Article: Disgraceful public transport forces workers to leave Coast

[Old Northern Road]

Here are the AM Peak Inbound alightings for the Sunshine Coast line.

Nambour  0
Woombye  2
Palmwoods  1
Eudlo  0
Mooloolah  1
Landsborough  8
Beerwah  15
Glass House Mountains  4
Beerburrum  0
Elimbah  1

So of the 959 AM Peak inbound boardings only 32 are travelling to another station on the line. That's around 3%. All the rest are travelling to Caboolture and beyond.


Let's compare that to the others lines:

Caboolture

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     12162
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      1378
Around 11% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Ipswich/Rosewood + Richlands

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     16455
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      3593
Around 22% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Beenleigh

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     6195
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      1461
Around 24% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Cleveland

AM Peak Inbound Boardings       7742
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      1154
Around 15% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Ferny Grove

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     7855
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      474
Around 6% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Shorncliffe

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     3611
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      97
Around 3% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.

Gold Coast

AM Peak Inbound Boardings     3736
AM Peak Inbound Alightings      142
Around 4% of AM Peak Inbound Boardings alight at another station on the line.


With the exception of the Shorncliffe line, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast lines get far less travel between stations than the suburban lines which should be no surprise to anyone as these lines have far less walk up patronage. That might change in the future on the Gold Coast line but it is unlikely to ever change on the Sunshine Coast line as the Sunshine Coast hinterland is probably the NIMBY capital of Australia. You can't blame the poor patronage on the services either as the Sunshine Coast line gets similar services to the Shorncliffe line during peak and the Shorncliffe line is around 4 times as busy. A line that runs through the middle of pineapple fields is always going to be very poorly patronized no matter what the services are like.

[Old Northern Road]

I will certainly be looking for real action on the North Coast Line, announced before the next election.

Everyone on the Sunshine Coast knows the levels of service that we endure, due to the most congested single line track in the nation, shared by city trains, unnecessarily short freight trains (650m) and long distance tilt/travel trains to boot.

Longer train trips with every timetable revision,
26 rail buses acting as trains that take up to 1 & 1/2 hours to go a mere 54km,
dance of the trains when meeting oncoming service aliong single track,
infrequent services that positively discourage the use of public transport,
why? 'cause it's quicker to drive and possibly cheaper now, in the eyes of many commuters (who tend to compare to petrol costs alone).

Something HAS to give, and it needs to be the Sunshine Coast MP's producing rail infrastructure substance.

They need to be seen to do something for this previously neglected region.
I mean, the former Government took away the rail duplication project right in the middle of its construction schedule in April 2009.

DOING nothing is NO longer an option.
Expect this issue to raise to a crescendo before the next election.

How is it the most congested single line? Many other single tracks get far more traffic. Also the Sunshine Coast line is still a lot faster than any of the suburban lines

[Arnz]

I will certainly be looking for real action on the North Coast Line, announced before the next election.

Everyone on the Sunshine Coast knows the levels of service that we endure, due to the most congested single line track in the nation, shared by city trains, unnecessarily short freight trains (650m) and long distance tilt/travel trains to boot.

Longer train trips with every timetable revision,
26 rail buses acting as trains that take up to 1 & 1/2 hours to go a mere 54km,
dance of the trains when meeting oncoming service aliong single track,
infrequent services that positively discourage the use of public transport,
why? 'cause it's quicker to drive and possibly cheaper now, in the eyes of many commuters (who tend to compare to petrol costs alone).

Something HAS to give, and it needs to be the Sunshine Coast MP's producing rail infrastructure substance.

They need to be seen to do something for this previously neglected region.
I mean, the former Government took away the rail duplication project right in the middle of its construction schedule in April 2009.

DOING nothing is NO longer an option.
Expect this issue to raise to a crescendo before the next election.

How is it the most congested single line? Many other single tracks get far more traffic. Also the Sunshine Coast line is still a lot faster than any of the suburban lines

I suggest you read the past reports posted on this forum. 

The NCL has to cope with Freight (Pacific National and Aurizon), Long Distance Trains (QR TravelTrain), Various Tuition Trains and Empty Running (off-peak/Nighttime) on top of the Passenger services. 

If you can point out another single line that has more traffic than the NCL then we would be interested to know. 

Before anyone points out the Western line, the western line may have slightly more freight traffic than the NCL, but they would have less overall traffic, since they have no passenger traffic with the single exception of the Westlander.

Whilst the alignment between Caboolture and Beerburrum and between Glasshouse and Landsborough are high-speed.  The alignment beyond Landsborough towards Yandina resembles more of a early 1900s goat track as opposed to most suburban lines.  The only line that could probably compete with the goat track beyond Landsborough would probably be the Western Line beyond Laidley (That line has a late 1800s goat track).

[Arnz]

http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/public_submissions/published/files/82_smasuniversityofwollongong_SUB.pdf

"The Caboolture - Nambour track is now probably the most congested section of single
rail track in Australia. It was recognised as congested as long ago as 1994 in the BTCE
report of the National Transport Planning Taskforce. This is shown by freight train curfews in
peak hours, expanding the Brisbane Rockhampton electric tilt train transit time from 7 hrs to
7 hr 15 min in 2003, and, before then the introduction of the Caboolture - Nambour 'railway'
bus."

Page 5 - Dr Phillip Laird, University of Wollongong - "Submission to Infrastructure Australia re the Brisbane Cairns corridor" - October 2008.

[somebody]

Perhaps he's thinking of the bit near Coalcliff, NSW, which may well carry more trains.  It's just shorter.

[petey3801]

I think you'd actually be surprised at the amount of off-peak pax on the trains to be honest. Especially Caboolture/Ipswich, but most lines have reasonable off-peak patronage. A bigger off-peak discount would certainly help (as well as increased frequencies/all day express trains etc. of course).

[somebody]

I think you'd actually be surprised at the amount of off-peak pax on the trains to be honest. Especially Caboolture/Ipswich, but most lines have reasonable off-peak patronage. A bigger off-peak discount would certainly help (as well as increased frequencies/all day express trains etc. of course).

I agree, but BNH and Cleveland perform worse off peak than the other lines.  Probably the indirect journey is part of the problem.