Transparency and Performance

[#Metro]

Just had a look at TransPerth's system today- Its really good.
A quick look at their annual report, tells me most things that one would want to know quickly.
Wasn't able to compare with TL's annual report (nothing on website, apparently not tabled in Parliament yet- It's almost Nov!)

Key Efficiency Indicators
* The cost to run a bus, train, ferry per passenger fell remarkably, meaning that
more and more people are catching the services, it is achieving economy of scale.
It also means that new services are being used well, and are not idling.

Service	(2007/08)	(2008/09)
Bus	$0.75	$0.63
Train	$0.75	$0.47
Ferry	$1.36	$0.93

Their buses, ferries and trains also carried more passengers per kilometre in 2008/9
than in the previous year. The proportion of addresses within 500m of a TransPerth stop with an acceptable level of service increased as well. From the pie chart, WA appears to provide 78% subsidy which seems to be just 3% more than the estimate for QLD from media releases (75%).

TransLink's tracker goes some way to give useful information,
but it still could go a way to tell us whether we are getting the most out of what we spend on it.
It should have KPIs and efficiency indicators laid bare for all to see, like WA does.

2007/8 Report T'Perth
http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Portals/0/annualreports/2008/service-and-financial-achievements.html

2008/9 Report T'Perth
http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/Portals/0/annualreports/2009/service-and-financial-achievements/index.html

[ozbob]

 

TransLink tracker indicates bus has 100% reliability.  From that point I lost interest ...  IMHO the data is unreliable.

The annual report is well over due.   As most things to do with public transport in Queensland.

[#Metro]

Just did a quick comparison of their rail services:
Remember, Perth is smaller than Brisbane in terms of population. It is also less dense in persons/km2.

Train frequencies on a Sunday (October 2009)

TransPerth
Armadale line: 15 minutes after 7 am-midnight   F 6:22am L:12 midnight*
Fremantle line: every 15 minutes after 9 am-6pm F: 6:58 am, L: midnight
Joondalup line: every 15 minutes after 8 am-7pm F: 7:25am L: 12:15 (at night)
Mandurah line : every 15 minutes after 8 am-8pm  F: 7:22am L: 11:45 (at night)
Midland line: every 15 minutes after 9am-6pm F: 7:30  L: 12 (midnight)

Queensland Rail
Beenleigh line: Every 30 minutes (6am-11pm),  F:6:01 am  L:10:31pm
Caboolture line: Every 30 minutes (8am-11pm)  F: 6:07 am L:11:07 **
Ferny Grove Line: Every 30 minutes ( 11am-11pm) F: 5:33 am L: 11:03 am
Shorncliffe line: Every 30 minutes (8am-11 pm) F:5.22 am, L: 10:52pm
Ipswich line: Every 30 minutes (9am-11pm)  F: 6.06 am, L: 11.06 pm
Cleveland line: Every 30 minutes (9am-11pm) F: 5.46 am L: 10:46 pm
Gold Coast line: Every 30 minutes (6am-11pm) F: 6.25 am L: 10:54pm ***


Brisbane?s trains generally leave Central earlier than Perth?s trains, but they run at a far lower frequency on a Sunday. For Perth trains, the last service generally leaves close to midnight.

Endnotes

Code Select Expand


* Spur line, services diverge but serve some common stations. This is a bit like how the Beenleigh line operates, but the Beenleigh line is a non-spur line.
**Except for 11-12am where there are three trains an hour.
*** Three services run between 6am and 7am

No analysis has been done to compare Saturday or weekday services. Also lines are likely to be longer, and destinations further away than in Perth. There may be differences in demography or preferences between people who live in both cities (perhaps nobody wants to catch a train at midnight Sunday night?).
Wikipedia gives densities for Brisbane as 918/km2 (2006, ABS) and Perth as 289/km2. (2006, no source cited).
Note 1: Airport, Rosewood, Tennyson, Sunshine Coast and Doomben lines have been excluded from comparison.
Note 2: Depending on the station, services to some stations on the Beenleigh line are every 15 minutes as the Airport Express/Beenleigh trains both services that station. Most stations have lower frequency, as stated above.
Note 3: Times are measured from Central. Frequencies are measured to the nearest hour block. For example, if a train runs every 30 minutes between 9.16 am and 10:50 pm, that would be reported as ?Every 30 minutes (9am-11pm).
F: First train of the day
L: Last train of the day



[stephenk]

The above comparison shows just how behind public transport is in Brisbane.

I used the 7:41am (Sunday) service from Enoggera into the City this morning. It was well loaded with approx 70% of seats full - yet Translink/QR can't seem to justify a 30min. Pathetic!

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the only thing Translink is promoting is car use?

[ozbob]

Seniors week in Perth

Free travel all week ALL hours  (Normally Seniors in Perth get free travel 9am to 3.30pm and weekends/public holidays)

Sunday 25 October to Sunday 1 November 2009 

During Seniors Week, you can use your Seniors SmartRider to receive free travel on Transperth buses, trains and ferry services in the Perth metropolitan area and all regional town bus services in Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Busselton, Carnarvon, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland. This applies ALL HOURS during Seniors Week for WA Seniors only.

Your Seniors SmartRider is programmed with your free travel entitlements so fares will not be charged during Seniors Week. You will still need to tag on and off all Transperth and TransGeraldton services during Seniors Week to receive your free travel entitlement or present your SmartRider to the driver on regional town services.

To tag on, hold your Seniors SmartRider over the icon on processors located onboard buses, ferries and on train station platforms. Listen for the beep and look for the green light to show a successful tag on. To tag off, follow the same procedure. Listen for the beep and look for the green light to show a successful tag off. The SmartRider processor will also show you the balance on your card and fare charged (fares will not be charged during Seniors Week).

[#Metro]

More about PTA here. http://www.pta.wa.gov.au/default.aspx?tabid=38
Interestingly, they do the work QR Network does in relation to signal maintenance, driver recruitment etc.

Hmm. I can't seem to find the vital statistics for the TTA or previous year TL report.
How much funding did TTA receive last year?
Where was it spent?
How much of it went to new services?
Was my money efficiently spent or not put to as good use as it could have been?
Is would TL as an organisation rank above or below TransPerth and by how much?

All I can find is a mountain of glossy reviews,customer consultation reports, organisational, infrastructure plans etc.
Actually this is a bit frustrating. The amount of shameless self-promoting government advertising marketing in on departmental websites and a ocean of future planning documents is making it hard to find out the basic facts about what is and what was.

Just look at this, while I was looking for facts:

The 2009 edition of the plan identifies $124 billion in estimated infrastructure investment (inclusive of federal government contributions and other revenue sources), which is expected to create up to 900,000 jobs through to 2026:

   * $94.6 billion in road, rail and public transport
   * $4.6 billion in water
   * $5.8 billion in health
   * $3.3 billion in energy networks
   * $6.8 billion in social and community infrastructure
   * $9.1 billion in completed projects.

Highlights of the SEQ Infrastructure Plan and Program 2009-2026

   * It is still the largest infrastructure program in the country.
   * The plan identifies $124 billion in estimated infrastructure investment, which is expected to create up to 900,000 jobs through to 2026.
   * There are 32 new projects in the plan, at an estimated investment of about $1.9 billion.
   * The plan comprises 378 identifiable projects to 2026.
   * The bulk of the program remains similar to previous versions of the plan.
   * Four years into the program, 87 projects are complete, another 173 projects are underway, $16.4 billion has been invested and 130,000 jobs have been created.
   * In the next year, expenditure is forecast to increase by around $5.8 billion to reach around $22.2 billion, creating a further 45,000 jobs.

http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/regional-planning/south-east-queensland-infrastructure-plan-and-program-2.html

[#Metro]

Hmm. Their peak hour services are very frequent too.

Joondalup line, average number of trains per hour *:
5-6 am: A train every 12 minutes
6-7 am: A train every 7.5 minutes
7-8 am: A train every 6.6 minutes
8-9 am: A train every 12 minutes

After that, av. frequency does not drop below at least one train per 15 minutes.
Basically, they have a metro going.

* Ex Clarkson terminus. Does not include expresses which do not start at the terminus.

Ipswich line**
5-6am: A train every 30 minutes
6-7am: A train every 15 minutes
7-8am: A train every 15 minutes
8-9am: A train every 20 minutes

** Ex Ipswich. Does not include services which start at other stations (Corinda, Redbank, etc).

Ipswich line actually compares quite good, esp. considering that trains starting at Redbank, Corinda have been excluded. But it it known for overcrowding- which leads me to think that its the frequency that is attracting the passengers.

[ozbob]

http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/ACTS/2008/08AC032.pdf

By the way tramtrain  section 45 says:

45 Annual report
(1) TransLink must prepare, approve and give the Minister a
written report about the performance of its functions each
financial year.
(2) The report must be given as soon as practicable after the end
of the financial year, but within 2 months after the year ends.
(3) The Minister must, within 14 sitting days after receiving the
report, cause a copy to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

[#Metro]

South East Queensland performance measures

The on-time performance statistic is a performance figure measured during peak AM and PM periods.   The AM peak period includes services commencing after 6.00am and arriving at Central before 9.00am, and the PM peak includes services that depart Central after 3.30pm and arrive at their terminating destination before 6.30pm.  

http://www.qrnetwork.com.au/About-us/Performance.aspx

Today train performance on the Citytrain website was 93.1% (203/218) trains "on time".

Just wondered if the method of measurement was the same as Melbourne (bolding added):

Our franchise agreement with the Victorian Government emphasises the importance of delivering services to the published timetable by setting monthly performance targets.

Our aim is to provide every train on the timetable. For the purpose of compensation, our targets are to run at least 98 per cent of Connex trains each month and for 92 per cent or more to arrive within five minutes of their published time schedule.

http://www.connexmelbourne.com.au/index.php?id=75

Correct me if I am wrong; On time performance for BNE is measured in peak hour, while MEL is measured for all services (peak + off peak). Is that right?

[ozbob]

The published figures for Queensland are peak times only.

I am not sure what is used internally.

It is difficult comparing as there are different times used eg. 4 minutes cf. 5 minutes etc.

This thread might be of interest  --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2224.0

[#Metro]

Victoria have added
* Vandalism of ticketing equipment
* Reliability of ticketing equipment

as metrics to their "track record".

Whereas we lack this information. All the costs, penalties and payments are laid out bare for all to see.
There is much more to do with the Translink Tracker to improve transparency...

It would be interesting to see the levels of fare evasions detailed as well.


Track Record- Victoria
Click Here!

http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/36654DB6756D495FCA25765C007CB1D4?OpenDocument

[#Metro]

Metro Trains Melbourne 'On Time' Standard

1. A service is 'on time' if it departs between 59 seconds before and 4 minutes : 59 seconds after its scheduled departure time.

2. This applies to every service, peak and off-peak.

3. Train performance is recorded by way of an automated system and independantly audited by the State Government.

Although QR's definition of "on time" is a bit more stringent (i.e. 60 seconds less) comparing this with other operators is a bit difficult as they only report peak services, apparently counter-peak and off peaks do not count in the metric.