7.32am Darra to Roma ST Express

[brismike]

The Express from Darra to Roma Street 7.32 service is a joke. I used to catch this all the time because it was a very quick trip in sometimes doing the trip in 14 minutes.   This was when it used to terminate at Bowen Hills. Ever since the alterations commenced at Indooroopilly, and the timetable amendments to cater for only 2 tracks being in use while that was on, it became the slowest express in town.

Even though the 4 lines are now open and Indooroopilly is finished it is still a joke.  The problem is under the current timetable after Central, this train continues onto Nambour and has a scheduled departure time from Central of 8.00am. This means it has to wait for the All Stations 7.26am from Darra to Bowen Hills to clear the platform at Central before it can even get to Central. 

Most mornings the 7.32am Express actually passes the 7.26am all stations anywhere between Graceville and Toowong. It then waits just outside Milton station while the All Stations catches it up and passes it. 

Not much point having an express train that then sits waiting for up to 7 minutes while another All Stations train which it has already overtaken has to catch up to it and get in front before it can move. 

Solution is .. Change the 7.32am express to be a Bowen Hills only service like it used to be and make the 7.26am All stations to be the Nambour service like it used to be. Then the Express can just go for it at top speed. It will easily pass and clear Central way before the scheduled arrival time (7.53am) in Central of the All stations train. 

I hope they this fix this stuffup in the next timetable or I will just keep getting the 7.26am All Stations and smile while we are passing the express at Milton every day. Guaranteed a seat on the All Stations train too .   

[Arnz]

If I recall correctly the current ex-Redbank to Bowen Hill all-stops service used to the Nambour service and the Darra-Roma Street express used to terminate at Bowen Hills before they swapped the trains in the last timetable changes.

Apart from that, If I were the planner/dispatcher I'd terminate both services at Bowen Hills and have the 8:00am Nambour service form fresh from the Mayne depot.   

To my knowledge the same EMU/SMUs that work the 8:00am Nambour service (originating from Ipswich) also forms/operates the 12:45pm Nambour service as well (12:40 ex Roma Street).

[brismike]

This morning I caught the 7.26 all stations from Darra and it was overtaken just after Sherwood by the 7.32 Darra to Roma St express. When the All Stations got to Milton there was the poor express just sitting waiting patiently on the up fast line for it to catch up and pass. This must be so frustrating for the passengers on the express train that just sits and waits for up to 6 or 7 minutes like this. And it is one reason I won't catch it at the moment.

[mufreight]

Just making an assumption here but I would think that the 7.05 ex Ipswich to Nambour (8.00am ex Central) service will be rescheduled early in the new year as there are no real impediments to it running earlier from Central ahead of the 7.14 service ex Redbank which would mean it could become a 7.52am departure from Central and then run 8 minutes ahead of the existing table through to Nambour.

[brismike]

Thanks mufreight... That would definitly solve the problem and is what is needed.

[brismike]

I picked up a new Ipswich line timetable effective from December 08 on Tuesday and it looks like they have made the switch over as suggested. Funny thing is even though the timetable has been amended the trains are still running as per the old September timetable? Did someone forget to tell the drivers?

[glen_2006]

According to the online schedules there is no change. I've travelled on this service before, and I always noticed that we overtook the previous service, but it would then overtake us as we went into the city. I guess the purpose of it must have been to give the passengers before Redbank a quicker journey.

[brismike]

Yes . . nothing has actually changed .. I caught the all stations 7.25 from Darra on the 12th Jan and lo and behold . . the express passed us and then was held at Milton while we caught up. Today I caught the 7.31 express and we waited at Milton while the All stations passed and went ahead.

The 7.31 ex Darra is announced as continuing on to Caboolture express stopping at Northgate and Petrie only.
The 7.25 ex Darra is announced as all stations to Bowen Hills.

But the printed Timetable updated December 2008 says the exact opposite? WTF?

I have put a query in on the Translink Website  . . I might get a response?

[stephenk]

Yes . . nothing has actually changed .. I caught the all stations 7.25 from Darra on the 12th Jan and lo and behold . . the express passed us and then was held at Milton while we caught up. Today I caught the 7.31 express and we waited at Milton while the All stations passed and went ahead.

The 7.31 ex Darra is announced as continuing on to Caboolture express stopping at Northgate and Petrie only.
The 7.25 ex Darra is announced as all stations to Bowen Hills.

But the printed Timetable updated December 2008 says the exact opposite? WTF?

I have put a query in on the Translink Website  . . I might get a response?

Don't expect a reply from Translink! You would be better off contacting QR.

[brismike]

Well they did provide a reply . . as follows .... .. My question to them is at the bottom. Looks like they have just passed it onto QR anyway.

Dear Sir             
Thank you for contacting TransLink with your query. At TransLink we value all comments and feedback and we are committed to ensuring our customers receive satisfaction from the information provided by us.

Your comments have been forwarded to the relevant TransLink Operator for investigation.

You will be contacted in relation to your enquiry in the near future.

The TransLink Transit Authority (TTA) website is your one stop shop for information on public transport in South East Queensland. Our goal is to answer any question you have about TransLink bus, train and ferry services. Therefore all queries, comments and feedback are used to continually improve the information contained on the TTA website.

Should you require further information, please visit the TTA website at http://www.translink.com.au/ . Alternatively, the TransLink Call Centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 13 12 30.

Kind regards
Michael
TransLink Customer Support

-----Original Message-----
From: qtmr.agent@transport.qld.gov.au [mailto:qtmr.agent@transport.qld.gov.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 13 January 2009 11:01
To: TransLink
Subject: TransLink feedback

I have a copy of the Ipswich Line Timetable updated December
2008. In it there is a train that leaves Darra at 7.25am
which is shown in the timetable as all stations to Bowen
Hills then goes onto Nambour. The next train shown on the
Timetable that leaves Darra is the 7.31am Darra to Roma St
Express and it is shown in the timetable as terminating at
Bowen Hills.

However the reverse actually is happening. The 7.25 all
stations terminates at Bowen hills and the 7.31 express
continues to Nambour?

This need to be fixed. The 7.25 all stations train is
delaying the express every day by up to 6 or 7 minutes
because it has to sit at Milton Station waiting for all
stations train to catch it up and get in front. The express
train usually passes the all stations around Graceville or
Chelmer and then has to wait for it? This wastes the time of
up to 1000 passengers as this train is packed. (1000 x 7mins
= 117 man hours)

This can be fixed if the trains ran as the timetable says
they should, but for some weird reason they are not following
the timetable?

Can someone please look at this and fix it?

[mufreight]

Seems that they now have fixed it partialy with the all stations service ex Redbank now becoming the 8.00am Nambour service ex Central however with the present somewhat absurd situation of the 7.05 express service ex Ipswich being held untill the all stations service preceeds it into Roma Street through passengers for the Northern lines can now not make the connection to continue what was previously a through service and now are forced to catch the earier 6.51am service ex Ipswich to make the connection which is 14 minutes earlier, one must question why the 7.05 express service is not being run as per the timetable ahead of the 7.14 am service ex Redbank thus making possible the through connection with a change of trains either at Roma Street or Central.

[brismike]

Looks like they have now fixed this anomoly. I caught the train from Darra this morning for the first time since the threatened train strikes. The 7.25 ex Darra is now all stations to Bowen Hills and then becomes the Nambour express. It is overtaken approximatly at Indooroopilly by the 7.31 ex Darra Express to Roma St, after which is all stations to Bowen Hills. 

No more waiting meaninglessly for up to 7 minutes at Milton by the express waiting for the all stations to catch up. Yeee! Someone finally saw sense. Plus now the service actually matches what the timetable says. 

I haven't caught the train since the threatened strikes because I had a go at riding my electric scooter all the way to the Valley more as an experiment than anything. It takes me almost exactly the same time as riding it to Darra and then training it. I don't fancy riding to the valley in the rain hence using the train today. 

I'm going to keep riding the electric scooter when I can as i'm guaranteed a seat lol.