Articles: Metro pledges to double rail patronage

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!


Metro pledges to double rail patronage by 2017

Metro pledges to double rail patronage by 2017
CLAY LUCAS
March 3, 2010

IN A case of history repeating in Melbourne's privatised train system, new operator Metro has promised a massive increase in patronage.

With Melbourne's rush-hour trains already choked with passengers, Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala yesterday promised to double patronage on the system by 2017.

To do this, he said, a series of timetable changes and extra trains would help provide a big rise in the number of services run over the life of Metro's eight-year contract with the government.

''Our overall plan is to double patronage on the railway during the life of the [contract], which requires a major increase in the system's capacity,'' Mr Lezala yesterday told a parliamentary inquiry into the performance of Melbourne's trains.

The promise echoed a pledge made in 1999 by British operator National Express when it began operating in Melbourne.

National Express directors promised to increase the number of passengers on Melbourne's trains by 84 per cent over a decade. In 2002, National Express pulled out of Melbourne after just three years.

Its withdrawal led to a public bailout of the rail system that cost about $1 billion.

To double patronage, Metro will require every one of the 38 new trains the government has promised over the next four years.

Delivery of these trains is already behind the schedule of one new train per month from December 2009, repeatedly promised by Premier John Brumby.

Running more trains would require better timetabling, Mr Lezala said. And this was made difficult, he said, by having to schedule trains around V/Line services that Metro was powerless to change.

The government's director of public transport, Hector McKenzie, who also appeared at yesterday's inquiry, said that timetabling was being discussed by Metro and V/Line.

Mr Lezala also conceded that the city's suburban trains still did not perform well enough - despite a pledge to Parliament last September by Mr Brumby that dumping Connex and replacing it with Metro would provide a difference ''from day one'' of Metro's contract, which began on November 30.

''The current level of performance of the railway isn't good enough,'' Mr Lezala said yesterday.

He pledged to have 18 new trains ordered by the government, at a cost of $376.2 million, in service by December 2011.

The first of the new trains is still not in full weekday service, but will be by the middle of March, Metro's chief operating officer Bob Lindsell said.

Mr Lindsell told the inquiry that the increase in the number of people using Melbourne's trains, which has risen from 124 million in 1999 to 214 million last year, had caused ''a fairly constant decline [in performance] over the years''.

Mr Lezala said the operator planned to introduce some changes to Melbourne's timetables in May, and then a more major change ''later in the year''.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro wants to double patronage on Melbourne's train network

Metro wants to double patronage on Melbourne's train network

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * March 02, 2010 12:05PM

NEW train operator Metro wants to double patronage on Melbourne's already-crowded train network.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala revealed the ambitious plans to a parliamentary inquiry today.

Mr Lezala also said that changes would be made to the timetable later this year.

Mr Lezala told theinquiry into train services that it was preparing for a doubling of patronage over the next eight years.

"Our overall plan is to double patronage on the railway during the life of the franchise, which requires a major increase in the system's capacity,'' Mr Lezala said.

Outside the hearing, Mr Lezala said accommodating the growing volume of commuters would require running more services and higher capacity trains.

He said the recent investment by the government in new trains would satisfy growth until 2015.

Metro would begin discussions with the government next year to ensure new rolling stock was in place beyond that date.

He indicated that express services from the outer suburbs could be dumped.

Mr Lezala said Metro had performed better this summer than previous operator Connex did last year.

"When we had hot days, the system coped better," Mr Lezala said.

He said 18 of the 38 new trains on order would be delivered by the end of 2011, or possibly as early as April last year.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula told the inquiry the first new train was initially delayed by CCTV problems.

Following that, modifications sought by the drivers' union kept the train out of service.

The announcement comes after a log revealed that thugs and troublemakers are wreaking havoc on the rail system, with staff and passengers abused, trains trashed and services delayed.

A two-month log of every incident has provided a picture of violence on the trains.

In May-June last year, there were 73 reports of unruly behaviour by gangs, attempted rapes, stabbings, robberies and rocks thrown at trains.

Documents obtained by the State Opposition under FOI show troublespots included stations such as Broadmeadows and Dandenong.

Opposition Transport Spokesman Terry Mulder said the train system was dogged by troublemakers as well as train faults.

"(Premier) John Brumby has refused to match the Victorian Coalition's commitment to introduce two protective services officers on all metropolitan and some rural railway stations from 6pm each night," Mr Mulder said.

"Passengers are reaping the ugly consequences while John Brumby dithers."

Notes made by train staff members in the records reveal their frustration with repeat offenders who continue to cause trouble.

In separate documents obtained by Seven News, a Department of Transport report named the worst lines for troublemakers on the system including Pakenham, Frankston, Hurstbridge, Belgrave and Sydenham.

The documents said most trouble tended to occur at least 15km from the city, at stations such as Clayton, Box Hill, Ringwood, Glenroy and Rosanna.

It was reported that some thugs were aware of the rostering system, which has now been changed, so they could target vulnerable areas.

"The fixed-roster regime meant that louts could predict times when they could partake in anti-social activities without being caught," the report said.

That rostering system has now been replaced by a method that is more responsive to trouble hotspots.

Spokesman Cameron Scott said the Government had yesterday delivered 120 additional frontline police to Victoria through the new Operational Response Unit.

"This highly trained team will run public safety operations - including on public transport - all over the state," he said.

"We are also delivering another 50 transit police this term of government and we will continue delivering real solutions on community safety."

"Ted Baillieu's Liberal Party is toying with community safety - they blocked laws to allow more PSOs to be deployed in a greater range of roles - yet in the same breath they continue to promise Victorians something they know they can't deliver."

[#Metro]

Here is the video from Brisbane Times
Apparently patronage is increasing... and they don't have a Translink...