Waiting for trains ...

[ozbob]

Waiting for the 4.12 Redbank service on platform 8 today ...

Terminating ICE service, about 4.03pm.



The 4.08 Ipswich service is usually very heavily loaded, was today so I waited for the 4.12pm Redbank service.
This is usually an IMU early or new series and lightly loaded. Today IMU174.  Nice ride home!



Photographs R Dow 2 October 2008

[Mozz]

Yeah good one Bob - rub it in - did the same yesterday with a couple of friends from Finland. Waiting for the 4.08 at Roma Street, 5 mins or so delayed so when it pulled up at Roma street was too full to board, so waited for the next service and proclaiming it to be a new one to my visitors, but no newer train but one of the old rattlers.

[ozbob]

Nothing wrong with a noble EMU!     Particularly if plenty of room ...

Hoping to get 01 one of these days .... 

I don't think I have seen anything other than an IMU (early or new) on the 4.12 Redbank service ..
Boy  are you  lucky Mozz!   

[ozbob]

There is another reason why I am highlighting this.  As yobborobbo21 and others have mentioned why are EMUs doing the long haul runs where toilets would be very useful, and IMUs are doing short runs to Redbank? I am sure we can hang on for that time ....

There must be a reason but it does seem hard to follow at times ...

[mufreight]

Most likely reason is that they are used on some runs so as to position them for their next trip or to utilise their layover time between interurban runs so as to make the best possible utilisation of the sets.

[ButFli]

I've always assumed they are headed to Redbank for maintenance.

There used to always be a service that went through Indooroopilly just before 8AM which I assumed was the IMU from the afternoon before heading back into the city.

[Arnz]

Most likely reason is that they are used on some runs so as to position them for their next trip or to utilise their layover time between interurban runs so as to make the best possible utilisation of the sets.

Which is pretty silly tbh, when they could be used to Nambour in the afternoons and return to Robina via City in the evenings.  Therefore more IMUs could be used to Nambour in the afternoon peak and stabled at Robina in the evening for the next morning.

As of current evening Robina services depart from Bowen Hills, when they could be formed from Nambour.  Freeing up EMUs (currently used to Nambour) for afternoon peak Suburban services instead.  (See earlier posts on Nambour/Gympie timetables in the QLD Timetables section of the site on how it could utilised).

[ozbob]

The IMUs on the 4.09 Redbank (ex Central) service actually return virtually immediately on other Redbank to City and onwards. Often see them coming back through Oxley/Darra.

[stephenk]

Most likely reason is that they are used on some runs so as to position them for their next trip or to utilise their layover time between interurban runs so as to make the best possible utilisation of the sets.

Unfortunately that doesn't explain why many interurban runs (particularly to Nambour) do not have IMUs anyway.

[mufreight]

To Stephenk
No that probably is not the whole story but the bottom line is that they do not have enough train sets either IMU or SMU and with the time they are taking to get new sets built and into service coupled with the increasind passenger demands it is unlikly that they will catch up with the demand sufficently to enable the luxury of all IMU services being run by IMU's or sufficent SMU's not to need to run IMU's on shorter suburban services.
It is quite difficult to catch up after many years of neglect but QR if not the government has tried but they can only spend what the government allows or funds.

[Arnz]

This still does not explain why theres at least 2-3x 6-car IMUs on the yard in arvo peak, not to mention at least one ICE set broken down (I understand they need backup units).

As we know there are still IMUs running to suburban spots, screwing over the long suffering Nambour/North Coast/Sunshine Coast commuters yet again by running older EMUs on a number of busy peak runs (4:00pm, 4:32pm).  Not to mention, the Northgate and Petrie stop on those particular afternoon peak runs sees longer distance commuters standing to Petrie and Caboolture whilst suburban passengers hog the seats. 

Being a commuter that way myself, the 4:00 and 4:32 trains is crowded to Caboolture (rating 3-4), and is still full up to Landsborough (eg rating 2.5-3) where most commuters get off.

Yet the 5:13 and 5:40pm services are usually a 2.5-3 the whole way up to Landsborough as a result of those trains NOT stopping at Northgate and Petrie.  Mainly pax get off at Caboolture, Glasshouse, Beerwah and Landsborough.

Personally, I think all afternoon Nambour/Gympie peak services should have their stopping pattern like the 5:13 and 5:40 services are IMU and ICEs respectively which run express to Caboolture (with no intermediate stops).  It would equal out the crowding rating between City and Landsborough to 2.5-3.

The afternoon Northgate and Petrie commuters should really be catching Caboolture and/or Petrie services, but increased services do depend on government funding.

[O_128]

There is the same issue on the goldcoast line my freind who lives at beenleigh says that 90% of all passengers will use the airport train.ITs fster more comfortable and less stop and start.

[stephenk]

Personally, I think all afternoon Nambour/Gympie peak services should have their stopping pattern like the 5:13 and 5:40 services are IMU and ICEs respectively which run express to Caboolture (with no intermediate stops).  It would equal out the crowding rating between City and Landsborough to 2.5-3.

The afternoon Northgate and Petrie commuters should really be catching Caboolture and/or Petrie services, but increased services do depend on government funding.

I'm sure Northgate and Petrie commuters would be happy about having less services so that Sunshine Coast passengers can spread themselves out!

By the way, I regularly see the 4:32 ex-Central whilst I wait for my train, and it usually only has a few standing passengers per car. My work colleague who boards that service at Bowen Hills always gets a seat.  So it's not exactly overcrowded is it! 

[Arnz]

I'm sure Northgate and Petrie commuters would be happy about having less services so that Sunshine Coast passengers can spread themselves out!

By the way, I regularly see the 4:32 ex-Central whilst I wait for my train, and it usually only has a few standing passengers per car. My work colleague who boards that service at Bowen Hills always gets a seat.  So it's not exactly overcrowded is it! 

Its not hard for Northgate and Petrie passengers to catch a Petrie and/or Caboolture services either.  When the 4:02pm service got upgraded to a 6-car, it didn't take that long before it longer distance commuters had to stand to Petrie and Caboolture again (whilst suburban commuters yet again hog the seats).  I've seen plenty of Petrie and/or Caboolture all-stopper peak trains with lighter loadings.  Its just the fact that the Caboolture and Nambour-Gympie expresses tend to more popular because it stops "at their station".

I'm sure 2 less services to Northgate and Petrie won't affect them as much either.  In fact it would spread out loadings to other lightly patronised peak services (eg Petrie all-stations).  It would ease the crowding on some of the Nambour services by having less standees.

Edit: Also, most Gold Coast peak trains no longer stop at Coopers Plains and/or Loganlea in peak to ease overcrowding.  Why should this NOT be the case for Nambour peak trains? not to mention Nambour peak trains were more crowded than Gold Coast trains at the start of the year according to the official report.

[brad C]

I fully concur with your prognosis Arnz.

Loadings on the 4.32 are not as high as the 4.01 on account of Petrie/Caboolture services just before.

I am at a loss why certain short North express services even stop at Northgate when one considers the numbers of other services that actually do.
It is difficult to draw comparisons between Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast services during peak periods.
For a start, GC frequencies are greater than SC. In addition, because of the unreliability of ICE cars of late there is a perpetual shorthening of the length of SC trains (2 x ICE paired with 3 x EMU or 5 x ICE only).
These consists would cause riots on the GC line. They are also a good reason to exclude suburban commuters.