New look Queensland Rail (Translink region) timetables released

[Sunbus639]

Link below to the NEW Shorncliffe line timetable - 23 July 2012

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/120723-shorncliffe-line.pdf

**Now looking very similar now in size, style and format to the SEQ bus operator's (Translink region) timetables

[#Metro]

Good work. CFN map?

[triplethree]

Link below to the NEW Shorncliffe line timetable - 23 July 2012

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/120723-shorncliffe-line.pdf

**Now looking very similar now in size, style and format to the SEQ bus operator's (Translink region) timetables

Excellent, Smithers!

A rail network map inside the rail timetable. That's what I like to see. I also like how the explanations are far easier to find and understand.

I'll give credit where credit's due -- seems like, lately, TransLink have started to take seriously the quality of passenger information. There was the online journey planner becoming Google Maps-enabled, and now this. There's a long way to go (369 at Kedron Brook anyone?), but these are steps forward.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Its only taken Translink 12-16 years to copy Queensland Rails old 1996 timetables which still had more info than this one haha.

Edit: The more I look at sections the more and more it resembles the old 96-00 timetables.

[STB]

Its only taken Translink 12-16 years to copy Queensland Rails old 1996 timetables which still had more info than this one haha.

Edit: The more I look at sections the more and more it resembles the old 96-00 timetables.

You do realise that those old crappy timetables that still exist on the other lines came in around 2002/03.  I know that as I remember complaining to my fellow classmates at TAFE about how difficult they were to read, and put in a complaint to that effect to Qld Rail at the time, hoping that they would bring back the booklets.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Yep. Hence the reference at the old 96-00 which were the booklets (95/96 phased out the customed sized timetables depending on the line - ipswich was full A3 while ferny grove had half an A3 sheet, 96-00/01 was the booklet era before the stremlined basic timetables that we now have today after people thought they were too clumsy/bulky to have/wanted just the times/more expensive to produce) that told you everything from when the train departed to network maps with key intrest points near the stations to even how to identify the train number for feedback

[STB]

Yep. Hence the reference at the old 96-00 which were the booklets (95/96 phased out the customed sized timetables depending on the line - ipswich was full A3 while ferny grove had half an A3 sheet, 96-00/01 was the booklet era before the stremlined basic timetables that we now have today after people thought they were too clumsy/bulky to have/wanted just the times/more expensive to produce) that told you everything from when the train departed to network maps with key intrest points near the stations to even how to identify the train number for feedback

Clumsy and bulky?  Pfft, sometimes you do need to ignore what passengers say (*cough* route 250 *cough*)!  I found them brilliant and was how I taught myself train IDs before I even fell into a job in transport.  I also found the connections list at the bottom of each page to be mighty handy as you didn't need to wield two timetables around to find out how long you would need to wait for your connecting train.

The new timetables look okay, but not as good as those old booklets.  Also a bit of a shame that they took out the connecting buses out of timetable...okay, a lot of them weren't dedicated connecting buses, but for joe blow at least you could find a route number and look it up to find out where it went/how long you would need to wait to connect to that bus.

[somebody]

I don't mind the old style, except for the Sunshine Coast timetable which is filled with waffle!  E.g. Caboolture line trains which do not connect to any Sunshine Coast services.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Oh, mate, nothing would be better than those QR timetable booklets.

For those that may not remember or know why me and STB are reminiscing about a timetable it was the bees knees for its time. The booklet (for each line) were split up into 3 sections. Inbound (Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So none of that mon-fri, sat only, weekend only, sunday only different colours merged into one timetable), how to travel (the whole train network map, how to purchase tickets, every single type of ticket available, travelling with children, how to identify the train you were on and its numbers - EMU/SMU/IMU and its unit/carriage number, info for people in wheelchairs, important numbers to contact such as witnessing vandalism/suspicious people/things that might need mtce on trains and in the corridor/transinfo etc, when and how to take your bike on trains, how to use doors, where toilets/drivers/guards/phones were located on drawings of 3 and 6 car trains, when to be at the station, how trains operate at night time, abbreviations for code) and outbound (Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sunday). At the top of each service it listed the trains ID, next to the stations it listed if there was parking (P), disabled access such as elevators to cross platforms (Wheelchair), if there was a bus connection (bus front), the network map displayed all of that along with markings for hospitals/shopping centres/points of intrest/tourist attractions, what station to interchange at for other services and what their connection time was, key stations were marked with the lines colour across (green/red/blue lines) the whole page instead of bold, it had bus connection times at the top/bottom with the connecting train service, there were sections that were marked write phone numbers/notes/information here, express services were marked with an X along with EXP after every few bypassed stops and the best thing was that it was all FREE!!!

I'm pretty sure I've left a few things out but they had everything you ever needed. BRING THEM BACK haha.

[#Metro]

Urgh! Can we PLEASE have a universal standardised weekend train timetable! None of this Sat/Sunday business and the same times as on weekdays, just delete services as necessary!

[ozbob]

For interest I have a Caboolture line timetable dated 24 January 2000

Booklet, 42 pages with a fold out network map last page.

All the information you would really need, including Caboolture and Bribie Island buses.

[somebody]

For interest I have a Caboolture line timetable dated 24 January 2000

Booklet, 42 pages with a fold out network map last page.

All the information you would really need, including Caboolture and Bribie Island buses.

I'd be interested if you could scan it.  Well, 42 pages, perhaps only if you could just grab the train bits.

[ozbob]

Here are a couple of pages ..







If you want to copy it send me a PM with an address and I will post it, you can copy and return it.

[nathandavid88]

A great improvement on the current QR Timetables, that's for sure! Much easier to read (having the weekend timetable on the same sheet as the weekday timetable was never an idea I liked – far too cluttered a page). Not a fan of the differing terminuses on the weekend services. Must be a pain for people wanting to get across the river only to have their service end at Roma Street. It should be all or none in my opinion.

[ozbob]

Welcome nathandavid88!

Interesting poll at BT --> http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/government-launches-bus-review-20120723-22keo.html#poll

[colinw]

I used to really like the "all lines" timetable booklet you could get back in the last '80s. Particularly as it contained wondrous things like the Helidon Railcar, the daily Toogoolawah service and the Toowoomba Metrolink buses connecting from Ipswich.

Individual timetable sheets were a retrograde step from that all lines book.

[Golliwog]

New look timetables are also now online for Ferny Grove, Beenleigh, Airport/Gold Coast, Ipswich/Rosewood/Richlands and Sunshine Coast/Gympie North lines. Still waiting on Caboolture/Petrie, Cleveland and Doomben lines

[#Metro]

If you want to copy it send me a PM with an address and I will post it, you can copy and return it.

Urgh! Train frequency hasn't changed in a decade!!

[ozbob]

@STB  yes, bit of feedback around bemoaning the loss of the connecting bus information.

[ozbob]

@STB  yes, bit of feedback around bemoaning the loss of the connecting bus information.

At the Ipswich line CRG last evening, they asked for feedback on the new timetables and I said the only real issue raised was the lack of connecting bus information, apart from that good effort.  They are going to look at that aspect that is the bus information.

I suggested to have a look at the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Public Transport guide page 4 for a good simple example of rail/bus info.

--> http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/addfiles/flipbook/index.html

[triplethree]

I suggested to have a look at the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Public Transport guide page 4 for a good simple example of rail/bus info.

--> http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/addfiles/flipbook/index.html

Wow! I must have been living under a rock because I never knew about this public transport guide. It's perfect. Every council in Australia with a public transport system should have one.

Sunshine Coast Regional Council, I love you. I just hope they make sure they issue a new edition with updated information every 12 months or so. Not like the TransLink bus directory from 2004 which they published once, never to be repeated (though I still use it occasionally).

[somebody]

@STB  yes, bit of feedback around bemoaning the loss of the connecting bus information.

At the Ipswich line CRG last evening, they asked for feedback on the new timetables and I said the only real issue raised was the lack of connecting bus information, apart from that good effort.  They are going to look at that aspect that is the bus information.

I suggested to have a look at the Sunshine Coast Regional Council Public Transport guide page 4 for a good simple example of rail/bus info.

--> http://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/addfiles/flipbook/index.html

They were only asking for feedback about their presentation then?

[ozbob]

I understand the draft timetables were run past a number of CRGs and others, but not the Ipswich line CRG.

[nathandavid88]

Maybe the answer to the issue about leaving out bus connections is a separate document that shows the connections for each station? I'm thinking something like a little A6-sized booklet (might need one for every line or every line pairing) with 1/3 of a page for each suburban station (inner city/transport hub stations might need more space) detailing each bus connection – info could include first and last service times, frequency and key locations on the route.

[SurfRail]

There's no excuse.  Adelaide bus and train timetables show connecting services graphically, let alone just having a list of them.