Statement: Train performance hits new high

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/1/10/train-performance-hits-new-high

Media Statements
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Thursday, January 10, 2013

Train performance hits new high

Train service reliability has jumped, with Queensland Rail recording its best on-time running result in eight years.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said passengers were starting to experience the improvements in service reliability they deserved.

"From October to December 2012 more than 94.58 per cent of the 245 peak trains services were within the on-time running benchmarks," Mr Emerson said.

"On average, that's 20 more trains a day, or an extra 10,000 passengers, getting to work or home on time compared to the final months under Labor when reliability fell to almost three year lows.

"Queensland Rail is refocusing their business on getting the trains on time and the hard work of the team led by chair Glen Dawe is starting to show through.

"Improving reliability, frequency and affordability are the Newman Government's key planks to encourage people back onto public transport after four years of declining patronage under Labor."

Queensland Rail is currently implementing 26 recommendations identified as part of an independent audit to address major disruptions that occurred on February 28 and March 14 last year, impacting 297 services, including 124 cancellations. All recommendations are due to be implemented by late 2013.

"This report and its recommendations highlighted Labor's failure to address one of the most basic requirements of any public transport system – reliable services," Mr Emerson said.

"Now we are seeing a steady improvement and for the first time train passengers can monitor the performance of their line each day."

Actual data recognises the full customer impact and does not include force majeure. Daily figures are available at www.queenslandrail.com.au/RailServices/City/Pages/PeakOn-TimeResults.aspx (external site).
   
Force majeure applied Actual

Jan-Mar 2012
90.01% 86.20%

Apr-Jun 2012
92.43% 89.37%

Jul-Sep 2012
93.98% 89.68%

Oct-Dec 2012
96.75% 94.58%

Benchmark in Queensland is within 3.59 mins of the timetable (5.59mins for Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast services).

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail 10th January 2013 page 7

Trains times back on track

[somebody]

I say that every train is late from Ipswich thanks to timetable slow downs.

[ozbob]

   Interesting you would say that Simon.

The other day I did a little 'experiment' ..

I was in my horseless  carriage, I passed Gailes station ( I was on highway) at the moment a down SMU took off.  I  travelled to Wacol, thence to Darra via Centenary Village service Road, and then Warrender St.  The SMU had just arrived when I reached Darra.  I continued to towards Oxley.  The SMU was left at Darra as it waited for the timetable fat to elapse ...

[somebody]

I guess "delayed" is a better word:

Slow timetable = delayed train every day!

[Fares_Fair]

Ch 10 News in Brisbane are running a story tonight on the train performance results.

[HappyTrainGuy]

You'll never see those headlines for buses 

[BrizCommuter]

It's not difficult to run trains on time when they are so infrequent and the timetables are so padded.

Observed an inbound train arriving 3 minutes early at Enoggera last week!

[#Metro]

Brizcommuter, is there any way your blog could estimate the amount of fat and speed degradation over the years and benchmark that with perth and other cities? I've heard that sydney is the slowest.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail Citytrain services on time more often, but running more red lights

,,, But Queensland Rail insiders have suggested intense pressure on train crews to keep to schedule is to blame for the decline in safety standards.

One concerned train crew member went so far as to accuse management of "putting lives at risk to inflate on-time running targets".

He said in the worst example, a full travel train (The Spirit of the Outback) was ordered to go through the scene of an overhead dewirement at Bowen Hills station, resulting in a severe electric shock to one of the drivers.

"It was ordered to go through before the scene had been inspected or cleared by safety personnel," said the crew member.

"It put the lives of all passengers and staff on that train at risk."

Robert Dow from commuter advocacy group RAIL Back on Track said the rise in SPAD was of concern.

"That is a reflection of some pressure to improve on-time performance particularly at peak times," Mr Dow said.

"It's another indication we need automatic train protection on the rail network."

Automatic train protection is a system that relays signal, track speed and other information to trains and can automatically slow or stop trains if they approach signal at too high a speed.

It is in place on the rail network outside of southeast Queensland.