Article: Ipswich line trains suspended

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Note:  I caught the 1.02pm IPS from Caboolture this afternoon. As we left Central the guard announced that train would not be stopping at Indooroopilly. Interesting I thought.  We went through Milton on the main up. Two trains were stopped in the subs at Milton. We proceeded via the main up and passed through Indooroopilly. I got off at Chelmer and caught the train back to Indooroopilly. Platform 4 was open, but platform 3 closed, there was wet paint.  Platforms 3 and 4 are due to be handed over tomorrow.  I got some photographs and then boarded the train to Taringa and caught a Redbank service back to Oxley. 

Ipswich line trains suspended

Ipswich line trains suspended
Marissa Calligeros | October 31, 2008 - 12:27PM

Commuters travelling from Ipswich can expect major delays as train services from Milton to Sherwood have been suspended due to damaged power lines.

TransLink Transit Authority spokesman Adam Nicholson said a vehicle had struck boom gates on Sherwood Road, Sherwood, at about 11am today, bringing down overhead power lines along the rail corridor.

"As a result of the incident, all inbound and outbound services have been suspended between Milton and Sherwood until further notice," Mr Nicholson said.

"We are currently organising buses to convey passengers between Sherwood and Milton stations."

Disgruntled passengers were frustrated by the news their journey would be prolonged on a bus.

"I've arrived to catch the train and now I've got to walk in the heat to catch a bus, which is not going to be pleasant," one passenger said this afternoon.

Mr Nicholson said Queensland Rail (QR) crews were working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

"However, we encourage commuters to consider alternative means of transport," he said.

Mr Nicholson said the TransLink Transit Authority and QR apologised for any inconvenience caused to passengers while this issue was being resolved.

"TransLink Transit Officers and QR station staff will be on hand to assist passengers with their journeys," Mr Nicholson said.

[ozbob]

The train I travelled back from Taringa to Oxley



Repairs underway to the overhead on the suburban lines at Sherwood
(photographed from train, quality not the best)

[Mozz]

Can't say the communication about the issue by either TL or QR was overly auspicious. Around 2.00pm I checked some online news sites at work - couriermail and brisbanetimes - both reporting that services were suspended and significant delays with reports from Translink spokespeople advising commuters to find alternative transport.

Checked Translink website around this time - nothing reported at all.

Checked QR website around this time - and there was a small link to "service disruptions" which, when clicked advised there were issues, delays of up to 30 minutes, buses were operating between roma st and corinda, and services were due for resumption around 2.00pm - for further advice phone translink or QR numbers.

Phoned Translink - and they advised going to a train station and asking the station master because they hadn't been updated and didn't know what was happening and couldn't provide any further advice even after I asked the translink representative to seek advice from her supervisor. I sought further information eg. should I leave work now at 2.00pm or wait until 5.00pm given the situation, thus I believe a guessed reponse was provided, well they told us things would be operational at 2.00pm so by 5.00pm you will be right - so advice to leave at 5.00pm.

Hmm I thought, am I in for a walk back home or should I then try to speak to QR. Phoned QR and spoke to rep who advised that 2 ofthe 4 lines were working and trains were running to schedule. So I checked QR website from 2.00pm to 3.00pm and no change or update to service status - with work still underway and delays still expected of 30 minutes and buses running between roma street and corinda.

On the basis of conflicting, and confusing advice I caught the 3.05pm from Central which arrived on time. Work was still occuring at Sherwood. Trains used different to normal lines and didn't stop at Indooroopilly. Other than than things seemed to be ok.

Checked QR website around 3.20pm and "service disruptions" link had just disappeared.

Tips:
Both translink and QR need to work on their communication - being told by TL to go to a train station and speak to a station master to work out what to do is not really a client service focused response in this day and age.

Websites of both organisations need to keep commuters informed - the TL website link which is "live QR updates" just links back to the main QR site - which is totally inadequate for any type of major service disruptions.

QR when managing major service disruptions should have some type of SOP's which update the website at least every 15 minutes (the update to service disruptions today was limited - I identified the message did not change from at least 2.00pm and probably well before to 3.14pm before being taken down) with the latest status including advice to commuters as to what to do (and this information should correctly identify alternative solutions, and current remediations being undertaken) - I caught a very effective 3.05pm train from Central to Oxley which arrived on time, however if I had followed the advice from the QR website and/or advice from translink I might well have ordered a taxi and wasted $40, particularly if I was time constrained and needed to be at a certain place at a certain time eg. picking up children from school, doctors/dentist appointment where I pay regardless if I actually turn up etc etc.

[ozbob]

According to the Courier Mail a car hit the boom gates and that somehow brought down the overhead wires.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24580854-3102,00.html

[ButFli]

I would imagine the boom gates were in the open position - straight up in the air. The car hit one of the gates and it fell into the overhead.

If the gates were closed when the incident occurred I assume there would be mention of a "near miss" with a train.

[mufreight]

As the booms when in the vertical position are only just at the approximate height of the overhead and aproximately 3 to 4m from the overhead one would wonder how having been hit by a car which would pass under the boom when in the half up or down position and which at that point would be well below the overhead height the boom would strike the overhead, the other point is that the booms are timber and as such would not cause an arc over nor is it probable that that rhere would be any significant damage to the contact wire.
A more probable explanation is that the overhead was fouled by a high load on a truck and the resultant contact either caused an arc over which burnt through the contact wire or actually broke the contact wire,
In either case one wonders why the section beyond Indoorpilly to Corinda on the suburban lines was not isolated and trains operated as normal on the suburban lines to Indoorpilly then switched over to the mains to operate from there to Corinda, it would have been les disruptive to commuters and would not have delayed in any significent way the continuing work on the 3/4 platforms at Indoorpilly which were to be commissioned today.
One must in circumstances question either the ability or the authority of the train controllers to act on their own initiave under circumstances such as these