TransLink: Maintaining your train network through planned track works

[ozbob]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/network-information/track-closures

Maintaining your train network through planned track works

Maintaining your train network through planned track works

To maintain a high standard of safety and reliability across our train network, sometimes we need to close the lines to complete maintenance and upgrade works. Unfortunately, this means that when we close these lines you may experience delays in the time it takes you to get were you want to go. We do our best to keep this to a minimum but it is necessary to ensure your safety.

How is planned track work managed and scheduled?

Planned track work is managed through a program called the Scheduled Corridor Access System (SCAS). SCAS involves the closure of a section of the track network at planned times throughout the year. These closures allow for construction and critical maintenance work to be undertaken.

During a closure, the train network is split into several zones to help ensure that we limit disruptions to as few passengers as possible.

    Northgate to Shorncliffe
    Northgate to Gympie North
    Bowen Hills to Ferny Grove
    Corinda to Rosewood, including Richlands
    Corinda to Northgate
    Dutton Park to Varsity Lakes
    Dutton Park to Cleveland

See our network map for more information.

How we're improving your journey through regular maintenance

When your train line is closed, a variety of work is undertaken including line upgrades, station infrastructure improvements, and accessibility upgrades.

    Upgrade works include repairing tracks, overhead works, welding and tree removal.
    Station infrastructure improvements include security works, car park upgrades and improving customer facilities such as electric timetable displays.
    Accessibility upgrades include improvements for pedestrian access, way-finding signage and lift installation.

What does this mean for me if I need to travel during a closure?

We understand that no one likes to be disrupted and we try to keep this to a minimum.

Track closures are usually scheduled overnight or for weekends, when less people are travelling.

Wherever possible during the closure, buses are used to replace trains in both directions.

Just like any other TransLink service, you'll need a valid go card or paper ticket to travel on a bus replacement service during a track closure. If you're using a go card, please touch on and touch off as normal at your station.

If you're unable to touch on and touch off due to restricted access to ticketing facilities, you'll need to contact our call centre on 13 12 30 to request a fare adjustment.

We encourage you to plan ahead by checking our website for upcoming scheduled track closures and allow for extra travel time if the closure will affect your planned journey. These closures can add up to approximately 60 minutes to your travel time.

To help you plan future travel, we're currently working with Queensland Rail to compile a calendar of future track closures.

As always, TransLink values your comments and feedback at translink.com.au or call 13 12 30 anytime.

Note: " Just like any other TransLink service, you'll need a valid go card or paper ticket to travel on a bus replacement service during a track closure. If you're using a go card, please touch on and touch off as normal at your station.

If you're unable to touch on and touch off due to restricted access to ticketing facilities, you'll need to contact our call centre on 13 12 30 to request a fare adjustment. "

[Gazza]

If you're unable to touch on and touch off due to restricted access to ticketing facilities, you'll need to contact our call centre on 13 12 30 to request a fare adjustment. "

FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

[HappyTrainGuy]

How does that apply to stations where access to stations itself isn't as easy such as Virginia or even Zillmere? Does the person catching the rail replacment bus at Zillmere has to walk from Murphy road to the station, walk up the flight of stairs to touch on, walk down the stairs and then proceed back to Murphy Road to await the rail replacment bus? What other stations on lines would that be a problem at as buses aren't always to get close to stations.

[STB]

If you're unable to touch on and touch off due to restricted access to ticketing facilities, you'll need to contact our call centre on 13 12 30 to request a fare adjustment. "

FFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

Indeed .  So if I don't have enough money to top up my Go Card or have enough to cop a fixed fare (but enough to travel there and back under normal circumstances) and am forced to touch on but am unable to touch off due to trackwork, and that it takes up to 10 working days for that fixed fare to be refunded, does that mean that I shouldn't travel at all?

IMO, it's outside the normal circumstances and operations of catching a train, therefore should be free.

Also with the erratic timetable rail replacement buses run, wouldn't it be annoying if you trudged onto the platform to touch on only to see the rail replacement bus you are meant to catch arrive and depart before you can run back off the platform to catch it!

[ozbob]

This is all contrary to the go card instructions.  When entering or leaving a bus you touch on and off.  People get rattled and what happens when they hit a fare gate?  When entering or leaving a railway station they touch on and off. They board a bus and expect to touch on.

Wouldn't be surprised if a nest of SNOs / TOs pounce on a rail replacement buses and fine the hapless souls ... 

[STB]

This is all contrary to the go card instructions.  When entering or leaving a bus you touch on and off.  People get rattled and what happens when they hit a fare gate?  When entering or leaving a railway station they touch on and off. They board a bus and expect to touch on.

Wouldn't be surprised if a nest of SNOs / TOs pounce on a rail replacement buses and fine the hapless souls ... 

If I actually had an income and not stupid Austudy, I'd be willing to be a guinea pig.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Buy a traveltrain ticket to Nambour and get free access to the entire QR network. Just say your on your way to Roma Street

[WTN]

Let's not forget some stations are gated and the gates are a fair walk from the replacement buses. The Ipswich Transit Centre for example, is at the bottom of a steep hill while the station entrance is at the top.

This is all contrary to the go card instructions.  When entering or leaving a bus you touch on and off.  People get rattled and what happens when they hit a fare gate?  When entering or leaving a railway station they touch on and off. They board a bus and expect to touch on.

Wouldn't be surprised if a nest of SNOs / TOs pounce on a rail replacement buses and fine the hapless souls ... 

They'll have a field day. Entire busloads of pax fined. Those pax will probably take the car or a cab next time.

[SurfRail]

Just quietly, I think the "terms of use" release could do with an airing out... we've already had a win on this, why not keep it up?

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

5th June 2012

Ticketing during track works

Greetings,

TransLink have posted a notice on their website " Maintaining your train network through planned track works " at http://translink.com.au/travel-information/network-information/track-closures

Included in this notice is  this " Just like any other TransLink service, you'll need a valid go card or paper ticket to travel on a bus replacement service during a track closure. If you're using a go card, please touch on and touch off as normal at your station.

If you're unable to touch on and touch off due to restricted access to ticketing facilities, you'll need to contact our call centre on 13 12 30 to request a fare adjustment. "

The TransLink website for the go card tells users to touch on when boarding a bus, and touch off when leaving ( http://translink.com.au/resources/tickets-and-fares/go-card/animation/go-card.webm ).  Similar for a rail station touch on when entering the rail station and touch off when leaving.  Which is very different from the instructions in the track closure notice.

As far as I am aware this is the first time that a written ticketing policy with respect to track works has been publicly published.  Ticketing on the replacement buses has essentially been very confusing for a long time.  I have been told a number of times by drivers that tickets are not needed.

The rail replacement buses do not have functioning go card equipment. During track closures the bus stops are often not conveniently accessible to the rail stations, which is the only place users can ' touch on '  prior to boarding a bus.  There is also the additional complication of fare gates at certain stations.  These fare gates are directional, a point that many go card users do not understand.  If they touch on at a peripheral station, then touch going through a fare gate to join a train they will get serial fixed fares.  Journey times during a track closure can easily be increased by an hour or more. 

It does seem then that there will be ticketing enforcement on rail replacement services.  In view of the long history of ticketing confusion on the rail replacement buses some leniency towards passengers is needed.

Additionally, TransLink and Queensland Rail need to educate passengers on what is required.
The TransLink user guides for the go card also need to be corrected.

Confused?  Not half as much as many go card users will be.

See -->   http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=8469.0  for some further comment.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[#Metro]

Well I think it is a cop out. There's no proper ticketing equipment on board these buses ANYWAY so only PAPER TICKET users can do it - which means the HUGE PRICE they have to pay more, and not only that, rail replacement buses are almost ALWAYS half an hour or more SLOWER than the train itself - so you are paying significantly more for totally rotten apple service.

And then they want you the customer to phone up and adjust and wait up to 2 weeks.... ARE THEY ON CRACK??!?!?

It should be free! Or at the very least deploy mobile go card readers!! If I were running a business and there was a disruption (especially one I caused!), I wouldn't be charging my customers even HIGHER PRICES for significantly degraded service quality and then waste even more of my customer's time by getting them to phone back for small refunds. What a waste of time! What a waste of money! What a waste of effort!

That's almost like QANTAS or some other Airline charging you more if your aircraft gets delayed or grounded!

Head.In.Sand!! CUT!!

[ozbob]

Letter to the editor published Queensland Times 6th June 2012 page 9

Confusion increases over how to use card

[Derwan]

A "free" trip for the bus replacement portion of the journey seems fair compensation for the inconvenience.  Forcing people to enter stations (that are possibly undergoing maintenance works) to touch on before exiting again to board their replacement bus (and vice versa) is expecting too much.

Touch on/off for the train legs but ride the bus for free.

[Mr X]

Why am I not surprised?

30min frequency + bus replacement service + inconvenience of touching on at a station and walking back to the bus + fixed fare if you can't get to the reader + cost of a phone call to translink to get a fare adjustment + lose bank interest if you have to top up your go card early when you get a fixed fare + 10 day waiting period for refund (it can't be done immediately WHY?) = customer service fail

At the very least translink should offer either a free trip OR a bank interest adjustment alongside the fare refund (if my bank stuffs up with my money they make up for it with 20% interest p.a. calculated on the affected sum for the length of time it was misplaced).

Customer service 101

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

TransLink fare policy on replacement services when tracks are closed 'isn't fair'

TransLink fare policy on replacement services when tracks are closed 'isn't fair'

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    June 11, 2012 12:00AM

TRAIN travellers have raised concerns about the fairness of a ticket crackdown during weekend track closures, arguing they should be able to travel for free on "rail-replacement services".

It follows a new policy posted on the TransLink website, reminding travellers to have a valid fare when using alternative services such as buses.

At least one line on the CityTrain network is partially closed for maintenance every weekend.

But the buses used in place of trains do not have go card readers, meaning travellers still have to touch on and off at train stations, even though they may be closed as part of the maintenance work.

Robert Dow, of commuter advocacy group Back on Track, said until the replacement buses were fitted with go card readers, TransLink should waive fares for that part of the journey.

"It's a bit rich to be asking people to be paying full fares," he said.

[ozbob]

For the record the comment was ' functioning go card readers ..' ...

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/rail-replacement-bus-go-card-confusion.html
The BrizCommuter word on TransLink's unworkable and unreasonable policy.

[ozbob]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/rail-replacement-bus-go-card-confusion.html
The BrizCommuter word on TransLink's unworkable and unreasonable policy.

Blog comments at the CM are building up ..  lol

[#Metro]

Are they on crack? They add half an hour to ONE HOUR to your journey, introduce transfer penalty, throw in a phone call, and get a bus - and charge full fare for it too!!!

MAD!!

[Mr X]

For the record, how often is it that people will be unable touch on *at all* at a station during a maintenance period?

[HappyTrainGuy]

If hte station is being worked on wich might require power to be cut to the station.

[Mozz]

For the record, how often is it that people will be unable touch on *at all* at a station during a maintenance period?

Given the inability to actually know when maintenance periods are to be conducted on which tracks (with the exception of the Ipswich line when it was almost a bet that track maintenance would coincide with the Ipswich Cup or V8 Supercars...)

I doubt we would be able to access information on which stations on the affected tracks, had impacted go card readers. No power is just one example of the issues faced, others include closing a platform, or more than one platform, or closing entry points to the station platform x but leaving access to platform y accessible but requiring a transit of z distance and then up and down three flights of stairs and all sorts of other combinations and permutations.

Rather than complicate, by raising this half baked advice, the aim should be to facilitate the situations with regard to track closures for the commuting public.

I can conceive potential solutions involving portable wireless or 3G gocard readers which could be issued to those buses without the necessary fixed go card readers in the buses or TransLink could staff each and every station impacted by closures  for the duration of the closures to stand in the vicinity of the bus interchange areas. This would potentially capture commuters who could readily touch on and touch off however the efficacy of such an approach would need to be examined. I don't even know if Translink has access to this technology, nor what it would cost, nor the considerable cost of additional staff.

Or we could just accept that commuters utilise the rail bus substitutes and touch on when arriving at a valid train station and touch off at the end of their journey as per normal.

Remembering an anecdote from the space race, the USA spent millions (probably hundreds of millions in today's dollars) inventing a pen that could write in zero gravity..... the Russians used pencils....moral ...don't over think and overcomplicate unnecessarily

[Mr X]

It should also remembered that if we want people to avoid fixed fares, some could have to pay twice if they are doing three trips in their journey.
Say for example someone is doing bus -> train -> bus, and it would normally be under one fare, they could have to pay twice depending on the length of their rail trip as the transfer time would have expired.

[HappyTrainGuy]

The rail replacment services should just be free for the inconvience of a non timatabled trip before resuming normal travel from the station your bus connects to for the train. Free bus Geebung-Northgate pay Northgate-City. Pay City-Corinda free Corinda-Ipswich.

Re Ipswich line closures. Pretty sure all the line closures for the V8s in the last few years was due to the motorway upgrades. Last year/2010 I think it was drainage tunnels had to go under the track to allow the motorway upgrade to continue. 08/09 was closed due to heavy machinery operating near/on the corridor which had to result in the overheads being turned off.