Article: Trains run past comfort zone

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Also published in the Sun-Herald 2nd November 2008 page 21

Trains run past comfort zone

Trains run past comfort zone
Tony Moore | November 2, 2008 - 6:14AM

MORE than 1200 people cram into some trains on Brisbane's busiest line,  a public transport lobby group says.

Queensland Rail says such a peak-hour crush does not breach safety guidelines but Translink sets comfort levels at 1000 passengers a train.

Rail: Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said Brisbane's western and northern rail routes  the Ipswich and Caboolture lines  were worst affected by the peak-hour overload.

He said his group's volunteers were counting passengers on trains in Brisbane's morning peak.

''We regularly travel on the Ipswich railway line, and particularly on the 6.14am service,'' Mr Dow said.

''From Indooroopilly onwards, this service is  on most days  seriously overloaded.

''Many passengers are left behind at the further inbound stations as the train reaches over 1200 passengers on board.

''These trains, in a six-car configuration, are only meant to carry around 998 ... for short periods only.

''They should be operating at around 750 passengers maximum loading as a comfortable safe working limit.''

Queensland Rail (QR) disputed Rail: Back on Track's figures and said new services would start early next year. QR issued a statement saying it ''does not have data to support the 1200 passenger claim''.

''A six-car train can carry approximately 1000 passengers, although this capacity figure is a comfort measure, rather than a safety measure,'' the statement said.

Mr Dow said a six-carriage train carrying 798 passengers was considered ''full'' in Victoria.

He said hefty fines applied if Connex, which runs Melbourne's suburban train system, exceeded the limit.

Queensland Rail this month scuttled any plans to compensate passengers if its services fail to meet standards.

However, it has added two new ''early-bird'' services to the Ipswich and Caboolture lines and was monitoring their patronage.

The new services were part of a $585 million roll-out of 44 three-carriage trains announced last month.

Fifteen train services now run through Indooroopilly between 6.55am and 8.38am each weekday.

''Since February, QR has added 57 extra carriages to the fleet and by early 2009 we will have added another 24,'' QR said.

Transport Minister John Mickel said commuters would soon see ''approximately one new train coming off the production line each month''.

Thanks to Brisbanetimes for following up our media release with this story.

The fact remains that many services do have more than a 1000 passengers on board. When one considers the limit that applies in Melbourne on the broader gauge (5'3") 798, and we are regularly carrying a 1000 or more on our smaller units, it is obvious that at times the situation is not satisfactory.

We have received a lot of feedback concerning overloading and genuine concern for well being of passengers in cramped conditions. 

[ozbob]

See -->  http://www.citytrain.com.au/about/fleet/emu/emu.asp  for details of the trains.

[O_128]

For me the maximum for "comfort zone" would be where everyone has a seat.