RAIL - Back On Track Forum

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1318144691

New 740 service from Nerang to Surfers Paradise

From Monday 7 November, a new route known as the 740 (Nerang station to Surfers Paradise) will be introduced to the Gold Coast.

Route 740 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week, from 7am to 7pm, between Nerang train station and Surfers Paradise.

Following the introduction of route 740, there will be more than three times the number of services along the corridor each day - providing a number of additional dedicated bus/train connections.

It also means that passengers will have the choice of four bus travel options (routes 21, 709, 740 and 745) to and from local train stations.

 

They really kept this one under wraps - I was completely unaware until now, although most of my detailed discussions on operations are with people at the Coomera and Tweed depots.  These will most likely be Ernest services and supported by the recent deliveries of new vehicles.

Should be fantastic for the TAFE and Evandale precinct.  The 21 was really struggling to cope with demand.  One would hope the 21 could have been revamped at the same time to feed into this.

 

Wanted to hear SurfRail's thoughts before commenting.

On paper seems fast and direct.  Only issue I can see is the operating hours - what's with 7pm finishes, especially after meeting every daytime train?  Could start earlier in the morning also.  I've got the same issue with the 761.

Quote from: Simon on October 27, 2011, 17:35:33 PM
Wanted to hear SurfRail's thoughts before commenting.

On paper seems fast and direct.  Only issue I can see is the operating hours - what's with 7pm finishes, especially after meeting every daytime train?  Could start earlier in the morning also.  I've got the same issue with the 761.

It's pretty much ideal for a cross-town route, and always has been.  It is effectively just the Nerang-Surfers leg of the 21.  It connects the rail to a major resort, TAFE, the Bundall/Evandale office precinct and Chevron Island as well as Surfers itself, so there is travel demand en route as well.

GCCC I know was very keen on having a direct service between their 2 main offices at Nerang and Evandale - this falls just short of that by not going over the M1 to the Price Street area.

I have minor reservations, which are:

1.   Aforementioned lack of a connection to Nerang and the council chambers;

2.   Could, as Simon suggests, do with some later and earlier operating hours;

3.   If the 21 will still be running over this stretch, that would be a waste of resources which could be used to improve the Gilston/Clearwater end of the 21 and other Nerang services;

4.   This is probably a better use of resources than the weekend "express" 745s which go direct from Nerang to Pac Fair.  They should be removed and reinvested elsewhere (not meaning to sound selfish, but a few more 20s wouldn't go astray on weekends...

5.   There is no common stop in Surfers with the 745 at all.  Not a huge problem, but it would have been nice to co-locate them.  (It appears to do the same clockwise loop via Elkhorn and Beach Road that the 21 does now, which itself does not share the 745 stop on the other side of Beach Road.)

I'm happy that it's half-hourly for now, including on weekends.  Services like this are the prime candidates for 15 minute off-peak frequencies when GCRT comes online. 

I've now also received some advice some other service improvements will be occurring the same day - not quite as big as what I was expecting, but still welcome.

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1320041540

Complete set of changes is:

- 4 additional return weekday trips on Route 15 between Arundel Plaza and Southport
- 4 additional return weekday trips on Route 726 between Oxenford and Helensvale
- realignment of the N21 to make it more useful
- new route 740

Nowhere near as comprehensive as I had been told to expect a few months ago.

The shortworkings are GCCC funded trials and are mainly intended for retirees.  The timetables show these services virtually shadow existing services time-wise, so I suspect these have been delivered out of operational jiggery-pokery.  (In particular, the 3-hour gap in the 726 timetable is still there.)  The additional route 15 workings are the only 14/15 services which actually go to the main shopping centre in the area while the existing routes still do a dog-leg away from it.

I also note the 21 is still running between Nerang and Surfers, which is a real waste.  Those resources should be used to provide a better Clearwater and western Nerang service feeding into the half-hourly 20/20A (Southport), 740 (Surfers) and 745 (Broadbeach to Surfers) corridors at Nerang.  Given the appalling headways on the 21, a single seat journey can't really be seen as any type of advantage.

I can't seem to make this route appear via the online journey planner, can anyone?

I've been caught by the 745 missing a train connection, despite 12 mins leeway (a hopeless bus driver didn't help), arrived 17 mins late.

It is almost worth meeting the 740 where it begins in Surfers as you have only one potential trouble spot of Thomas Drive/Bundall Road compared to umpteen along the GC Hwy, Pac Fair & Nerang-Broadbeach Rd. The 23 min gaps in the 740 from where it arrives at Nerang to the train leaving should assist that.

740 was very well loaded today leaving Surfers at 5:26, and the 745 also appeared to be. 

I think the 745 really should have a common stop with this service.  Perhaps it is time to just have the 745 set down at Appel Park, clear out of the way and then come back to pick-up after doing a loop of the block.  As it is, it can be some time before buses can turn into the terminus on Beach Road due to traffic signals and congestion.

Looked at the route map, seems like a very sensible, direct route! Much more direct than going via Pacific Fair.

Looks like TransLink is starting to introduce those East-West changes...

The problem with this route is that after arriving at Nerang station via train, is a long wait in most cases before the bus gets moving.

The ideal train to bus connection should allow only enough time to arrive, down the platform stairs, onto the concourse and over to the bus. Do they wish to make multi-modal transport attractive or not?

Quote from: Set in train on December 05, 2011, 04:06:35 AM
The problem with this route is that after arriving at Nerang station via train, is a long wait in most cases before the bus gets moving.

The ideal train to bus connection should allow only enough time to arrive, down the platform stairs, onto the concourse and over to the bus. Do they wish to make multi-modal transport attractive or not?

This is something I have raised with the local MP.

I had similar concerns about the conversion of the old route 22 express into the current route 745 back in May 2006, which saw a considerable delay added, albeit nothing as bad as the 740.

Quote from: SurfRail on December 05, 2011, 11:58:14 AM
This is something I have raised with the local MP.

I had similar concerns about the conversion of the old route 22 express into the current route 745 back in May 2006, which saw a considerable delay added, albeit nothing as bad as the 740.

Great work SR!

I used the 740 last night, final service of the day. There is considerable fat in the timetable, I would've been one of 4 passengers. Arrived at the end of the route some considerable minutes early, a great service.

740 timetables were available upon entering, so I passed the time looking at the timetable. It appears there is a run from Surfers to Nerang and back. Only one bus is used for both directions and this is causing the timetable problems.

Catching the 745 at 9:18pm, the passengers on board all said they wished the 740 met every train as this was a slow journey. It was, the bus arrived a couple of minutes late despite no roadworks or adverse conditions. The driver also flashed his lights at an light coloured Audi sedan in front that was doing nothing wrong.

Quote from: SurfRail on December 03, 2011, 19:10:59 PM
740 was very well loaded today leaving Surfers at 5:26, and the 745 also appeared to be. 

I think the 745 really should have a common stop with this service.  Perhaps it is time to just have the 745 set down at Appel Park, clear out of the way and then come back to pick-up after doing a loop of the block.  As it is, it can be some time before buses can turn into the terminus on Beach Road due to traffic signals and congestion.

I'm wondering why this is so important?  There isn't any case when it would be better to use the 745 than the 740, unless the 740 runs late and therefore misses the connection.  Is that the reason you are worried about this?

Quote from: Simon on December 18, 2011, 12:34:18 PM

Quote from: SurfRail on December 03, 2011, 19:10:59 PM
740 was very well loaded today leaving Surfers at 5:26, and the 745 also appeared to be. 

I think the 745 really should have a common stop with this service.  Perhaps it is time to just have the 745 set down at Appel Park, clear out of the way and then come back to pick-up after doing a loop of the block.  As it is, it can be some time before buses can turn into the terminus on Beach Road due to traffic signals and congestion.

I'm wondering why this is so important?  There isn't any case when it would be better to use the 745 than the 740, unless the 740 runs late and therefore misses the connection.  Is that the reason you are worried about this?

Then why even have both? 

If timetabling and stand placements were improved, you could stagger departure times to allow better use of the capacity added by the 740.  You would need both improvements, I will allow, but the 740 is very easy to fix considering it is not connected to any other services on the particular shifts operating it (ie drivers just go back and forth).

I presume the main reason for 745 going in to Surfers is for local trips.

Quote from: Simon on December 18, 2011, 14:03:07 PM
I presume the main reason for 745 going in to Surfers is for local trips.

Nope.  The 745 is and always has been (including its predecessor the 22) the principal connection to the coastline from the railway.

The 745 will probably not be around in its current form once GCRT is open, but there is no reason to not get it right during the next 2 and a half years.

745 is required for Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, unless I'm missing something.

I suppose it could be fixed re: the Surfers stops.

Quote from: Simon on December 18, 2011, 16:18:44 PM
745 is required for Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, unless I'm missing something.

I suppose it could be fixed re: the Surfers stops.

Needs more than that to fix it, SR is right, TL should fix it regardless of being altered when the trams are running.

The service runs late on the inbound leg (to Surfers) and is even later outbound, meaning train connections can be missed. Drivers begin the run at Nerang, therefore the finishing part, the most crucial is at the end.

Quote from: Simon on December 18, 2011, 16:18:44 PM
745 is required for Nerang-Broadbeach Rd, unless I'm missing something.

I suppose it could be fixed re: the Surfers stops.

It would appear to me that both the 740 and 745 would end up running every 15 minutes, but what is currently the 745 will run only as far as Broadbeach - maybe to the convention centre/Oasis so it still takes in the casino and connects to LRT.