No trains folks - sorry

[ozbob]

I called into Goodna this morning, around 9.30am.  Found a number of pax waiting patiently for trains which won't be arriving till tomorrow morning (track closure Sherwood - Rosewood this weekend).  I let them know that there was a track closure and they would need to move over to the bus stop, adjacent to the FlexiLink stop.  I did this because even though buses were coming and going the pax did not realise that these were replacing the trains for the weekend.

Hopeless TransLink.  Apparently Queensland Rail has little to do now with the replacement services.  Customer service?   Farce ....

How many times have we asked for some proactive signage and announcements to let the punters know?  I walked around the entire station precinct, and walked over to the Goodna side of the footbridge. No signs, nothing.  One small sign on the station notice board for the track closure. I noted red boards down from Goodna, but that means nothing to the average punters.



Where is the train?  Is it late??











Photographs R Dow 20th November 2011

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th November 2011

Is the train late?

Greetings,

I called into Goodna this morning, around 9.30am.  Found a number of pax waiting patiently for trains which won't be arriving till tomorrow morning (track closure Sherwood - Rosewood this weekend).  I let them know that there was a track closure and they would need to move over to the bus stop, adjacent to the FlexiLink stop.  I did this because even though buses were coming and going the pax did not realise that these were replacing the trains for the weekend.

Hopeless TransLink.  Apparently Queensland Rail has little to do now with the replacement services.  Customer service?   Farce ....

How many times have we asked for some proactive signage and announcements to let the punters know?  I walked around the entire station precinct, and walked over to the Goodna side of the footbridge. No signs, nothing.  One small sign on the station notice board for the track closure. I noted red boards down from Goodna, but that means nothing to the average punters.

Looks like I will have to go back to spending my weekends during track closures travelling up and down the line letting the poor souls sitting on platforms waiting know that there are actually no trains.




I wonder when the train is coming?
Goodna railway station, 9.30am Sunday 20th November 2011 during a track closure Sherwood <-> Rosewood 8pm Friday 18th till last Train 20th November 2011.
Photograph R Dow 20th November 2011

More -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7115.0

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Mozz]

Actual station staff, or advice via the electronic screens, or automated messages over the speakers would help to advise commuters.

I am heading to Roma street parklands this Sunday afternoon so will check out Oxley station platforms, generally Oxley has a few signs around indicating no trains.

Last week got caught up in the Cleveland line closure when heading to Cleveland to sail on the bay, interesting journey, on a quiet sunday morning,with little traffic on the road, the railbus that left Dutton Park and only had to stop at Wellington Point, Ormiston and Cleveland, was still 5 mins later to Cleveland using the road network than an all stations stopping train to Cleveland. Rail beats Road in this contest.

Interestingly I again was caught with the latest shutdown on the Ipswich line started 8pm Friday night which was a bit of a surprise and a bit early to our normal regular monthly/bimonthly or so shutdowns on this line, where it usually occurs from the last train Friday night. Traversing subways and bus stairs late on a Friday night was an interesting experience following some after work celebrations in town. 

[somebody]

It shouldn't be too hard to put a rope across the platform access.  I'm pretty sure Cityrail would.

[ozbob]

It shouldn't be too hard to put a rope across the platform access.  I'm pretty sure Cityrail would.

A good thing to do Simon, but .....  punters here need access to the go card readers and ticket machines as well.  It is a requirement officially that punters still have a valid ticket when travelling on a rail bus replacement service as on this weekend.    The replacement buses rarely have functioning go card equipment so one is expected to touch on at the railway station before finding the bus.  

At places where the trains terminate, the normal reaction is to touch off when leaving the railway station.  Then when they go to board the bus, no go card equipment so theoretically they would need to go back touch on and then return to the bus.

The problem with this is that it is also a change from the normal procedures when using a go card, and a lot of people get confused as well.  

[somebody]

^ Well, you are only required to touch on/off if equipment is available.  If the bus doesn't have the reader, then it isn't available.  The notion of entering the platform to access the readers is ludicrous, and assumes that one end of the replacement bus trip is not a gated station.  You would need to reach over the gates to touch in the wrong direction.

[Mozz]

Just checked oxley station at 2.20pm no commuters on the platforms. Around 5 people waiting for railbus which has now dropped us off at Sherwood now on sm 8290 heading to Roma street, still has new train smell but bloody scratched windows :-(

[ozbob]

If the bus doesn't have the reader, then it isn't available.

I think that is what most people do.  They touch on when entering the railway station and touch off when leaving the railway station.  If no readers on the buses then they don't touch on on the bus.

It is a very grey area.   I haven't heard of people being warned or fined for not having a ticket on a bus replacement service (doesn't mean it hasn't happened), but there is a very high probability you will get ticket checked on a train following or leading to a bus replacement service.  They seem to do that a lot.

Apart from the gate issue, if you touch the wrong side you get a fixed fare, there is problem of access as during construction access to some stations (hence readers) is blocked.

I suppose it would be difficult to put go card equipment on the rail buses as the routes are not standard routes.

[ozbob]

Just checked oxley station at 2.20pm no commuters on the platforms. Around 5 people waiting for railbus which has now dropped us off at Sherwood now on sm 8290 heading to Roma street, still has new train smell but bloody scratched windows :-(

  Oxley as a rule is generally better signed than most stations.  I hoped you touched on at the Oxley platform! 

[somebody]

Apart from the gate issue, if you touch the wrong side you get a fixed fare, there is problem of access as during construction access to some stations (hence readers) is blocked.

What I mean is if you touch on at Taringa railway station and use a replacement bus to Roma St, you will be in a touched state and need to reach over the barrier at Roma St.  Unless you walk up to the bus platform and use the rail reader.  The latter option doesn't apply at Central or Fortitude Valley.

[ozbob]

Yes, there is that complication as well. 

[ozbob]

Mrs Ozob got confused today on an inbound journey via Sherwood as well.  Some how managed to arrive at Roma St in an 'untouched' state ...  station staff were very understanding, I expect there were heaps all weekend.

[Mozz]

I try to maintain a standard operating procedure when it comes to track closures touching on and off at the first/last train station and ignoring any bus travel.  I find this this way I don't forget to accidentally touch on or off and incur a penalty in the process and it's worked for me thus far across many many track closures so will continue the practice. I find, at least for me, that the greatest risk of forgetting to touch on or off is those out of normal travel patterns. So it was a touch on at Sherwood today:-)

[WTN]

I try to maintain a standard operating procedure when it comes to track closures touching on and off at the first/last train station and ignoring any bus travel.  I find this this way I don't forget to accidentally touch on or off and incur a penalty in the process and it's worked for me thus far across many many track closures so will continue the practice. I find, at least for me, that the greatest risk of forgetting to touch on or off is those out of normal travel patterns. So it was a touch on at Sherwood today:-)

I remember this sort of advice given by Queensland Rail during the Corinda-Darra upgrade. For example, when Darra was closed, passengers were advised to touch off at the last station (Oxley/Wacol) and board the replacement bus.

Unfortunately, this sort of service has disappeared lately, just when I thought you could officially travel untouched on replacement buses.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Hasn't that responsibility changed recently between Translink and QR in regards to scheduled replacement buses?

[ozbob]

Hasn't that responsibility changed recently between Translink and QR in regards to scheduled replacement buses?

Changeover is occurring.  Not quite complete apparently.

This is a simple example of the sort of obvious sign to get attention.  This can be standard, large and very obvious and the details for each closure can be attached to it below.

[Set in train]

Hasn't that responsibility changed recently between Translink and QR in regards to scheduled replacement buses?

Changeover is occurring.  Not quite complete apparently.

This is a simple example of the sort of obvious sign to get attention.  This can be standard, large and very obvious and the details for each closure can be attached to it below.

Need to know where the buses are, I've never used a train replacement service as I've never known where the buses will collect passengers from exactly.

[ozbob]

Need to know where the buses are, I've never used a train replacement service as I've never known where the buses will collect passengers from exactly.

Obviously, that is why the details are attached to the sign, as I stated.  Presently it is hard to locate the information in the first place.  Having a standard high visibility sign will greatly assist.

It is not rocket science.

[ozbob]

Photograph R Dow 20th November 2011

There were some signs attached to the fence.  These were not obvious. One of these is shown on the right hand edge of the photograph.

Pax don't see these as they walk straight past ...

[Set in train]

Need to know where the buses are, I've never used a train replacement service as I've never known where the buses will collect passengers from exactly.

Obviously, that is why the details are attached to the sign, as I stated.  Presently it is hard to locate the information in the first place.  Having a standard high visibility sign will greatly assist.

It is not rocket science.

That's it, the signs are what is needed. Keep up the good fight.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

21 November 2011

Re: Is the train late?

Greetings,

On further review there were some additional signs on some of the fences at Goodna yesterday.  I missed them as did the pax.

Have a look at this photograph.



Note the sign on the right hand lower edge.  Coming up the subway, as the subway access fans out, one walks straight past it.

What I think would help would be a very obvious sign to act as a primary alert.

E.g.



Position these next to the Go card readers / ticket machines, would mean the punters would not miss the fact there are no trains. Detailed information could positioned next to it.  It needs something to catch the eye of the pax.

Some stations do warrant some staff support as well in my opinion, eg. helping hands.  Those stations that have significant route bus interchange, for example on the Ipswich line such as Darra, Goodna and possibly Redbank would help when there are closures as pax are often confused with the rail buses and route buses.  It makes the flow of buses quicker as well.

Thanks to TransLink and Queensland Rail for following up on these matters as well.

In general, closures  are generally well handled.  It is not easy and a lot of work does go into them, and this is appreciated.

The bottom line is though, if significant numbers of pax are waiting for trains on platforms during a track closure something has broken down.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Stillwater]

The signs on the fence would have been better displayed as a sandwich board that was placed in the walkway.  Intending passengers would have to see it to walk around it.  Where a reference is made to substitute buses, add an arrow that takes the passengers' eyes to where the buses are, or directs them which way to walk to find the buses.  It is not rocket science!  Things such as this should not have to be managed from within the Minister's office, but that sems to be the way things work.  Curious.

[ozbob]

Did we have this many track closures in days gone bye? I don't seem to remember them in my childhood and youth, there well may have been.

The poor old Ippy has had a lot of closures the past 5 to 6 years.  It is amazing that people are still found on platforms waiting for trains during closures when you think about it. 

[somebody]

Did we have this many track closures in days gone bye? I don't seem to remember them in my childhood and youth, there well may have been.

The poor old Ippy has had a lot of closures the past 5 to 6 years.  It is amazing that people are still found on platforms waiting for trains during closures when you think about it. 

In Sydney you generally expect a 2am Sat - 2am Mon closure 1 week in 4.  Unless you live on the Macdonaldtown-Summer Hill stretch where it is worse.

[Set in train]

Did we have this many track closures in days gone bye? I don't seem to remember them in my childhood and youth, there well may have been.

The poor old Ippy has had a lot of closures the past 5 to 6 years.  It is amazing that people are still found on platforms waiting for trains during closures when you think about it. 

This thread had me wondering the same thing. Ipswich line seems to have been closed more often than other lines this year, despite the quadruplication complete, Richlands open. To a non-expert, it does seem odd.

Great media release too.

[david]

PIDs could also be better utilised in these instances. The PIDs at Darra and Oxley were all just showing the Queensland Rail logo. What good is that going to do?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Wooden sleepers were getting replaced along with some extra final works at Redbank IIRC.

[SurfRail]

The cynic in me suggests we should look at dedicated line status boards like in Sydney.  The institutionalised culture of failure has probably mandated those being put up in their case, but we aren't exactly Zurich here.

[somebody]

The cynic in me suggests we should look at dedicated line status boards like in Sydney.  The institutionalised culture of failure has probably mandated those being put up in their case, but we aren't exactly Zurich here.

I did get a chuckle here.  But Brisbane is different how?

[Fares_Fair]

Hasn't that responsibility changed recently between Translink and QR in regards to scheduled replacement buses?

Changeover is occurring.  Not quite complete apparently.

This is a simple example of the sort of obvious sign to get attention.  This can be standard, large and very obvious and the details for each closure can be attached to it below.

Sadlly, we see this type of sign every day on the Sunshine Coast 


Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times 23 November 2011 page 10

Passengers wait for train that never came

[somebody]

^ Interesting.  I wasn't expecting this to be picked up.  Although I guess it bleeds so it reads.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

23rd November 2011

The obvious fix to the problem of communication during track closures

Greetings,

There is a very simple solution to sorting the myriad of issues during the constant ' track closures ' on the rail network.

Make travel on the substitute rail buses free, officially.   Presently, unofficially most do this now anyway.  Rope off railway station access so that it is obvious that trains are not running.

Officially, punters are meant to touch on at railway station before boarding the bus if using a go card or purchase a highly cost inflated single paper ticket out of an AVVM on a deserted railway station.

A number of problems with this. Often station access is actually blocked off, but importantly it is very very confusing to people as it is not the published routine way to use a go card.

When one travels by bus (and ferry) a user touches on on boarding the bus (ferry) and touches off when leaving the bus (ferry).   The rail-buses used for rail-replacement don't have functioning go card as a rule, hence the confusion.

Rail-bus replacement usually extends the journey time by an  hour or more.  This is the official advice as well.  Is it reasonable to be charging punters fares for this degradation in service?

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

It shouldn't be too hard to put a rope across the platform access.  I'm pretty sure Cityrail would.

Most places would Simon, but hey we are Queenslanders!!   

[Fares_Fair]

Just imagine if personnel were employed to assist passengers at stations where these closures occur?
They could employ Uni students or 'Helping Hands' to assist.

It's a novel approach I know, I think I'll call it customer service.

Here's QR's charter below ... note well the first 2 points.

We are committed to providing excellent customer service. We will work hard to meet the expectations and needs of customers.
a.   Our people will be courteous, presentable and willing to assist you with your service enquiries.
b.   We will ensure our people are clearly visible so that you can easily identify them when required.
c.   We can cater for your special requirements on our Travel network services. Please advise us of these requirements when making your booking.

My repsonse:

No need to even print the signs.

Point 1 .. you need to be there to be presentable.
Point 2 .. you need to be there to be visible.


Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Waiting for train that never came