Muffins in Sandgate

[Emmie]

I caught the 8:27 train from Sandgate yesterday. There were 3 people in QR T-shirts behind a table, handing out muffins and bottles of water. Lots of people taking muffins, but it wasn't until I asked what they were advertising that one of them handed over a pamphlet announcing an upgrade of Sandgate Station. Good news, but not getting much play, compared with the offer of a free breakfast.

Anyway, according tom the pamphlet, Sandgate will get
- new station lift and footbridge
- new accessible ticket window
- installation of passenger information display screens
- platform raising (yeah!)

[ozbob]

Good news Emmie, more details --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4597.0

[Jonno]

Morningside was the samenon Friday but it was more 8 people. Was given muffin but not the pamphlet.

[#Metro]

Many suburban stations are very tired looking and uncovered. Others, like Dutton Park have buildings which are decaying or have an ugly grey/concrete 'industrial' look.  When it rains, you get wet and the overbridges and waiting areas are uncovered. Station upgrades are good news!

Improvement... slowly does it.

Train frequency still scraping the barrel though.

[somebody]

Will this make platform #2 a fully functional platform?

[Golliwog]

So it seems that they've decided exactly what will be done at most stations, but have they released any maps/designs showing what the redone stations are going to look like?

[ozbob]

Only online resource I can find is an overview on the QR website --> here

[colinw]

Station upgrades are nice, but frequency upgrades are better.  Who cares what the station looks like if you're only there for a couple of minutes before a train comes.

More money being spent on concrete instead of services. 

[Sunbus610]

Good point colinw, some of us rail commuters spend a fair bit of time travelling so...........more services = better comfort = less crowding = less time spent waiting for trains, which in the end = happy customers!!! I'm with you on your last comment!!

[Jonno]

I believe the 2 (frequency improvements and station upgrades) are mutually exclusive.  A timetable rewrite will need a fair bit of planinng including testing train paths (including freight), printing materials,  identify conflicts, having enough trains, drivers, etc.  Surely a timetable rewrite is in the wings? Surely!

[somebody]

I believe the 2 (frequency improvements and station upgrades) are mutually exclusive. 

Then death to station upgrades!  What did you actually mean?

A timetable rewrite will need a fair bit of planinng including testing train paths (including freight), printing materials,  identify conflicts, having enough trains, drivers, etc.  Surely a timetable rewrite is in the wings? Surely!

planning, maybe but surely not as much as all the concrete projects which are getting a gurnsey.  Not too sure about testing though.  You can't test it.  Maybe modelling.

Only promised timetable re-write is for Ipswich-Caboolture AIUI.

[Jonno]

I believe the 2 (frequency improvements and station upgrades) are mutually exclusive. 

Then death to station upgrades!  What did you actually mean?

You can have both.

[#Metro]

You can have both.

What, muffins and a bottle of water? 

[Emmie]

Platform 2 is barely used at Sandgate at the moment, and can't be reached by disabled passengers, so making it a fully functional platform, with a new overpass and lift, is a necessity if we are to get more frequent services   So I don't begrudge this particular upgrade.

Mind you, if they make the station look like Indooroopilly, I'll change my mind!

[ozbob]

.. Mind you, if they make the station look like Indooroopilly, I'll change my mind! ..

Indeed, someone said to me once 'Indooroopilly railway station is the only station that you can see from the moon!' (tic) ..

Apart from the aesthetics which may or may not please, the glaring failure was not providing a bus interchange capability.  At least that is not an issue at Sandgate.  Full DDA compliant upgrade to platform 2 at Sandgate will facilitate improved operations.

[somebody]

What about the alleged safeworking problem with Sandgate #2, is that to be fixed?

More money being spent on concrete instead of services. 

I think this is something suitable for a media release.  Not sure if that would be supported.

[ozbob]

What about the alleged safeworking problem with Sandgate #2, is that to be fixed?

know not about that, but I would assume that if platform 2 is being sorted for use, then if there is an issue like that it would be sorted as well, because a bit pointless to fix the platform if there is an operational issue unresolved.  But then again, we are in Queensland where there is the innate ability to botch infrastructure projects despite the 'shine' about the joint.

[p858snake]

ooh, they were doing this at new market the other day as well.... i wonder what we get there....

[#Metro]

I'm only interested in the muffins if they are Hi Frequency muffins! 

[colinw]

It would be pointless handing out muffins if the frequency was sufficient, as you aren't allowed to eat on the train.

[somebody]

It would be pointless handing out muffins if the frequency was sufficient, as you aren't allowed to eat on the train.

Yes.  I find this rule annoying, and it doesn't apply on CityRail.  Not sure about Melbourne, Perth or other places in the world.

I've also noticed a lack of respect for rules against drinking alcohol on trains in Brisbane, which I think I've only seen happen a few times in Sydney in many years of living there.  Set the rules a bit more reasonably, and the rules will be more respected IMO.

[#Metro]

Not sure about Melbourne

AIUI Melbourne allows food. Recently caught a train on a late service and was craving for some food.
Pointless that you can't eat, drink or pee or periods up to 30 minutes (stations tend to lock the loos after dark).

Obviously, the rules do not apply on the Airtrain!!! 

[Golliwog]

I've always found places with those rules tend to be a bit lenient. So long as the food isn't messy, and you drink is contained most places usually don't mind. All the UQ libraries have actually changed their policies to this, you can drink bottled drinks or coffees with a lid, or anything similar. As for food they let you judge but give examples that sandwiches would be ok but pizza would not be.

[Derwan]

This confirms what is happening on the Shorncliffe Line:

Under the Station Renovations Program, both Banyo and Deagon stations will see the receive the following upgrades:

•   Painting
•   Industrial Clean and Bird proofing
•   Minor Landscaping
•   Some Mural Works
•   Replace Station Furniture
•   Upgrade to toilets
•   DDA Compliant Ticket Window
•   Small amount of fencing
•   Installation of Passenger Information Display Screens

An upgrade of the car parks and disability access at Sandgate station is currently under investigation, therefore no design or scope details can be provided at this stage.

Shorncliffe station will receive some minor rectification works including re-roofing of the station building.

I got that a few weeks ago - so the plans for Sandgate must've been updated since then.

[somebody]

I've always found places with those rules tend to be a bit lenient. So long as the food isn't messy, and you drink is contained most places usually don't mind. All the UQ libraries have actually changed their policies to this, you can drink bottled drinks or coffees with a lid, or anything similar. As for food they let you judge but give examples that sandwiches would be ok but pizza would not be.

The whole notion of having a rule which they are going to selectively enforce is unsatisfactory.

[Golliwog]

IMO its not selective enforcement, its just providing a set of criteria instead of a ban. ie: instead of no food or drink, you can have food or drink provided you can't spill the drink and the food isn't messy.

[somebody]

IMO its not selective enforcement, its just providing a set of criteria instead of a ban. ie: instead of no food or drink, you can have food or drink provided you can't spill the drink and the food isn't messy.

That's not the current situation on the rail network though.  But at least you aren't saying that they shouldn't relax that rule.

[Golliwog]

IMO rules like the current ones are a bit pointless, hardly anyone follows them, and because of this, its harder for it to be enforced on those who are actually eating the foods that are an issue (ie: the ones that would make a mess, the whole reason for the rule). There shouldn't be anything wrong with eating an apple of banana on a train provided you take the core/skin with you! A BBQ meatlovers pizza with extra sauce however...

[somebody]

IMO rules like the current ones are a bit pointless, hardly anyone follows them, and because of this, its harder for it to be enforced on those who are actually eating the foods that are an issue (ie: the ones that would make a mess, the whole reason for the rule). There shouldn't be anything wrong with eating an apple of banana on a train provided you take the core/skin with you! A BBQ meatlovers pizza with extra sauce however...

Which was pretty much my point.  And even the meatlovers pizza example would be OK provided you spilled all your mess into the box and took it with you.