7 Jan 2009: SEQ: An extra train for the Ipswich line, good news!

[ozbob]

Media Release 7 January 2009

SEQ:  An extra train for the Ipswich line, good news!

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 welcomed the new service for the Ipswich line.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"RAIL Back On Track has consistently highlighted the ongoing passenger overloading on some of the Ipswich line Citytrain services.  The new sweeper service commencing on January 12th from Darra at 6.35am to pick up the inner city overload ahead of the presently crush congested 6.14am service from Ipswich is smart."

"This will run a few minutes ahead of the 6.14am service ex Ipswich from Darra and will help ameliorate the gross overloading that has been occurring on this service from Indooroopilly; the notorious 6.43am service from Oxley!"

"We look forward to further additions to the Ipswich line timetable in February, as indicated by QR Passenger through the QR Ipswich line Community Reference Group."

"The Hale Street Link project will no doubt also lead to more passengers on the Ipswich line, particularly as road congestion bites so these additional services will be very timely."

"As more rolling stock and crew is made available to the Citytrain network, additional services need to be constantly added to ease the congestion bottle necks.  The Caboolture line must be next on the list."

"Properly resourced, rail is the sustainable solution for bulk mass transit!"

"Well done QR Passenger and TransLink!"

Contact:
Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Notice observed at Darra Railway Station 7th Jan 2009





Photograph R Dow 7th January 2009

[Mozz]

Good news.

[Arnz]

Good news.  Hope the gap fixes/extra sweeper services for the Caboolture line follows suit prior to the major timetable changes.

[ozbob]

I think the flyers posted at Darra might have been a day or two early ... 

A statement has just appeared.

----------------------------------

Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
08/01/2009

All aboard new train service on the Ipswich line

Transport Minister John Mickel and State Member for Mount Ommaney Julie Attwood have announced a new morning peak-hour service on the busy Ipswich line to help ease passenger demand ahead of further service enhancements early this year.

Mr Mickel said from Monday January 12, a new service departing from Darra station at 6.35am and arriving at Central station at 7.04am would be introduced to help alleviate pressure on early morning Ipswich line services."

"This new six-carriage service will provide an extra 450 seats and further room for 300 standing passengers during the height of peak hour," Mr Mickel said.

"This new 'sweeper' service will depart Darra station six minutes before a busy service leaves the same station at 6.41am.

"This new service is designed to pick up passengers beforehand to help ease demand."

Mrs Attwood said the TransLink Transit Authority and QR were responding to passengers' calls for extra services on the Ipswich line.

"We are introducing this new service before the holiday break winds up and people return to work and school," Mrs Attwood said.

"If this new service is a success it will be here to stay, along with the early-bird train services introduced on both the Ipswich and Caboolture lines in mid-October last year which have proven popular."

"We are listening to passengers' feedback for extra services and we are confident upcoming changes will help address increasing passenger demand," she said.

Mr Mickel said the new service preceded service enhancements to be rolled out early this year.

"Public transport patronage across the TransLink network has soared almost 40 per cent in the past four years." Mr Mickel said.

"Amid this unprecedented growth the State Government is committed to boosting public transport services through extra rollingstock and major improvements to infrastructure.

"We are rolling out a total of 102 three-carriage trains - roughly one train a month - to boost the total fleet by 70 per cent."

For further information about public transport services, please visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

8 January 2009

Media contact: 3237 1944

==============================================================

[ozbob]

The rumours about more services in February might be right when you read the statement above, particularly ..

Mr Mickel said the new service preceded service enhancements to be rolled out early this year.

We can only hope ...

[ozbob]

Some one has reported see a flyer on the Beenleigh line about a new sweeper service?

See --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1738.0

Might be the season of sweepers!  Good stuff if it is ...

I just checked the TransLink and QR Citytrain web sites, no announcements of the new service from Darra next Monday yet or anything else either.  Must be the holiday season ...

[ozbob]

Beenleigh line: It is a variation on the 8.50am service from Kuraby now express, and an additional service all stations leaving 2 minutes after at 8.52am.  Details --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1738.msg8134#msg8134

[ozbob]

I managed to catch a short report on the Channel Nine News last evening (8th Jan) on the launch of 6.35am Darra to CBD sweeper service.

Mr Paul Scurrah Executive GM QR Passenger said that we can expect more services.  Which is along the lines of the Minister's statement as well.  So maybe this time we might be in the running ...

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

New train service as Hale Street congestion bites

New train service as Hale Street congestion bites
Tony Moore | January 9, 2009 - 4:41AM

Extra trains are likely to be added to the Ipswich line next month to help alleviate traffic headaches resulting from the Hale Street Bridge project.

A new early-morning service from Darra - capable of ferrying 750 passengers to the city - is being added from Monday morning, with additional Ipswich-City services tipped to be added from February.

The first new six-carriage service will depart Darra at 6.35am, arriving at Central Station at 7.04am.

Rail lobby group Rail: Back on Track welcomed the changes and said the pressure to act quickly was a response to likely problems next week on Milton Road and Coronation Drive from the Hale Street Bridge project.

Since Monday, traffic has been unable to turn right from Hale Street on to Coronation Drive, a move predicted to cause major snarls for traffic getting to the University of Queensland and further west from the Inner City Bypass.

Rail: Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said the extra Monday train service would be effective.

"This will run a few minutes ahead of the 6.14am service from Ipswich to Darra and will help ameliorate the gross overloading that has been occurring on this service from Indooroopilly; the notorious 6.43am service from Oxley," Mr Dow said.

He said extra trains had to be added to the Ipswich line before commuters would abandon their cars as the Hale Street Bridge problems became more obvious.

New trains would also be added next month, Mr Dow believed.

"We look forward to further additions to the Ipswich line timetable in February, as indicated by QR (Queensland Rail) Passenger Services through the QR Ipswich Line Community Reference Group," Mr Dow said.

"The Hale Street Link project will no doubt also lead to more passengers on the Ipswich line, particularly as road congestion bites so these additional services will be very timely."

Rail: Back on Track wrote to the Hale Street Link project team in November 2007 asking it to consider extra trains on the Ipswich line during the disruptive construction period.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman responded in December 2007, advising that Queensland Rail was invited to join the team to negotiate the impact of the Hale Street Link project.

In early 2008 there was a major dispute between Brisbane City Council and the State Government over the impact of the Hale Street Link project on local transport.

It was not until late 2008 that the State Government gave Brisbane City Council approval to impose a toll on the Hale Street Bridge after transport issues were resolved.

However, a Transport Department spokeswoman said the Hale Street Link project was a only a "side issue" in the decision to put extra trains on the Ipswich line.

The spokeswoman would only say the extra trains on the Ipswich line were still being considered and could be added in "the first quarter" of 2009.

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times 9th January 2008 page 7

Now online --> http://www.qt.com.au/story/2009/01/08/extra-train-eases-pain-in-morning/

Extra train eases pain in morning

[ozbob]

Details now available on the TransLink website

--> http://servicechanges.translink.com.au/db/servicechange.php?id=245

[ozbob]

--> Inaugural weekday 6.35am service from Darra to Bowen Hills - 12th Jan 2009

[ozbob]

From the South West News 14th January 2009 page 5

Darra's Service Boost

Darra's Servioe Boost

By CHRISTOPHER O'LEARY

OVERCROWDED morning trains carrying up to 1200 passengers could be a thing of the past after a new Darra service began on Monday.

The 6.35am city-bound train will offer up to 750 people a better option to the 6.14am Ipswich service, which has been reported by a rail group to regularly carry up to 200 people more than its maximum limit.

Translink reported that about 350 passengers used the first service on Monday, which runs six minutes ahead of the Ipswich train.

"This new six-carriage service will provide an extra 450 seats and further room for 300 standing passengers," State Transport Minister John Mickel said in a statement on Thursday.

"This new service is designed to pick up passengers beforehand to help ease demand."

Rail lobby group Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow was on board the new service, and said it was an unexpected surprise.

"It will immediately relieve congestion as trains would be grossly overloaded," he said.

"From Indooroopilly, Taringa and Toowong we've estimated up to 1200 passengers on that (6.14am) train."

Mr Dow said the service had a recommended maximum capacity of 998 passengers.

A spokesperson for the TransLink Transit Authority said the 1200 passenger figure had never been verified, but understood there was high demand for many public transport services, including the Ipswich line, across South East Queensland.

State Member for Mt Ommaney Julie Attwood said the redistribution of off-peak carriages to the new Darra service meant better travel for residents. "I'm extremely happy," Ms Attwood said.

[ozbob]

The sweeper this morning was EMU02/01 !