Brisbane Exhibition events (ekka loop)

[Aircooled]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

Does anyone know if the ekka loop will be in operation for the caravan and camping show 6-11 June 2018?

The event website says,

"Catch the FREE Train! From any station on the Queensland Rail Citytrain Network including north from Gympie, west from Rosewood, south from Varsity Lakes and all Brisbane stations. Change at either Central, Roma or Fortitude Valley Railway Stations to the loop train which will take you direct to Brisbane Showgrounds.

However when using the translink journey planner for the event dates specified, no such schedule for this loop exists, and only bus connections or walking are offered.

Anyone know who to contact or ask if the service will/won't be running? Times, frequencies etc?

Many thanks

[Aircooled]

Finally got through to translink and after much toing and froing and on hold between.. they said there's NO special loop running for this event. (Computer says no)

However when confronted about the fact the organisers are promoting this loop service on their website they checked again and confirmed YES, it will be running!

Still nothing showing up on journey planner. 

TransLink: "two to three business days"

Me: So, the schedules will be online Tuesday? (Event starts Wednesday)

TransLink: Umm, maybe this afternoon or Saturday.

Good grief.

[ozbob]

Sorry Aircooled I had intended to reply earlier.

There normally are Exhibition loop extras for the Caravan and Camping show.

Thanks for highlighting one of the fundamental problems with the management of public transport in SEQ particularly.

They are in silos.  TransLink (the actual core and staff) are quarantined effectively from the public because the basic communication to and from the punters is not direct - it is outsourced.  Your experience is a classic demonstration of the blunder!

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/1002381536514080768

[ozbob]

Queensland Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow

> https://translink.com.au/plan-your-journey/event-transport/10031

[Aircooled]

Yes you're not wrong ozbob, talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

If one of the main objectives of having a rail service is to get people out of cars, putting up available connections on journey planner should be visible weeks in advance. In the absence of such, people attending this event would have already decided they'll take the car.

It's long live the automobile while these guys are holding the reins, sadly.

[tazzer9]

Went to the caravan show today.  Surprisingly very busy.  Some things that annoyed me about the train there and back was that the PID's didn't normally show the ekka loop services, they only occasionally popped up as an extra and often didn't stay on the PID's for long.  Despite this they were scheduled on the journey planner if you know how to use it right, so I knew when they would be arriving.   The other annoyance was that i had to wait nearly 20 minutes for a train back, however there was a non revenue train that went through 10 minutes before my train arrived (The 3:30 roma st - nambour service) that very easily could have stopped but didn't. 

Interestingly the train desto's said Caravan show, not Ekka loop/exhibition

[techblitz]

yeah I was on platform 9 roma st 10amish...a good 50+ people waiting for next ekka train.....station conductor was constantly telling them to step back and clear the way for passengers jumping off other trains......was interesting...

[ozbob]

Some feedback, just received ...

Hi Robert

Just letting you know that people are fuming here at Roma Street Station. All are going to the Caravan show. So caught the train in, got off at Roma Street but no signage to the Ekka Platform. None. So people had to ask the bloke on the platform. No signage on the boards and no public announcements. None.  Then he tells people that they have to wait 30 minutes, yes 30, to get an Ekka train. People are absolutely outraged Robert. Many saying never again. They are outraged. As I type this, the family next to me are saying they couldn't run a chook raffle!

Thought you should know.

Thanks for the feedback. 

[#Metro]

Cross River Rail will put a station there.

Hard to believe that QR a few years ago won a customer service award...

Should just run shuttle buses between RBWH and Roma St or KGS or Cultural Centre.

[ozbob]

I contacted QR direct and they have assured me that:

" .. We've contacted the station who confirmed that signage is up and station announcements are being made regarding the special service running every 30 minutes to the Ekka Pavilion today. The team at Roma Street is also providing assistance on the platform. .. "

Not hard to put up a few sandwich boards around the place.  Punters sometimes don't see or hear ...  I mean look what I find regularly during track closures - punters waiting on the platform for trains that are not coming.  They just walk past the track closure signs. 

:conf

[ozbob]

Response from pax who sent in original feedback

" No signage, either electronic or on boards was up on the platform that we arrived at from Ipswich. The only announcement that was made was about 5 minutes before the Ekka train arrived, and I think that was only because people were so angry on the platform.  "

I am thinking there were no signs on the actual platforms (probably near gates only) and nothing on PIDs.  QR have said they will pass on to the station team.