Ipswich Cup Day today ... and NO TRACK CLOSURE!

[ozbob]

In a sign of progress, the Ipswich Cup is on today, and for the first time in a number of years there is not a track closure!

Go Pharlap! 

[colinw]

But, but ...  track closure beyond Corinda is traditional on Ipswich Cup day.  You can't have trains running for the races!  I'm shocked that QueenslandRail would break with such a time honoured ritual as bus substitution for one of Ipswich's biggest days out.

What is the world coming to?  Next thing we'll be running trains frequently and the sky will come crashing down.

Never mind, I'm sure well have a mega track closure for the next Riverfire.  Seems to come up like clockwork on the Beenleigh/Gold Coast line.

[mufreight]

Perhaps a little tongue in cheek but one must ask if there is any truth in the rumor that having realised that there was not the traditional Ipswich Cup day track closure on the Ipswich line that the Translink CEO Mr Strachan and the Transport Minister have called an emergency heads of department meeting to consider this alarming failure to observe the Translink tradition for such a closure.
There have been further reports that the Premier and the Transport Minister are considering the formation of an oversight committee tasked with ensuring that this failure to inconvenience the travelling public to the maximum extent for an event such as the Ipswich Cup is never repeated under this goverment.

[somebody]

Don't worry.  I'm fairly sure the election has the concept that this government won't get to cause such inconvenience again sewn up.

[Mozz]

I for one applaud the non track closure on this day - caught the train to the event from Oxley to Bundamba with around 200 punters alighting at Bundamba around 10.53am for a short walk across to the race track (didn't take the free connecting bus because in past years it just gets caught up in traffic and takes as long if not longer than the walk). Then back to Oxley from Bundamba around 7pm that evening without any dramas, then again after some urging from friends, back on the 9.53pm to Booval and then home again on the 12.42am from Booval - 4 trips in a day all ran smoothly.

[colinw]

Years ago I think they used to run a 2000 class railcar shuttle from the dock platform at Bundamba to the racecourse platform on the branch.  Can't remember when it last ran 'though.

[haakon]

Years ago I think they used to run a 2000 class railcar shuttle from the dock platform at Bundamba to the racecourse platform on the branch.  Can't remember when it last ran 'though.

It is a pity the local steam train group that runs on that branch line isn't allowed to come all the way up to Bundamba station. Would have made for a fun shuttle.