SEQ: Bus and train timetable changes 10th August 2020 - more services

[ozbob]

https://translink.com.au/service-updates/286246

[ozbob]

Journey planner will be updated from 20th July 2020

Rail





Bus

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Extra bus and train services announced

THE STATE Government will introduce extra bus and train services over the next month in an attempt to support social distancing measures on local transport.

The latest phase of the Palaszczuk Government's COVID-19 Safe Public Transport Plan will put an extra 960 buses and 105 trains into service between Monday and Friday, from 10 August, across the South East.

Existing 30 minute gaps between train services will be filled to provide services every 15 minutes on the Beenleigh, Caboolture, Cleveland, Ipswich, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe and Springfield lines

Hand sanitiser will also be provided to commuters at busy train and bus stations under the plan.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said public transport patronage was down about 50 per cent compared to the same time last year, but numbers were expected to climb as university classes resumed and CBD offices reopened.

"We have no community transmission here and active cases are in single digits, so our buses, trains, trams and ferries are safe," Mr Bailey said.

"We don't expect those numbers to immediately climb back to where they were before COVID-19 arrived but we still want to spread passengers out as much as we can, and these extra services will help do that.

"This boost to morning and afternoon peak services will add almost 58,000 extra seats on buses and trains.

"The plan is to roll out the extra buses until the end of the school year and then assess patronage levels.

"If the demand is there, we will consider if these bus services should become permanent for the longer term.

"The good news for train commuters is the 21 weekly services we're adding will become permanent additions to the timetable across seven lines."

Mr Bailey said the latest phase of the COVID-19 Safe Public Transport Plan aimed to give commuters more options and greater peace of mind on public transport.

He said temporary hand sanitiser stations located at entry and exit points would be progressively rolled out at busy bus stops and all 152 train stations in south east Queensland from 10 August.

"We're also continuing rear boarding on buses where possible and keeping payments cashless in SEQ to minimise contact between passengers and drivers.

"Commuters have done an excellent job following the health advice, using common sense and social distancing where practical, and we need everyone to keep it up.

"As more passengers return to public transport, we're asking everyone to leave a gap, keep it clean by following health advice and adjust your travel to avoid travelling in peak periods if possible."

[BrizCommuter]

So just a few extra shoulder peak services. 15 minute pm peak gaps need to be urgently filled in.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1284769203262652416

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Services increase on SEQ network, but group calls for more infrastructure

105 train services will be added to the South East Queensland (SEQ) public transport network on weekdays from August 10, to support safe travel.

The train services are in addition to almost 1,000 extra bus services as the state welcomes commuters back to public transport.

"We have no community transmission here and active cases are in single digits, so our buses, trains, trams and ferries are safe," said Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey.

Patronage is down on the network by about 50 per cent compared to the same time last year, however the state is expecting an increase with universities reopening and office workers returning to the CBD. Currently about 330,000 trips are made a day on the public transport network.

"We don't expect those numbers to immediately climb back to where they were before COVID-19 arrived but we still want to spread passengers out as much as we can, and these extra services will help do that," said Bailey.

"This boost to morning and afternoon peak services will add almost 58,000 extra seats on buses and trains."

While the increase in bus services are a trial, the extra train services will be permanent across seven lines. Services will run every 15 minutes in the morning and afternoon on the Beenleigh, Caboolture, Cleveland, Ipswich, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe, and Springfrield lines.

Queensland is still encouraging passengers to spread their commute where possible outside of the peaks and as part of its COVID-19 Safe Public Transport Plan is installing hand sanitiser stations at all train stations.

The Queensland government has been encouraging passengers to use active transport and public transport as part of the "Reboot your commute" campaign, however Robert Dow from RAIL Back on Track said that active and public transport in South East Queensland remained low by international standards.

"RAIL Back On Track calls on the major political parties and the RACQ to stop proposing 'congestion busting' urban freeway projects in the upcoming Queensland election and instead announce major significant public transport and supporting active transport investment," said Dow.

Dow listed 16 initiatives across SEQ, including some such as the Beerburrum to Nambour and Salisbury to Beaudesert commuter rail upgrades which have been languishing for 10 years or more.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransLinkSEQ/status/1284990130948718592

[nathandavid88]

Translink have updated their bus table, correcting an error with the 550 - direction of travel was originally listed as "Springfield", now corrected to Springwood. I don't know if there were any other changes/corrections made.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Extra 1000 bus, train services to spread out commuters in COVID-19 recovery

More than 900 bus services will be back on the road in south-east Queensland as patronage numbers are set to recover from the COVID-19 slump next month.

An extra 960 bus services and 105 train services, part of the state's COVID-19 safe public transport plan, will create an extra 28,875 seats on trains and 28,800 seats on buses every week, starting on August 10.

According to Transport Minister Mark Bailey's office, there will be an extra 11 morning train services and 10 extra afternoon train services around the CBD.

Existing 30-minute gaps between trains will be cut to every 15 minutes on the Beenleigh, Caboolture, Cleveland, Ipswich, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe and Springfield lines.

There will also be an extra 85 morning buses and 107 extra afternoon services around the CBD.

The extra trains will run on seven of the region's 12 lines, with commuter who use the Airport, Doomben, Ferny Grove, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast lines to miss out.

The additional services will be scheduled just outside peak times in the morning and afternoon, with the hope of spreading out passenger loads and helping commuters maintain social distancing.

Mr Bailey said public transport patronage had halved compared with the same time last year, but was expected to recover as university classes resumed and CBD offices reopened.

"Even with people making changes to their daily commute, we're still seeing about 330,000 daily passenger trips on the network, as of last week," he said.

"We don't expect those [patronage] numbers to immediately climb back to where they were before COVID-19 arrived but we still want to spread passengers out as much as we can.

"The plan is to roll out the extra buses until the end of the school year and then assess patronage levels."

Mr Bailey added that temporary hand sanitiser stations would be progressively rolled out at busy bus stops and all 152 train stations in the south-east region from August 10.

Rail Back on Track advocacy group spokesman Robert Dow said the announcement would help move commuters out of those peak travel times and into the "shoulder" timeslots either side.

"Generally at the moment there are enough services during the peak times in most cases, except where they [Queensland Rail] have identified an issue and fixed them with extra buses," he said.

"With trains, the problem has always been to move people out of the peak times, there has to be services there to use in the shoulder peak commute times.

"This [announcement] provides a few more travel options, we appreciate the extra services and believe it will give confidence to those travellers to get out of the peak periods.

"The only other thing is people should consider the option of wearing a mask on public transport - it is a common courtesy and particularly helps when you can't control social distancing."

A Queensland Rail spokesperson wrote on Twitter, in response to a complaint that there were no extra services for the Gold Coast, the extra services were rolled out where "operationally possible".

"Train availability and freight path requirements mean that additional services are not feasible for all lines, including the Gold Coast line," the post said.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/QueenslandRail/status/1284996120569982976

[Cazza]

Translink have updated their bus table, correcting an error with the 550 - direction of travel was originally listed as "Springfield", now corrected to Springwood. I don't know if there were any other changes/corrections made.

385 outbound still says Enoggera rather than The Gap

[verbatim9]

^^The whole thing must of been done on the fly

[Cazza]

I've seen that happen before when listing the 385's destination. It must be in the preloaded data that is just copied and pasted every time.

[AnonymouslyBad]

I'm all for adding more services and extending the peak 

Big question/concern would be whether this locks in some really weird service patterns for buses.
I haven't done a deep dive on the timetables but it reads like extra services have just been slotted in wherever resources allow, with the existing schedules being sacred (i.e. the only option for each route is to double shoulder peak service - even if the peak was never double to start with - or else do nothing).
That's fine for a quickly put together band-aid, I don't think there's much other choice. But we all know "temporary" is a dirty word in PT land, especially Translink land, and if left to run for 6 months these services are as good as forever.

[ozbob]

The additional rail services are permanent, the additional bus services temporary at this point. 

This might allow some further refinement of the bus timetables in time.

[ozbob]

Facebook ..

[verbatim9]

Just regarding the Covid capacity changes. I haven't seen any new bi-artics on the City Glider route 60 as yet.. They must be starting to come into service soon? Hopefully next month?

[Golliwog]

I've seen that happen before when listing the 385's destination. It must be in the preloaded data that is just copied and pasted every time.

Well The Gap Park n Ride at the end of the 385 is actually in "Enoggera Reservoir" not The Gap - so I'm not surprised it gets confused.

[SurfRail]

Just regarding the Covid capacity changes. I haven't seen any new bi-artics on the City Glider route 60 as yet.. They must be starting to come into service soon? Hopefully next month?

They are going to be standard artics the same as the last 22 to join the fleet.

Understand they are working through some issues around the West End and Teneriffe ferry termini, plus production hasn't exactly been going full tilt the last few months.

[Cazza]

I've seen that happen before when listing the 385's destination. It must be in the preloaded data that is just copied and pasted every time.

Well The Gap Park n Ride at the end of the 385 is actually in "Enoggera Reservoir" not The Gap - so I'm not surprised it gets confused.

I never realised Enoggera Reservoir was its own suburb. The more you know...