Article: Commute derailed

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

Commute derailed

Commute derailed

Owen Jacques | 12th February 2011

THERE will be more trains, but no-one will want to catch them.

Pauline Fraley's usual train services have been rescheduled, adding one and a half hours to her daily return journey.
Jason Dougherty

THERE will be more trains, but no-one will want to catch them.

Up to 1000 Coast passengers will be affected by a planned timetable change from Translink.

To arrive at the same time in Brisbane, they will leave home earlier and return home later

Pauline Fraley travels to Brisbane every day, leaving home at 6am to climb aboard the 6.25 train from Landsborough.

A well-trodden routine, Ms Fraley has caught the train for 15 years so she can arrive at Bowen Hills station about 7.37am.

Now she says Translink will put "more pressure on the family" by introducing a system that adds an hour and a half to her daily journey.

The new timetable, flagged to be introduced "mid-year", will force her to leave home at 5.30am to catch a train just after 6am.

In the afternoon, instead of hopping on a 5.21 train and arriving back on the Coast at 6.25pm, she would have to catch the 5.53pm train, arriving back at Landsborough at 7.09pm.

Her daily travel time will jump from 2.5 hours to almost four hours.

"If you finish at five, you won't be able to make the new 5.04pm train from Brisbane Central so you have to wait 40 minutes for the next one," she said.

"I think a lot of people will be forced into their cars.

Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington has heard the complaints of commuters and has arranged a meeting with Transport Minister Rachel Nolan.

"The express train that runs from the Sunshine Coast – it's been a success story for commuters," Mr Wellington said. "We can't lose it. Let's put it that way."

Member for Glasshouse Andrew Powell has also battled on behalf of commuters.

According to Translink, the changes will add 150,000 weekly seats on the Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and Rosewood lines.

After the new timetable was released for public comment during November and December, more than 2000 responses were sent to Translink and Queensland Rail.

[Fares_Fair]

"Member for Nicklin Peter Wellington has heard the complaints of commuters and has arranged a meeting with Transport Minister Rachel Nolan."

Does anybody know what the outcome of this meeting was, or if it even occurred ?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.