Articles: Metro's OTP

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro's tardiness reaches new low

Metro's tardiness reaches new low
CLAY LUCAS
March 10, 2010

METRO, on its 100th day of operation since taking over Melbourne's suburban rail system from Connex, has recorded one of the worst days of late running in years.

Metro is due to release today its operating results for the third month since taking over from Connex. It is expected to have again failed to meet its performance target, to run 88 per cent of trains within five minutes of their scheduled time.

Yesterday the rail system struggled to cope with the impoundment of eight six-carriage trains that, in the past five days, have failed to brake properly.

The eight trains have been taken off the rails indefinitely as a result.

The trains were made by German firm Siemens and have had braking problems since 2003.

Five of the trains were pulled from service on Sunday after their brakes failed at Malvern station, and three more were impounded yesterday after they failed to stop at Springvale and Narre Warren stations.

The government owns 165 six-carriage trains, but such is the demand for peak-hour services that losing eight is enough to cause severe disruption to commuters.

By last night's peak hour, Metro had cancelled 80 trains for the day, or around 4 per cent of the day's service. And many more were badly delayed over the course of the day.

A major power malfunction in the morning rush hour at Southern Cross Station also caused thousands of passengers to be delayed for at least 30 minutes.

One train controller who spoke to The Age said yesterday morning would ''amount to one of the worst mornings of late running in five years''. A Metro spokeswoman, Lanie Harris, did not dispute this.

Meanwhile, documents obtained under freedom of information by the state opposition have revealed that Metro warned the state government last April that Melbourne's suburban rail system was so badly run down that it was potentially dangerous to commuters.

The document formed part of Metro's tender to take over the system from Connex. Metro has an eight-year contract with the government, which expires in 2017.

Under Melbourne's system of privatisation, the company that runs the rail system for the government is able to increase its profit by maximising the construction work it carries out during the life of its contract.

For this reason, the operator has a vested interest in ''talking up'' the amount of infrastructure work that needs to be done.

In its tender to the government last year, Metro did just that, writing that there was a massive amount of work that needed to be carried out.

If it was not done, Metro's tender warned, there could be ''catastrophic consequences''.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said yesterday that the tender document was written before Metro took over from Connex. However, he said the government recognised there was serious track work that needed to be done.

''Anyone who ever told you that rail maintenance can be concluded is in fantasy land,'' he said. ''Sleepers need to be constantly replaced, there needs to be constant work on signalling and on ballast and drainage.''

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Ageing bridge slows us down

Ageing bridge slows us down

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * March 10, 2010 12:00AM

METRO has shelved an urgently needed upgrade to an ageing but crucial city railway link that dates back to 1891.

Train services are constantly delayed by the 15km/h limit on the crumbling viaduct from Flinders St to Southern Cross stations.

But in confidential documents presented to the State Government, the operator has said it won't have the opportunity to fix it this year.

Metro will today release its latest performance figures, which will show it missed its punctuality targets in January.

In a disastrous day for Metro yesterday, three Siemens trains were forced out of service after failing to stop when required, bringing the total number of crippled trains to eight.

A faulty train at Southern Cross threw the morning peak hour into chaos, causing severe disruption on the Epping and Hurstbridge lines.

The latest problem for the Siemens trains has left Metro with a major headache, having fewer trains on standby in the event of further failures.

Commuters heading home last night were hit by cancellations as the train shortage hit, and by 6pm there had been 78 cancellations.

The train drivers' union had vowed to ban any problem Siemens train, but this threat was dismissed by Metro acting chief executive Raymond O'Flaherty.

But Rail, Tram and Bus Union locomotive division chief Terry Sheedy said: "We've had a gutful. These (trains) are all repeat offenders."

The latest crisis follows revelations in yesterday's Herald Sun that Metro warned the State Government of a potential catastrophe because of poor tracks.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said Melbourne's train system was safe.

"Since they (Metro) have taken over the network, there has been massive work done on what they consider to be the hotspots," Mr Pakula said.

"I travel on the train regularly and I feel perfectly safe."

Mr O'Flaherty said 400 high-risk locations had already been rectified.

Opposition spokesman on transport Terry Mulder said the upgrade to the Flinders St viaduct was urgently needed.

A spokesman for Mr Pakula said the upgrade would occur next year.

"The viaduct is fit for service use and speed restrictions are in place because of the proximity of the two major stations," spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.

"The viaduct is inspected every year and its structural integrity is sound."

[#Metro]

They should just dump those trains and get a new one.
No sense sinking in good money after bad. They are only going to get worse.

[Dean Quick]

Seven years of delays/cancellations and frustration for Melbourne commuters!! If only they had stuck by the locally produced product. This just adds more weight to my argument that all new rollingstock where possible should be constructed right here in Australia. They may cost more but at least we know they work!!

[#Metro]

Isn't Siemens "German Engineering"?
And isn't German Engineering supposed to be great?
Anyway, RailCorp is buying a whole lot of stuff from overseas...

626 carriages. QR's orders pale in comparison...

http://www.railcorp.info/about_railcorp/rollingstock_public_private_partnership/faqs

3. Why are the new trains being built overseas?

All train building in Australia relies heavily on the importation of the train's major systems and equipment because we do not manufacture many of these major parts in this country.

This is the largest passenger train manufacturing/procurement project in Australian history. The 626 carriages will represent 50% of Sydney's electric suburban fleet.

For a project of this scale, both tender proponents for the final PPP contract each had overseas manufacture components to their bids.

The Changchun Railway Vehicles Company (CRC) in China is the largest passenger rail vehicle manufacturer in Asia and one of the few manufacturing companies in the world with proven capacity to meet the PPP project requirements.

There remains significant train manufacturing work to be done in the Hunter for the final assembly and testing and commissioning of the trains including flow-on effects to local business.

Some key manufacturing activities anticipated to occur at Downer EDI Rail's Cardiff facility including:

a) Crew Cab manufacturing and assembly;
b) Major electrical and mechanical fit out, assembly and testing work for Cabs and electrical lockers; and
c) Assembly, integration and testing of all major components, equipment and the roof mounted sub-assemblies to produce complete cars and train sets.

The traction (power) inverters, auxiliary power supplies, traction motors and filter reactors will be manufactured by Hitachi in Japan and transported to Cardiff for integration into the train sets.

[#Metro]

The relevant section from the Public Transport Division of Victoria's D of T:

Metropolitan trains
In each financial quarter Metro Trains is required to:

   * deliver at least 98 per cent of the timetable each month
   * ensure that at least 87 per cent of services arrive at their destination no later than four minutes and 59 seconds after the timetabled arrival time.


Note: for Metro Trains, a slightly different threshold arrangement applies under the contract as compared to the Metro Customer service standards. Under the latter, Metro will provide eligible passengers with compensation where punctuality falls below 88 per cent in any given month.

No compensation for QLDers ... yet!

http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/doi/internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/FE45C4AFFB575E49CA256E7C00208161?OpenDocument

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro fails to meet performance targets for third month running amid more cancellations and commuter pain

Metro fails to meet performance targets for third month running amid more cancellations and commuter pain

    * Ashely Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * March 10, 2010 6:49AM

UPDATE 4.07pm: NEW train operator Metro has failed to meet its performance targets for the third month running, as Herald Sun readers rated their service a dismal one out of 10.

In an online reader poll almost 25 per cent of people rated Metro's performance over their first 100 days as one of of 10.  Just over 11 per cent gave Metro a score of three out of ten, while 10.6 per cent gave them five out of ten.

Just six per cent of readers thought Metro had delivered a 10 out of 10 performance.

Metro's performance results means some commuters will be able to apply for compensation, in the form of a free daily ticket, because of the poor service.

During February, only 83.4 per cent of trains ran on time, which is below the target.

In January, 13.1 per cent of trains were late, over the 12 per cent performance target in Metro's contract with the State Government.

During January, the train system was hit by speed restrictions imposed on the troubled Siemens trains and a major power failure on the Glen Waverley line.

How would you rank Metro's 100 days in charge of trains? Leave your comments below, and give Metro a mark out of ten in our poll.

Trains are officially regarded as "late" if it is more than four minutes and 59 seconds, which is a tougher requirement than was imposed on Connex, which had an extra minute.

Under the compensation code, commuters with a yearly, half-yearly or monthly ticket may apply for a free daily Metcard as compensation.

But Metro met its other minimum service requirement, which is ensuring that no more than two per cent of services are cancelled.

During February, only 1.2 per cent of services failed to run.

Last December, during Metro's first month of operation in Melbourne, 12.8 per cent of services failed to run on time, again over the 12 per cent target.

Metro acting chief executive Raymond O'Flaherty said the results were disappointing.

"To fall below our on-time target is unacceptable to us, and unacceptable to our customers," Mr O'Flaherty said.

"But it further points to why we have to get the basics right, which starts with improving the reliability of the equipment, the tracks, trains, overheads, signals."

Premier John Brumby blasted the rail operator for failing to meet the required standards and underperforming on its promises to improve the rail system.

"I am very disappointed they are not meeting their targets,'' he said.

"They have not performed according to the contract they signed with the government.''.

Opposition spokesman on transport Terry Mulder said it was more evidence the State Government had refused to invest in the system.

"(Premier) John Brumby promised that Victorians would see immediate improvement in Melbourne's rail network on Day 1 when the new operator took over (on) November 30, 2009," Mr Mulder said.

"John Brumby was wrong again.

"Metro, the new operator, is rapidly getting a good understanding of what Connex was up against working with a Labor government that refuses to fund vital rail infrastructure and safety upgrades.

"The community should be aware that responsibility for this hat-trick of poor punctuality rests on John Brumby's shoulders."

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen agreed that more Government investment in the system was needed.

"Continued punctuality problems should be a reminder that you can't just change the logos on the trains and expect them to run on time," Mr Bowen said.

"The Government needs to keep investing in upgrading the rail network, and we need a timetable revamp to get more trains running, to help spread peak loads and to run the system more reliably."

The results followed a horror morning for Metro with at least 30 trains cancelled during the morning peak.

Metro spokeswoman Lanie Harris admitted the train operator had a difficult morning with cancellations.

"There's been more than 30 (cancellations) out of the 440 services we run each morning," Ms Harris said.

"We've got nine out of ten trains running.

"At the end of the day it's that one out of 10 that is going to be inconvenient to the 800 people who are relying on it to get to work."

Ms Harris would not comment on the fact the latest train dramas come as Metro gets its latest performance figures today.

"No day is going to be a good day to have a large number of cancellations," she said.

"Today is no different to yesterday or the first day we took over the network three months ago.''

This morning's cancellations came barely hours after a molotov cocktail was thrown at a train last night.

The molotov cocktail was thrown through a train window and triggered a fire last night, damaging another train as eight others were taken off the rails due to brake problems.

Three Siemens trains were taken out of action yesterday after failing to brake when required.

The Herald Sun has also revealed the Flinders St viaduct is in desperate need of repair.

And plans to restore the Flinders St bridge - so rundown trains have to slow to 15km/h - have been shelved until at least January next year.


- with Amelia Harris

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Melbourne's trains: from bad to worse

Melbourne's trains: from bad to worse
CLAY LUCAS
March 11, 2010

PREMIER John Brumby has hit out at Melbourne's new suburban train operator, Metro, saying it must lift its game after one of the worst months in years for late-running services.

More than 16 per cent of 51,598 scheduled services operated by Metro in February ran more than five minutes late - one of the worst results since the privatisation of the network a decade ago.

And more than 1 per cent of services scheduled for the month did not run at all, results released yesterday showed.

The results come just three months after Metro took over the system, having been hand-picked by the government at a cost to taxpayers of tens of millions of dollars in consultants' fees and tendering costs.

At the time, Mr Brumby said Metro would deliver ''more train services, greater reliability and punctuality ... They will deliver a better transport system for our state''.

Yesterday the Premier was less enthusiastic. ''They need to lift their performance,'' he said. ''They have got an agreement with the government and that agreement is set out in writing and I believe they should be meeting it.''

Mr Brumby said Metro had to be given ''a chance to settle in and get on top of the job. But they've had, what, four months now and they are not meeting their performance targets.''

Metro's acting chief executive, Raymond O'Flaherty, said a key reason for the poor performance was a shortage of trains, partly due to continuing braking problems with the fleet of Siemens trains inherited from the previous operator, Connex.

Other reasons cited for the surge in late trains included failed overhead power lines and cancellations causing knock-on effects to other services.

The government hired Metro last year in a contract that will pay it $3.8 billion over eight years. It will earn almost that much again from ticket sales, construction contracts and other revenue.

And Metro's penalties for late services are capped at $12 million a year - a much less onerous regime than that faced by Connex, which was liable for open-ended penalties for late and cancelled trains. In 2009 Connex paid $25 million back to the government for poor performance.

RMIT academic Paul Mees, a critic of the privatised public transport system, said the Premier's reaction to the performance results was an insult to public transport users.

''He designed the system, he stuck with privatisation when it clearly wasn't working, he chose Metro - and he told us that it would fix the problems. To paraphrase Bill Clinton, 'It's the system, stupid'.''

Public sentiment may be shifting against Metro, with an online poll of 1593 Age readers finding that 69 per cent believed Connex had run the train system better.

Under Metro's contract it must run 88 per cent of trains within five minutes of their scheduled time to avoid penalties. It failed to do so by a large margin in February, running 83.4 per cent of trains ''on time''.

However, it managed to meet its contractual requirement of cancelling fewer than 2 per cent of services.

As a result of the excessive number of late services, Metro passengers with monthly, six-monthly or yearly tickets are entitled to two free days of travel as compensation. They can apply at train stations or online.

But travellers who use myki will not get the compensation automatically credited to their cards - despite the government having the capacity to have this function put in place.

Mr O'Flaherty said too much equipment on the system had failed since Metro took over from Connex, making the job of running trains to schedule increasingly difficult.

''We need to fix the equipment failures, and fix them for once and for all, and that will lead to an improvement in reliability,'' he said.

He said the government, as part of the contract signed last year, had provided extra funding to fix these problems.

Mr O'Flaherty was speaking at Malvern station, where problems with trains and tracks were in evidence last weekend. The brakes failed to work on five Siemens trains scheduled to stop there on Saturday and Sunday.

Another three Siemens trains had similar problems on Monday, leading to a total of eight six-carriage trains being withdrawn from service indefinitely.

About 45 services were cancelled yesterday, largely as a result of the Siemens trains not being in service. Mr O'Flaherty expected some trains would return to service by tomorrow.

[#Metro]

Just get rid of those Siemens trains!
Just do it!