BNE Airport - new rail stations

[#Metro]

If they decide to build, it will be a private railway station on a private railway line and therefore the fares and prices will be set by AirTrain or the eventual owner.

A key problem for Airtrain is the existence of a free bus from DFO to the Domestic and International Airport Terminals (T-bus).

If they use a low fare, people could hop off and catch the free bus, losing huge amounts of money.

Looks like it will be all AirTrain fares I think.

[verbatim9]

The Dfo terminal bus used to have a charge, they might reintroduce one? As for the station they might have a gate charge similar to what occurs at Green Sq Sydney on their Airport line which is cheaper than getting off at the terminals. A deal could be struck with Translink though for that station. Apparently it will be an interchange for the cruise terminal buses too!?

[Gazza]

If there was a train station why would the T bus exist  :conf

[verbatim9]

If there was a train station why would the T bus exist  :conf

They might scrap T bus to DFO but it does service Qantas Drive for the Office workers. I have utilised T bus and noticed good patronage with the office workers along Qantas Drive. By saying that I reckon T bus will stay.

[SurfRail]

If there was a train station why would the T bus exist  :conf

You would think the airlines would be using the trains for interterminal transfers, but they don't - too infrequent and too expensive.  Similar logic to any DFO station especially if it attracts a premium rate.  Probably cheaper for the airport to continue to pay Carbridge to run the buses and at higher frequencies than the railway can deliver.

[#Metro]

I think anyone can transfer from one station to another for $4.50.

But if you do that return that's $9 per day.

For comparison, see general TL fares - $3.20 on GoCard. Paper ticket $4.60.

[SurfRail]

^ The issue is more that the airlines aren't going to waste money on providing their passengers with free inter-terminal transfers using something that only runs half-hourly for a good chunk of the day and costs them more than a shuttle bus to provide.

[petey3801]

Since the implementation of the October timetable, Airtrain has generally become a 15min service from early morning til after afternoon peak, with a couple exceptions around 10am. Once thise gaps are filled, it will be quite good for 15min freq. between about 6am and 8pm or so.

[James]

The Dfo terminal bus used to have a charge, they might reintroduce one? As for the station they might have a gate charge similar to what occurs at Green Sq Sydney on their Airport line which is cheaper than getting off at the terminals. A deal could be struck with Translink though for that station. Apparently it will be an interchange for the cruise terminal buses too!?

Bizarrely, the charge on the T-Bus was actually for travel between the Domestic and International Airports, not to the DFO. You would get complimentary travel if you flashed a boarding pass though, which covered any D->I or I->D transfer passengers from QF/VA. The idea of a DFO station comes up like the Daylight Saving debate. Piqued by a frustrated commuter, a journalist on a slow news day or an errant poster, the general consensus (I believe) has been that Airtrain has little interest in building a station, and the government has higher priorities for the money at the moment.

Current transit arrangements are adequate enough for travel to the airport. If there's an issue with car parking being in short supply, simply extend the 369 back to the DFO and keep the 590 there, and adjust the timetable so there's a bus going DFO - Toombul every 15 minutes. Simply plugging the DFO into the network with a frequent bus connection is much cheaper and would do the job well.

[SteelPan]

re sources request
Economic Science/Commercial Logic!

[verbatim9]

This station would be best built as unmanned but security monitored. 24/7 fare gates but new higher fares gates (which cannot be jumped over) gocard enabled and a gate with a barcode scanner to allow paper and phone generated tickets to exit or enter. A help point at the gates that a person could talk to if their go card were not to register or ticket unable to scan a nominated paper ticket gate. Similar to automated car parks with a help point if the boom gate doesn't rise. In case of a power failure, software or hardware failure the gates should default to open until reset remotely or manually.

[dancingmongoose]

This station would be best built as unmanned but security monitored. 24/7 fare gates but new higher fares gates (which cannot be jumped over) gocard enabled and a gate with a barcode scanner to allow paper and phone generated tickets to exit or enter. A help point at the gates that a person could talk to if their go card were not to register or ticket unable to scan a nominated paper ticket gate. Similar to automated car parks with a help point if the boom gate doesn't rise. In case of a power failure, software or hardware failure the gates should default to open until reset remotely or manually.

Sounds more like a prison than a station

[verbatim9]

Far from a prison description unless you depict overall Bne PT infrastructure like that or that you are against secure fare gates? The station is elevated and open. Can have fare gates at ground level similar to Springfield Central. I don't think new stations on the network should be manned. Unless they are major transfer hubs or terminating stops. Except for retail Coffee Cart, Mini Convenience or major Supermarket. Which are private business leasing space at or around the station.

[verbatim9]

Any progress on the new proposed station at Skygate? I realise how it's been sidelined with the change of Transport Ministers. But it would be good if RBOT can agree and have input regarding a gate charge early in the peace? Maybe like Sydney at Green Square and Mascot? Where the gate fixed fare is considerably less? I think a max of $2.00 extra at this station would be a reasonable charge. That would allow workers in the area to utilise the service without breaking the bank. Might have the station designed and built faster (by end 2019) if all parties can agree? Bne Airport, Translink/TMR and RBOT?

[Cazza]

A station at Skygate would be great. I myself would use it heaps for DFO (and to transfer onto the free shuttle to the airport for obvious reasons). Would ideally be 2 platforms (with duplication from here to International, then after to Toombul if funding permits).

At the moment though, I think there are much bigger fish to fry out across the SEQ transport network.

[SurfRail]

First and foremost, QR has no interest in the line after a few hundred metres in the down direction from the junction with the suburban lines at Kedron Brook.  Anything that gets built is entirely at the discretion of Airtrain.

If the State wanted to pay for a new station (something Airtrain has precisely no interest in I expect), there would need to be discussions about how much Airtrain gets out of it.  For a new station you can expect probably something north of $50m given the line is elevated and adjacent to what is basically a motorway where the station would go.  Airtrain would want a return on any investment it makes.

Given the issues involved, I suspect nothing will happen until the line reverts to public ownership, whether that is on the scheduled handover date in 18 years time or if the State buys it back earlier.

[Gazza]

But steel pan, will the government even fund this infill station off their own back? Among all priorities

[SteelPan]

Frankly unlikely, not because they are bad projects, simply because the current state admin could not put together a Lego rail set, let alone anything to do with a real-world one!