Train cancellations?

[pangwen]

I'm currently at fortitude valley station, and in the last few minutes, they've announced the cancellation of a Cleveland all stations, a beenleigh express and a ferny grove express have been cancelled due to operaional issues. Does anyone know what's going on?

[ozbob]

erail have said 'staff issues'  possibly sick crew ..  bit of flu/cold going around at the moment ...

[pangwen]

Ah ok. Before I finally got onto my train, a mitchelton train was also announced as being cancelled. It seems that the ferny grove line has been hit hardest so far.

[Mozz]

Call me a cynic but I hope the next fare increase is a long long long way away if the reliability of the train services since the 40 - 45% fare increase of the 4th January 2010 is any indication.

[ozbob]

Since the fare increases hasn't been the best of runs.

How is this for data (Melbourne) click here!

This is what we need in Brisbane, a line by line break up ..

[ozbob]

Something going on ..

QR has advised TransLink several train services have been cancelled this evening.

Cancelled train services include:

http://www.translink.com.au/alert.php?id=459

CBD to Shorncliffe
Departing Central at 5.09pm,

CBD to Petrie
Departing CBD at 5.29pm

CBD to Beenleigh
Departing Central at 5.45pm

CBD to Ferny Grove
Departing Central at 5.46pm

Ferny Grove to Roma Street
Departing Ferny Grove at 5.59pm

---------

erail 6.31pm

19 Feb 2010

The Beenleigh train departing Bowen Hills at 6:24 PM is cancelled due to staff issues. Service to resume by 7:22 PM.

[STB]

I caught the train from Cleveland to Wellington Pt this evening on the scheduled 1827hrs service, it was delayed by 15 mins by a late service from the city normally due in at 1824hrs.

Interesting...

[Mozz]

I have to say that if the Premier or Deputy Premier or Minister or CEO's of Translink or QR were regular commuters on the rail network since the 40 - 45% fare increase of 4th January 2010 then there would be immediate, swift and deliberate action to address the poor poor state of the services delivered to the long suffering rail commuters delays after delays, faults galore, cancellation after cancellation, delays of up to ten minutes becomes code you can only hope you will be delayed 10 minutes but more likely it will be more....

I haven't seen anything to suggest there will be any thing positive any time soon. January was poor, February is probably poorer, March will possibly be even worse ........ are they waiting for rail commuters to effect a "critical mass" type event? I wonder......

[Jamin]

Saw a train stopped just south of Albion station on the way home (about 5.30pm). 2 blokes in hi-vis walking around the outside looking underneath. Have no idea if it's related.

[Otto]

Where's my erail updates ?? 

[Mozz]

I have been getting a few ...cancellation after cancellation ... and the hits keep coming

[#Metro]

Just another day at the rail station.
Same problem, same outcome...

[ozbob]

I rang QR Media and asked why the trains have been cancelled this afternoon evening but was not able to find out anything.  But they said if they did find out why they would let me know ..  

[#Metro]

Wow!   How could they not know?

[#Metro]

Right, Translink seems to know something. Doesn't tell you why though:
http://www.translink.com.au/alert.php?id=459

QR has advised TransLink several train services have been cancelled this evening.

Cancelled train services include:

CBD to Shorncliffe
Departing Central at 5.09pm,

CBD to Petrie
Departing CBD at 5.29pm

CBD to Beenleigh
Departing Central at 5.45pm

CBD to Ferny Grove
Departing Central at 5.46pm

Ferny Grove to Roma Street
Departing Ferny Grove at 5.59pm

The times are all different, and all different lines.

Possibilities:
1. SCADA playing up/Track fault/Signal fault - seems unlikely
2. Sick workers- seems more likely

Makes me want that metro...

[ozbob]

I tweeted TransLink an hour or so ago, but no reply.  

Robert_Dow
 
@TransLinkSEQ any reason for all the train cancellations this afternoon / evening?

about 1 hours ago from web

[ozbob]

I also emailed the boss of QR on the oft chance he might have checked email.  No response.


Guess 'staff issues'  read crew shortages might just have to do for the cause of the cancellations. 

[ozbob]

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg21788#msg21788

Post by madbaza

train completley cancelled and another train only available at 7:35 pm at Roma Street Station.
It was cancelled due to an operation issue so it was stated over the platform speakers
At approx 6:15 pm a Gold Coast train arrived and it was anounced that it would be stopping at Coopers Plains but once on the train passagers were informed that the service was express to Loganlea and would not be stopping at Coopers Plains.

[ozbob]

The EGM of QR Passenger replied to my email after I hit the sack, thanks!  Good work.

" ...we had 6 peak hour cancellations caused by crew shortage. Main problem was the overtime and fatigue issues caused by handling
the storms earlier In the week ..."

Fair enough, I understand there are changes in place for future reserve capability. Although far from ideal having cancellations, Friday is a bit lighter loading generally than the other peaks (Mon to Thu) so that is the silver lining if there is one.

[stephenk]

Makes me want that metro...

Sorry to put water on your fire again, but metros are not immune from delays either. 

Building a parallel metro to an existing railway just in case the original has a driver with the flu, is not justifiable.

[#Metro]

 

Sorry to put water on your fire again, but metros are not immune from delays either.

Of course, but this is just one reason of many. And if it were automated, there wouldn't be staff issues.

Building a parallel metro to an existing railway just in case the original has a driver with the flu, is not justifiable.

Of course, but this is a straw-man argument.

[stephenk]

Sorry to put water on your fire again, but metros are not immune from delays either.

Of course, but this is just one reason of many. And if it were automated, there wouldn't be staff issues.

There would still be staff issues, but less likely to cause delays. Stations (particularly underground stations), and control centres still need to be sufficiently manned for safety reasons. It is no uncommon for stations to be closed on London Underground (non-driverless system) due to lack of staff!

Due to union pressure, some driverless systems such as Paris Line 14 still have the same number of staff as if they had drivers, except the drivers are re-deployed into more customer service orientated roles. These customer service staff are often trained in emergency driving in case of ATO failure. Many driverless systems such as London's DLR and Singapore's NE Line have train attendants on every service, the former operating the doors, the latter just for "babysitting" the train.

[#Metro]

Thanks for the info StephenK. 
Were you a transport consultant?

[#Metro]

I don't know if this was the thread for refunds. But I think we have had this discussion before.
http://blogs.news.com.au/couriermail/pineapplepolitics/index.php/couriermail/comments/fare_refunds_more_trouble_than_theyre_worth_qr_chief1/

A Queensland Rail executive has given a telling insight into what QR thinks constitutes good passenger service.  Paul Scurrah, QR's executive general manager of passenger services (if you please), told ABC Brisbane radio this morning that fare refunds for late runing trains would be more trouble than they are worth.

Refund or don't charge for the trip please. Credited back with GoCard (something harder to do for paper ticket).

[ozbob]

http://www.metrotrains.com.au/About-us/Metro-Performance.html

No problem in Melbourne for compensation if standards not achieved.

The link TT has highlighted is from 2008.  The culture has changed a bit since then, and we now have the go.  This would make some form of notional compensation seamless. 

[Derwan]

Has anyone noticed that this kind of disruption always occurs on a Friday afternoon/evening?

I know this because I leave work early Friday's - so whenever this happens, I'm fortunate enough to miss it.

They're fatigued from earlier in the week... so they have to take Friday off?  Sounds like a good excuse for a long weekend to me!

Six services is significant.  They have back-up crew so there were more than 6 on unscheduled leave.

[Mozz]

I thought it was 6 in peak, it was more with off peak included

[Derwan]

I thought it was 6 in peak, it was more with off peak included

Well that would possibly make it more absences then - although with cancelled services, it potentially means "return" journeys are also cancelled - and potentially others the same crew would do in the evening.

Either way, more than 6 absences is significant.

[Nightwriter]

Cynically speaking, was there a big game or something on on Friday?