New services Gold Coast

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/mediarelease.php?id=124

Wednesday 21 April 2010

New train and bus services will soon be added to the Gold Coast transport network, Transport Minister Rachel Nolan announced today.

From Tuesday 27 April commuters will be able to catch a new early morning train arriving in Brisbane city before 6am and the domestic and international airports before 6.30am.

Ms Nolan said the new six-car train would leave at 4.34am from Varsity Lakes bound for Brisbane city and Brisbane airports.

"This new train service stops all stations on the Gold Coast line up to Beenleigh (departing 5.09am), then runs express to Loganlea and Coopers Plains then all stations from Park Road into Brisbane city and out to the international and domestic airports," Ms Nolan said.

"It will provide 2250 new seats a week into Brisbane every morning and capacity for up to 3750 people per train a week.

"This is on top of the 3600 seats already in the morning peak and 4050 in the afternoon peak already on Gold Coast trains, including the two new services added in December.

"This new early-bird service is the eighth new train service for the Gold Coast line since 2007.

The new Interurban Multiple Unit train is a sleek design with extra leg room, enhanced disability facilities, toilets and baby change facilities.

This unit will also feature additional security measures, including no internal doors between each three carriage set for better line of sight and advanced CCTV coverage on board.

"It also has the potential to take almost 400 cars off our roads every single day."

Member for Burleigh Christine Smith and Member for Broadwater Peta-Kaye Croft welcomed the new public transport services.

"The Bligh Government continues to enhance public transport on the Gold Coast," Mrs Smith said.

"These new train and bus services provide a more convenient and accessible transport option for Gold Coast residents travelling to Brisbane."

Ms Croft said the 4.34am start was aimed at early-starters working in Brisbane city or who were catching early morning flights.

"The train arrives at Roma Street station at 5.53am, Central station at 5.56am, Brisbane International Airport 6.17am and Brisbane Domestic Airport at 6.21am," Ms Croft said.

"This service will be trialled for three months following the successful trial of early bird services on the Ipswich and Caboolture train lines in October 2008.

"This is a trial to ensure that TransLink is meeting the needs of Gold Coast commuters."

Ms Nolan said a package of new bus services and connections on the southern Gold Coast are also being finalised.

"There will soon be more bus services across the southern Gold Coast, following an extensive review," she said.

"The full package to be rolled out from late June will include additional frequency and coverage for TransLink bus customers across the Gold Coast.

"More than 8.6 million customers used Surfside services between July 1 and December 31, 2009 " 300,000 more than same period in 2008 " and this package will meet future demand for public transport across the Gold Coast."

The package will include a new Varsity Lakes to airport service (Route 761).

It will be customised " in a similar configuration to the route 702 from Southport to the airport " to provide additional space and storage for luggage, allowing easy transfer between train, bus and plane.

Bus enhancements will also include:

    * Additional feeder bus services for key hubs including Varsity Lakes station
    * More frequent services on the western side of the rail line to meet school transportation needs
    * New routes to provide coverage and access for fast growing residential areas.

      Recent additions to the TransLink network on the Gold Coast include route 702 Coolangatta Airport extension, 747 Southport-Robina, NightLink bus services and two extra train services.

[#Metro]

Maybe in the future, if this keeps going, there will be 24 hour trains between the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
4.30 am is very, very early.

Good to see some new trains on the lines. Please don't forget the other lines as well!

[ozbob]

Media Release 21 April 2010

SEQ:  Gold Coast hits the jackpot yet again

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 additional public transport services for the Gold Coast announced today (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The Gold Coast will have extra train and bus services from the 27th April.  We welcome those services, however long standing problems on other lines need attention and additional services too."

"The loading statistics in the TransLink Tracker are our in our opinion a poor way of assessing loading on our network.  The definition of overloading of passengers standing for more than 20 minutes, and in the case of the Gold Coast south of Beenleigh distort the actual reality.  The Gold Coast line appears to have a higher overloading problem than is the actuality, whilst a line like Ferny Grove which has  serious overloading doesn't appear in the data as having an overloading problem as journey length is less than 20 minutes."

"The standard for train frequency on the network should be 15 minutes east of Ipswich and south of Caboolture, more frequent at peak times, this will then encourage public transport use. Early finish on Sunday needs revision as well.

"There are some other problems that need attention.

Some examples:

Monday to Friday Ipswich to Rosewood:
Train leaves Ipswich for Rosewood at 4.38pm, the next service for Rosewood is 5.51pm.  Amazing!!  Worse peak frequency than off peak.  This gap needs urgent attention.

Shorncliffe Line:
Departing Central in afternoon peak:  3:51 and then 4:29.  That's a 38-minute gap!  The following service is 22 minutes later so an extra service and reshuffle would be the ideal solution.
Departing Shorncliffe in morning peak:  7:23 and then 7:49.  26-minute gap that could be solved by shuffling the next 3 trains forward by 10 minutes.

Every hour gap is totally unacceptable. Ferny Grove Line has hour gaps preceding the last train Mon-Thu, between the 1st and 2nd trains Sat am, between 1st,2nd, and 3rd inbound trains Sun am, and between 1st,2nd,3rd,4th, and 5th outbound trains Sun am. There are plenty of examples of hour gaps on other lines too.

Ferny Grove has a 21/23min gap between the 06:45am ex Ferny Grove and 07:06am ex Ferny Grove(exp)/07:17am ex Mitchelton. The 07:06 ex Ferny Grove is often very overcrowded by Enoggera. The is also an annoying 18 min gap in the late am peak caused the 2nd inbound express (which has loads of spare capacity).

The two pm outbound Ferny Grove expresses cause a 20min gap between 4:37 and 4:57 ex Central, and 21min gap between 5:03 and 5:24 ex Central for stations that it skips (Windsor-Gaythorne). Really annoying!

Cleveland Line has a 23min gap for stations Wynnum Central to Buranda which are skipped by the 1st inbound am express.

Caboolture Line has a 30min gap between 6:06pm and 6:36pm ex-Central to Caboolture.

Nearly 30 years ago in 1980 (shortly after electrification began) there were services from Salisbury to the City at 7.28am, 7.38am, 7.51am, 8.05am and 8.21am with no gap greater than 16 minutes.  Today there are services from Salisbury to the City at 7.23am, 7.36am, 7.54am(3 cars), 8.16am(3 cars) and 8.22am with gaps in the services of up to 22 minutes (an increase from 16 min).  This is made worse by the trains before and after the 22 minute gap only being 3 car sets. Translink needs to mandate that peak hour train services need to run at least every 15 minutes and that 6 car sets be used unless it can be demonstrated the loading only warrants the use of a 3 car set (such as Doomben & Rosewood).

Anti-peak flow:  For example at Indooroopilly there's a city train at 5:03pm followed by 5:30pm.  Given that this station has 15min frequency daytime off peak, that's a bit of a shocker.

Gap on the Sunshine Coast line weekday evening.
7:29pm Nambour, next is 9:30pm Nambour service.  This is very inconvenient to punters heading past Caboolture.
Three car leaving at 8.30pm or thereabouts would be a big benefit.

Cleveland line trains departing Roma Street
4:07pm: Not anywhere near full, can always get a seat and people can get on at South Brisbane, South Bank, Park Road and Buranda without any hassle.
4:32pm: Absolute full to the brim every day with people who knock off at 4pm. Get on at Roma St and always standing. People getting on at South Brisbane, South Bank, Park Road and Buranda always end up jammed in up against the door."

References:

1. http://www.translink.com.au/mediarelease.php?id=124

2. http://download.translink.com.au/about/0910q2_tracker.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[ozbob]

One really has to question what the Members of Parliament are actually doing for their constituents in terms of public transport. 

The political sensitivities in the Gold Coast almost guarantee results, whilst in labor heartland they languish ...  Got to be a message there somewhere?  LOL

[Golliwog]

I know my local MP, Geoff Wilson has just been focusing on getting the FG station upgraded to provide more parking. Don't think he really cares about whether we get the extra track or platform though. He knows that people want to park - thus if he gets it he'll get votes at the next election. Really I think FG should move away from parking and work on providing decent feeder routes, but the Gov's policy on providing more buses in an area serviced by a train line is usually a big no because there are other areas with no train line.

[#Metro]

Ferny Grove has a 21/23min gap between the 06:45am ex Ferny Grove and 07:06am ex Ferny Grove(exp)/07:17am ex Mitchelton. The 07:06 ex Ferny Grove is often very overcrowded by Enoggera. The is also an annoying 18 min gap in the late am peak caused the 2nd inbound express (which has loads of spare capacity).

The two pm outbound Ferny Grove expresses cause a 20min gap between 4:37 and 4:57 ex Central, and 21min gap between 5:03 and 5:24 ex Central for stations that it skips (Windsor-Gaythorne). Really annoying!

No Express should be allowed on the Ferny Grove line.

[ozbob]

TT, the first down service from Rosewood departs 4.16am ...

[ozbob]

From the Gold Coast Bulletin click here!

Extra Gold Coast train to ease pain

Extra Gold Coast train to ease pain

Lucy Ardern   |  April 22nd, 2010

A NEW rail-bus package, which rolls out next week, is about to make the daily grind from the Gold Coast to Brisbane a whole lot easier for thousands of commuters.

From next Tuesday, a new early morning train will run between Varsity Lakes and Brisbane Airport, adding an extra 2250 seats weekly between the two centres and helping ease congestion on peak-hour services.

It follows a major review of public transport and is the first stage of a package that includes a revamp of bus services, particularly across the southern Gold Coast.

The new $11 million, six-carriage train will leave Varsity Lakes at 4.34am each day from next Tuesday and arrive in Brisbane before 6am and Brisbane Airport before 6.30am.

From late June, connecting bus services will run from Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta to Varsity Lakes, meaning, for the first time, passengers can travel from the NSW border to Brisbane city and the airport, with just one change.

As well, there will be extra feeder buses for key hubs, more services on the western side of the rail line to meet the needs of schoolchildren, and new routes into expanding residential areas.

The new package has been fast-tracked by the State Government following extensive complaints of serious overcrowding on trains between the Coast and Brisbane, particularly during the morning and evening peak hours, and poor scheduling of linking bus services.

It was announced by Transport Minister Rachel Nolan, who said it was a major expansion of public transport on the Gold Coast.

"(This service) will provide 2250 new seats a week into Brisbane every morning and capacity for up to 3750 people per train a week," she said.

This is on top of the 3600 seats a week between the two centres in morning peak and 4050 weekly in the afternoon peak.

"The full package (of bus services) to be rolled out from late June will include additional frequency and coverage for TransLink bus customers across the Gold Coast."

Mrs Nolan did not give full details of the increased bus services and changed timetables, saying schedules were still being finalised.

Member for Gaven Dr Alex Douglas said the new services did not address the issues in peak hours or fix poor train and bus scheduling from Nerang north.

"What about the problems we have in Helensvale, Coomera, Robina and Nerang?" he asked.

More than 8.6 million people used Surfside buses between July 1 and December 31 last year, up 300,000 on the same period in 2008.

[david]

Extra Gold Coast train to ease pain

Lucy Ardern   |  April 22nd, 2010

A NEW rail-bus package, which rolls out next week, is about to make the daily grind from the Gold Coast to Brisbane a whole lot easier for thousands of commuters.

From next Tuesday, a new early morning train will run between Varsity Lakes and Brisbane Airport, adding an extra 2250 seats weekly between the two centres and helping ease congestion on peak-hour services.



The new package has been fast-tracked by the State Government following extensive complaints of serious overcrowding on trains between the Coast and Brisbane, particularly during the morning and evening peak hours, and poor scheduling of linking bus services.

Geez...no offence to Gold Coasters, but the language there is a bit excessive isn't it? The situation isn't THAT bad anymore...

Finally...the government gets some train seats on the tally! Keep them coming! Congratulations to Translink for improving bus-rail connections - this needs to be implemented region-wide!

[somebody]

No Express should be allowed on the Ferny Grove line.

Not sure why you are so rigid on this point.

I would agree with "No expresses on the Shorncliffe line at current frequencies".

It never ceases to amaze me that a single new service receives a ministerial announcement.  They must be used to a lot of anger from train commuters.

I know my local MP, Geoff Wilson has just been focusing on getting the FG station upgraded to provide more parking. Don't think he really cares about whether we get the extra track or platform though. He knows that people want to park - thus if he gets it he'll get votes at the next election. Really I think FG should move away from parking and work on providing decent feeder routes, but the Gov's policy on providing more buses in an area serviced by a train line is usually a big no because there are other areas with no train line.

Thanks for that.  What that tells you is that feeder bus services are not liked by commuters.  While if they met every train they would surely be much better liked, I would question if that is the solution which should be advocated.  In the Ferny Grove region, I think the first thing to do is a rocket service to Upper Kedron along Upper Kedron road, and the second thing is extending the 390 to Upper Kedron and abolishing the 367.  That would ease pressure on the parking situation at Ferny Grove, but the north side of the line requires improvements too.

[Nightwriter]

Once again, Gold Coast gets everything it asks for, to the detriment of other lines.

[O_128]

Time we started mass complaints for all the other lines

[somebody]

"The standard for train frequency on the network should be 15 minutes east of Ipswich and south of Caboolture, more frequent at peak times, this will then encourage public transport use. Early finish on Sunday needs revision as well.

When I suggested something like this, I was thinking of 15 minute frequency in peak.  I don't think the Gold Coast requires a 15minute frequency off peak, and we well know that it's not achievable without significant infrastructure upgrades.  I'd prefer we focus on what's achievable in the shorter term.

It is achievable to get a 15 minute off peak frequency Ipswich/Caboolture/Ferny Grove/Manly/Yeerongpilly/Shorncliffe though.  Probably not in that order, more like:
Petrie
Ferny Grove
Manly
others

[ozbob]

I was not suggesting 15 minutes on the Gold Coast, it is pretty clear 15 minutes Caboolture - Ipswich.

The Deputy Premier remarked in parliament a while ago now (years ago , when he was Transport Minister) the aim is 15 minute frequency on the network generally.  Time they matched the rhetoric with delivery.  

Clearly some lines are not suitable.

I expect the Caboolture - Ipswich corridor will be one of the first high frequency corridors, remember the present Minister talked about sectorisation. This ramp up will happen when Richlands Branch kicks in.  Ferny Grove is another.  

We have said before that the aim generally is 15 minutes between 5am and 9pm Mon to Friday, more frequent at peaks as loads dictate with 20 minute frequency outside that.  

Even if we got 20 minute frequency off peak that is heaps better than 30 minute. 

Footnote:  In the latest edition of Transit Australia there was an interesting comment " South east Queensland has a very poor (rail) off  peak frequency "  abysmal would be a better description ...   message is starting to be heard!

[somebody]

Ok, but when I wrote the words east of Ipswich and south of Caboolture *I* was thinking that included Ferny Grove, Shorncliffe, Beenleigh, Cleveland and Varsity Lakes.  I didn't think about Doomben and the Airport already has nearly a 15 minute peak frequency in both directions.

[stephenk]

No Express should be allowed on the Ferny Grove line.

Until the duplication to Ferny Grove is completed, expresses and Mitchelton reversers will be required to keep the frequency up in peaks. However, the timetable should be designed so that the effects of the above do not result in any peak service gaps exceeding 15mins for any station, and the capacity of trains are used efficiently. At the moment there are peak gaps up to 23mins, and some expresses with plenty of spare capacity.

After the duplication, I hope that there a very frequent "metro like" all stations peak service will be operated.

From the Gold Coast Bulletin click here!

Extra Gold Coast train to ease pain

Extra Gold Coast train to ease pain

Lucy Ardern   |  April 22nd, 2010

"The new package has been fast-tracked by the State Government following extensive complaints of serious overcrowding on trains between the Coast and Brisbane"

Serious overcrowding? Sorry, but a couple of people having to stand from Beenleigh because a handbag or two are occupying a seat does not really constitute serious overcrowding. Live 90km from your workplace anywhere else in the world, and many many more people would be standing on trains!

Yet in the meantime, the 07:55 ex-Ferny Grove this morning had approx. 55 passengers standing in the 1st carriage this am between Windsor and Bowen Hills, but would barely be classed as being overcrowded due to the 20min rule. The Ferny Grove Line has seen no new services since early 2008. I don't think the congested Cleveland Line has seen any new services in the same time frame either.

[#Metro]

The new trains represent progress and should be welcomed with open arms.
More trains please!

More trains on the Gold Coast line also increases the chances that yet even more trains on the Gold Coast line will be required- due to the Mohring Effect. Remember those BCC funded Ipswich trains that were put on to relieve congestion caused by the construction of the Go Between Bridge? I read that they became permanent services as they became full!

The demand is there but the services are not!
Induced demand works for Public Transport as much as it does for cars and roads!

[ButFli]

This new service is just one of the early morning Roma St-Airport services started earlier this year now coming all the way from the Gold Coast, right? The ministerial announcement sort of implies that it provides a new service to the airport, too.

New service is always good but when is a line other than Gold Coast going to get some decent service? Weekday 15 minute frequencies for the Ipswich line need to be extended further into the night. The way it is now it goes straight from evening peak with frequency of better than 10 minutes to one ~15 minute gap to 30 minutes gaps starting with ~7PM to 7:30PM. If the Governments of this city want Brisbane to be a "New World City" (whatever that is) they could start by providing some decent after-dark train services.

[ozbob]

Correct Butfli, been introduced to improve connectivity with early morning Airport services.

[somebody]

By my calcs, this service uses up the last slot in the Robina stabling now at 7x 6 car trains, and we still haven't abolished any of the southbound AM positioning moves.  Rumors that it was to be expanded to 10x 6 car trains appear to be false, or at least not included in the Varsity Lakes upgrade.

[#Metro]

  Whoo Whoo!

[somebody]

Whoo Whoo!

But you already said words to that effect.

[dwb]

@Bob

What type of train is the "new $11 million, six-carriage train"? IMU160-188?

[ozbob]

Yes, expect just a reference to a new IMU.  Although lately the new SMUs have been doing laps on the Gold Coast line as well.  The old IMUs as well of course.