Beenleigh <-> Ipswich Line Connectivity

[achiruel]

As some of you probably remember, a pet hate of mine is the lack of connectivity between the Beenleigh and Ipswich lines. This is coming partly from self-interest, as I live on the Beenleigh line and often visit friends in the Ipswich and Springfield areas, but I also think it could a lot to improve connectivity and therefore public transport use in the southern and south-western regions.



Rationale:

Loganholme has 555 which connects to the South-east Busway along with P569. Also a number of local routes (282, 552, 553, 560, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 568, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575).

Loganlea connects to Gold Coast, Airport, Beenleigh & Ferny Grove trains, as well as 560 to Griffith Uni Logan Campus

Browns Plains - connect to 140 (including P141 rocket) & 150 BUZ, along with local routes 534, 540, 541, 542, 543, 545, 547, 550, 560.

Inala Plaza - 100 BUZ, 101, 102, 103, 110, 122

Darra Station - Ipswich, Springfield, Caboolture/Nambour & Kippa-Ring trains. Along with 103 bus (already available at Inala) and future Centenary connection.

So by my count this route connects with 35 bus routes and 8 rail lines (Beenleigh, Ferny Grove, Airport, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Springfield, Kippa-Ring and Caboolture/Nambour), I think this would do wonders to improve cross-town connectivity in the region rather than forcing everyone to travel into (or close to e.g. Yeronga/Corinda, where the bus service is pretty poor anyway) the CBD and back out again.

I guess some are wondering why using the Logan Mwy at the eastern end instead of M1 or Nujooloo Rd & Loganlea Rd. I did a few test with Google Maps at various times of the day, and while it is not always the fastest, it is the most consistent i.e. less variation of travel time, and therefore would make timetabling more reliable.

The route would run part express. Other buses are to do the local feeding, this is primarily a trunk connector.

Proposed span: 6am-7pm Mon-Fri, 7am-7pm Weekends
Proposed frequency: 6am-9am & 4pm-7pm Mon-Fri: 15 min. Other times: 30 minutes. Needs to be timed to connect with trains at each end as well as is possible.

[SurfRail]

As an alternative:

Wacol railway station - Richlands railway station - Inala bus station - Learoyd Rd - Hellawell Rd - Altandi - McCullough St - Technology Park - Eight Mile Plains Busway - Garden City

That gives you convenient interchange with all the southern railway lines except the Cleveland line (which is way out of scope), the 100, 111, 120, 130, 140, 150, 180, 555 and numerous other trunk and local routes.

[achiruel]

SurfRail's proposed route:



I think I like it, I didn't consider in my original suggestion of a few months ago of serving the Springfield and Ipswich lines separately using different stations but I think it saves time over going to Darra?

I would also like to see better links between Logan West (Browns Plains) and Ipswich/Springfield lines though, but probably this could be done separately. The 534 I consider virtually junk status as a bus route, it goes almost but not quite to Richlands Station and the parallels the railway line down to Springfield Central, with a bit of a loop around the shopping centre/USQ Springfield Campus.

[#Metro]

^ This is a good route! 

[SurfRail]

^ That's not quite it - heading eastbound, it goes north along Mains Rd, turns right into McCullough St where it would serve a new pair of bus stops adjacent to Sunny Park and Market Square, then go along McCullough St / Padstow Rd / Miles Platting Rd to 8MP busway, up the busway to the Garden City exit then to the bus station upstairs.  That fills in a bit of a gap around the Technology Park.  A simplified version could just use the Warrigal Road green link and follow the 150 route to Garden City but that wouldn't connect well to the Tech Park.

Open to what route it takes between Richlands and Inala.  Direct is fine, but it might go Pine Rd / Archerfield Rd / Progress Rd as an alternative.

[techblitz]

Darra despite its irritating access issues from the east holds far more importance:

Express station in the peaks
Under a reformed centenary network would be the better station feeder
Established Bus infrastructure and accessibility
And last but not least the two lines are decently synced at darra already:

Ippy train into Darra Station

arr 10:07 am 
arr 10:37 am
arr 11:07 am

outbound springfield train @ darra

dep 10.11
dep 10.41
dep 11.11 

opposite direction....

ex springfield train into darra

:22 :52

ex darra heading to ipswich

:26 :56

[SurfRail]

Yes, but the route I have designed already connects to Darra in a much more efficient way.  It connects the express and all stations patterns on the western lines at Wacol and Richlands.  Darra in and of itself isn't terribly important (although I can heartily recommend Yum Yum Peking Duck).

This is meant to be a decent way of getting from the outer south-east to the outer south-west, not everywhere south of the Brisbane River.

[achiruel]

So is this basicallly what you want, SurfRail? Although I've left out the EMP-GC part, Google Maps doesn't navigate on Busways and I couldn't be bothered drawing it in.



As for the co-ordination between trains at Darra, this is largely irrelevant, as this bus is not for people to interchange between the Ipswich and Springfield lines.

I imagine most people, if using it to move between train lines, will be moving between outer Beenleigh and outer Ipswich/Springfield lines. Most of the trips on the inner parts of these lines would be quicker via Yeerongpilly/Corinda or Roma St.

Interchange opportunities:

Wacol Station
Rail: Ipswich (occasional Rosewood) and Caboolture/Nambour Lines
Bus: Route 103 (Mount Ommaney, Sinnamon Park, Durack, Inala), 451 (Sinnamon Park), 452 (Riverhills/Middle Park/Jamboree Heights)

Richlands Station
Rail: Springfield and Kippa-Ring Lines
Bus: Route 101 (Forest Lake via Inala, Blunder Rd/Oxley Station via Archerfield Rd, Boundary Rd, Oxley Rd)

Inala Plaza
Bus: Route 100 (Ipswich Rd BUZ), 101 (Oxley Station via Richalnds/Forest Lake via Blunder Rd), 102 (Oxley Station via Douglas St), 103 (see Darra Station), 110 (City via Beatty Rd, Beaudesert Rd, Ipswich Rd), 122 (Garden City via Acacia Ridge & Griffith Uni)

Hellawell Rd
Bus: Route 115 (Calamvale via Calam, Compton & Gowan Rds/same route as 110 inbound from Watson Rd), 131 (Basically 130 rocket but diverts via Hellawell Rd), 132 (Garden City to Parkinson), 135 (City to Parkinson).

Altandi
Train: Beenleigh, Gold Coast, Ferny Grove, Airport Lines
Bus: 123, 130, 131, 132, 135, 136, 139, 140, 145, P137, P151

McCullough St
Bus: 135

Eight Mile Plains
Bus: Lots

Garden City
Bus: Lots more. When I have more spare time, I'll list them all.

[techblitz]

Wacol/richlands while fairly efficient during the off-peaks......doesn't tickle my fancy during the peaks....
Its not uncommon to be stuck at the levelX on the 463 for over 5 minutes while all the 'out of service' trains as well as 'in service' trains pass through.
And then there is the progress corner traffic @ richlands....your dealing with 3 very busy right turns at lights just to get in and out of richlands station coming from inala....those above 2 issues ive stated can all be avoided if you simply start the route at darra.

[Paul B]

Around 5 years since I was stuck on a 122 trying to get through that Coopers Plains nightmare 

[SurfRail]

So is this basicallly what you want, SurfRail? Although I've left out the EMP-GC part, Google Maps doesn't navigate on Busways and I couldn't be bothered drawing it in.

Basically, except I wouldn't send it through the Tech Park - just keep it on Miles Platting Rd.

Darra would do as the western end, but it isn't as time effective for somebody making the kind of journey this route would actually facilitate (ie southern Beenleigh line to Ipswich or Springfield without going via town).  There's no way to get to Darra without backtracking to connect with trains you can get to by continuing west.

[#Metro]

I did have a preference for going via Darra, as the possibility would be there to terminate it at Mt Ommaney Shopping Centre.

[achiruel]

Wacol/richlands while fairly efficient during the off-peaks......doesn't tickle my fancy during the peaks....
Its not uncommon to be stuck at the levelX on the 463 for over 5 minutes while all the 'out of service' trains as well as 'in service' trains pass through.
And then there is the progress corner traffic @ richlands....your dealing with 3 very busy right turns at lights just to get in and out of richlands station coming from inala....those above 2 issues ive stated can all be avoided if you simply start the route at darra.

Is there any reason there couldn't be a bus stop on the Akenside St side of Wacol Station, so that such a route wouldn't need to cross the LX? The bus could turn around via the station carpark. Also I only see 2 right turns to get to Richlands from Inala? Right from Progress Rd into Garden Rd and then on exit right back on to Progress Rd again.

[achiruel]

So is this basicallly what you want, SurfRail? Although I've left out the EMP-GC part, Google Maps doesn't navigate on Busways and I couldn't be bothered drawing it in.

Basically, except I wouldn't send it through the Tech Park - just keep it on Miles Platting Rd.

Darra would do as the western end, but it isn't as time effective for somebody making the kind of journey this route would actually facilitate (ie southern Beenleigh line to Ipswich or Springfield without going via town).  There's no way to get to Darra without backtracking to connect with trains you can get to by continuing west.

Is there some other way you'd service the Tech Park? It's an awfully long walk from the southern end to Miles Platting Rd, so I think by only having a stop outside it you're effectively discouraging a lot of commuters. Also, the main purpose of this route was to facilitate interchange between outer Beenleigh & Ipswich lines, so a lot of the commuters using it have probably left the bus by now; anyone wanting a quick connection between Beenleigh line and the busway is probably using the 150 (although obviously that doesn't help Gold Coast line commuters).

[Gazza]

Yeah I'd do Wacol and Richlands.
If you want to get to My Ommaney, change from this bus to a 460 at Richlands.

The same trains are stopping at both stations anyway, so why not keep it on progress Rd so it's faster journey for all pax.

It's not like the streets in and out of Darra are particularly fast

[Cazza]

Wacol/richlands while fairly efficient during the off-peaks......doesn't tickle my fancy during the peaks....
Its not uncommon to be stuck at the levelX on the 463 for over 5 minutes while all the 'out of service' trains as well as 'in service' trains pass through.
And then there is the progress corner traffic @ richlands....your dealing with 3 very busy right turns at lights just to get in and out of richlands station coming from inala....those above 2 issues ive stated can all be avoided if you simply start the route at darra.

Is there any reason there couldn't be a bus stop on the Akenside St side of Wacol Station, so that such a route wouldn't need to cross the LX? The bus could turn around via the station carpark. Also I only see 2 right turns to get to Richlands from Inala? Right from Progress Rd into Garden Rd and then on exit right back on to Progress Rd again.

At Wacol, you currently can't turn right out of Akenside St into Wacol Station Rd. However, nothing stopping putting in a turning lane for buses only.

With Richlands, I think TB is talking about looping around the station Clockwise (Progress Rd, right into station, right onto Garden Rd, right onto Progress Rd, continue journey) whereas you are looking at ACW. ACW would probably be quicker and easier.

[Cazza]

Also, it if is to go to Wacol, would it be beneficial to extend down to Goodna? Good interchange opportunities there plus the shopping centre too.

It would allow for people coming from east of Wacol a direct trip (rather than having to change at Wacol to a train then change again at Goodna if required).

[achiruel]

How about heading southwest down Akenside St and entering Ipswich Rd?

For the maps below:

Eastbound, 7:45am; Eastbound, 5:15pm; Westbound, 7:45am; Westbound, 5:15pm [Edit: these are Monday times]. Interesting that there seems to be far less congestion both ways in the PM than in the AM.



Re: Goodna, I don't know; someone wants to go to Goodna, why is there trip more valuable than someone who wants to go to the Centenary suburbs and must hop on a train to Darra and then a bus? You've got to draw the limit somewhere.

Edit: passengers for Goodna also have the choice of the 463 as well as train, and I don't think the Goodna shopping centre is a major regional attraction, it is more likely to be used by locals from within the suburb or Gailes perhaps.

[James]

Also, it if is to go to Wacol, would it be beneficial to extend down to Goodna? Good interchange opportunities there plus the shopping centre too.

It would allow for people coming from east of Wacol a direct trip (rather than having to change at Wacol to a train then change again at Goodna if required).

I think this route is already long enough as-is. 25km+ is long enough, and the trip from Wacol to Goodna would duplicate the railway line. Trains are also faster, so the difference between transferring for a two-stop journey and simply staying on the bus is an extra ~5mins - unlikely to matter much to anybody transferring to another bus service.

This bus also passes through some pretty busy intersections - Inala Ave & Blunder Rd, Garden Road & Progress Road and Mains & McCullough St.

I would also be reluctant to send it through the Brisbane Technology Park. The problem with BTP is the lack of pedestrian connection to 8MP station. Whether this was achieved through a dodgy underpass or gold-plated overpass doesn't matter, it is an inconvenient place to send a bus and will deter patronage. Windy off-route diversions really effect the and attractiveness of a route. Legibility also takes a hit.