Large increase in 3-car services.

[BrizCommuter]

Hi, long time no see.

There has been a large increase in 3-car unit trains on the Ferny Grove Line (and presumably other lines as well) in the last few weeks. On one day last week, there were at least five 3-car unit services per direction in the pm peak on the Ferny Grove Line.  With EMUs continuing to be scrapped, and no new trains on the horizon, this is extremely concerning. Any insiders know what the situation is, or whether it will be resolved?

[ozbob]

^ good to see you Briz

10 News First Brisbane last evening ...

     

[ozbob]

There are a number of NGRs in Maryborough undergoing the DDA upgrades.

Some trains are involved with the ETCS L2 rollout.

I think there are some maintenance issues with some of QR's train fleet (others maybe able to help here).

Besides the EMUs still running, they stopped scrapping them and there are some still in reserve as I understand. 

This goes back to the fact that the Governments of the day cut the initial 200 new 3 car trains (was changed to 100 six car trains) and then reduced it to 75 six car trains (the NGRs).

There are also shortages of long distance passenger rollingstock.  As we can note with the poor timetable for long distance passenger rail introduced from 17th July 2023 due to the major maintenance of the ETT sets (one at a time).

It is a shambles ...

[ozbob]

I also recall that there was a period due to construction works around Mayne and Exhibition there was some restriction on train stabling which did lead to a surge in 3 cars.

The right thing to do would be for the Minister or CEO of QR to put out a clarifying statement, rather than bullsh%t on camera.

[#Metro]

Welcome BC! Love the blog 

[BrizCommuter]

Thanks for the update. Clearly not a staff shortage, as 3 and 6-car trains use the same number of train crew.

[BrizCommuter]

The first BrizCommuter post in nearly 2 years on QR's latest 3-car-maggedon:
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2023/07/qrs-3-car-maggedon-strikes-again.html

[JimmyP]

Read on Reddit (and not denied by some contacts) that it is to do with protected industrial action that has taken place by some maintenance staff. Not 100% sure if its all good now, but will take a little while to clear the backlog and return units to service.

[ozbob]

The first BrizCommuter post in nearly 2 years on QR's latest 3-car-maggedon:
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2023/07/qrs-3-car-maggedon-strikes-again.html

Nice! 

[ozbob]

Read on Reddit (and not denied by some contacts) that it is to do with protected industrial action that has taken place by some maintenance staff. Not 100% sure if its all good now, but will take a little while to clear the backlog and return units to service.

Well that's interesting.  If that is the case I would be surprised if the Minister for the GC doesn't know about it. 

[RowBro]

Read on Reddit (and not denied by some contacts) that it is to do with protected industrial action that has taken place by some maintenance staff. Not 100% sure if its all good now, but will take a little while to clear the backlog and return units to service.

https://www.reddit.com/r/brisbane/comments/154k2ne/3_car_train_services_during_peak_times_make_no/

[BrizCommuter]

The first BrizCommuter post in nearly 2 years on QR's latest 3-car-maggedon:
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2023/07/qrs-3-car-maggedon-strikes-again.html

Nice! 

Thanks. Updated. Back into hibernation now.

[Arnz]

3-car and 6-car SMUs were also common on the Varsity Lakes/Airport and even the peak (non-NGR) trains to/from Nambour in the past few weeks too.  Guard's reintroducing the on-request comfort stop breaks at Beenleigh and Caboolture for the affected services.  It seems the affected services are 'random' each day without rhyme or rhythm during the recent 3-car saga.

[ozbob]

^ Ipswich line as well of course.

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1683914810986233856

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

QR's 3-car-maggedon strikes again 26th July 2023 You may have noticed a lot more 3-car services on the Citytrain...

Posted by RAIL - Back On Track on Tuesday, 25 July 2023

[HappyTrainGuy]

Flu. Mtce staff. Crew numbers. Normanby closures. Whatever. All rubbish.

It's jargon for those that don't know Railway ops (ie general punters) but the fundamental issue is withdrawal of the aging ICE/EMU fleet (EMUs are still being removed from the revenue roster - last one was last or the week before IIRC) combined with a few that are up north still undergoing end of life extension tests/NCL driver training, NGR DAA issues (remember 1x NGR = 2x 3 car trains and there are quite a few up there at Maryborough and Maryborough West) and various levels of fleet refurbs across SMU200/220/260 and IMU100/120/160 (Maryborough can only do so much along with work now being undertaken locally - work previously that was palmed off to Redbank who had the resources to do things very quickly - privatisation yay! I think it was 107 that had a minor derailment but was damaged enough that it needed serious work so it was very very very slowly done at Ipswich because Maryborough was busy and Redbank wasn't an option) and a few that are getting prepped for ETCS. The fleet also isn't compatible with each other for revenue services (ie 1x EMU and 1x IMU100 to make a EMUIMU100 combo). There is also the added kicker of the fleet being broken up when there are also NGR issues ie 1x NGR fails so a 6 car SMU/IMU/EMU is broken up to provide 2x 3 car services. Remember the first stage of the NGRs were EMU fleet replacement and not fleet expansion. 2016-2018 was the deadline for total EMU fleet retirement. The remaining fleet expansion stages were cancelled and not delivered.

If you bring forward a more frequent peak timetable for political gain with a larger fleet and a few years down the line then start culling fleet numbers combined with fleet refurbs that also weren't happening with the larger fleet then something has to break. Take the fleet retirements, trains in the mtce pool at Mayne and Wulkuraka, CRR work and trains not in Brisbane into account and you can see the issue very easy.

[ozbob]

^ Thanks ...

" train shortage "

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/JonathanPBryant/status/1684176606900944902

[Arnz]

The 6:20am from Nambour reported to be a 3-car IMU this morning.  Assumably the same one that up yesterday at 4:22pm.

[ozbob]

The present situation is a very sad indictment on successive Governments, Transport Ministers and DTMR.

CRR is going to be an anti-climax in terms of real network improvements.  It will be mediocrity limping along to even more mediocrity.

We really need rail out of DTMR, and into a proper heavy rail division as part of public transport Queensland.

Those in Government lack moral courage to do what is right.

As far as the " car free games " go ...  total cluster-fuk looms.

Got that     

[Stillwater]

Squeezing people together on three-car trains turns them into flu incubation accelerator chambers.

[Gazza]

https://twitter.com/JonathanPBryant/status/1684176606900944902

Haha, that loopy interchange design is not the current one, it has been 'toned down' a bit, but its telling that this is the type of thing they will propose for a road project.

Meanwhile you have simple things being left out of CRR because they are 'too costly'.

Current interchange

https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/_/media/projects/m/mooloolah-river-interchange-project/design-layout_july-2023.png

[#Metro]

Absolutely disgusting.  Nambour 4.22pm from central is a 3 car train. All aisles and seats full to overflowing. 😡

Would be good to have the video next time, footage would make great viewing on the evening news!!

[BrizCommuter]

QR have excelled themselves tonight. We have a 2-car service on the Ferny Grove Line. EMU 50 with a locked out rear carriage. Can it get any worse?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> More Brisbane peak hour trains cut from six carriages to three as Queensland Rail staff strike $

Frustrated commuters who have spent the past two months crammed on overcrowded trains during the morning and afternoon peak hour have slammed Queensland Rail.

The rail network provider has confirmed there have been more three-carriage services, instead of the usual six carriages, during peak periods for the past two months.

Queensland Rail said industrial action was to blame for the service cuts and while the staff strikes have now ended, the usual six-carriage services are not expected to be fully restored across the network until the end of the month. ...

[Arnz]

Today's observations:
" a 6-car Kuraby was really a 4-car Kuraby due to front 2 car carriages locked. 
* A shoulder peak late morning ex-Nambour service sighted as a 3-car SMU;and
* A 6-car SMU on the Airport<>Varsity rotation today.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Yeah let's blame industrial action rather than the NGR and 260/160 fleet refurbishment programs going on at Maryborough and the aesthetic programs at Mayne that have taken a large number of the fleet out of service. And let's not mention those pesky EMU withdrawals

[Andrew]

FG - Coopers Plains/Beenleigh trains were copping a 3 car bonanza today. Was at my parents place at Salisbury. I'd reckon there was at least 3 (possibly more) in the rotation during the off peak. This carried into the peak somewhat but there was a healthy number of 6 cars in the mix in peak direction at least. Gold Coast trains were all NGR's I think (possibly one 6 car Bombardier in there). Loadings on the 3 cars didn't appear too bad but my observations don't account for boardings closer to the city or on the FG line.