State Government Audit into QR: North Coast Line impacts

[Fares_Fair]

Transport and Main Roads
Independent Audit into the reliability of Queensland Rail's south-east Queensland network
Final report

p54.

8.2 Other operators
The Audit team conducted interviews with major non passenger operators and customers to gauge their
opinions on the reliability of the south-east Queensland network. General opinion is that the south-east
Queensland network is meeting their requirements, but upgrades such as an additional Brisbane River
crossing and track duplications would aid their businesses. Freight travelling through the south-east
Queensland network and in particular on the North Coast Line includes general and bulk industrial,
construction, cattle and bulk fresh food supplies for north and far north Queensland.
The particular area of concern to freight operators is the impact of SCAS closures on freight services.

17. Major disruption - when at least one peak service train is delayed for one hour or more.
18. Technical rolling stock fault which is responsible for initiating delay.

There are a number of areas of particular concern in relation to weekend SCAS closures on the North Coast
Line including:
• programming closures during the wet season November to March, as this is the peak freight service
period to enable the provisioning of commercial customers in the lead up to Christmas and additional
bulk commodities, building materials, non perishable food and household goods, in advance of wet
season closures
• regardless of the time of year, just-in-time fresh food has to be transported by road. For each freight train
not able to operate, a minimum of 10 trucks are required to haul just-in-time commodities and food to
north and far north Queensland
• all tracks closed for 40 to 50 hours and reopening immediately prior to Monday morning peak. This
practice effectively extends the closure to non commuter trains by four to five hours as freight trains
are held until after the peak period. Freight operators have suggested that in most North Coast Line
SCAS closures making a single track available to freight operators during the overnight hours when
Queensland Rail staff are not working on the line would assist them in meeting their business needs. As
freight trains use diesel hauled locomotives the OHLE is not required and progressing through the works
areas under speed restrictions is preferable to not being able to operate at all
• consideration also needs to be given to freight operators in the shorter term non SCAS regular closures
as these also have a detrimental impact to OTR, consequential impacts as they travel the rest of the
network and delivery penalties.

The Rail Corporation of New South Wales, operator of the daily passenger service to and from Sydney was
not consulted in this Audit.


Scheduled Corridor Access System (SCAS) closure or scheduled maintenance period.

[ozbob]

This is important commentary.  It again highlights just how important getting the Sunshine Coast line improved.

It may or may not be possible depending on works being done to allow freighters through on a closure.  Often though I do note that often on a track closure there are train movements - ballast, spoil trains, overhead vehicle trains and the like.

Where possible why not.

Closures on the Ipswich line seem to be handled a bit different.  I have noted over the years that the line re-opens say early Monday morning (2-3am) and then there is a procession of trains - coal, freight etc. before the sparks.  Shorter distances, more track capacity.

It is essential for Queensland's economy and future that the Sunshine Coast line be sorted ASAP.

[Stillwater]

These issues need to be followed up, as the freight trains pull in the dollars.  Queensland Government took its eyes off the freight side of things on the North Coast Line when they sold off QR National.

[mufreight]

This is important commentary.  It again highlights just how important getting the Sunshine Coast line improved.

It may or may not be possible depending on works being done to allow freighters through on a closure.  Often though I do note that often on a track closure there are train movements - ballast, spoil trains, overhead vehicle trains and the like.

Where possible why not.

Closures on the Ipswich line seem to be handled a bit different.  I have noted over the years that the line re-opens say early Monday morning (2-3am) and then there is a procession of trains - coal, freight etc. before the sparks.  Shorter distances, more track capacity.

It is essential for Queensland's economy and future that the Sunshine Coast line be sorted ASAP.

Major difference is that the western (Ipswich) is effectively double track as far as Grandchester and as we are well aware there is sufficent track capacity to operate freight/coal services through the commuter services between Rosewood and Corinda and the freight services can slot in between commuter services between Yeerongpilly and Dutton Park inbound in the morning peak and outbound they have no problem with the counter peak flow.
This restriction on the NCL could be readily overcome by the duplication to Nambour which would also cater for the commuter services to be operated by rail instead of bus services.