31 Jan 2009: QR Citytrain - congestion building, where are the new services?

[ozbob]

Media Release 31 January 2009

SEQ:  QR Citytrain - congestion building, where are the new services?

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has again called for details to be announced of the extra services recently promised for 'early 2009' by the Minister for Transport and the Deputy Premier.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Last Friday I boarded the 7.28am Shorncliffe service at Graceville. The service was about three minutes late.  The train was fully loaded at Graceville and by the time we reached Indooroopilly the train was overloaded. Many intending passengers were left behind at Indooroopilly as there was no more room. This service runs express from Indooroopilly to Milton.  Electric Multiple Unit number 1 was the lead 3 car set.  This noble veteran now in the 30th year of sterling service was really only designed to carry a maximum of about 500 passengers for short distances only."

"A comfortable practical capacity is 400 passengers for longer runs and is the desired maximum loading for three cars for all services. On Friday there were at least 180 passengers in the second carriage.  This represents about 550 passengers in the three cars, about 1100 passengers overall for the six cars, an overloaded train.  To make matters worse the air conditioning in the second car was not working properly and the lead bogie of the second car had a minor wheel flat."

"On the 8th January, Mr Mickel Minister for Transport said that more service enhancements are to be rolled out early this year in a statement detailing the new 6.35am Darra to Bowen Hills sweeper service (1).  Mr Lucas, Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning also said in a statement on the 11th January that there would be further service enhancements early this year (2)."

"We are already back to crush congestion on the Ipswich line and still no confirmation of the details of services promised for early 2009.  Reports from commuters also confirm a similar situation on the Caboolture line during peak.  On the 17th January, details of new and enhanced bus services which come into effect on the 23rd February were announced."

"Why is it, that rail commuters only seem to be informed of the details of service enhancements at the last minute?"

References:

1.  http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=62173
2.  http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=62194

Contact:
Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

From the Ipswich Advertiser 4th February 2009 page 11

Commuting back on track

Commuting back on track

TRAINS to and from Ipswich running every 15 minutes during off peak hours? It may sound far fetched, but it could soon be a reality if Robert Dow has his way.

There are few people who look forward to catching a Citytrain to get to work, let alone hopping on for no other reason than to soak up the atmosphere.

But Robert Dow is a little bit different. Mr Dow wakes up early each morning; pays for a train ticket, catches the train, hops off at a random station, walks around the station for 10 minutes and catches the train back.

Why?

"Just to see what its like," Mr Dow said.

Mr Dow is the man behind Rail Back on Track, a consumer lobby group for southeast Queensland public transport.

He is also Vietnam veteran and science academic at the Queensland University of Technology. But the Oxley resident is also the man pushing to give Ipswich commuters a smoother ride to work each morning. The Ipswich line was plagued with overcrowding so Mr Dow and his RBT team began pushing for more early morning services.

One month ago their three year effort was rewarded with two new early morning services added to the line, giving commuters more personal space.

"I'm a regular public transport user and three years ago I just got so frustrated with the train service, I had to do something," Mr Dow said.

Mr Dow's ultimate aim is for Ipswich trains, outbound and inbound, to run every 15 minutes during off peak and every 20 minutes on weekend nights.

Just a couple of minor corrections  Mr Dow lives in Darra and he is hopeful that the first high frequency rail corridor will be CAB - IPS.  This makes sense, as rolling stock becomes available staged increases, utilise the increasing asset progressively.