Article: New timetables veer off track

[ozbob]

From Quest City News 10 April 2008 page 3

New timetables veer off track

[brad C]

I am somewhat bewildered about street poll and blog feedback concerning timetable effects on the northern corridor.
Apart from some very minor twigging of times, there has been no additional services to or from either Shorncliffe or Caboolture/Nambour in this latest round of timetable changes.
As for Ferny Grove, there has been a lot of feedback about crowded services in a relatively small (but critical) part of the morning peak) culminating in the scheduling of an additional service, but not one mention of the huge increase in services from the city to FG between 1730 and 1930 (now 11 trains, including a late revision to plug the gap between the 1834 and 1914 services).

It is somewhat farcical to view passenger numbers on the 1804 service from Central to FG (just 7 minutes behind the previous) and see the huge stress on the 1805 Ipswich and 1806 Caboolture services at this same hour.
On the Caboolture line, 1800 sees the reversion to standard off peak times with passengers still standing on both the 1837 and 1907 services well beyond Zillmere.
This may seem like sour grapes, but realistically the timetable changes have not been equitable across the network given that there are obvious times when rollingstock can be deployed to provide a 20 minute service to one line whilst passengers stand the equivalent distance of Central to FG on other lines at the same time.
A lot more homework to do yet!!

Brad C
Brad C

[ozbob]

Having a Minister of the Crown as the local member helps a bit I think Brad!  LOL

Clearly Caboolture is far worse and has more systemic congestion issues than Ferny Grove, closely followed by Ipswich and Shorncliffe.  Cleveland is not doing well either ...

More trains and crew needed!!

[stephenk]

Having a Minister of the Crown as the local member helps a bit I think Brad!  LOL

Clearly Caboolture is far worse and has more systemic congestion issues than Ferny Grove, closely followed by Ipswich and Shorncliffe.  Cleveland is not doing well either ...

More trains and crew needed!!

Is it?

This morning at Bowen Hills, between 07:30 and 07:38, the trains arriving from Mitchelton (FG Line) and Shorncliffe had approx 30-40 passengers standing per car. The train from Caboolture had one or two standing, and a few spare seats. The train from Petrie had quite a lot of spare seats. Based on this observation, I can't quite see what Caboolture Line commuters are complaining about !!!

[stephenk]

Apart from some very minor twigging of times, there has been no additional services to or from either Shorncliffe or Caboolture/Nambour in this latest round of timetable changes.

That's because the new timetable was written (badly) to accommodate the enhanced Gold Coast services, which doesn't affect the Caboolture - Ipswich Line.

[ozbob]

Caboolture has the greatest load and increase of all our lines (13.5% 2006/2007).

The real issues are earlier on, the peak on the FG is later than most of the long haul lines.

Also loadings are different in the school holidays too. 

FG tends to have a very concentrated peak (relatively short line cf. to the others).

Caboolture and Ipswich need a lot more early peak services, both morning and afternoon.

I spoke to some journalists today, the aim is to get 15 minutes on all lines off peak  with 7.5 minute or better peak.  This is achievable and would change perceptions of the utility of rail.

Weekends holidays 20 minute all lines.

This is dependent on more trains and crew of course ... 

[brad C]

If one is going to sit at Bowen Hills and review congestion, one needs to factor the time that the observed service departed its terminus station.
Viewing passenger numbers on trains that left their terminus at 6.35am as opposed to trains on shorter hauls that left post 7am is not a true indication of passenger loads.
If one is intent of making an academic exercise of casual observations at at inner city locations, then results need to be moderated by factors such as timed departure from terminus, the percentage of the journey that the service ran express, the fluctuations in load on account of 'blue collar' worker employment centres (at that time of day), and relative gaps between this service and that which followed, and its stopping pattern.
Given that the sample was also observed on a Friday (a day of lower loading on earlier services), and during the school holidays add weight to utilisation of moderating factors.
This is a problem with the QR loading 'surveys' that I have consistently drawn to their attention.
A sample taken in a broader timescale with all moderating factors accommodated would be the only true indication of relative loadings.
Brad C

[Mozz]

Brad, thanks for the post - it provides some useful information into the loading situations.

Unfortunately for me while I find your post very informative and useful I find myself quite sad that of the many many representations provided by myself personally to translink and QR about the issues with public transport over the past three years - I usually get a response that talks about the future investment in public transport and the delivery of services in 2010 and 2015 but really no response to the "here and now".

The most recent being the hype around the new march 2008 timetable which was being touted in early to mid 2007 - due to some reasons not shared with the key stakeholders (the travelling commuters) the new significant timetable turned into one which shuffled services to accommodate addtional trains which may well have been scheduled to be delivered by March 2008 but didn't make it - so now we are told to wait until the super September 2008 timetable, it will be the solution but perhaps it may be the March 2009 one which delivers ........

I suppose one thing we can say from the current lack of train rolling stock issue is that trains ordered in 2004 will take until 2010 to be delivered and currently there are no more trains on order - so if in 2009 we order some more trains they won't be fully delivered until 2015 or beyond. I suppose that is also predicated on the current environment, but what happens when petrol hits $1.50 and then $2.00 in the next couple of years - hmmm the realist in me thinks it might be time to order some more trains.

I understand that there would be quite a discipline behend passenger loadings and train timetabling. However as an active public transport advocate I have not yet been privy to any of rationale as to why decisions are made. I have made representation after representation as to recommendations and issues but in reality not one tangible result has been delivered.

I only know what I can see, touch and feel and past efforts by Translink have shown that I can indeed get lots of this when trains have more people standing than there are seats on a regular basis on many trains on the ipswich line heading the the city. I believe others when they say that 900 per six carriage train is the maximum safe LIMIT for our current trains - but I know that I have seen many times where this number is well exceeded.

Ok now that I have posted the above, it would be great if you could share more of your knowledge so that others like myself could benefit and help us to input into the current crisis in public transport in SEQ.

[curator49]

I think the whole timetable system both for trains and buses is a disaster. Peak Hour used to be just that from about 8.0 am to 9.0 am for an hour with heavy usage and similar in the afternoon. Over the years, with our burgeoning population, changes to work hours and other factors it is really a peak period service that is required to ensure people get to work on time rather than at the whim of those who set the timetables (and our politicians) who seem to be totally out of touch with reality.

I drive up to Ipswich every morning and travel along the Ipswich Motorway between Wacol and Dinmore at about 5.30 am. The inbound road is almost to the point of gridlock every day with people driving into the city. Why aren't they on a train? Probably because there are no services to suit.

Morning Peak Period now is probably from at least 6.0 am to 9.0 am and Afternoon Peak from at least 4.0 pm to 7.0 pm. People finish work at 6.0 pm and rush to Central to catch the last "peak period" train that leaves at 6.01 - they have no hope. The next train is at least a half hour wait and it is overcrowded.

We are slaves to our motor car because we have no other choice there is certainly little in the way of public transport being offered as a service. Campbell Newman is spending billions on road tunnels which will be costly white elephants unless they can be converted for use as light rail. The current cost of petrol is cheap compared to what it will become. Oil is a finite source that is fast running out, especially with the increasing demand from India and China where there are billions of prospective users as these countries become the new business and production powerhouses.

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track has been consistently highlighting the lack of services on the Ipswich line for quite a while now as you are no doubt aware Curator49!

We will keep trying.  Early peak is starting to be a major issue, QR need more resources too of course.

for example:

http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=99.0

http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=136.0

http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=173.0

http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=240.0

Cheers
Ozbob

[stephenk]

I can't see that the current train service is attractive to convert motorists to rail. Many station car parks fill up quickly (for example Ferny Grove's is full be 07:15). The train service is too infrequent (why wait 20mins for a Ferny Grove Line train, when you can drive City to Ferny Grove in little more than 20mins!).

We need more trains, larger car parks at selected stations, and more frequent train services (max 10mins wait) to convert more motorists to using rail. Of course we also need a new tunnel through the CBD to allow for a metro style service on more lines.

Otherwise the only thing that will currently move motorists to rail will be the fuel prices!