Interim rail timetables

[BrizCommuter]

Surely Nicholls and Emerson should be the ones riding on the affected Cleveland Line service given that the last LNP government sewed the seeds for rail fail.

[ozbob]

From what I understand (and I could be wrong) at that time of day, there isn't enough crews and/or trains available, hence why they've cut those services (RPL line was most likely the clincher), in particular the 5:17pm ex Central.

I'm not sure if there is a quick fix unfortunately, and I'm not sure why people are blaming the Premier, she doesn't have direct influence on the planning or operations of the network.  And we all know who's at fault for the crew and train shortages.

Which is why the RPL should have been a phased introduction, as for Richlands.  Shuttles before a full timetable.  Very clear not enough trains, crew and capability.

They continue to sow resentment and anger now.  It matters little who is at fault - LNP etc.  The public have a reasonable and correct assumption for adequate services.

The Premiers response to the Question in Parliament I find very concerning.  Dismissive in fact. 

One of the problems for the Bligh Government was the filtering that was going on between the public and inner sanctum. 

We are now observing Labor oblivion #2 IMHO

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

23rd March 2017

Rail fail - clear spin free answers needed

Good Morning,

It does appear that there are more rail service cuts on the way.

Well placed sources have suggested that there will be a reduction of weekend rail services to a minimal one hour service on all lines.  We assume this will exclude the ' Airtrain ' service, but a higher frequency Airtrain rail service feeding into a network of mediocre frequency will hardly be of much practical use.

More service cuts will mean the public transport network becomes unusable for many, and when the inevitable ' operational issue ' cancellation occurs, there will be some very long waits for the hapless community and hopeless connections. Anti-public transport, anti-mobility and anti-community.

One hour weekend services is taking Queensland Rail back to the 1970s.  This is the degree of failure that Queensland Rail now represents.

It is a mystery why the Executive Leadership Team, and the Queensland Rail Board are still there.  The fact that the Government has put in place the ' CityTrain Response Unit ', which is in effect another layer of bureaucratic bungle, is a clear sign of the gross dysfunction and panic that now grips Queensland Rail, TransLink, Transport and Main Roads and Government. They cannot be trusted anymore to do their jobs. Silos of blunder and incompetence.

We call on Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Trad to:

1. Confirm or deny that weekend rail services will be further reduced to mediocre service levels.

2. Detail the rail timetable arrangements for Easter 2017.

Once upon a time Queensland Rail used to put on extra rail specials for Easter.  Not anymore, they look to run the least services possible and maximise track closures now.

Every service cut and cancellation ' due to operational issues ' is in effect more nails in the coffin of Queensland Rail.

It is also now unlikely that the present Government or Queensland Rail will survive the rail fail mess in an electoral sense.  This is very clear.

Anyone want a cash bonus with the failure?

Hopeless.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ozbob]

Latest: @QueenslandRail #railfail - clear spin free answers needed
> https://t.co/TemOVdKKyN#qldpol#morecutsontheway ?@jackietrad pic.twitter.com/r7XJ9AplDq

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) March 22, 2017

[#Metro]

One hour weekend services is taking Queensland Rail back to the 1970s.

Back to the 1970s? We can bring back steam! STEAM! 

Cleveland, Train Services

Dr ROBINSON: My question is to the Premier. Instead of offering free travel, will the Premier
ride the 5.20 pm train service to Cleveland as requested by the disgruntled paying passengers to see
how bad the crowding has become since the 5.12 pm express service was cancelled in November?

Ms PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for the question. In more good news for Cleveland,
member for the Cleveland, the Cleveland District State High School will get a multipurpose hall worth
$6 million.

Dr ROBINSON: I rise to a point of order, Mr Speaker, my point of order is on relevance.

Mr SPEAKER: I understand your point of order is on relevance. Premier, can you make your
answer relevant to the question.

Ms PALASZCZUK: You do not want it?

Dr Robinson: It is about trains. It is about cuts to train services, Premier.

^^ WOW, terrible response!

[Stillwater]

Another example of the pollies wanting to play the politics of the Queensland RailFail.  They are too interested in scoring points against each other than they are about solving the root causes.  People and their travel needs are a distant second in this silly game.  Lifestyle, economic and business efficiency fallout all around. Growth, employment and investment suffering.

An 'integrated and seamless' bus-rail network, touted in the glossy brochures and speeches just isn't there.  Translink neutered. Citytrain Response Unit a Band-Aid.  Silence on NGR progress, no information on forward investment in the network, or even what arrangements will be in place at Easter.  It is a house of cards.

[ozbob]

I think we are all past the dumb and pathetic polyticks. 

Partisanship is destroying our public transport and the future for Queensland.

[#Metro]

Red Team, Blue Team:

[achiruel]

As I see it, the only real option to improve this situation is to commence external recruitment immediately.  Unfortunately the government does not wish to do this because the RTBU opposes external recruitment. I generally support the union movement and collectivism, but this is just bloody ridiculous.  It'd be like the company where I work having to employ the toilet cleaner as a CNC programmer or toolmaker simply because they already work for the company.

I can see some value in having guards undertake driver training as they already have safeworking and route knowledge etc, but for anyone else, forget about it!

[BrizCommuter]

Currently in Perth. Standing load on 15 min off-peak service. Shows how many people use public transport when it is not dysfunctional!

[ozbob]

Currently in Perth. Standing load on 15 min off-peak service. Shows how many people use public transport when it is not dysfunctional!

 

[BrizCommuter]

Just seen an advert for extra public transport services in Perth over Easter! And in Brisbane...

[ozbob]

Just seen an advert for extra public transport services in Perth over Easter! And in Brisbane...

It is an embarrassment the backwater public transport of SEQ hey?

[ Queensland Rail suburban versus Transperth > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg188493#msg188493 ]

[#Metro]

Quite a few of us have been to Perth now and seen what a properly run railway looks like. #FleeQLD.

I am usually against "study tours" because I think they are often perks, but maybe a few QLD Gov ministers and shadow ministers

should go to Perth and people in their own party would be more than happy to show them around.

[tazzer9]

External recruitment isn't the answer, they can't even get internal applicants trained.  They can't even get guards trained, which are supposedly better off because they already have safeworking training.

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 24th March 2017 page 11

State's rail future reaches a new low

[ozbob]

There has been no official denial or confirmation of any change yet in the existing 2017 timetable.

Unofficially, sources suggest the authorities are still ' stress testing ' the timetable and don't yet know what they will do 

The travelling public is very stressed as well.   :bi

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

Authorities refuse to rule out more #railfcuts
> https://t.co/GN2Y7G5Ykp#qldpol@jackietrad @AndrewPowellMP @QLDLabor @LNPQLD pic.twitter.com/7kFF62flzY

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) March 24, 2017

[ozbob]

With @NinaBlackwell today listening wrt restoring the rail services to the Cleveland line that the Palaszczuk Govt cut. #qldpol #railfail pic.twitter.com/qOuDYVtTPb

— Mark Robinson MP (@MarkRobinsonMP) March 25, 2017

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 28th March 2017 page 18

Cleveland is a mess

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail: Union extortion at centre of Christmas timetable debacle

QUEENSLAND Rail's Christmas Day timetable meltdown coincided with a fresh wave of union campaigning that paralysed the network when it was at its most vulnerable, The Courier-Mail can reveal.

Documents released under Right to Information show the Rail, Tram and Bus Union capitalised on months of driver shortage-led service cancellations by planning a strike for December. The union had emailed QR to notify it of a four-hour work stoppage for Saturday, December 10.

QR devised a secret action plan in response that was approved by then-transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe's office but was waiting on Treasurer Curtis Pitt's approval, emails reveal.

Yesterday Mr Pitt did not answer questions about what the action was or his response.

It appears the union may have run out of time to carry out the strike threat, with the Fair Work Commission approval for any industrial action expiring on December 8.

But just weeks later a combination of staff calling in sick, driver unavailability and inflexible rostering rules created a wave of Christmas Day cancellations that left QR bosses humiliated.

More than 261 of 730 services were cancelled – the worst since driver shortages arose.

The fiasco triggered the resignation of QR's chief operating officer, Kevin Wright.

It is understood that month QR was warned drivers would disrupt services by taking leave en masse if it did not cave to union demands for higher driver overtime penalty rates.

The Strachan Commission of Inquiry into QR exposed a union overtime scheme where a systemic undersupply of train crew of up to 10 per cent had guaranteed lucrative overtime payments.

Latest figures show QR continues to pay almost $1 million a fortnight in overtime. RTBU state secretary Owen Doogan did not return calls yesterday, but has previously said it "didn't even cross my mind" when questioned if the union took advantage of the driver shortage.

A QR spokeswoman said the enterprise bargaining agreement has been agreed to by both QR and the unions and it was working with the unions to implement the Strachan recommendations.

[ozbob]

^ There is a pretty simple fix hey ...

Labor puts unions and mates well before passengers.  Gone ...

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

23rd March 2017

Rail fail - clear spin free answers needed

Good Morning,

It does appear that there are more rail service cuts on the way.

Well placed sources have suggested that there will be a reduction of weekend rail services to a minimal one hour service on all lines.  We assume this will exclude the ' Airtrain ' service, but a higher frequency Airtrain rail service feeding into a network of mediocre frequency will hardly be of much practical use.

More service cuts will mean the public transport network becomes unusable for many, and when the inevitable ' operational issue ' cancellation occurs, there will be some very long waits for the hapless community and hopeless connections. Anti-public transport, anti-mobility and anti-community.

One hour weekend services is taking Queensland Rail back to the 1970s.  This is the degree of failure that Queensland Rail now represents.

It is a mystery why the Executive Leadership Team, and the Queensland Rail Board are still there.  The fact that the Government has put in place the ' CityTrain Response Unit ', which is in effect another layer of bureaucratic bungle, is a clear sign of the gross dysfunction and panic that now grips Queensland Rail, TransLink, Transport and Main Roads and Government. They cannot be trusted anymore to do their jobs. Silos of blunder and incompetence.

We call on Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Trad to:

1. Confirm or deny that weekend rail services will be further reduced to mediocre service levels.

2. Detail the rail timetable arrangements for Easter 2017.

Once upon a time Queensland Rail used to put on extra rail specials for Easter.  Not anymore, they look to run the least services possible and maximise track closures now.

Every service cut and cancellation ' due to operational issues ' is in effect more nails in the coffin of Queensland Rail.

It is also now unlikely that the present Government or Queensland Rail will survive the rail fail mess in an electoral sense.  This is very clear.

Anyone want a cash bonus with the failure?

Hopeless.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

The ' retrospectroscope ' 23 Mar 17 ' I called it -the mediocre service cuts were coming
> https://t.co/TemOVdKKyN#qldpol
hey @jackietrad

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) April 10, 2017

^

It really is a leaky boat that failed outfit ...@QLDLabor @LNPQLD
Mates before passengers ...#qldvotes with baseball bats https://t.co/0Q3k8gOS5R

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) April 10, 2017

[ozbob]

 



And trains ...

[ozbob]

^ I was correct with my predictions of one hour services hey?

Meanwhile ... denial mode again ..

Discussion re Commonwealth Games > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7057.msg191225#msg191225

==============================

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail: Train chaos tipped for Commonwealth Games

SOUTHEAST Queensland is on track for another "rail fail'' around next year's Commonwealth Games, public transport advocates are warning.

Rail services between Brisbane and the Gold Coast will be doubled to eight per hour under a transport plan announced by the State Government this week to reduce road congestion for the two-week event in April next year.

But RAIL Back On Track spokesman Robert Dow says that will result in chaos for other parts of the train network unless Queensland Rail fast-tracks improvements.

"If someone doesn't sound the alarm now, it will be calamitous,'' he said, adding that trains and crews will have to be taken from other areas to boost the Gold Coast services.

"They will probably need to close some lines down altogether for the period of the Games."

The Palaszczuk Government's own plan, in response to the chaos that ensued when the new Redcliffe Peninsula Line opened last year, does not expect a full-service timetable to be in place before the end of 2018, even relying on overtime.

Mr Dow said that QR was "limping along'' in recruiting the hundreds of extra train drivers needed.

And the $4.4 billion order of new trains is on hold while flaws are addressed.

Only 13 of the 75 New Generation Rolling Stock have been delivered.

"We don't know how many of the new trains will be here and available by the time of the Commonwealth Games,'' Mr Dow said, adding that it was "critical'' that QR speed up recruitment and training of additional drivers so a full timetable was in place by January 2018, ahead of the event.

Asked about the risk of another rail fail debacle from extra stress on the network during the event, Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones yesterday said: "We are very confident that both TransLink and the Director-General of Transport and Main Roads have given their assurance that we can deliver the additional capacity."

" ... Asked about the risk of another rail fail debacle from extra stress on the network during the event, Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones yesterday said: "We are very confident that both TransLink and the Director-General of Transport and Main Roads have given their assurance that we can deliver the additional capacity."

^ I am sure they were confident about the opening of RPL as well ...  No confidence in them at all.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th April 2017

We don't trust DTMR or TransLink Minister Jones!

Good Morning,

Interesting article in today's Couriermail [ Couriermail --> Queensland Rail: Train chaos tipped for Commonwealth Games ]  see below.

How can we have any confidence in the DG of TMR and TransLink  Minister Jones?  They were no doubt confident about the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line, look what happened then.  DTMR and TransLink have botched the New Generation Rollingstock train project.  None in service after they have been in country for about 15 months. Their track record is abysmal.

Unless Queensland Rail is back on full rail timetable by January 2018 it will be another rail fail and public transport meltdown, that will highlight just what a mediocre public transport administration and delivery we have in Queensland.

Time for real change and action, not more platitudes, spin and denial.

Best wishes,

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

SOUTHEAST Queensland is on track for another "rail fail'' around next year's Commonwealth Games, public transport advocates are warning.

Rail services between Brisbane and the Gold Coast will be doubled to eight per hour under a transport plan announced by the State Government this week to reduce road congestion for the two-week event in April next year.

But RAIL Back On Track spokesman Robert Dow says that will result in chaos for other parts of the train network unless Queensland Rail fast-tracks improvements.

"If someone doesn't sound the alarm now, it will be calamitous,'' he said, adding that trains and crews will have to be taken from other areas to boost the Gold Coast services.

"They will probably need to close some lines down altogether for the period of the Games."

The Palaszczuk Government's own plan, in response to the chaos that ensued when the new Redcliffe Peninsula Line opened last year, does not expect a full-service timetable to be in place before the end of 2018, even relying on overtime.

Mr Dow said that QR was "limping along'' in recruiting the hundreds of extra train drivers needed.

And the $4.4 billion order of new trains is on hold while flaws are addressed.

Only 13 of the 75 New Generation Rolling Stock have been delivered.

"We don't know how many of the new trains will be here and available by the time of the Commonwealth Games,'' Mr Dow said, adding that it was "critical'' that QR speed up recruitment and training of additional drivers so a full timetable was in place by January 2018, ahead of the event.

Asked about the risk of another rail fail debacle from extra stress on the network during the event, Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones yesterday said: "We are very confident that both TransLink and the Director-General of Transport and Main Roads have given their assurance that we can deliver the additional capacity."

[ Attached:  https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=12341.msg191204#msg191204 ]

[ozbob]

Latest media: ' We don't trust @TMRQld or @TransLinkSEQ Minister Jones! '
> https://t.co/17KYEKXLrG#qldpol@katejonesqld @jackietrad pic.twitter.com/3MvlSPg0PL

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) April 19, 2017

[Monster]

Another Friday........ another "intimate" train journey with fellow passengers. 7.38 ex Grovely to the city, standing room at Grovely, sardines by Mitchy. Could understand the despair on the faces of people waiting on platforms from Enogerra onwards.

I'm not too precious over personal space, but this morning was ridiculous. 

[Stillwater]

 ... Asked about the risk of another rail fail debacle from extra stress on the network during the event, Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones yesterday said: "We are very confident that both TransLink and the Director-General of Transport and Main Roads have given their assurance that we can deliver the additional capacity."

How does this work?

Minister calls Neil Scales to her office and says: "Can you give me an assurance that you will be able to deliver additional PT capacity to cope with crowds attending the Commonwealth Games?"

Scales: "Yes Minister."

Minister calls media conference and says:  ... "We are very confident that both TransLink and the Director-General of Transport and Main Roads have given their assurance that we can deliver the additional capacity."

I don't know why, but I am prompted to recall a piece of history -- well, theatre really -- that is a bit more relevant to Mr Scales, given his background.  It was when the then PM of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, popped over the see Adolf Hitler, to get his signature to a piece of paper saying there would be no war between Britain and Germany.



I wonder whether Mr Scales put his undertaking to Minister Jones in writing?

[BrizCommuter]

17 min pm peak gap through South Bank.  It's that QR Friday Feeling!

[Mr X]

Wait what, no trains for 17mis through South Bank? which direction?

[BrizCommuter]

Wait what, no trains for 17mis through South Bank? which direction?

Inbound through South Bank between 16:45 and 17:02 due to axed FG and Airport Line trains.
The 17:02 is pretty crowded between South Bank and Roma St.
Subsequent connections (onwards from Roma St) then missed by some commuters due to the large gap, and axed services on connecting lines.

[achiruel]

I realise it's not ideal, but wouldn't they be better off taking a bus from Southbank to Roma St? Or likely they're already overcrowded? I've no idea, I rarely travel in the area at that time.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Brisbane's peak-hour traffic slowed to a crawl during rail fail crisis

BRISBANE'S roads were clogged with almost 47,000 extra vehicles at the peak of the rail fail drama last year, new data reveals.

Brisbane City Council's latest Key Corridor Performance Report found afternoon peak-hour speeds dropped across all of the city's 18 arterial roads during the second half of last year. In the mornings, speeds were down on 16 roads in that network.

Key excerpts from the report obtained by The Courier-Mail show travel times were affected as more than 100,000 extra vehicles used the road network last year compared with the same period in 2015, with the largest increase of 46,780 vehicles occurring in October when Queensland Rail services were slashed to accommodate the Moreton Bay Rail Link coming on line.

The worst-affected commute was on the westbound lanes of the Inner City Bypass as morning speeds dropped by almost 18 per cent to an average of 44km/h. The slowest morning commute was the 23km/h average speed experienced on Kelvin Grove Rd, which was down 6 per cent compared with 2015.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the council's $1.3 billion investment over four years towards 90 different upgrades would help alleviate the congestion.

The Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade caused speeds to drop by almost 6 per cent in the afternoon to average 35km/h. Morning commutes slowed about 2 per cent to 27km/h.

Cr Quirk said congestion along Kingsford Smith Drive was "unsurprising because we are building a new gateway to Brisbane with more lanes and major intersection upgrades, as well as dedicated bikeways and pedestrian walkways".

The upgrade meant speed limits were dropped as low as 40km/h along the western end of the corridor late last year to accommodate construction.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

24th April 2017

Staged rail timetable recovery

Good Morning,

What needs to occur from this point is a staged recovery of the rail timetable.  Only by the implementation of real rail timetable service improvements will some confidence be restored with the public.

We suggest that this can begin almost immediately.

Step 1:  Convert the abysmal Friday timetable to the same as the present Monday to Thursday timetable.

Step 2:  Starting plugging some of the service gaps in the present Monday to Thursday timetable, eg. the PM peak problems on the Cleveland line.

Step 3:  Convert peak 3 car services to 6 car services - this should be done as the new NGR trains are progressively introduced.

Step 4.  As train crew become available re-introduce the October 2016 timetable (with some modifications as necessary) by late January 2018.

This must be outlined as a real recovery plan.  Only by concrete actions, not meaningless verbose spin bluster and nonsense, will confidence in the public transport network start to be restored with the public.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7057.msg191467#msg191467 ]

[ozbob]

Media: Staged rail timetable recovery
> https://t.co/YiTrabuqNg#qldpol #railfailrecovery@jackietrad @AndrewPowellMP @QueenslandRail pic.twitter.com/I76RxEScc6

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) April 23, 2017

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 24th April 2017 page 13

Transport problems for the 2018 Games

[ozbob]

Letter to the Ed @qld_times
' Transport problems for the 2018 Games '
> https://t.co/hbipxVLMGv#qldpol@jackietrad @AndrewPowellMP pic.twitter.com/b79DtNHxHR

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) April 23, 2017

[BrizCommuter]

I realise it's not ideal, but wouldn't they be better off taking a bus from Southbank to Roma St? Or likely they're already overcrowded? I've no idea, I rarely travel in the area at that time.

In some cases it may be faster, but the buses can also be somewhat unpredictable in frequency and speed.