

"The Santa Express will stop at all stations so every child will have the opportunity to come along and join in the festivities."

An instant photo with Santa is available to all children for a gold coin donation to support charities which assist in the elimination of domestic violence.

Customers who want to get on board the special services only need to hold a valid paper ticket or go card as normal fares apply.

The Santa Express is an additional service and will not cause disruptions to the regular City network timetable.

Santa will be stopping at all stations on the following lines:

Monday 12 December: Beenleigh and Ferny Grove lines

• Depart Bowen Hills 9:50am, arrive Beenleigh 11:01am

• Depart Beenleigh 11:25am, arrive Roma Street 12:20pm

• Depart Roma Street 1:10pm, arrive Ferny Grove 1:41pm

• Depart Ferny Grove 1:52pm, arrive Roma Street 2:27pm

Tuesday 13 December: Caboolture and Doomben lines

• Depart Roma Street 9:42am, arrive Caboolture 10:48am

• Depart Caboolture 10:56am, arrive Roma Street 12:04pm

• Depart Roma Street 1:15pm, arrive Doomben 1:38pm

• Depart Doomben 2:09pm, arrive Roma Street 2:34pm

Wednesday 14 December: Shorncliffe and Cleveland lines

• Depart Roma Street 9:39am, arrive Shorncliffe 10:18am

• Depart Shorncliffe 10:45am, arrive Roma Street 11:30am

• Depart South Brisbane 12:44pm, arrive Cleveland 1:33pm

Queensland Rail Limited ABN 71 132 181 090

• Depart Cleveland 1:41pm, arrive Bowen Hills 2:50pm

Thursday 15 December: Gold Coast line

• Depart Bowen Hills 9:20am, arrive Varsity Lakes 11:31am

• Depart Robina 1:04pm, arrive Bowen Hills 2:42pm

Friday 16 December: Ipswich, Rosewood and Richlands lines

• Depart Bowen Hills 9:41am, arrive Rosewood 11:06am

• Depart Rosewood 11:17am, arrive Bowen Hills 12:49pm

• Depart Bowen Hills 2:14pm, arrive Richlands 2:52pm

• Depart Richlands 3:00pm, arrive Bowen Hills 3:38pm

The full special Santa Express timetable is available at www.queenslandrail.com.au/santaexpress

- ENDS -

[ozbob]

The Sunshine Coast line is a Santa free zone ... lol

[p858snake]

The Sunshine Coast line is a Santa free zone ... lol

Wasn't that the same last year?

Didn't they use a steamie last year or am I thinking of something else?

[ozbob]

Yes, the Sunshine Coast is neglected, each year.  Can't wait for the feedback ... lol



The steam engine trains were crew training.   I expect the Santa train will be SMUs with the red flashes.

[#Metro]

The Sunshine Coast line is a Santa free zone ... lol

It is like that line exists only in a alternative universe! It ALWAYS misses out on everything.

That and Santa needs to pee...

[Arnz]

I wonder what's their excuse.. err, the single track and we need to fit more "freight" inbetween the passenger services.

[Stillwater]

Bah humbug ... QR is the Grinch that Stole Christmas as far as the kids of the Sunshine Coast are concerned.  Even if they did line up at the station hoping for a glimpse of the old man in the red suit, chances are he would turn up late in a (rail) bus.  Sunny Coast parents just tell their children that with a dodgy prostate, Santa just can't risk a trip north on the dunny-less horseless carriage.  The result is conditioning from an early age to expect less from their rail transport provider.

A visit to Santa is an enduring childhood experience.  By publishing a Santa Express timetable that includes Rosewood, the Gold Coast and Cleveland, but which does not extend beyond Caboolture to Nambour, parents and children have every right to ask 'why not us?'  If there is a genuine reason why Santa and his helpers can't climb aboard a passenger train to Nambour, the media release should have made this clear.

Furthermore, what message is QR sending to children here?  Kids are told that the will not get a visit from Santa if they are naughty during the year.  By denying the Santa Express, QR's subliminal message is that Sunshine Coast kinder are somehow 'undeserving.'  That's not right.

[#Metro]

Bah humbug ... QR is the Grinch that Stole Christmas as far as the kids of the Sunshine Coast are concerned.  Even if they did line up at the station hoping for a glimpse of the old man in the red suit, chances are he would turn up late in a (rail) bus.  Sunny Coast parents just tell their children that with a dodgy prostate, Santa just can't risk a trip north on the dunny-less horseless carriage.  The result is conditioning from an early age to expect less from their rail transport provider.

How embarrassing and uncomfortable would that be. Santa on a rail bus!

[BrizCommuter]

Is this the reason why QR can't/don't want to run 4tph off-peak - to clear enough paths for once yearly Santa express? 

[#Metro]

I wonder if Santa will travel on the busway? LOL, maybe even the INB!

Are sleighs allowed on the busway?

I reckon Santa catches the BUZ!

[#Metro]

Santa BUZ

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

4th December 2011

Sunshine Coast Line a Santa free zone?

Greetings

The Santa Express is a great initiative by Queensland Rail.

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/MediaReleases/Pages/AllaboardtheSantaExpress!2011.aspx

It is a real pity though that Santa can't make it Nambour (at least) apparently.



The Sunshine Coast line and its passengers feel marginalised enough as it is.

Some interesting observations here --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7197.0

Not a big deal, but just adds to certain perceptions.

Cheers
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Set in train]

This and all those damned water bottles are a huge waste of money, Santa is at Myer & DJs, not on the train.

How about real investment in the 24/7 problems than these simpering decoys?

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert_Dow
The Sunshine Coast line community rallied to welcome the day Gympie Lander --> http://t.co/8krjF8Mk ... I think Santa would be welcome too ..
4 hours ago

[Fares_Fair]

Another typical example of the contempt shown for anyone north of Caboolture.

The over 330,000 Sunshine Coasters (plus those northern Caboolturites) know that Santa doesn't come this far north, and certainly not on a train where his journey became about 10 minutes longer after June 6.
Perhaps Santa knows we are going backwards.
The reduced express legs would have helped in the disbursement of gifts however.

If there is a reason for the deliberate exclusion of the Sunshine Coast line, then let's hear it from the Minister
Don't hide behind the wall of government (silence).

I would have thought that Santa would be classified as freight movement and accorded a train fit for purpose.
Heck, he could even get on a rail bus ... we have 13 of those each way daily.

Perhaps we could issue a press release, direct from Santa detailing the reasons that he cannot get to the Sunshine Coast.
1. Single line bottleneck at Beerburrum, a single line of deer only can proceed past that point.
2. Rail buses too slow and have no toilets.
3. Forced to put sleigh on as freight in a B double truck on the Bruce highway.
4. Last years' timetable meant that the frozen ice creams just started to melt, this years means handing out slushies instead.

NOTE
Interesting that this has not been announced by the Minister or the Premier ....

EDIT ADDED:
Media release ends with this note
- During the event, interviews, photo ops and filming will be available on request.  where's my fix the bottleneck T shirt? and let's hope Santa has a sturdy lap.
 
Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

 

[Stillwater]

For denying him access to his constituency (children on the SC), perhaps Santa will write to the Minister, saying she has been naughty and won't be getting her present of a ministry in 2012.  Eventually children become voters.

[Fares_Fair]

Last year the Minister released the statement .. this year QR.

Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
Friday, December 10, 2010

All aboard the Santa Express!

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Fares_Fair]

Twitter
9:58pm

@Premier_Bligh
QR announces Santa train & for second year in a row the Sunny Coast is neglected.
Dear Premier, Can you please explain?

[ozbob]

Media release 5 December 2011

SEQ: Santa refused a train ticket to the Sunshine Coast

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 called on the Queensland Government to explain its ban on Santa travelling to the Sunshine Coast as part of its 'Santa Express' promotion during the Christmas holidays.

Robert Dow, spokesman for RAIL Back On Track, said:

"RAIL Back On Track members want to know why Santa has been refused a ticket to travel to the Sunshine Coast aboard his own special Santa Express train.  Inexplicably, and for the second year in a row, Santa will spread his Christmas cheer to the children of South-East Queensland from the comfort of his very own train, but not to those along the railway line line between Caboolture and Nambour."

"For the disappointed children of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland Rail has become the Grinch that stole their Christmas."

"Queensland Rail has announced that Santa will be on his very own train that will operate across each Citytrain network line between 12 and 16 December (1)."

"The train will stop at all stations so that every child can join in festivities and get his or her photo taken with the jolly man in red for the cost of a gold coin donation to charity.  For the trip north, however, Santa will travel only as far as Caboolture."

"If Santa's train can't be squeezed into the tight timetable on the single line Sunshine Coast track north of Beerburrum, then this supports the community's call for track duplication to Nambour."

"Perhaps a man of Santa's advanced years might find it difficult travelling to Nambour on a train without a toilet, just as one of his little friends was forced to do last month (2)."

"A visit to Santa is an enduring childhood experience. By publishing a Santa Express timetable that includes Rosewood, the Gold Coast and Cleveland, but which does not extend beyond Caboolture to Nambour, parents and children have every right to ask 'why not us?' If there is a genuine reason why Santa and his helpers can't climb aboard a passenger train to Nambour, Queensland Rail needs to provide an explanation."

"Silence is unforgivable.  Kids are told that they will not get a visit from Santa if they are naughty. By denying the Santa Express to Sunshine Coast children, QR's subliminal message is that they are somehow 'undeserving' – a feeling their parents already have over the Government's broken promise to dual-track their important freight and passenger rail corridor."

References:

1. http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/Campaigns/Pages/SantaExpress.aspx

2. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/11/05/mums-trip-from-hell/

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[colinw]

Santa had too much milk & cookies and is unable to hang on north of Caboolture.

[Fares_Fair]

MEDIA RELEASE   

This sums it all up in a nutshell.
Well done RBoT.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[colinw]

Ah, but the the people of the Sunshine Coast were very naughty.  They voted out the nice ALP member for Glasshouse, and so Santa took away the track duplication to Landsborough that they were expecting for Christmas.

[ozbob]

Greetings,

Just noted the Queensland Rail web site has been updated:

Note: On Tuesday 13 December, the Santa Express will continue to all stations to Nambour. The Santa Express will travel on the Doomben line on Thursday 15 December. The timetables below will be updated as soon as possible.

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/AboutUs/MediaCentre/Campaigns/Pages/SantaExpress.aspx

THANK YOU!

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

Yay!  Santa has become a rebel to the cause of the Sunshine Coast Line duplication.

[STB]

I actually think QR was always going to do this, thus I don't think RBOT had any leverage in getting this to happen.  The planning and authorization to run steam trains was a bit of a complex thing to do back in my time for the Sunshine Coast line, and it wouldn't surprise me if this slightly delayed the release of the timetable to get the steam train up there.

Regardless it's good news!

[ozbob]

I actually think QR was always going to do this, thus I don't think RBOT had any leverage in getting this to happen.  The planning and authorization to run steam trains was a bit of a complex thing to do back in my time for the Sunshine Coast line, and it wouldn't surprise me if this slightly delayed the release of the timetable to get the steam train up there.

Regardless it's good news!

It is not a steam train.  Queensland Rail were asked to include Nambour, and this was done.  Queensland Rail were NOT going to do it, it had to be highlighted.

[Stillwater]

The extension to Nambour is included as a footnote to the media release, but Santa's itinerary needs to be shown in the accompanying timetable, station by station to Nambour.  This is not a scheduled train, so parents need to know when it will arrive at their station.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Isn't it still a translink service and they have the final say otherwise QR would have to issue tickets/free as a charted service?

[Fares_Fair]

Thanks go to Mr Robert Dow of Rail Back on Track and QR for this commonsense approach to the Sunshine Coast community.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[Arnz]

Santa had too much milk & cookies and is unable to hang on north of Caboolture.

Considering the train used last year was a SMU260 series.  I would think they'd use it again, whether Santa can hold on for the entire network journey is another story!

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail 6th December 2011 page 2

Santa Express heads north to calm complaints

[Fares_Fair]

That T-shirt looks awfully familiar ...

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

Gee, they are breeding up a whole army of rail revolutionaries up Palmwoods way.

[Set in train]

From the Couriermail 6th December 2011 page 2

Santa Express heads north to calm complaints

What a pleasant surprise, the one day I buy the CM (for the food section) and on the inside cover no less!

FF, where are the child sized 'end the bottleneck' t-shirts? A must have in every Santa's sack!

[Fares_Fair]

From the Couriermail 6th December 2011 page 2

Santa Express heads north to calm complaints

What a pleasant surprise, the one day I buy the CM (for the food section) and on the inside cover no less!

FF, where are the child sized 'end the bottleneck' t-shirts? A must have in every Santa's sack!

Indeed, Santa will be up this way next Tuesday...

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Fares_Fair]

Nothing on the QR website yet regarding the Santa Express? (All Stopping) train timetable.
I know patience is required, but so is advance notice so holiday mums and kids can plan.  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Golliwog]

Nothing on the QR website yet regarding the Santa Express? (All Stopping) train timetable.
I know patience is required, but so is advance notice so holiday mums and kids can plan.  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Perhaps give QR a call and ask why it's not online yet?

[Fares_Fair]

Nothing on the QR website yet regarding the Santa Express? (All Stopping) train timetable.
I know patience is required, but so is advance notice so holiday mums and kids can plan.  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Perhaps give QR a call and ask why it's not online yet?

I spoke to a very helpful Carmen at QR.
She offered to assist me with the times.

The design team are working on uploading it now, and it should be up on the website by the end of today.
Thanks QR for excellent customer service.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.