TransLink’s Tracker 2009–2010 Q1

[ozbob]

TransLink's Tracker  2009–2010 Q1

Click here!

[ozbob]

Haven't got time to digest much at the moment, off to another commitment.  

But a quick scan indicates more data is now available, with some changes to the previous format.

Couple of quick observations:

Bus cancellations (removed) and on time performance looks a little more realistic now.

Go cards issued not included (unless I missed it) but other data now.  Still no dramatic improvement in go card trips as an index of go cards issued.

later ...

[david]

Interesting to see this Tracker quoting the number of full services from the June and September Passenger Load Surveys. Are these going to be publicly available, or will we just have to rely on the limited information provided in the Tracker?

[Emmie]

From the CEO's report:

We are also seeing a correction in some of the data previously collected due to the accuracy provided by go card. For example a weekly train ticket was previously considered as 11 trips. The go card is providing a more accurate data showing customers actually travelled nine or 10 times, sometimes across train, bus and ferry. As go card uptake increases we expect to see this correction continue.

Hum.  There was an incentive with weekly tickets to use them more, which has now been lost with GO - but essentially this figure of 11 trips per week was sheer guesswork.  If that represents the base line against which current drops in patronage are measured, I don't think we have anything very reliable to work with.  The only thing it really tells us - and we knew that already - is that the alleged incentive to use the GO card for 10+ trips to get 50% discount on trips 11 onwards isn't being widely used.

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 15th December 2009 page one

Gone off the rails

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Train patronage on the downward track

Train patronage on the downward track
DANIEL HURST
December 15, 2009 - 2:37PM


South-East Queensland rail usage has dropped almost 5 per cent in the past 12 months, new patronage figures show.

Public transport users took a total of 47.8 million trips on rail, bus and ferry services between July and September, about 1.4 per cent down from the same quarter last year.

The TransLink Tracker report, released this afternoon, shows ferry patronage accounted for the largest percentage drop in the year-to-year usage figures with the total number of such journeys falling nearly 7 per cent to 1.75 million.

The number of recorded train trips fell 4.7 per cent to 15.7 million, while bus patronage remained steady at 30.4 million journeys compared with the same quarter last year.

Transport authorities blamed the patronage figure decreases on the fallout from the global financial crisis along with increased accuracy from the go card rollout.

State Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said the "slight correction" in the data could be attributed to the fact the electronic system made it easier to monitor the actual number of journeys.

"For example, a weekly train ticket was previously considered as 11 trips, whereas the go card is able to tell us that customers actually travelled nine or 10 or 12 times and often across train, bus and ferry services," she said in a statement.

"As go card uptake and data accuracy increases we expect to see this correction continue."

Ms Nolan said she expected patronage figures to grow steadily in coming months as 301,000 additional seats were being added to the network.

[ozbob]

Yes, I am with you Emmie.  I think the figures are just statistical wobbles, party due to the change in counting and also fuel prices have been relatively low as well.  The peak congestion is no better so in reality there is probably little change.  With the large number of closures on weekends as well this has possibly had an effect as well.

I note the real commitment by Mr Strachan to the 301,000 services. 

Bring it on, punters will be cranky come January.  Frequency, accessibility and to a lesser extent affordability.  Time we moved into the real world ...

[stephenk]

Less patronage on some public transport modes?

No surprise given:
1) Pathetic 30min (and hourly Sunday am and late night) off-peak rail frequencies
2) 20min+ peak gaps
3) Poor rail reliability
4) Chronic bus congestion
5) Poor bus frequencies, some parts of Brisbane have no public transport at weekends and at night
6) A transport authority that seems to be unable to solve any of the above

[Derwan]

mX article now also on the Courier Mail site:  http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26489735-952,00.html

My blog comment:  "Any reduction in patronage is due to commuters abandoning the overcrowded trains in favour of cars and other forms of transport.  The spate of network issues has only added to commuters' discontent with the service."

I also agree with Emmie and Stephenk's comments.

[#Metro]

Oh, but what about the CityCat?
The Citycat is great, but apparently it went down by 7%- which is significant.

The Ipswich line should be earmarked for an increase in frequency, 15 minutes all the way to Ipswich, possibly with a 2-tier timetable similar to the Gold Coast Line.

[ozbob]

Heading home on EMU60, hundreds on board.

The blog comments on the mX article at the CM are rather scathing.

--> http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/comments/0,23836,26489735-952,00.html

It is time for action ...

[#Metro]

Perhaps we need a customer service gong for a single incident in the year...

The broken rail sleeper/ faulty GoCard award perhaps...

[ozbob]

Media Release 16 December 2009

SEQ:  TransLink Tracker first quarter 2009 - 2010

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has welcomed the release of the TransLink Tracker for the first quarter of the current financial year.  Additional data provided is more meaningful and better indicates how public transport is tracking along.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The overall figures suggest a fall in public transport patronage for the quarter.  This is due in part no doubt to a change in the method of tallying trips but also reflects problems with bus congestion, rail disruptions and poor frequency of service  and coordination of bus and rail services.  There has also been major regular track closures and this would also have an effect. A decrease in ferry trips is probably also due in part to a depressed tourist market in the quarter."

"Go card usage did not show a significant increase in use either.  Overall trips on the Go card were around 32% of all trips. This again highlights why additional fare options are needed for the go card - capping and periodical options."

"The definition used for assessing whether a train is overloaded is rather odd, namely 'the number of trains outside 20 minutes from Central station where a passenger is standing'. Using this definition some lines may well have significant overloading but the figures will never reflect it, for example, the Ferny Grove and Doomben lines. Long haul lines are far more likely to have high overload figures. Nevertheless, increasing congestion on the Caboolture and Ipswich lines needs to be addressed with better placed peak and off peak services."

"Overall, the publication of the TransLink Tracker is from our perspective very welcome.  Well done TransLink. We note the commitment to rolling out the extra 301,000  weekly seats on public transport services.  This is now critical, particularly in view of community expectations which will be generated as the new high cost fare strategy kicks in from the 4th January 2010."

"Making public transport first choice is about frequency of services, accessibility of services and at a fare cost that is affordable.  Let's go!"

References:

1.   http://download.translink.com.au/about/0910q1_tracker.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail 16th December 2009 page 2

Exodus hits Citytrain



I actually commented go card increases 20% paper around 40%, no matter ...  

Great comments from the punters!

[Jon Bryant]

If we add the statistic of car trip incease to this it tells a very scary story.  Both of these statistics confirm that we are building the wrong infrastructure.  All the road construction has only encouraged more car dependency.  This is in contridiction of every local and state strategic plan which have a goal of reducing car dependency. Report card = F

[#Metro]

Re: Exodus hits Citytrain.

I disagree with the statement "the patronage figures were partly a result of the economic conditions..."
This sounds like a decoy reason. PT is extremely cheap by any standard. Why not just admit the problem and fix it?

The price across all modes are identical. If economic conditions (i.e. people lost their jobs) we would expect to see a drop in the bus figures as well. But most tellingly, there should be a drop in the car congestion. If anything, public transport use should increase relative (and perhaps in absolute number too) as people find driving their cars too expensive. At least this was the reason trotted out last time the services were full.

[Jon Bryant]

Well said tramtrain

[ozbob]

There are possibly a few reasons why bus figures no change.

More buses/routes added during the quarter, busways opened.  Overall bus patronage adjusted for that has probably fallen slightly as well.

10 trip tickets long gone, highest use of go card is on bus so data more stable.

The overall figures for rail I don't think are really representative at all.  It is just a data adjustment, in actual fact the overloading figures show higher levels!  How they explain that will be interesting ...

The reality is that the things we have been highlighting for years must be addressed, viz:

Frequency,

Accessibility,

Integration of modes (this becomes a lot easier once frequency is there of course)

and reasonable affordability.

[ozbob]

Opposition Statement:

http://www.fionasimpson.com.au/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=629

Exodus of rail travellers to get worse

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

The Bligh Labor Government should brace itself for worse news as the exodus of passengers from Queensland Rail services will only get worse in early 2010, the LNP said today.

Shadow Minister for Transport Fiona Simpson said that the Translink Tracker report for the second quarter of 2009-10 will include the major train disruptions that have plagued the network in recent months.

"Translink may be happy to look at the current report and say the benchmarks for on time train travel was met, but because this report hasn't been completed until almost the end of the second quarter we know that the bad news is yet to come.

"The second quarter, between October and December has so far had more than 15 days with major delays and cancelled services.

"Rail commuters and Translink report on delayed services almost every day of the week.

"This current report indicates commuters were already deserting trains because of poor and unreliable services and we can only guess that this exodus will continue to get worse.

"This data shows that Minister Nolan's attention should be on getting commuters off our congested roads and onto public transport.

"I fear the 40 per cent increase in train fares in 2010 will turn even more people away from our trains and I urge Ms Nolan to make this matter a priority."

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Ipswich line is on the right track

Ipswich line is on the right track

Chris Garry | 17th December 2009

A REPORT card by lobby group Rail Back on Track has rated the Ipswich train line as the third best in Queensland Rail's (QR) network.

A REPORT card by lobby group Rail Back on Track has rated the Ipswich train line as the third best in Queensland Rail's (QR) network – but said there was still room for improvement.

Group spokesman Robert Dow said an increase in peak-hour services had significantly improved the Ipswich line for commuters but added there was still scope for more services.

"The morning peak hour has improved dramatically thanks to additional train services so that's been good news for commuters," Mr Dow said.

"Those extra services have relieved a lot of pressure on the line, however, there still is significant congestion on some trains.

"But if you compare it from how it used to be to how it is now, there is a considerable difference in quality now."

On a scale from 1-10, Ipswich was rated a 6.1, bettered only by the Rosewood (6.3) and Gold Coast (7) lines.

Mr Dow said improvements to bus services in Ipswich and increased rail services on the Rosewood line should be a priority for QR and Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"The bus service in Ipswich is one of the worst in the state and that could be fixed if more thought went into the timetables – they are too tight and don't allow for any hold-ups," he said.

Along with Rail Back on Track's report, Translink Tracker's quarterly report also was released this week, showing bus patronage in Ipswich had increased by about 10 per cent.

Transport Minister and Member for Ipswich Rachel Nolan said the improved train score and increased bus patronage was a result of some hard work and planning by her department.

"We've worked to increase services on the Ipswich line, the Ipswich train station has also been significantly upgraded and we're progressively improving parking at stations," Ms Nolan said yesterday.

"The next step will be completing the park and ride at Dinmore and the track triplication between Corinda and Dinmore."

The Translink Tracker report revealed the number of recorded train trips on the QR network fell 4.7 per cent to 15.7 million.

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Bulletin click here!

Rail crush hour on wrong track

Rail crush hour on wrong track

Leah Fineran and Thomas Chamberlin   |  December 17th, 2009

ALMOST three-quarters of Gold Coast commuter trains are overcrowded and the human crush is increasing, according to the latest transport figures.

Data obtained from transport authority TransLink show five of seven morning trains and half of all afternoon trains 'exceeded their design capacity' and many passengers were forced to stand for the 50-minute journey from the Gold Coast to Brisbane due to overcrowding.

The figures also show that more than 8000 passengers commute to and from Brisbane each weekday.

While the launch of the $365 million Varsity Lakes rail station on Monday and the addition of an extra morning and afternoon service is expected to ease some of the congestion, it will not be enough to solve the problem.

MP Alex Douglas said overcrowding would remain a problem until the Bligh Government took the situation seriously.

"We need more trains, duplicated tracks and faster repairs to keep more trains running more often," he said.

"Mass transport systems are the way of the future if we are to meet the population targets set by the State Government."

Queensland Rail boss Paul Scurrah said the new Varsity services would add 868 seats to the commuter run.

The new service departs Varsity Lakes at 6.02am, arriving at Brisbane Central station at 7.23am, while the new evening service departs Central station at 5.39 and arrives at Varsity Lakes at 7.03.

He said the new trains were the seventh new service added to the Gold Coast line in the past two years.

"There has been a massive investment made into the southeast corridor and we're looking at adding one new train a month or 35 new trains in the 64 train order," he said.

But commuter advocacy group Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said an extra four services were needed. "The Government is going to have to stand up and deliver especially as expectations increase following the sharp increase of ticket prices next year," he said.

From January 4, paper ticket prices will jump 40 per cent while GO Card prices will rise 20 per cent.

[dwb]

p7 indicates a reasonably large surge in use of the translink website. I wonder how much this has to do with deeper market penetration of smart phones, particularly the iphone in a reasonably urban, youthful and pt dependent demographic?

[dwb]

p9. this chart has some interesting implications for the removal from sale of the QR periodicals, and other paper ticketing reinforcing something those of use on this forum already know.... very few people use the Go card for long distance rail. Why bc it is less convenient, more expensive and less reliable than paper or periodical ticketing.

[dwb]

p11. train overloaded stat. absolutely agree with Bob this is a stupid way to measure it. Buses aren't much better anyway, they only record the bus full when they've actually turned passengers down. Heaps of passengers can see the bus is full and are turned down time and time again and eventually give up trying to board, meaning the driver doesn't REPORT that he is full. Ludicrous!

[somebody]

Less patronage on some public transport modes?

No surprise given:
1) Pathetic 30min (and hourly Sunday am and late night) off-peak rail frequencies
2) 20min+ peak gaps
3) Poor rail reliability
4) Chronic bus congestion
5) Poor bus frequencies, some parts of Brisbane have no public transport at weekends and at night
6) A transport authority that seems to be unable to solve any of the above

Perhaps Translink have gotten worse in the last year or so.  What else could explain the sudden plateauing in growth, which was running over 5%p.a. for some years.

Not that this tracker covers results prior to the poor rail reliability happenning.

[dwb]

The service expansion has slowed. That in my mind would be the MAJOR reason for lack of growth in patronage. I wonder what the peak capacity is and what the peak patronage is??

[david]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Ipswich line is on the right track

"The next step will be completing ... the track triplication between Corinda and Dinmore."

Can't possibly be true, could it?
Or has Ms Nolan fumbled her words once again?
Or perhaps it's just some wishful thinking on Queensland Times' behalf?

[#Metro]

Perhaps it is secretly being planned and this was just a slip-up?

Coming to think of it, Ripley Valley has a big X on it for development by the Queensland Government.
And lots of rail freight could be expected to come from there too (Australia Trade Coast and Pinkenba/Doomben Line nexus appears to be underunderused).

Perhaps triplication or Quadruplication all the way to Ipswich then.
Oh wait, is it still 1979?

[somebody]

The service expansion has slowed. That in my mind would be the MAJOR reason for lack of growth in patronage. I wonder what the peak capacity is and what the peak patronage is??

It's covers only the second quarter since Rachel Nolan was made Transport Minister.  Could it be that since she came in nearly all proposed increases/improvements in service have been blocked?  Perhaps her brief on taking the job was to reduce funding, or at least stop increasing it.

[Nightwriter]

I have just been reading the Tracker for Q1 (I know, I'm slow), and I note the train passenger load surveys that were carried out in June and September 2009.

Can we confirm that this was outside school holidays or while school holidays was in full swing?

Its been a while since I've been at school - but I know that they have holidays in June/July and also a period in September.  I just find the surveys, previously conducted in March, to be suspiciously timed.

[ozbob]

Yes, I seem to recall that they do not count during school holiday periods.