Article: Mechanical faults blamed for train delays

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Mechanical faults blamed for train delays

Mechanical faults blamed for train delays
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

February 03, 2009 08:15am

RAIL commuters throughout Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts face delays across the network this morning after a series of mechanical issues.
One peak-hour in-bound service from Corinda was cancelled while faults on the Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Caboolture and Beenleigh lines prompted delays of up to 15-minutes.

A Translink spokesman said the delays were caused by train faults and a signal failure between Bald Hills and Lawnton station on the Caboolture line.

One train on the Ferny Grove line was forced to travel below speed after developing mechanical problems.

Footnote:  Has been a few this morning, eg.  Ferny Grove line, Caboolture line, service from Bowen Hills to Corinda cancelled, Delayed service from Ipswich, the Airport service from Corinda delayed.   

[ozbob]

More train faults  messages coming through ....

Caboolture service from Ipswich at 11.40am cancelled due to a "train fault" ....

[ozbob]

The sudden surge in train faults (six besides the CAB line issues) possibly indicates some industrial unrest?  See --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1836.0  Or was it just a bad day ...

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Power failure disrupts Brisbane rail services

Power failure disrupts Brisbane rail services
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

February 03, 2009 11:00am

BRISBANE rail commuters can expect further delays after overhead powerlines failed, causing faults in the signalling system this morning.
Services were thrown into chaos about 6.20am after a locomotive broke down at Keppera on the Ferny Grove line.

The train was reduced to well below speed for the rest of its journey, prompting 20 minute delays for other peak-hour services on the line.

At 7.15am, all electrical signals between Bald Hills and Lawnton failed, forcing trains to bank up.

Commuters this morning expressed their anger to the Courier-Mail, saying they had been given conflicting instructions by rail staff.

Caboolture line commuter Greg Hammond said he had not be told how long delays would be after his train stopped at Zillmere.

"There hasn't really been any (communication)," he said.

"I suppose we just have to take it if we want to get where we are going today."

Outbound Cleveland and Shorncliffe and line commuters were also delayed, while two peak-hour services on the Tennyson and Ipswich line were cancelled.

Many commuters on the Caboolture line called taxis after they were left waiting at the Zillmere station.

Delays to services continued throughout the network, with half-hour delays on the Ipswich line services, and 15 minute delays on trains to the Domestic Airport.

The delays are expected to continue until at least 4pm this afternoon on the Nambour line, after power failures in overhead lines between Caboolture and Cooroy.

A TransLink spokeswoman apologised to commuters and said buses would replace all services between Caboolture and Nambour, and then from Nambour to Cooroy.

"QR crews are responding quickly and are working to get services back to normal as soon as possible," she said.

[Arnz]

Received a SMS that Caboolture/Nambour rail services has resumed per normal timetables.

[Fridge]

The Translink website said a snake fell on the overhead lines somewhere north of Caboolture causing power problems and is now fixed.

[ozbob]

Just received an alert, power problems on the North Coast line again!

[ozbob]

Crikey, another signalling problem.  Train about leave to Roma St for IPS delayed.   

Seems to be problems all over ....

[stephenk]

A Caboolture bound EMU train was seen standing at Fortitude Valley station with lights off at around 17:30 today. Another train failure?

[ozbob]

The 3rd February 1959 was the 'day the music died ...' 
(See here if you don't understand this reference --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died )

The 3rd February 2009 might well be the day QR Citytrain died ....  the rate they are going down ...

[O_128]

though not a mechanical fault my friend on the caboolture lines train was delayed for an hour due to signal failure today and thenthe express service was downgraded to a all stations.On top off that the SMS system failed today.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Snake short-circuits signals, delays thousands of commuters

Snake short-circuits signals, delays thousands of commuters
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

February 04, 2009 12:00am

A WAYWARD snake is being blamed for delaying the Tuesday morning commute for many thousands of south Queensland rail passengers.

The snake caused services to be halted for two hours on the Nambour line after it short-circuited about 58km of overhead cables when it was electrocuted on the wires.

It was just one of a raft of incidents, including signal failures and train malfunctions, which caused cancellations and delays during peak hour yesterday.

TransLink said seven inbound services across the network were cancelled, while a further 13 inbound and outbound services were delayed.

Trouble started about 6.20am when a locomotive on the Ferny Grove line broke down.

It was restarted but was forced to travel slowly, creating 20-minute delays for other services on the line.

At 7.15am, all signals between Bald Hills and Lawnton failed, halting services. They were fixed about noon.

These two problems caused delays across the city.

Outbound Cleveland and Shorncliffe line commuters were also delayed, while two peak-hour services on the Tennyson and Ipswich line were cancelled.

Hold-ups continued throughout the day, with half-hour delays on the Ipswich line and 15-minute delays for trains to the airport.

Nambour line commuter services were cancelled after the overhead lines failed about 11am, with buses replacing trains between Caboolture and Nambour stations until power could be restored about 1pm.

A Queensland Rail spokesman said the incident was "unusual" but the electrical infrastructure on the rail network was up-to-date. "A snake had got into the power lines and tripped the system," he said.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union secretary Owen Doogan said there were no regular problems with overhead powerlines on southeast Queensland's rail network.

"You can't stop accidents happening," Mr Doogan said.

Queensland Rail's new e-alert system, designed to warn commuters of failures and disruptions in advance, also shut down yesterday.

QR said the problems were due to the Telstra Network, which carried the service.

Commuters yesterday express their anger to The Courier-Mail, saying they had been given conflicting instructions by rail staff during the delays.

Caboolture line commuter Nick Kotdarob said he had constant problems on his outbound service.