Interim rail timetables

[#Metro]

Sandringham line does switches from 10 to 15 to 20min Frequency. I lived there I experienced it. Its not impossible to do. 20 min Frequency would be a huge improvement on weekends from 7am-9pm to what we have now. People work on the weekends and would help the switch to PT instead of driving.

And really, how useful is 20 minute frequency? It is almost frequent. It is the "You tried" medal of train frequencies. It is almost high frequency. I'd much rather see 15 minute frequency rolled out to a smaller audience (say Manly to Shorncliffe) than 20 minute frequency all the way out to Cleveland, and I think that is QR's mindset also.

Hello James, Verbatim9,

I think we will have the staff, trains and the political stars all align for this towards the end of next year. Everything is well placed to introduce upgraded service IMHO.

Because of this, we can probably go straight to 15 minute frequency for the Kippa Ring and Springfield lines.

[verbatim9]

Extra Frequency sounds good. Qr even though having available staff may only offer part time contracts with options for extra hours. Staffing could be at minimal levels on weekends to save money?

[Stillwater]

What about availability of rolling stock?  Mystery surrounds NGR at this stage.

[ozbob]

Don't forget, there is the  ' Summer Timetable ' that Mr Scales mentioned a few weeks ago coming for the Christmas/New Year and I expect a good part of January.  A service reduction for a few weeks will hopefully put Queensland Rail on track to properly deliver the full timetable from February.

[BrizCommuter]

Don't forget, there is the  ' Summer Timetable ' that Mr Scales mentioned a few weeks ago coming for the Christmas/New Year and I expect a good part of January.  A service reduction for a few weeks will hopefully put Queensland Rail on track to properly deliver the full timetable from February.

Would be awfully nice if the public could actually be informed of said upcoming timetable changes (for which commuters will probably have to pay peak fares for). Thinking of an Xmas pun for the blog post title already!

[BrizCommuter]

I'll note that the journey planner is still showing the interim timetable mk2 on Xmas period and early Jan working days.

[ozbob]

Expect an announcement re ' Summer Timetable ' soon ...

[ozbob]

Clue here ..

@StirlHinchliffe talks cheaper transport fares to start from Mon. Also Summer school hol timetable. @abcnews #qldpol pic.twitter.com/rmKZktjdYT

— Leonie Mellor (@leoniemellor) December 15, 2016

@StirlHinchliffe: summer scl hol prog to see 11% reduction in services. But says there's 22% dropoff in demand Starts Dec28 @abcnews #qldpol

— Leonie Mellor (@leoniemellor) December 15, 2016

[ozbob]

https://translink.com.au/service-updates/109921

Summer school holiday train timetable

From Wednesday 28 December 2016 until Sunday 22 January 2017, trains will run to a summer school holiday timetable.

This timetable will run during a period when there's traditionally less customer demand on the network.

Queensland Rail is finalising the timetable now and we expect to have the journey planner updated soon.
Please check back to replan your journey.

[verbatim9]

Will this be a permanent thing a Summer Off-peak timetable?

In the past I have mentioned train timetabling on demand (Summer Winter timetabling) to reflect passenger numbers. Now it's happening 😋

[Stillwater]

Mr Hinchliffe needs to be careful that people do not associate lower fares with a lower standard of service

[ozbob]

Queensland Rail has normally had a special timetable over the Christmas New Year period.

The extension into late January of a ' Summer school holiday ' timetable is really an attempt to cut some overtime with train crew and get things sorted for resumption of the full timetable late January.  As there are no school peak loads some services can be cut with not much effect.  School buses don't run.  I don't have much concerns with this providing the low frequency services are maintained and with normal span.

For interest, a number of jurisdictions do reduce services over this period.  I recall Melbourne having a summer rail timetable.  There are major line closures in January for Perth (Armadale and Thornlie) and Adelaide (Grange and Outer Harbour) - these are to facilitate works in the main but they do reduce crew demands over that period.

A ' Summer school holiday ' timetable I fear will become the norm.

[ozbob]

15th December 2016

Media Release
Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

Get on Board with Fairer Fares

The Palaszczuk Government will slash public transport fares for commuters across south-east Queensland from Monday, 19 December ahead of its official launch on 1 January next year.

Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe said under the Fairer Fares package customers will save several hundred dollars each year with cheaper fares across new larger zones of travel, as well as an extended off-peak discount, kids go free on weekends, and a range of travel incentives.

"These fare reforms are the most significant change to South East Queensland's public transport network in a decade and will deliver cost of living relief to at least 93 per cent of commuters," Minister Hinchliffe said.

"The Fairer Fares package was announced in June for a 1 January 2017 start.  We will roll it out from Monday to provide an extra two weeks of fare relief for customers.

"TransLink has been able roll out the package ahead of schedule with lower fares starting from first service on all public transport modes from Monday, 19 December."

Minister Hinchliffe said most customers could expect to save between four and 34 per cent per trip.

"I'm proud the Palaszczuk Government has been able to help family budgets by making public transport fares more affordable for the vast majority of users," The Minister said.

Minister Hinchliffe said the Fairer Fares package, which was subject to wide-ranging consultation through the SEQ Fare Review Taskforce, would encourage more people to choose public transport over private vehicles.

"Taking the equivalent of seven million cars off our roads every year will mean less congestion on our local and major road networks," Minister Hinchliffe said.

Minister Hinchliffe said compressing the zonal structure would benefit commuters in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Sunshine Coast, Redland and Moreton Bay.

"Commuters will pay less across the whole network including for local travel within their communities as well as for longer trips," Minister Hinchliffe said.

For information on the new fares and zones visit www.translink.com.au, use the online journey planner, download the MyTransLink app or call TransLink on 13 12 30 any time.

The key changes to SEQ's fare structure under the Palaszczuk Government's Fairer Fares package:

    Fewer zones: SEQ's 23 travel zones will be simplified to eight.

    Cheaper fares: Fares for all zones of travel will be slashed.

    Extending off-peak discount: Peak period won't start until after 6am in the morning to encourage earlier travel and give these users cheaper fares. The 20 per cent off-peak discount will now apply for all travel between 7pm and 6am, between 8.30am and 3.30pm Monday-Friday and all day on weekends.

    Kids go free on weekends: Children under the age of 15 will be able to travel free on the weekend on a child go card.

    Senior discounts: Seniors and pensioners will retain the 'One, Two FREE' travel

    8 and 50 for commuters: The Government will scrap 'Nine + FREE' and replace with 8 paid journeys and 50 per cent off subsequent journeys per week to deliver higher travel savings to more customers.

    Concessions for Queensland job seekers: TransLink will work with Federal Agencies so jobseekers on Newstart or Youth Allowance will be able to access concession fares in 2017

    Concession fares for asylum seekers: In line with other states like New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, asylum seekers in Queensland will be able to access concession fares to use public transport in 2017.

    New Fares Advisory Panel: The Government will establish a Public Transport Fares Advisory Panel to provide independent advice on future public transport fares, products and ticketing.

Some examples of savings under the Palaszczuk Government's Fairer Fares Package:

    An average Gold Coast commuter travelling between Robina and Brisbane city would save $1196.64 a year under the changes because their 15-zone trip would become a five-zone trip.

    A Gold Coast family travelling locally, with one parent commuting between Labrador and Robina and another travelling between Labrador and Southport, will save $1196.64 a year because these four and two-zone trips would both become single zone trips.

    Weekly commuters to Brisbane City from Goodna, Strathpine or Samford will save $889.92 and commuters from Morningside or Tarragindi will save $315.36 a year.

    A weekday commuter who travels a single zone, to and from work during peak period, will save $1.30 per week with '8 and 50' combined with the cheaper zone rates. Currently they pay $30.15 per week under 'Nine and Free'. With '8 and 50' and $3.20 for a single zone of travel they will pay less, only $28.8 per week.

    A commuter travelling on public transport during peak times from Goodna to Brisbane's CBD each weekday for work, currently pays $5.96 per trip to travel across five zones and in per week with 'Nine and Free' would spend $53.64 per week. Under the changes they will only travel two zones and pay $3.90 per trip and with '8 and 50' will end up paying $35.10 per week. That's a weekly saving of $18.54 with the cheaper zone prices and also '8 and 50'.

Zones Map https://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/plan-your-journey/maps/161219-seq-fare-zone.pdf

Fare Calculator http://jp.translink.com.au/fare-review (external site) Taskforce report (external site) 

Summer school holiday timetable

In addition to the roll out of Fairer Fares Minister Hinchliffe said Queensland Rail would be introducing a summer school holiday timetable during December and January that will reflect reduced passenger demand over the holiday period.

With data showing patronage drops by more than 25 percent in January, Queensland Rail will also introduce a new timetable from 28 December to reflect reduced passenger demand and deliver certainty for commuters.

"In January train patronage averages 776,749 trips per week, which is more than 25 percent lower than non-holiday patronage at 1,046,675 trips a week," Minister Hinchliffe said.

"While patronage drops by more than 25 percent at this time of year, services will only be reduced by 11 percent across the network and the majority of changes will be outside of peak.

"Airport services won't be changed reflecting the demand for these services over the holiday period.

"The summer school holiday timetable will run from 28 December to 22 January and we urge customers to check the Translink website from Wednesday 21 December," Minister Hinchliffe said.

    Services will operate at 15 minute frequencies in AM peak from: Caboolture, Shorncliffe, Ferny Grove, Redcliffe Peninsula, Beenleigh, Gold Coast, Cleveland, Ipswich and Springfield.
    Services will operate at 15 minute frequencies in PM peak to: Caboolture, Shorncliffe, Ferny Grove, Redcliffe Peninsula, Beenleigh, Gold Coast, Cleveland, Ipswich and Springfield.
    Services will operate at 30 minute frequencies in AM peak from the Sunshine Coast and to the Sunshine Coast in PM peak.

[BrizCommuter]

As expected - peak fares for off-peak standard services for inner-suburban commuters. The early introduction of the new fare structure doesn't make up for yet more cuts.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> New fare structure arrives early

....

From December 28 to January 22, there will also be a service reduction of 11 per cent across the TransLink network.

Mr Hinchliffe said there were typically 22 per cent fewer commuters over the Christmas and school holiday period.

"It makes sense that that's a period that we can relieve the pressure on our services and make sure that we deliver a timetable that is reliable and understandable to our commuters, but does take the pressure off during that summer period," he said.

"We won't see a reduction in services in any way on the Airport Line."

The new summer timetable will be available on the TransLink website from Tuesday and there will also be printed timetables at stations.

It comes after numerous timetable adjustments on the Queensland Rail network as bosses tried to deliver a reliable timetable amid driver shortage issues.

The driver shortage was revealed following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line in October, when more than 100 services were cancelled.

Acting chief executive Neil Scales said the pared back timetable would also help Queensland Rail speed up training new drivers.

"While we've got the summer timetable operating, we'll have more of an opportunity to train drivers, particularly on new generation rolling stock, but also make sure that we've got route training as well going on," Mr Scales said.

...

[BrizCommuter]

Ipswich, Caboolture, Springfield, and Redcliffe Line will see 60% am peak service cuts under this Summer Holiday timetable!

[ozbob]

BCC are on the ball and making the most of the day ...

Additional bus services over Christmas period https://t.co/dkLg5QGOMJ

— Brisbane City (@brisbanecityqld) December 15, 2016

[ozbob]

I am very concerned with low frequency services and their span.  I think it is essential that they are maintained.

Understand and can live with some peak reduction and some off peak reduction of higher frequency services.  But if low frequency services are cut I would expect significant public grief.

Say the frequency is 30 minute and this was changed to an hour.  A service cancelled would mean 2 hours between services.

People will go nuts!

[ozbob]

All in all though, it is really a very sad mess at Queensland Rail.  Now we have a series of timetables limping along from one service crisis to the next.  I really hope the Strachan Commission of Inquiry gets the root cause of this debacle.

[ozbob]

There'll be cheaper public transport fares in South East Queensland from Monday. @PatrickCondren #bnetraffic #7News https://t.co/I4IYsCZG6t

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 15, 2016

[BrizCommuter]

QR's Unhappy New Year Timetable
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/qrs-unhappy-new-year-timetable.html

[ozbob]

BrizCommuter:
QR's Unhappy New Year Timetable
> https://t.co/LMvvLmyVkD#qldpol pic.twitter.com/6wXRg7Payl

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 15, 2016

[ozbob]

Concerns with ' Summer Holiday Rail Timetable '
> https://t.co/upx7Oamvt5#qldpol
cuts, low frequency, unreliable, impossible for community! pic.twitter.com/GKD6tC6lEW

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 15, 2016

^

Absolutely shambolic the state that @QueenslandRail is in sadly.
The real story is not being told I suspect, no surprise there hey?#qldpol https://t.co/Ropltqjha3

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 15, 2016

[BrizCommuter]

Missing trains. Late trains. It's another QR Friday Funday!

[ozbob]

Very sad to contemplate what has happened to the rail network ..

Hope the truth comes out.   There is a conspiracy of silence IMHO.

[ozbob]

" .. if low frequency services are cut I would expect significant public grief. "
> https://t.co/upx7Oamvt5#qldpol pic.twitter.com/XdxLKknEVa

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 15, 2016

[#Metro]

It is ultimately self-limiting. I just trust that is the way it will be.

In Perth, the government wanted to shut down the network. It was doing very poorly and had so few passengers, that it seemed logical.

But the act of closure set in motion a backlash so large that it forced renewal.

Similarly, along the Frankston line, seats were lost in an election due to poor service.

We now have 50 level crossings being removed, and even more.

If red team loses office, very big changes are on the way.

[ozbob]

A brief interlude ... 

[BrizCommuter]

QR's customer charter is a bit of a joke now isn't it!

[#Metro]

QR's customer charter is a bit of a joke now isn't it!

QR wrote the customer charter, not customers (passengers?). It's a bit like writing your own contract to yourself.

HTG tells me that the 'customer' here is actually TransLink, not passengers.

It is worth asking though, if passengers wrote the customer charter, what would it contain?

[techblitz]

3c`s

communication , consistency ,cleanliness

QR are currently struggling with all 3...

[verbatim9]

3c`s

communication , consistency ,cleanliness

QR are currently struggling with all 3...

How clean can you keep the trains as most have Wall to Wall carpeting still from the Joh days? Syd Mel Adl all have a sealed floor coverings, easy to hose or mop when spills occur. The trains in Qld with sealed coverings can be cleaner. For example chewing gum needs to be cleaned off the floors around the entry of trains with steam and citrus oil.

[ozbob]

Back to #railfail

More cancellations this afternoon --> https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg185233;topicseen#msg185233

Really is very sad to observe this constant parade of mediocrity ...

[ozbob]

Even the cut down #railfail Friday timetable is too hard to deliver for @QueenslandRail
> https://t.co/FHDlY7cOIX#qldpol#countthecash pic.twitter.com/zbB3f5F55d

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 16, 2016

[ozbob]

Lots more cancellations coming up this afternoon/evening.

They are just listed on the TransLink web page when you click on lines.

This is just appalling.

A sample:

7.33pm Roma Street - Caboolture train cancelled
From Friday 16 December 2016, 3.27pm

9.35pm Caboolture - Roma Street train cancelled
From Friday 16 December 2016, 3.30pm

7.05pm Roma Street to Cleveland train has been cancelled
From Friday 16 December 2016, 3.13pm

5.46pm Kippa-Ring - Roma Street train cancelled
From Friday 16 December 2016, 2.54pm

10.52pm Bowen Hills - Ipswich train cancelled
From Friday 16 December 2016, 3.20pm

[Stillwater]

Customers?  Pesky things - they get in the way of operating a railway efficiently.

[ozbob]

I have just concluded an interview with Brisbanetimes.

Re ' Summer School Holiday Timetable ' suggested that the fares for the period 28th December through to 22nd January should be off peak only.

Also alerted them to the #railfail meltdown currently underway as I type.

Why hasn't the Minister / Queensland Rail actually got on to the front foot and declared the situation with a proper list of expected cancellations?  Instead it is buried on the TransLink web site and if you are lucky on Twitter.

This is just not acceptable anymore on any level.

[ozbob]

Time for a break, and the poor punters waiting for trains can sing along .. 

[BrizCommuter]

Think I might write a letter to my MP...

[techblitz]

^^ like the poor folk @ margate/woody point etc taking the 690 for a night in the city. Bus arrives sandgate 6.32 next train 6.54.


very enticing 22 minute wait....