Interim rail timetables

[petey3801]

What happened on Christmas Day 2016 was, if you really think about it, an attack of very real sorts on our very democracy. The state was held to ransom by the rail union, when employed servants of QR, on mass, "decided" not to report for lawful duty.

Clearly, the relationship between members of the current Qld Govt and the union movement sit at the heart of the issue and those relationships now represent, a further threat to the sad issue ever being "dealt with" as it should be, so it does NOT happen again.

I hereby call upon the current Qld Govt to:

1) Sack the entire current QR Board,

2) To publicly and personally [by letter] warn all QR staff of their legal obligations to report for work as required under their current IR agreements,

3) To appoint ASAP and fully empower, an acknowledged rail manager - with a brutal/chainsaw mandate - to run QR for a 24-month period and also during that time, oversee the restructuring of senior rail management and in turn, 1) the drawing up of new FAIR work agreements and 2) the establishment of a new organisational structure, allowing for a new SEQ Rail Operator - under a new Board of Commissioners to run SEQ Metro Rail Transit.

Note - not a single operational level job has been terminated in the above program, but that would be the choice of the Unions/workers themselves, fairs-fair, be fair and everyone stays employed......play games and.....Lord Vader [Al Dunlap] type is let loose...NO-Ones job is sacred!

The rebels need to learn.....

   "You're not in business to be liked" Al Dunlap......it's time to take the trash....Out!

What a complete and utter load of absolute f**king bullsh%t.
Get a grip,get some actual facts before going off half cocked about things you obvipusly have absolutely NO IDEA about.

[petey3801]

(Apoligies for the double post)
Most of what happened yesterday was due to the fact that Christmas fell on a Sunday while QR is still suffering from things that happened theoughout the Newman years. Sunday timetable when Christmas falls on a Sunday means that there is no extra pool to draw from to cover annual leave, sick leave etc., compared to if Christmas was on a weekday (Mon-Fri crewing roster, but Sunday timetable means there is a surplus of crews to pick from). Therefore, the roster relies on people coming in on their day off on Christmas, and in reality, if you have Christmas day off as a normal rostered day off, most people would be quite reluctant to go in to work, especially if they have worked several Christmas days in a row before that. Hard enough to do the roster as it was, but while still feeling the effects of the Newman era things (which I won't go in to here), it made it extremely difficult for the rostering staff who would have been working as hard as possible up to and including Christmas day to get as many staff to work as possible.
Also, just a reminder: QR traincrew work on a 58hr roster, so rosters aren't confirmed until 1400hrs 3 days in advance (ie: Thursday's roster is posted at 1400 Monday). So there isn't a huge amount of time to make the decision to cancel trains, especially when the roster officers are still working to fill the roster right up to, and including, the day of the roster at times like these.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Minister: I'm still the man to fix rail crisis

TRANSPORT Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he's still the man to fix up QR's timetable crisis, despite the Christmas Day disaster.

"I want to reassure customers that we're doing everything we can in working with the management of Queensland Rail and working with our workforce to ensure that we can see improved services going forward," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said QR's practice of pulling drivers and guards off leave to fill gaps was a factor in the 235 service cancellations on Christmas.

"That's in detail the subject of the report I've asked for from Queensland Rail but initially the advice is that's part of a number of issues that resulted in a shortage of crew," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said he would be analysing the findings of the comprehensive report ordered into the Christmas Day rail meltdown after it is completed this week.

"I will also most likely be providing that report to the Strachan Inquiry to allow them to take it into account in terms of any recommendations they are making to the Premier," he said.

Opposition Transport spokesman Andrew Powell has spoken out about the Christmas Day train debacle, saying Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe 'has to go'.

Mr Powell today said Mr Hinchliffe had simply ordered another report into the rail fail with no guarantee it would help fix the timetable crisis.

"Every time there's another failing in the rail system here in southeast Queensland he calls for another review, another report and more public servant sackings," Mr Powell said.

"The only person that ought to be sacked is himself."

Mr Powell said Mr Hinchliffe was not up to the job of fixing the train timetable crisis.

"Clearly, there is a cultural issue at the core of Queensland Rail," he said.

"And I suspect it's the rail unions leading both Queensland Rail and the Minister around by the nose.

"If he really wants to get tough with Queensland Rail he needs to get tough with the rail unions."

Mr Powell said Mr Hinchliffe must have been asleep on the job to oversee the Christmas Day rail fail.

"Any Minister is ultimately responsible for the actions of his agency," he said.

"We haven't seen this kind of systemic failure of a government agency since the health payroll debacle of the Bligh Government era, of which Minister Hinchliffe was a cabinet member. ...

[red dragin]

But it's not like Christmas suddenly fell on a Sunday last minute.

In my job, I started on the changes required for Christmas in July.

What I don't get is calling for the minister's head. He's just a puppet of the advisor's below him. Between watching "yes minister" and "utopia" you can pass a degree on politics I reckon 

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Hinchliffe 'confident' in New Year's trains

Despite the train network chaos on Christmas Day, Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he is confident crew shortages "won't be an issue that will cause cancellations" on New Year's weekend.

"I want to stress the advice that I'm getting on an updated basis, reflecting on experiences of last few days, is reassuring," he said.

"I've got the initial advice that demonstrates a level of confidence around the number of crew that will be in place for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day."

Mr Hinchliffe said the change to a school holiday timetable with reduced services as well as the different set of circumstances around New Year's weekend are "initially satisfying".

However, due to the lack of notice about the Christmas Day cancellation of 235 train services, Mr Hinchliffe said he has requested more information from Queensland Rail.

The initial cancellations were announced at 6pm on Christmas Eve, just 12 hours before the first train cancellation.

"What I have done, clearly on the basis of recent experience, is asked for further detailed briefings for myself around those issues and how they'll be dealt with," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe  could not rule out cancellations or changes based on rolling stock or infrastructure issues, but said the school holiday timetable from December 28 with reduced services should give people a "reliable" timetable "they can confidently plan around".

The transport minister has also asked for a full report into the Christmas Day cancellations from QR, and said the report will also be provided to the independent investigation into QR's driver shortages.

The opposition has said this is not enough, and have called on the minister to stand down.

"Stirling Hinchliffe can't keep letting public servants take the fall - he is the minister and the buck stops with him," opposition transport spokesman Andrew Powell said.

"If Mr Hinchliffe won't do the right thing and resign, Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to come back from holidays and sack him herself."

Mr Powell said Mr Hinchliffe should have known about the last-minute Christmas Day cancellations in advance.

"He has known exactly how many drivers are on deck since this chaos started back in October, so there is no excuse why QR should suddenly fall short on Christmas Day," he said.

"For such a mess to happen with almost zero notice, either he's totally asleep at the wheel or he's not asking the right questions."

In a statement, QR again apologised to customers for the cancellations.

"Many people will know that we've had a lot of difficulties with resourcing the past couple of months and we are making every effort to resolve this and get more drivers on our network."

[mufreight]

Mr Hinchliffe has obviously learnt nothing over the last months, once again he is simply calling for more reports, reports that will be provided by the people who were the major players in creating this mess and whose creative writing skills will be utilised to create masterpieces in covering their arse reports striving to deflect any responsibility on to others.
More reports will not resolve the problems and more time wasted creating reports for a Minister who has proven that he lacks the fundamental knowledge to oversee his portfolio will achieve even less, it is past time for both Deputy Premier Trad and Minister Hinchliffe to go and someone with the ability to oversee a complete restructure of Queensland Rail management clearing out the deadwood and getting some clear air to blow away the present cloud of incompetence.

[#Metro]

Christmas fell on a Sunday for Metro trains, TransPerth, Sydney Trains, and Adelaide Metro too.
Is their Christmas rostering similar or different to what Queensland Rail is doing?

[petey3801]

They didn't have the Newman gov't issues to deal with, incl. significant, ongoing crew shortages. Remember, there are things that private companies don't like when taking over government organisations, especially certain things that will cost the private company money when they take over the current staff. These things were being lowered as much and as fast as possible by Newman et.al., which is something that has contributed to this whole mess, especially recently.

Hopefully in the new year after the SHTT has come and gone, things will hopefully be a lot more reliable as the three weeks are being used to train up the remaining people on Kippa Ring, start NGR training etc.

[#Metro]

Companies maximise value by both increasing costs (investment) and decreasing costs (cost cutting). Particularly when penalties apply. It makes more sense to let the incoming company decide what its operational and staffing needs were.

Not here to defend blue team. Staffing decisions are not the business of politicians in private firms. As it should be. I never heard of Newman making cuts to staff in Woolworths, for example.

Staff, approximately 14,000 were cut across the Queensland Government in areas that would never be commercialised. So the real reason there is political motives and the desire to run on a "debt and deficit" party platform. There is also this "frontline" position craze in govt. Reality is you need both front and back office staff to make things work.

It still not clear to me whether the rostering approach is the same or different to QR with METRO, TransPerth etc. It would be interesting to know.

[SteelPan]

What a complete and utter load of absolute f**king bullsh%t.
Get a grip,get some actual facts before going off half cocked about things you obvipusly have absolutely NO IDEA about.

I'd suggest, the person struggling is the one so blind, they will not see....NO WAIT......WAIT...you MAY be right...I'll just check.....

Haaa no sorry, you're wrong! It turns out, BOTH Christmas Day, falling on a Sunday AND QR encountering Christmas, falling on a Sunday [as well as EVERY other day....a few umpteen times over, with its more than 150yr history], HAVE occurred before! [who knew!!!]

I've read some %^&$%^ Rubbish on these Boards - but you take the cake, the pie, the tasty festive plum pudding and yep, let's throw in the BONUS Xmas Hat...... seriously, that's beyond "True Believer" Awesome...what happened folks.....was...wait for it....Christmas fell on a Sunday, I mean, No-one in the Qld govt/QR saw it coming, with only 365 days between Xmas 2015 and Xmas 2016....no-one saw it coming....I mean WHO KNEW....December 25 was gonna be Xmas Day THIS year? and...on a SUNDAY!!!!!!!

I mean...IF ONLY we'd known

https://goo.gl/D0Avnu

We could have...liked planned and.....got ready....and worked things out....IF ONLY WE'D KNOWN!!!!!!!

Maybe....maybe.......maybe....we could like...try one of them "calendars" for 2017.......maybe....maybe...maybe, we could ring up a Professor at UQ or one them there other learning places....ask them...1) will there be a Christmas Day in 2017....2) what DATE will it occur on and 3) What DAY of the week, will that be!!!!!

QR/Qld Govt Management Power!!!!

Dare to Dream...but not too much in QQQQqqqquuueeeennnsssllllaaannnnd!

Hey...you recon those "3 wise men" would consult to QGovt/QR for 2017 Xmas Day timing?

Edit Admin: Please post in default font size on this board.  Entire routine posts in non standard size for this forum is not acceptable.

[Mr X]

This is so silly- what rail timetable are we at now?? 

Pre-RPL TT
New-RPL TT
Interim TT
Interim TT MK2
Christmas Day 30% of [already reduced] services randomly cancelled TT
SSHTT

If rail enthusiasts can't keep up with it how is the general public meant to? Does anyone have faith that there won't be another stuffup on NYE?
If it's the RPL stuffing things up, can they swallow their pride and temporarily replace that line with buses etc.?

[#Metro]

MBRL - Cut. It. Off!! 

[ozbob]

This is so silly- what rail timetable are we at now?? 

Pre-RPL TT
New-RPL TT
Interim TT
Interim TT MK2
Christmas Day 30% of [already reduced] services randomly cancelled TT
SSHTT

If rail enthusiasts can't keep up with it how is the general public meant to? Does anyone have faith that there won't be another stuffup on NYE?
If it's the RPL stuffing things up, can they swallow their pride and temporarily replace that line with buses etc.?

Yep, absurd really.  And if they had simply ran shuttles on the RPL as detailed previously all would be well.

Hey ho it is Queensland!   

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Editorial: Time Stirling Hinchliffe was shunted over ongoing rail fail

WORDS like fiasco are barely adequate to describe the epic shambles which is Queensland Rail's timetabling crisis.

A situation which has been spiralling out of control for the past couple of months shows no sign of being resolved, as the total mess which left thousands of southeast Queensland commuters stranded on Christmas Day would indicate.

The timetable had 790 services listed but 235 were cancelled, leaving just 550 still running and commuters in limbo. Every rail line was affected by the cancellations, some of which were announced late on Christmas Eve, others not until Christmas morning.

On a large and relatively complex network like QR's passenger rail network, the occasional unforeseen delay or cancellation due to maintenance issues or a fault on th ­ line is inevitable.

But to cancel nearly a third of all services at short notice because of a botched rostering system is not so much misfortune as towering incompetence.

That – as The Courier-Mail revealed yesterday – QR's rostering arrangements basically rely on being able to backfill driver shortages via an assumption that other staff will voluntarily give up time off or do overtime just beggars belief. It is the sort of jury rigged system that should have immediately caused alarm in a ministerial office that was taking a proactive role in managing this mess.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe's reaction has been to order a "comprehensive report" into the latest debacle – cold comfort to all those people who missed flights or Christmas Day with family. He also indicated that if heads need to roll, then they will.

There is now no doubt that sections of QR's operations division are simply not up to the job, and need to be replaced with people who are capable of delivering a reliable service that meets the needs of the 150,000 passengers who use trains on a daily basis.

The same holds true for Mr Hinchliffe, who has demonstrated in recent weeks that he is also manifestly incapable of managing the mess in his own portfolio.

He may have grounds for complaint that some QR senior management kept his office out of the loop when it came to looming driver shortages that coincided with the opening of the new Redcliffe rail link.

The Christmas Day rail fail was only the latest in a long line of fiascos.

He may have every right to be angry that as late as the afternoon of Christmas Eve his office was being assured by QR that everything was under control when it came to train services over the holiday long weekend.

But for commuters left stranded or frustrated by delays, reduced services and overcrowding on a daily basis, all the excuses in the world simply won't wash.

The only thing that will calm growing public anger is an end to this shemozzle, overseen by a minister with the attention to detail and ability to extract real, prompt and lasting solutions from both executives and QR's unions.

This is something that Mr Hinchliffe clearly lacks.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has to date stood by her embattled minister, but such loyalty is fast becoming misguided. The political damage this crisis has inflicted on her government is already deep and the longer Mr Hinchliffe is left in the position the worse it will get.

To bring QR kicking and screaming out of the managerial and industrial relations dark ages, the portfolio urgently needs a minister who has the strength to demand answers and then remove anyone who refuses to comply or who lies to him or her. It requires someone prepared to kick heads and who has the ability to realise when they are being spun a line.

As the past two months have shown, that person is clearly not Mr Hinchliffe.

His oversight of the QR crisis also does not bode well for his other key responsibility as Commonwealth Games Minister – an international showpiece event that simply cannot afford to be disrupted by the sort of catastrophic management failings that dog Queensland Rail.

Premier Palaszczuk likes to tell voters how "furious" she is at the failings of QR management. It is time she directed some of this fury at her minister.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

27th December 2016

SEQ: Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call!

Good Morning,

We have real concerns that Queensland Rail will be able to deliver even the cut back Summer School Holiday Train Timetable (SSHTT).

It is not acceptable to charge peak fares for a reduced service timetable that we doubt will barely cope with commuter loads during peaks with reduced services and time wasting connection failures to bus and rail.

We repeat our call for off peak fares only for the period of the SSHTT (28th December 2016 to 22nd January 2017) - to do other wise will result even more resentment and angst!

Best wishes
Robert

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

Media release 24th December 2016

SEQ: Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called for off peak fares only for the duration of the Summer School Holiday Train Timetable (SSHTT) (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The Summer School Holiday Train Timetable for the period 28th December 2016 through to the 22nd January 2017 has reduced rail services, some lines have very significant peak reductions as well as poor off peak service. Connections be they bus/rail or rail/rail will be more problematical and longer journey times will result."

"As the service for peak is essentially only off peak frequency it is reasonable then to apply off peak fares only for the duration of the Summer Timetable."

"The public has lost confidence in the rail network. Even today there are more service cancellations due to ' operational issues ' which is code no doubt for a lack of train crew and mediocre forward planning (2)."

"It is only fair that off peak fares be applied. The public has suffered enough."

"The rail fail mess has been a disaster for public transport confidence in SEQ.  Does the Government really appreciate the impact the constant random non delivery of train service has had on the public?  Missed connections, missed appointments, missed childcare pickups and increased costs, lost wages, dollars spent on taxis, general angst and annoyance and major inconvenience."

References:

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

2. https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg185612#msg185612

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Latest: ' Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call! '
> https://t.co/emi0RU7cuX#qldpol@StirlHinchliffe pic.twitter.com/xezUGaXVys

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 26, 2016

[Gazza]

Even without the current issues, Hinchcliffe was hardly inspiring as a minister.

Anyone seriously belive he was going to push along for positive reforms in other areas of PT?

Kind of seems like he was just riding along.

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 27th December 2016 page 15

Action needed to create efficiency

[ozbob]

@QueenslandRail skeleton service on New Year's Eve? - No, it's the Q-Rail Board when the Minister @StirlHinchliffe finally sorts them out! pic.twitter.com/rVzkWOGCY9

— Dep•Mayor Paul Tully (@PaulTully) December 26, 2016

[petey3801]

What a complete and utter load of absolute f**king bullsh%t.
Get a grip,get some actual facts before going off half cocked about things you obvipusly have absolutely NO IDEA about.

I'd suggest, the person struggling is the one so blind, they will not see....NO WAIT......WAIT...you MAY be right...I'll just check.....

Haaa no sorry, you're wrong! It turns out, BOTH Christmas Day, falling on a Sunday AND QR encountering Christmas, falling on a Sunday [as well as EVERY other day....a few umpteen times over, with its more than 150yr history], HAVE occurred before! [who knew!!!]

I've read some %^&$%^ Rubbish on these Boards - but you take the cake, the pie, the tasty festive plum pudding and yep, let's throw in the BONUS Xmas Hat...... seriously, that's beyond "True Believer" Awesome...what happened folks.....was...wait for it....Christmas fell on a Sunday, I mean, No-one in the Qld govt/QR saw it coming, with only 365 days between Xmas 2015 and Xmas 2016....no-one saw it coming....I mean WHO KNEW....December 25 was gonna be Xmas Day THIS year? and...on a SUNDAY!!!!!!!

I mean...IF ONLY we'd known

https://goo.gl/D0Avnu

We could have...liked planned and.....got ready....and worked things out....IF ONLY WE'D KNOWN!!!!!!!

Maybe....maybe.......maybe....we could like...try one of them "calendars" for 2017.......maybe....maybe...maybe, we could ring up a Professor at UQ or one them there other learning places....ask them...1) will there be a Christmas Day in 2017....2) what DATE will it occur on and 3) What DAY of the week, will that be!!!!!

QR/Qld Govt Management Power!!!!

Dare to Dream...but not too much in QQQQqqqquuueeeennnsssllllaaannnnd!

Hey...you recon those "3 wise men" would consult to QGovt/QR for 2017 Xmas Day timing?

Edit Admin: Please post in default font size on this board.  Entire routine posts in non standard size for this forum is not acceptable.

Yet still more half cocked bulls#it instead of actually getting facts. If you want to believe your own crap, go for it, but I can tell you now it is based in fantasy land, a looooong way from reality. When you come back with some facts instead of the typical one-eyed union bashing and the rest of this rot you have been spouting, then a discussion might be able to be had. Until then....

[HappyTrainGuy]

But it's not like Christmas suddenly fell on a Sunday last minute.

In my job, I started on the changes required for Christmas in July.

What I don't get is calling for the minister's head. He's just a puppet of the advisor's below him. Between watching "yes minister" and "utopia" you can pass a degree on politics I reckon 

But in the past people jump at the option to work on Christmas day because of the pay. Not just the drivers but those that still have to do mtce. There's still ongoing issues with the drivers/guards but it wouldn't surprise me if those that normally would have jumped on it with all hands (if they are still there) just simply wanted a break given the amount of work they have had to do these couple months especially if they have punched in large numbers of OT already/made plans with scheduled leave. And don't forget that the drivers/guards are already heavily aged stacked. One of the downfalls of an employment freeze with an older work force was that employment numbers dropped due to retirements with no one new coming in to replace them which is still an ongoing issue.

[tazzer9]

WTF is going on right now.   There is more going on than just the few extra RPL  services each week.   The new RPL timetable didn't even offer that many new services each week.   It added some more inner north short runnings.  It didn't offer that much extra to the caboolture line as they were mainly extensions from bowen hills/petrie.   And the caboolture line is now express saving some time.   On top of that nambour workings were combined and made more efficient. There is a couple of extra ipswich services, but I believe they were already dead-runs which have been made into revenue services.

In short, what i'm trying to say is, there isn't that many more services to run, how can we lose complete control with only a few extra services.   Was QR really operating on the knife edge with the previous timetable?   Has there been alot of people retiring/quitting since the introduction of RPL?    I know this is the time of year where people take leave, but was that not accounted for properly? 

[red dragin]

But when you work in a critical service role, it shouldn't be optional. If you are rostered, you work. I used work for Repco, no such thing as holidays this time of year. I showed up and I wasn't on $95k a year plus loadings.

Same goes with front line Police. The guys and girls in blue who are attending fatalities aren't on that kind of money either, but still show up on Christmas Day.

[SurfRail]

And what if you aren't rostered, or cannot legally be rostered, or have been busting your arse driving overtime for a month?

[ozbob]

Qld Opposition Deb Frecklington calls for Premier to sack Transport Minister "He's just got to go," @7NewsQueensland pic.twitter.com/oJuLpqJOFB

— Marlina Whop (@MarlinaWhop) December 27, 2016

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

In today's @couriermail #qld #Railfail #qldpol pic.twitter.com/ix8v40CUXZ

— Nige (@Nige_110) December 27, 2016

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/qrs-rail-fail-more-pain-to-come.html
QR's Rail Fail - More Pain to Come?

[ozbob]

BrizCommuter:
QR's Rail Fail - More Pain to Come?
> https://t.co/PPo2Df9GSi#qldpol@StirlHinchliffe @QueenslandRail @TransLinkSEQ pic.twitter.com/qegoEF4WBc

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 27, 2016

[ozbob]

Will @QueenslandRail services run smoothly on New Year's Eve, following Christmas cancellations? @StirlHinchliffe speaks to media #qldpol pic.twitter.com/2vND1WLM9b

— Felicity Caldwell (@fel_caldwell) December 27, 2016

[red dragin]

And what if you aren't rostered, or cannot legally be rostered, or have been busting your arse driving overtime for a month?

If you are not rostered or over hours, nothing to worry about.

They managed to staff the previous Sunday just fine.

[techblitz]

And what if you aren't rostered, or cannot legally be rostered

captain obvious would state that they take the day off......and the others who were legally rostered on??

have been busting your arse driving overtime for a month?

As red dragin states...train drivers are some of the highest paid non-degree-qualified employees in the world...if you are expected to turn up then turn up.....that's what you are generously paid for.

@steelpan

unions have exerted minimal influence over this debacle. They have a track history of arguing AGAINST the  hiring freeze post 2012....they have also been pushing for Caboolture to be re-instated as all-stops from northgate to bowen hills to prevent QR staff from being harassed...specifically at Toombul & Nundah...

[HappyTrainGuy]

But when you work in a critical service role, it shouldn't be optional. If you are rostered, you work. I used work for Repco, no such thing as holidays this time of year. I showed up and I wasn't on $95k a year plus loadings.

Same goes with front line Police. The guys and girls in blue who are attending fatalities aren't on that kind of money either, but still show up on Christmas Day.

And those rostered on did turn up. The problem wasn't rostered drivers chucking a sickie but the lack of drivers that would normally step up either by working OT (exceeding hours) and coming in on their RDO. Remember the past few months crews have been busting their ass, some of which have put off or came back early from planned holidays just to keep the network running. It just so happened that it fell on a particular day with a particular schedule combined with those not scheduled/legally allowed to work not being able to fill empty spots.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Meetings held to avoid cancellations on New Year's Eve

Queensland Rail authorities are reluctant to flat-out guarantee New Year's Eve train services will not be cancelled, following the Christmas Day meltdown.

On Christmas Day, 235 Queensland Rail services were cancelled – almost a third of services – due to "resourcing issues".

Queensland Rail acting chief executive Jim Benstead, performing the role while the acting chief executive officer Neil Scales is on holidays, said he was confident services would be delivered reliably on New Year's Eve.

But Mr Benstead did not want to give a guarantee that no services would be cancelled, instead saying he was "confident".

"When it comes to cancellations and services, Queensland Rail is a large network, it is a heavy rail infrastructure organisation, where incidents do occur," he said.

"There are incidents such as signalling, such as lightning strikes, such as trucks running into bridges, I cannot guarantee that a service or services won't be cancelled."

When asked whether he could guarantee services would not be cancelled due to a rostering "stuff-up", Mr Benstead said: "that is the reason why we are taking the learnings from the incidents that occurred on Christmas Day and applying that to our final planning sessions that are taking place."

"I'm giving assurance to commuters that we are doing everything possible to ensure that we deliver the services that are required for New Year's Eve and to New Year's Day and that is right through to 5am," Mr Benstead said.

"I am confident that we have the plans in place to have the crews available to deliver services for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day."

At another point during the 27-minute press conference, Mr Benstead said Queensland Rail would "take the learnings" from Christmas Day and apply that to New Year's Eve.

Mr Benstead said the planning meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday would discuss rostering arrangements, including whether it needed to bring people back from RDOs and leave to run New Year's Eve services.

"That is part of our final planning for tomorrow to ensure that we have extra drivers that we can call on in case of unplanned leave and naturally people do fall ill so we are going to ensure that we have extra train crew available that we can call on to provide those services," he said.

But Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said due to New Year's Eve having a higher patronage than other days, planning had happened for months, and as a result he had a "level of confidence".

"I'm sure that confidence will be deepened by the briefing I'll receive tomorrow following a final round of planning and workshop that's occurring within the Queensland Rail network," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said he was encouraged by the advice he had received from Queensland Rail.

The meltdown on Christmas Day comes despite the fact Mr Hinchliffe said he had been extensively involved in briefings with Queensland Rail for months.

"I have been engaging in further detailed briefings with Queensland Rail on a daily basis, I was doing that in the lead-up to the Christmas, New Year break in terms of everything that was happening around the changes to the interim timetable that we had and now in the development of the summer timetable that commences tomorrow," he said.

"I'm certainly more actively involved than you might have traditionally seen ministers having been, but that's understandable, that's why I've been so actively engaged, since late October in the delivery of our five-point plan."

Mr Benstead admitted Mr Hinchliffe was not impressed with the timeliness of the advice on Christmas Eve that there would be cancellations.

"Naturally the minister is not impressed with the timeliness of that information but if we could have done so earlier we would have done so," he said.

Responding to criticism that staff would not have much time to find out if they were working on New Year's Eve - Saturday - with planning meetings being held on Tuesday and Wednesday, Mr Benstead said: "The arrangements for rostering is a dynamic arrangement but our drivers and our guards will know well in advance on who is required on those particular days and they'll get advance notice."

The summer school holiday timetable begins on Wednesday and finishes on January 22.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland rail fail: First Christmas, now New Year's Eve in doubt

NEW Year's Eve train services are still in jeopardy as Queensland Rail's acting boss admits drivers on leave may need to be recalled - potentially risking another network meltdown similar to Christmas Day.

QR acting chief executive Jim Benstead today said the rail operator was considering whether it needed to pull drivers off leave to plug gaps in this weekend's roster.

"That is one of the situations that we will be looking at heavily and in detail in our final planning sessions that take place today and through to tomorrow," he said.

"I cannot predict exactly what is going to occur in any particular circumstance but we are ensuring that we are putting our plans in place."

Mr Benstead said QR was working on contingency plans to prevent another major round of service cancellations on New Year's Eve.

But he could not guarantee New Year's Eve services would not be affected by service cuts.

"I can give an assurance to commuters that we are doing everything possible to ensure that we deliver the services that are required on New Year's Eve through to New Year's Day," Mr Benstead said.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said he would be activately involved in planning meetings tomorrow to ensure another Christmas Day disaster doesn't occur on the weekend.

"I have been engaging in further detailed briefings with Queensland Rail on a daily basis," he said.

Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington says Mr Hinchliffe's position is untenable as uncertainty over New Year's Eve train services continues.

"Southeast Queenslanders are bracing for chaos this New Year's Eve, which is one of the best nights of the year for partygoers all over Brisbane, they won't know whether their train is going to turn up on time - just like Christmas Day," she said.

"This New Year's Eve how are we to know people's trains will turn up?

"The Premier needs to come back (from holidays) and sack this incompetent Minister."

Mr Hinchliffe yesterday could not guarantee New Year's Eve services would be unaffected by the train driver shortage but said early advice indicated there would not be any major problems.

But Ms Frecklington said QR's performance was not good enough and Mr Hinchliffe was ultimately responsible.

"At the end of the day, this issue has been going on for over three months," she said.

"Enough is enough, you have to do the job Minister." ...

[ozbob]

Qld's Transport Minister has assured commuters there will be no train chaos on New Year's Eve https://t.co/YdYBV8dGeq #7News pic.twitter.com/DFS8yZyuOD

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) December 27, 2016

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

27th December 2016

Re: SEQ: Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call!

Greetings,

So it would seem that peak fares will be charged for the mediocre peak services on the so called Summer School Holiday Train Timetable.

So be it.  Guess this is the end of the Palaszczuk Government.  Punters have had enough.

Cheers
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

27th December 2016

SEQ: Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call!

Good Morning,

We have real concerns that Queensland Rail will be able to deliver even the cut back Summer School Holiday Train Timetable (SSHTT).

It is not acceptable to charge peak fares for a reduced service timetable that we doubt will barely cope with commuter loads during peaks with reduced services and time wasting connection failures to bus and rail.

We repeat our call for off peak fares only for the period of the SSHTT (28th December 2016 to 22nd January 2017) - to do other wise will result even more resentment and angst!

Best wishes
Robert

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

Media release 24th December 2016

SEQ: Summer School Holiday Train Timetable - off peak fares only is the call!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called for off peak fares only for the duration of the Summer School Holiday Train Timetable (SSHTT) (1).

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The Summer School Holiday Train Timetable for the period 28th December 2016 through to the 22nd January 2017 has reduced rail services, some lines have very significant peak reductions as well as poor off peak service. Connections be they bus/rail or rail/rail will be more problematical and longer journey times will result."

"As the service for peak is essentially only off peak frequency it is reasonable then to apply off peak fares only for the duration of the Summer Timetable."

"The public has lost confidence in the rail network. Even today there are more service cancellations due to ' operational issues ' which is code no doubt for a lack of train crew and mediocre forward planning (2)."

"It is only fair that off peak fares be applied. The public has suffered enough."

"The rail fail mess has been a disaster for public transport confidence in SEQ.  Does the Government really appreciate the impact the constant random non delivery of train service has had on the public?  Missed connections, missed appointments, missed childcare pickups and increased costs, lost wages, dollars spent on taxis, general angst and annoyance and major inconvenience."

References:

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

2. https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg185612#msg185612

Contact:

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

[ozbob]

Latest: ' Guess this is the end of the Palaszczuk Government. Punters have had enough '
> https://t.co/hrOXxfbuYK#qldpol pic.twitter.com/H8gTQPy3LP

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) December 27, 2016

[red dragin]

 https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/travel/holidays/public/

Can someone pass the link on to QR so that they might be prepared 2018? Don't want them being caught out unexpectedly again.

[ozbob]

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/travel/holidays/public/

Can someone pass the link on to QR so that they might be prepared 2018? Don't want them being caught out unexpectedly again.

Here is 2019 too!  > http://www.calendar-australia.com/holidays/2019/