Discussion Reported Citytrain disruptions from January 2024

[ozbob]

Discussion thread.

See https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15704.0

for Summary of Reported Citytrain disruptions from January 2024

[ozbob]

Reported Citytrain service disruptions Jan 2024 to Jun 2024

– reasons listed for the disruptions sorted.

So the most common cause of a reported service disruption on the Citytrain network for the first six months of 2024 was ' Train fault ', followed by ' Signal Issue ' and so forth.

[ozbob]

With the introduction of the Fifty Cent Fares from August the 5th, and when you consider the on-time running performance ( see > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=284692 ) it is looking like a lot of passengers are going to have a less than desirable travel experience.

I also have longer term concerns for the opening of Cross River Rail, with this level of train faults and signal issues it too is going to be problematical as well by the looks of things.

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

Reported Queensland Rail Citytrain service disruptions Jan 2024 to Jun 2024 – reasons listed for the disruptions...

Posted by RAIL - Back On Track on Thursday 4 July 2024

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

Reported  Queensland Rail Citytrain service disruptions January 2024 to June 2024

5th July 2024

We record the reported service disruptions by Translink on X daily.

The most common cause of a reported service disruption on the Citytrain network for the first six months of 2024 was ' Train fault ', followed by ' Signal Issue ' and so forth.

This it is not an absolute analysis of the number of actual faults etc. but gives a relative guide to the impact of various causes of service disruptions.  For example one train fault can give rise to a number of follow on service disruptions. What it is showing is the overall impact on Citytrain service delivery of the various causes of disruptions listed.

With the introduction of the Fifty Cent Fares from August 5th, and when consider the poor on-time running performance for both Citytrain ( see > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=284692 ) and Bus ( see > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15669.0 ), it is looking like a lot of passengers are going to have a less than desirable travel experience.  Many years of neglect of SEQ Public Transport are coming home to roost in a big way.

We also have longer term concerns for the opening of Cross River Rail, with this level of train faults and signal issues it too is going to be problematical as well by the looks of things.

Forewarned is forearmed!  We expect that this correspondence will be ignored.  But at least we try.


image:  https://backontrack.org/docs/qr/citytraindisruptions/SummaryJan24_Jun24sorted.png

Reference: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15542.0

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

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Increase in SEQ train disruptions as 50¢ fare trial looms $

An increasing number of train disruptions caused by signal faults and train faults has been reported by Queensland Rail only weeks before a trial of 50 cent fares begins.

An analysis of service updates posted by Queensland Rail on social media shows the number of monthly disruptions jumped 60 per cent between January and June when 734 were reported. ...


Train disruptions on the SEQ CityTrain network based on daily Translink data.CREDIT:TRANSLINK DATA COMPILED BY RAIL BACK ON TRACK.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

Re: Reported Queensland Rail Citytrain service disruptions January 2024 to June 2024

6th July 2024

Good Morning,

Thanks to Brisbanetimes for publishing a follow up article on the Reported Queensland Rail Citytrain service disruptions ( https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/increase-in-seq-train-disruptions-as-50-fare-trial-looms-20240705-p5jrdl.html )

I am frankly extremely disappointed by some of the comments as reported attributed to Queensland Rail.

Queensland Rail disputes the analysis, with a spokeswoman saying their social media posts were based on initial information and sometimes changed after investigation.

How can you dispute something that is actually an analysis of what has been actually posted?  If it is subsequently changed does Queensland Rail ever publicly correct what they posted?  No they don't.   Please don't treat us all as fools. Perhaps Queensland Rail should consider actually reporting their data showing the actual causes of service disruptions along with their on-time running data.  It is a reflection of the lack of transparency that we are forced to record the social media disruptions to get some idea of what the problems on the network really are.

Head of SEQ rail services Neil Backer said Queensland Rail was meeting its target of having 95 per cent of trains run on time.

"In May 2024, 95.58 per cent of SEQ trains arrived at their destination on time," Backer said.

I am pleased that in May 2024 on-time running has improved.  The public is not normally made aware of the latest on-time running data until about six weeks after the end of the month. For example we will not know the May 2024 on-time running data until around the 10th of the July.  How about bringing the publication forward and stop treating us with contempt please?

Here is  the latest on-time running that is available publicly.  It is not a good profile, it is plot of Queensland Rail's own data.

See https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=284692 for individual lines, you will be somewhat surprised with the poor performance.


image: https://backontrack.org/docs/qr/monthly_otr/2024/apr/qrtotalapr24.png

Our concerns at RAIL Back On Track are based on facts. 

I expect an apology and improved reporting of service disruptions that occur on the network.

Thank you.

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

Sent to all outlets:

Reported  Queensland Rail Citytrain service disruptions January 2024 to June 2024

5th July 2024

We record the reported service disruptions by Translink on X daily.

The most common cause of a reported service disruption on the Citytrain network for the first six months of 2024 was ' Train fault ', followed by ' Signal Issue ' and so forth.

This it is not an absolute analysis of the number of actual faults etc. but gives a relative guide to the impact of various causes of service disruptions.  For example one train fault can give rise to a number of follow on service disruptions. What it is showing is the overall impact on Citytrain service delivery of the various causes of disruptions listed.

With the introduction of the Fifty Cent Fares from August 5th, and when consider the poor on-time running performance for both Citytrain ( see > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?msg=284692 ) and Bus ( see > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15669.0 ), it is looking like a lot of passengers are going to have a less than desirable travel experience.  Many years of neglect of SEQ Public Transport are coming home to roost in a big way.

We also have longer term concerns for the opening of Cross River Rail, with this level of train faults and signal issues it too is going to be problematical as well by the looks of things.

Forewarned is forearmed!  We expect that this correspondence will be ignored.  But at least we try.


image:  https://backontrack.org/docs/qr/citytraindisruptions/SummaryJan24_Jun24sorted.png

Reference: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=15542.0

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

[ozbob]

For the record I was contacted by QR this morning and they apologised for the confusing comments. It was not their intent. Apology accepted.

[#Metro]

Pretty concerning that those who don't run the system seem better informed than those who do.

It would be great to have a single WA-Style PT Authority. 

I am starting to think the metric needs to be applied slightly differently.

- Consider making the OTR apply both to individual lines in addition to overall.

Why? Because what I can see when I click through to individual lines is that some lines generally meet the mark and some lines consistently do not (e.g. Ferny Grove).

The lines that meet the mark consistently are offsetting the lines that consistently do not. You could be a resident on a line that misses the mark for the entire year and QR would not bat an eyelid.

Ultimately, when it comes to investment decisions etc, it is a much better outcome that a line not consistently meeting the mark be very visible in this rather than being buried in an aggregate figure.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I've learned to take the social media posts with a grain of sand. It's a sea of misinformation. The reporting can be quite confusing and miss leading at times depending on who or what you are looking at as a lot of the time. Basically is it someone in an office weeks later analysing stats for a report or is it someone waiting on a platform/bus stop. And I'm sure they don't care about a specific cause at the time ie signal fault, train fault, bus fault, congestion etc. There are some instances where I assume this is down to how the reporting is done to get information posted quickly even if incorrect (we have previously seen signal faults for bridge strikes etc). Meanwhile control and crews are still arranging workarounds. Im not defending QR here as I have noticed very similar issues with buses such as boarding a late running 357 that was reported as cancelled. I just wished we could have more detailed reporting rather than waiting at Euldo to see that 30 minutes ago there was a signal fault at Corinda that affects the Rosewood-Nambour corridor up to 60 minutes when in reality it only affected 7 trains in both directions with only one of them consisting of a Nambour service. Sure there is the live trip planner but it's not always live and it's not the easiest thing to look up and locate on the translink website. Oh look a bridge strike on the Ipswich/Rosewood line. Is that near Thomas or Park Road. Or there are 20 minute delays to all services on Gympie road due to a crash. Was that at Kitchener road or was it at Webster road.

[ozbob]

No doubt at times the reported service disruptions, both bus and rail, are illogical and lack timeliness.
I always stress the ' reported ' service disruptions, we know that some service disruptions are not reported as they don't reach the time threshold or there are simply too many to manage effectively, plus the reporters make errors.

However overall they do give a general guide as to the major issues on the respective networks.

Yesterday (6th July 2024) on Citytrain, 20 reported service disruptions:

10 due to signalling issues
10 due to bridge strikes

This would be an accurate reflection of major Citytrain disruptions yesterday.

For the month of July up to 6th July 2024 there have been 49 reported service disruptions on the Citytrain network.

I have suggested a number of times now to Translink that a much better approach would be a live dashboard which collates all the disruption information in a simple to use interface that is easily accessed and so forth.  Nothing is ever done.

We are fortunate that at least we do have some idea as to the reason for delays/cancellations. It is very frustrating to passengers to not know the reasons behind delays/cancellations to their services.  It took a long period of campaigning to get the publication of proper OTR data for both bus and rail, and similarly reasons behind delays/cancellations.

I am sure the powers to be would like to hide the data and just give lip service.  We must be on guard against this. Being open, direct and honest will lead to much better outcomes in the longer term.

Footnote:  Yesterday morning when speaking with QR we had a good discussion about bridge strikes and strategies to help manage. Later in the day, wham, yet another bridge strike 

[ozbob]

Another interesting, if a little bit sad observation during the various discussions re this release, Translink  apparently asked if the causes of the service disruptions were made up by me.  They were informed all the causes are from your own (Translink's) social media posts.

This just confirms the disconnect 

[HappyTrainGuy]

Bring back erail alerts!...