Caboolture - Nambour line please suggest timetable improvements here!

[ozbob]

The Pine Rivers Press did an article last week (--> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1729.0 ).

It would be good to follow up with some consensus suggestions.

If you have some comments ideas to improve the timetable please post here.  Thanks.

It is accepted that many peak services on the Caboolture line are overloaded.

Cheers
Bob

[Fridge]

With not knowing what happens with the train in Ipswich, (whether it returns straight away or sits idle for a while) the regular 1/2 hour service for Caboolture during the day arrives at Caboolture and sits idle for approx. 25 mins before returning to the city.  Why can't there be a shorter turn-around time, wouldn't this increase the frequency to every 15mins?  Please correct me if I am wrong.

[Arnz]

North of Petrie has to handle freight and Traveltrain traffic as well, traffic would be more heavy during commuter peak times.  Off-peak it may be possible, but peak would be just squeezing track capacity north of Petrie.

Hence the duplication works north of Caboolture and the proposed triplication from Lawnton to Caboolture.

[ozbob]

Welcome Fridge!

Twenty five minutes is a long time. I think it will be reasonable that we might move to a 20 minute timetable, before a 15 minute timetable (the 'holy' grail ...).  Rather than trying a whole of network change, which will take some time for the necessary crew and rolling stock to build up, some lines might get the treatment before others.  The CAB - IPS corridor must be first cab of the rank so to speak.  So maybe we might see that turnaround time reduced as frequency is ramped up. And further track capacity is integrated into the northern line.

Thanks for your comments.

Regards
Bob

[stephenk]

North of Petrie has to handle freight and Traveltrain traffic as well, traffic would be more heavy during commuter peak times.  Off-peak it may be possible, but peak would be just squeezing track capacity north of Petrie.

A 15min service is only 4tph. I'm sure QR could run freight and Traveltrains in the 15 min gaps between Citytrain services. The main issue would be reversing capacity at Caboolture (as only one track could be used if the others were needed as through roads).

[Arnz]

North of Petrie has to handle freight and Traveltrain traffic as well, traffic would be more heavy during commuter peak times.  Off-peak it may be possible, but peak would be just squeezing track capacity north of Petrie.

A 15min service is only 4tph. I'm sure QR could run freight and Traveltrains in the 15 min gaps between Citytrain services. The main issue would be reversing capacity at Caboolture (as only one track could be used if the others were needed as through roads).

As I said, off-peak its possible. 

Peak Hour is another issue as you got all-stoppers and expresses operating on the North Coast Main Line (at least 15-20 mins between stations, depending on service), also add the 5pm Tilt Service, the half-hourly Nambour peak services, and to make things interesting, one of the Nambour peak services (5:17pm) is scheduled to "switch to the wrong road" between Narangba and Caboolture every evening (to overtake a all-stoppers at Burpengary).

[Arnz]

To bump up this post.  First up, I'd like to suggest for the afternoon peak fixes between 4pm and 7pm.

First up, to get the Nambour trains sorted.

*4:03 (#1L07) to Nambour pushed back to 4:16pm, Service departs Caboolture at 5:02 (7 mins later).  No trains to Caboolture atm in the 1600-1616 timeslot, so moving this Nambour train back and reducing fat would help.
*4:34 (#TL09) to Nambour (ex Central) pushed back to 4:46, service departs Caboolture 5:32 (5 mins later).  Upgraded to 6-car IMU
*#1L09 (6-car SMU) is renumbered #TL09 (6-car IMU) departing at 4:46pm (ex Central, Platform 4). Turns Back and Departs Nambour (23 mins later) at 7pm as #TG78 (currently #1990) to Brisbane City and Robina.
*4:34 service is renumbered to (#11??) and will be truncated back to Caboolture (as Nambour train will be departing 4:46pm instead).

The current 2-3 min fat at Bowen Hills and Northgate trimmed down with the new timings.  I'm aware that crossings north of Cab will be changed as per single track, but it can be sorted, not to mention the Beerburrum comissioning not too far off will require a TT change anyway.

Caboolture trains. (2 extra trains and 1 extended train, 1 extra to Petrie around 4:10pm and 1 extra to Caboolture around 6:15pm).

*A extra train to Petrie departing Central around 4:10pm, stopping all stations to Petrie (will be overtaken by 4:16pm Nambour express on suburban tracks).
*4:34pm service truncated to Caboolture (next Nambour train departs at 4:46pm).
*#1181 extended to Caboolture, and now departs 3 minutes later at 4:50 (and will be trailing behind the retimed 4:46pm Nambour express).
*A extra train to Caboolture around 6:15pm, stopping all stations (and trailing behind a Nambour express that leaves around 6:07pm)

[stephenk]

To bump up this post.  First up, I'd like to suggest for the afternoon peak fixes between 4pm and 7pm.

First up, to get the Nambour trains sorted.

*4:03 (#1L07) to Nambour pushed back to 4:16pm, Service departs Caboolture at 5:02 (7 mins later).  No trains to Caboolture atm in the 1600-1616 timeslot, so moving this Nambour train back and reducing fat would help.

I'm sure Nambour commuters would appreciate the increase in service gap to from 56mins to 1hour09mins (or longer if you exclude railbuses). There are Caboolture trains already at 4:06 (all stations) and 4:23 (exp), a 15 min gap, which is just a 9 min gap by Caboolture! There is a Petrie train at 4:25 which is an excessive 17 min gap after the 4:08, but moving the Nambour service wouldn't exactly help a Strathpine commuter anyway, and your extra 4:10 Petrie service would solve this problem anyway?

*A extra train to Caboolture around 6:15pm, stopping all stations (and trailing behind a Nambour express that leaves around 6:07pm)

That service is definitely required. A 30 minute gap at that time of the evening is very unnacceptable!

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

Commuters tire of 'worst class'

Commuters tire of 'worst class'

Bill Hoffman | 13th October 2010

A RAIL users' support group wants an immediate upgrade to services between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, describing what the region has now as "worst class" standard.

Rail Back On Track said the declaration of an Urban Land Development Area at Caloundra South made critical the need for clear funding commitments for both the Caloundra to Maroochydore rail link and the line duplication to Nambour.

Group spokesman Robert Dow said the State Government's push for population growth here demanded "firm funding commitment and shovels on the ground".

But more immediately he wants rail service frequency to Nambour increased to at least hourly, six carriages instead of three on trains servicing commuters and that all trains from here be Inter-urban with toilets.

Rail Back On Track also wants a linking service from Gympie North to Nambour to connect with Brisbane and for all services to be connected to dedicated bus transport.

The organisation believes there is sufficient railway land at Yandina to make it a stabling centre for trains to deliver the greater level of service. Nambour station would also need to be upgraded to have two platforms.

"An increase in train frequency is required as morning peak hour trains can be very crowded, even the weekend service from Gympie North on a Sunday afternoon is well patronised and usually overloaded by Nambour,'' Mr Dow said.

"A regular and reliable clock-face timetable with hourly or at bare minimum a service every two hours is needed, as is the filling of major service gaps in the timetable.

"The crowded early morning peak services should be upgraded from current short-train three-car to six-car trains, or more trains put on so that more people can catch a service that isn't crowded.''

Mr Dow said the government was creating massive, public transport-poor subdivisions.

"New land developments must not turn into low-density, petrol price vulnerable car-dependent urban sprawl where the car is the only option, requiring endless motorways and upgrades which lock in all the funds, priorities and land uses.

"Suburban streets must also facilitate easy public transport access,'' he said.

"CAMCOS needs to get under way and in the meantime, frequencies must be increased on the Sunshine Coast line."

[ClintonL94]

I think stabling could be arranged at Gympie North as well. I am not sure if the cross over tracks are actually being used as cross over tracks. If they are not - then electrify them and put some interurban trains there.

[colinw]

Sod Gympie North, just electrify all the way in to Old Gympie via Banks Pocket and service the town centre (with weekend service timed to connect to the Valley Rattler).  There's tons of room  for a park and ride and stabling in the old Gympie yard.  Gympie North is an out of the way hole which suppresses patronage of this service.