Article: The rail that fails

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

The rail that fails

The rail that fails

Bill Hoffman | 10th November 2011

A SOLUTION to a Queensland Rail bottleneck that is increasingly driving freight and passengers on to an already congested Bruce Highway may still be another 20 years away.

The narrow gauge single line from Nambour to Brisbane is so busy that 44% of weekly commuter services are rail bus to Caboolture.

In response this week to a petition tabled in parliament by lobby group Rail Back On Track calling for duplication of the line from Beerburrum to Nambour, Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government had to weigh up its full network priorities as well as deal with the aftermath of the January floods.

"These projects require significant funding and this investment needs to be considered with regard to other network priorities," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Member for Glass House Andrew Powell accused the government of playing politics, saying work on the duplication stopped at Beerburrum one month after his election in 2009.

He said the signing off on the environmental impact statement for the project this week by the Co-ordinator General meant it was "shovel ready" but no longer a priority.

Mr Powell listed the lack of duplication, a new timetable that has increased travel times, increased fares and a lack of toilets as issues that needed to be addressed.

The LNP has committed to slashing weekly Sunshine Coast commuter fares by up to $700 a year but will not give a timetable for the duplication until a thorough audit of the state's finances if it wins office at the election due early next year.

Sunshine Coast rail commuter advocate Jeff Addison is still waiting for a response to a case study on the duplication he submitted on August 30.

Ms Palaszczuk promised to respond but is yet to do so.

In 2005 then transport minister Paul Lucas identified the North Coast line to the Sunshine Coast as the weakest link in the QR network.

He promised that $480 million was committed to complete duplication from Caboolture to Landsborough.

Mr Addison's study identified several reports dating back to 1994 also identifying the rail section as a major cause of congestion.

Arup Engineers advice commissioned in 2007 stated that "it is likely that the region would experience adverse socio-economic effects should the NCL (North Coast line) between Landsborough and Nambour not be upgraded.

Increases in demand are likely to significantly challenge the ability of the infrastructure to support an acceptable level of rail service in the future."

[O_128]

Orgainze another boycott, but use the train and just refuse to pay.

[HappyTrainGuy]

And cop the fine you deserve

[Fares_Fair]

Orgainze another boycott, but use the train and just refuse to pay.

I would never consider breaking the law an option to pursue, except where a persons life was in danger.
I do predict another wave of anger when the new fare hikes kick-in in January 2012, this will in no way be assuaged by the freebies after 10 journey discount plan.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

1.  purchase a large number of old fashioned potties, have people hold them up just as they are about to board a train for the trip north.  Get photographer to take pic of people all along the platform holding their 'chamber pots' high.  Headline for the pic?  'All aboard the chamber pot express.'

2.  Letter writing campaign to the Minister.  Form letter (not email) distributed, signed, collected and posted.

3.  Organise Regional Australia Sunshine Coast and Chambers of Commerce, Sunshine Coast Destinations, council etc to also write to minister saying that the lack of duplication is harming the coast economy.

4.  Protest through a 'wear blue' protest day.  Blue skirt, blue shirt, blue ties, blue scarves etc.

[somebody]

And cop the fine you deserve

+1

[HappyTrainGuy]

How about renting some electric wheelchairs? If its an IMU100 then jackpot as the DT cars have a higher disability load compared to the rest of the fleet. Boy won't that p%ss off some people when their told to move

[Gazza]

And cop the fine you deserve

hey does this mean Beenleigh line pax have been "protesting" poor service for years. hahahaha!

[Stillwater]

Station toilets shut, no toilets on long-distance trains to Nambour and Gympie North, deaf ear to calls for trains to Gatton etc, now staff cutbacks at stations.  Grand visions for rail, but no implementation until 2031.  It is time to establish a 'beyond Ipswich, Beenleigh and Caboolture' division within QR/Translink, with special responsibility for developing services and customer base beyond those stations.  Right now, we are going backwards.

[O_128]

Station toilets shut, no toilets on long-distance trains to Nambour and Gympie North, deaf ear to calls for trains to Gatton etc, now staff cutbacks at stations.  Grand visions for rail, but no implementation until 2031.  It is time to establish a 'beyond Ipswich, Beenleigh and Caboolture' division within QR/Translink, with special responsibility for developing services and customer base beyond those stations.  Right now, we are going backwards.

I agree, possibly even the P word (privatisation). I can guarantee if long haul was spun off we would see major improvements within a year and confirmation of certain duplications.

[SurfRail]

Station toilets shut, no toilets on long-distance trains to Nambour and Gympie North, deaf ear to calls for trains to Gatton etc, now staff cutbacks at stations.  Grand visions for rail, but no implementation until 2031.  It is time to establish a 'beyond Ipswich, Beenleigh and Caboolture' division within QR/Translink, with special responsibility for developing services and customer base beyond those stations.  Right now, we are going backwards.

I agree, possibly even the P word (privatisation). I can guarantee if long haul was spun off we would see major improvements within a year and confirmation of certain duplications.

Why?  There's no money.  Private operators only make money off PT in Australia if they can run the system more effectively - they certainly aren't going to build us extra tracks to enable that given they would be losing money.  System improvements like track amplification come from Treasury coffers.

About the only advantage of a private operator is that they would get all the IMUs, but you can fix the basic issue by making QR improve the way it rosters and stables them so they no longer give us excuses about operational requirements coming before passenger needs.

[HappyTrainGuy]

No toilets to Gympie North? The Gympie North route is the only route with a dedicated full time service being the ICE sets which have toilets on each carriage. It was pulled from the afternoon-morning route not too long ago due to vandalism and software issues but an IMU subbed for it. The only time those services don't have toilets is when the ICE is a late cancellation and an IMU100 can't be subed for it. There's also not much of an expansion if there's no/not enough rollingstock to go round. QR now only owns a couple hertiage disels and the couple 1700's that operate the Kuranda service. Even if they bought a couple DMUs they still have to establish another maintainence facility as Mayne would be chockers with its diesel facility (Anything major still gets sent to Redbank) servicing the electrics aswell. There's a new maintainence facility being planned but its very dependant on the outcome of several other current projects and proposals. Even if all that was sourced it then still up to Translink to agree on running the service. The rail could be privitised to hell but its still not going to guarantee a 15 min frequency. Me thinks its time for Translink to get their hand out of the railway cookie jar and get the Government to put some cash behind it. Just look at all the effort that has to go into arranging an extra train or modifying a service and getting the nod from Translink.  :conf

[somebody]

Just look at all the effort that has to go into arranging an extra train or modifying a service and getting the nod from Translink.  :conf

Not sure what you are referring to here.

[Arnz]

Just look at all the effort that has to go into arranging an extra train or modifying a service and getting the nod from Translink.  :conf

Not sure what you are referring to here.

The extra 5:28pm train to Nambour from June 11, and extending the 5:04pm to Nambour.  Both replacing the now truncated 5:22pm to Caboolture.

[Fares_Fair]

Just look at all the effort that has to go into arranging an extra train or modifying a service and getting the nod from Translink.  :conf

Not sure what you are referring to here.

The extra 5:28pm train to Nambour from July 11June 11, and extending the 5:04pm to Nambour.  Both replacing the now truncated 5:22pm to Caboolture.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

Throughout the timetable discussion phase, Translink were told and told and told again, then told some more that there would be problems re the SCL.  They ignored the advice, the problems occured, as predicted, and it virtually took ministerial intervention to change the timetable post 6 June 2011.

[Fares_Fair]

Throughout the timetable discussion phase, Translink were told and told and told again, then told some more that there would be problems re the SCL.  They ignored the advice, the problems occured, as predicted, and it virtually took ministerial intervention to change the timetable post 6 June 2011.

That is just so true SW,

It was a case of we told you so, on so many levels.
It really justifies an official inquiry to find out why they refused to listen or act when they must have known the outcome, viz. the overcrowding. Almost everyone told them that if a train is already standing room only, It could not stop at 11 more stations and not be a major problem. If rank commuter amateurs knew this, why didn't TRANSLink?
Those involved in the Stage 2 timetable feedback need to be aware of this.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Its translink. All must bow to the almighty translink