Redcliffe Peninsula line & associated changes - rail

[ozbob]

Indeed.. The briefing must have been very rushed..
The opposition didn't know it was reversed either 

[HappyTrainGuy]

Well, at least he didn't say they were coal fired 

[ozbob]

#ICYMI - @QueenslandRail 's timetable fail and the effect its having on Brisbane's already congested roads on @7NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/llsOtJ7hur

— RACQ (@RACQOfficial) December 1, 2016

[ozbob]

RACQ Media Release

1 December 2016

Rail fail leads to snail paced commute: RACQ

Motorists were hit hard by Brisbane's train woes last month, with RACQ's latest travel time
report showing the morning commute slowed significantly across major motorways.

RACQ's October report examined the average speed motorists drove on key sections of the
Pacific, Centenary and Ipswich Motorways and the Bruce and Mt Lindesay Highways.

RACQ spokesperson Renee Smith said morning commuters who travelled on some of the
city's slowest roads faced an even longer journey than usual.

"Congestion increased during the morning peak, with some motorists forced to travel at
average speeds of just 22km/h," Ms Smith said.

"With widespread train cancellations last month leading to confusion and delays, it's no
surprise commuters were forced back into their cars.

"The impact was extensive – on some key corridors such as the Centenary Highway, west of
Augusta Parkway to Waterford Road, travel times slowed by as much as 46 per cent
compared with the previous month."

Ms Smith said congestion tended to build during October and November heading into the
busy Christmas period.

"We remind motorists to exercise patience on the road at this time of year – everyone is
trying to get to where they need to be as quickly as they can, so be courteous to others," she
said.

Ms Smith said the report showed the afternoon commute did not suffer as much as the
morning peak.

"We actually saw an improvement in the time it took for motorists to get home on four of the
most congested motorway sections, which is good news for commuters," Ms Smith said.

The full report can be viewed on the RACQ website

[ozbob]

Drivers have been brought to a crawl on our major motorways following the QR train bungle. @NatJohnWallace9 #9News https://t.co/CWPPma2UFR

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) December 1, 2016

[newbris]

Unless I am reading the figures incorrectly, I have my doubts about the RACQ conclusions announced in this release.

Sure, in the morning peak, Oct was slower than Sep in 9 out of the 10 motorway/freeway sections measured.

But half of September was school holidays and speeds were of course comparatively really fast that month.

If we compare Oct to Aug instead we see 5 trips were slower but 5 were faster.

Out of the 5 that were slower, 4 of them were only slower by 1-3 km/hr. Statistically insignificant.

[BrizCommuter]

Around 1/4 of BrizCommuter's work colleagues who used trains, have stopped using trains, and are driving instead now.

[newbris]

Around 1/4 of BrizCommuter's work colleagues who used trains, have stopped using trains, and are driving instead now.

Maybe they will show up in the Nov figures because Oct seems normal.

[ozbob]

http://www.timnicholls.com.au/statement-shadow-transport-minister-andrew-powell/

STATEMENT FROM SHADOW TRANSPORT MINISTER ANDREW POWELL

Dec 9th, 2016

Yesterday our rail network was thrown into chaos as commuters were left stranded on platforms for trains that weren't coming.

We had passengers who were late for work, who missed flights and those who were forced to go north to travel south.

There are clearly issues at the heart of Queensland Rail's operations.

That's why today we're calling for the Strachan Inquiry to be broadened from its current narrow focus to address the cultural and operational issues across Queensland Rail (QR) that have led to these systemic failures.

The Inquiry needs to look at all aspects of service operations, including staffing, maintenance and the corporate culture running QR.

We also believe two more Commissioners – with rail industry experience and expertise – need to be added to the review.

This will add depth to the investigation and support the existing Commissioner cover the wider terms of reference.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe is not up to the job, but Annastacia Palaszczuk won't sack him.

Labor's rail fail has gone on for too long – it's time to get to the bottom of what's rotten at Queensland Rail.

[Stillwater]

And if the Strachan Inquiry traces the rottenness back to the Newman Government days of restructure and forced redundancies in the Public Service?

Remember the adage that governments are said to follow: Never appoint an inquiry unless you know what the outcome will be.

Phillip Strachan is the Premier's hand-picked man.

[ozbob]

The Opposition has declared @QueenslandRail is "rotten to the core". @PatrickCondren https://t.co/5q7YzOH0d1 #7News https://t.co/cV298aiU9Z

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 9, 2016

[#Metro]

When is the Strachan inquiry set to finish?

Will the report be made publicly available, or will it be "confidential"?

[ozbob]

Couriermail 12th December 2016 page 2

Meal times and comfort breaks red light for train timetable

[urbanplanr]

When is the Strachan inquiry set to finish?

Will the report be made publicly available, or will it be "confidential"?

Will be made public but heavily redacted to the point that the enquiry will be meaningless. If anything minimal changes will occur as a result and not the systematic approach that  we seek to address the real problems.

[#Metro]

Will be made public but heavily redacted to the point that the enquiry will be meaningless. If anything minimal changes will occur as a result and not the systematic approach that  we seek to address the real problems.

I expect the government will accept the report, then sit on it for as long as possible 'thinking' about the report (just as they have done with the CRR business case - we still can't see the full business case). Maybe it will  be taken into cabinet, and thus become 'cabinet in confidence' too.

Here's hoping.

[petey3801]

Depends on what the report finds, IMO. If it points a lot of blame at the LNP, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets released pretty quickly. If, however, it puts more blame on the ALP, expect it to be sat on for quite some time...

[ozbob]

The real reason behind #railfail ?
Public being treated as hapless pawns ??@StirlHinchliffe @AnnastaciaMP #qldpol
CM 12 Dec 2016 page 2 pic.twitter.com/Necl4K4rOQ

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 12, 2016

[urbanplanr]

Depends on what the report finds, IMO. If it points a lot of blame at the LNP, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets released pretty quickly. If, however, it puts more blame on the ALP, expect it to be sat on for quite some time...

LNP are probably to blame for this whole mess, both at a state and national level. Newman came in, abolished the original CRR business case that was ready for IA review. Then came Abbott and we all know his thoughts on PT funding. BaT came and went like the last LNP state govt. Now we have ALP doing a whole new business case and no willingness from Federal level to fund it unless the state govt works with an LNP council (they already don't get along).

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail taxi plan at height of crisis

A DESPERATE Queensland Rail considered ferrying passengers around in taxis to avoid long waits at the height of the train crew shortage meltdown.

Documents released by the State Government yesterday under Right to Information legislation reveal that Queensland Rail suggested using taxis after being questioned about options for the worst affected passengers.

In an email sent to a staff member in Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe's office on October 6, the QR staff member wrote: "Let me know your thoughts on whether a bus should be provided".

"Given these stations are manned and it is not a peak ­service, the offer of a taxi by customer service staff might be a reasonable alternative also," she continued.

QR had that day informed Mr Hinchliffe's office that there would be yet more train services cancelled the following day because of the ongoing train driver shortage.

The option was mooted for commuters delayed more than 15 minutes by the cancellation of 32 services that day.

QR told the Minister's office delays of half an hour would ­affect only three stations – Springfield, Springfield Central and Richlands.

The emails show former QR chief executive officer Helen Gluer, who resigned over the timetable fiasco, became involved in even the most minor details of service delivery during the fallout from ongoing train cancellations, emailing her staff to ask how long it would take for commuters to get to their destination by bus.

Ms Gluer sent a separate email to add that she had asked a staff member to calculate bus journey times.

The documents show questions over the first wave of train cancellations on September 30 worked its way up through multiple layers of government to Mr Hinchliffe's office.

After one query, a ministerial adviser emailed QR to ask: "Hey can I please have some details on the cancellations of services on 30/09? Also, can detail please be provided on the deployment of rolling stock and crew to accommodate the new Redcliffe Peninsula Line?"

The email trail gives insight into the lack of information held by the Minister's office about the readiness to open the new rail line, which caused the timetable to collapse.

[ozbob]

^ not looking good is it?

I expect to see massive changes with Queensland Rail post Commission of Inquiry.

[#Metro]

Either this could work out really well, or be a big disaster. Not sure which one yet.

This is quite a radical experiment - they will cut Peak Hour services! That is unheard of!

Will be interesting to see any statistics that might come out.

It depends on how many people come back to work in late January.

Services will operate every 15 minutes during peak times on the Caboolture, Shorncliffe, Ferny Grove, Redcliffe Peninsula, Beenleigh, Gold Coast, Cleveland, Ipswich and Springfield lines.

I can understand why they need ' Summer Timetable ' (read: CUTS). They need to wipe the slate clean with any overtime or holiday that staff need, and that is reasonable enough IMHO.

I still think the minister should have turned Kippa Ring into a shuttle service until enough staff and trains were available. The fact that this option was not chosen suggests that they wanted to avoid the embarrassment of having to cut services on a line they just opened. However, this then meant that problems propagated across the entire SEQ rail network.

[Stillwater]

Strange that when governments have bad news, they always give it a positive name.  So, if you are cutting the numbers of teachers, you call it the "Better Schools Program" ..... cutting back on hospital services? ... call it the "Good Health Program".  Thus we have the "Summer Timetable", not the infrequent frequency program, or whatever.

[achiruel]

This is quite a radical experiment - they will cut Peak Hour services! That is unheard of!

Not really, Sydney has been doing it for years.

[BrizCommuter]

Strange that when governments have bad news, they always give it a positive name.  So, if you are cutting the numbers of teachers, you call it the "Better Schools Program" ..... cutting back on hospital services? ... call it the "Good Health Program".  Thus we have the "Summer Timetable", not the infrequent frequency program, or whatever.

The summer timetable should be called - "driving" patronage.

[Stillwater]

yep, driving patronage away

[#Metro]

yep, driving patronage away

Damn, beat me to it.

Privatise it already, it cannot go on like this.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe was invited by Queensland Rail Board to attend emergency meeting

TRANSPORT Minister Stirling Hinchliffe called a special meeting of the Queensland Rail board demanding they explain the cause of the timetabling nightmare before snubbing their invitation to attend.

Documents released by Right to Information laws reveal the letter Mr Hinchliffe and Treasurer Curtis Pitt wrote in late October requesting the board meet immediately to explain themselves over the mass cancellations and detail resourcing issues.

Mr Hinchliffe was criticised for attending the Gold Coast 600 Supercars instead of the meeting.

Defending his decision at the time, he said it was "not normal" for him to attend board meetings and he had been able to express his disappointment by dialling in.

But an email from chair Michael Klug shows he was specifically invited.

Mr Klug wrote to Mr Hinchliffe and Mr Pitt's offices on the same day the emergency session was requested.

"An invitation is extended to both responsible ministers should you wish to attend," Mr Klug wrote.

The meeting failed to produce any solid answers for the Government, with Mr Hinchliffe not finding out for another week the extent to which the lack of train crew had led to the problems – when The Courier-Mail uncovered a report QR had kept hidden from him.

The damning Indec report showed QR was aware from as early as January that train driver shortages threatened multiple projects.

Mr Hinchliffe would not be drawn yesterday on whether, in hindsight, he should have attended the meeting.

Opposition transport spokesman Andrew Powell said the decision to go "frolicking around in a corporate box at the Gold Coast 600" rather than addressing the crisis was "disgusting".

"This guy left thousands of passengers stranded on platforms and then had the hide to blame others for his mess," Mr Powell said. "Stirling Hinchliffe should have a good look in the mirror to find out who's to blame for the rail crisis."

[#Metro]

Defending his decision at the time, he said it was "not normal" for him to attend board meetings and he had been able to express his disappointment by dialling in.

Queensland Rail is a statutory authority. Perhaps it was not normal for him to attend, but this was not a normal meeting either.

Who cares really. Privatise the lot. Sack the minister, the board, the government too. Clear the decks!

Can't / Won't perform? OUT!!

[ozbob]

4BC Radio --> Opposition call for the head of Stirling Hinchliffe over rail chaos

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchilffe is once again under fire for his handling of the 'Rail Fail' affair with Freedom of Information documents showing he was invited to a meeting to discuss the drama but attended the Gold Coast 600 instead.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt was also invited by Queensland Rail chairman Michael Klug.

The documents show Minister Hinchliffe wrote asking for an immediate board meeting but attended the V8 races instead.

Opposition Transport spokesman Andrew Powell says it is time for the Premier to act

"If this isn't more evidence of the fact he does not have the best interest of South East Queensland commuters at heart then what will? He needs to go."

[Gazza]

yep, driving patronage away

Damn, beat me to it.

Privatise it already, it cannot go on like this.

Why does this neolib idea that privatisation magically solves everything persist?

Because:
http://www.metrotrains.com.au/holiday-service-changes-2/

[HappyTrainGuy]

Defending his decision at the time, he said it was "not normal" for him to attend board meetings and he had been able to express his disappointment by dialling in.

Queensland Rail is a statutory authority. Perhaps it was not normal for him to attend, but this was not a normal meeting either.

Probably because the whole PT dynamic had changed and he just went with the flow as has everyone else in labour since the change of government. As far as I know Translink used to have mandatory board meetings (also other meetings were done) with QR every quarter when Translink was its own statutory authority and QR was a GOC. Now its just forwarding on documents to the next division. The whole reason for Translink becoming an authority was to cut red tape and issue reports/recommendations to the ministers office quicker but that didn't mean things would be better re 2011 timetable mess. It was far better when QR was a GOC (answered to the Treasury instead of some dopey minister playing the blame/oooooo a race car game) and Translink still had some backbone before it was absorbed into a pro car division with minimal experience in the handling of any railway related stuff.

And privitisation won't solve much. Melbourne still has a bucket load of problems. Its just the public doesn't know or doesn't understand.

[#Metro]

and Translink still had some backbone before it was absorbed into a pro car division with minimal experience in the handling of any railway related stuff.

Can it get any worse?

CAN IT??

[Stillwater]

Channel 7 is doing a promo for the evening 6pm news ....

says Jackie Trad knew about the driver shortage issue months in advance

also

new initiative to reduce the number of bridge strikes

have the popcorn ready. 

[#Metro]

says Jackie Trad knew about the driver shortage issue months in advance

She did, because she was CC'd on the Paul Pluta e-mail that the Courier Mail released.

[ozbob]

Here's @KatrinaBlowers with a preview of what's coming up on 7 News at 6pm. https://t.co/P58RQGdkMN #7News pic.twitter.com/MNwWV0WDCu

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 22, 2016

[ozbob]

and Translink still had some backbone before it was absorbed into a pro car division with minimal experience in the handling of any railway related stuff.

Can it get any worse?

CAN IT??

Errrr ... it just might be ... 

[ozbob]

Even for Queensland, this saga is way past peak ' cluster-fuk ' it is now in uncharted territory !

[ozbob]

7 News uncovers new evidence the Deputy Premier's office was warned of the @QueenslandRail crisis a year before it erupted. @ErinEdwards7 pic.twitter.com/efczVsz35E

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 22, 2016

[Stillwater]

Jackie Trad's office knew, she did nothing for a year.  Who was the adviser who was notified?  Is that person still in a ministerial office?

[#Metro]

How many Queensland Government ministers does it take to change a light bulb?

(Oh, sorry, didn't know the light bulb needed changing, didn't get that memo, all the warnings, Paul Pluta e-mails, letters and phone calls)