Reported service disruptions rail - no longer in use

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/alert.php?id=448

Rail network - effective 16 February 2010

Due to earlier signalling problems on the network caused by the storm, passengers across the rail network can expect delays of up to 45 minutes as services return to normal.

[ozbob]

I am presently in the CBD area.  Very heavy rain for 40 minutes or so, Brisbanetimes is reporting 80mm in fifty minutes.

Was a strange linear storm line that dropped a lot of rain in a relatively narrow path.   Not surprising some disruption ...

[ozbob]

From Twitter

TransLinkSEQ
 
Gold Coast/Beenleigh line update: alternative transport now operating between Dutton Park and Moorooka stations. 7 minutes ago from API

[ozbob]

erail 2.14pm

16 Feb 2010

45 mins delay for services on Gold Coast Line due to extreme weather. Service to resume by 3:30 PM.


==========

erail 2.15pm

16 Feb 2010

45 mins delay for services on Cleveland Line due to extreme weather. Service to resume by 3:30 PM.

[ozbob]

Twitter

TransLinkSEQ
 
Passengers on the Caboolture and Nambour lines between Burpengary and Caboolture stations can expect delays of up 30-45 minutes.

7 minutes ago from API

[Derwan]

A bit chaotic at Central. All services still delayed.

[ozbob]

erail 4.02pm

16 Feb 2010

45 mins delay for services on Gold Coast Line due to extreme weather. Service to resume by 6:30 PM.

For further enquiries or timetable information please contact TransLink on 13 12 30 or www.translink.com.au.

[ozbob]

Passed through Central on the way home.  Ippy train was around 13 minutes late, left Central about 5.55pm (5.42) good loading.

All lines seemed a little erratic but running.

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

More storms bring flash flooding to southeast

More storms bring flash flooding to southeast
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Kara Butler and Neale Maynard

February 16, 2010 06:45pm

LATEST: COMMUTERS experienced peak hour chaos after a storm earlier dumped up to 100mm of rain on Brisbane in less than an hour.

There has been flash flooding in various parts of Brisbane including Stanley Street and Lucinda Street at Woolloongabba, Douglas St, Milton, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill and Toowong.

Residents of East Brisbane have told how the deluge there led to the worst flooding they had seen since the 1974 floods.

The weather has caused commuter chaos for motorists and rail passengers, There are  delays on all major roads in the Brisbane area, including Hale Street inbound, Coronation Drive, Lutwyche Road, and the Riverside Expressway.

Rail passengers on the Gold Coast and Beenleigh lines can expect delays of up to 30 minutes as trains are being diverted via the Tennyson Loop, due to flooding and storm damage.

Limited rail and alternative bus services will be operating between Yeerongpilly and Dutton Park stations.

Some bus passengers may experience delays as many roads across the TransLink network are  affected by localised flooding.

One couriermail.com.au reader said her parents had lived in the area for more than 35 years and they had not seen flooding so bad.

The water was 1.2m deep at the end of Fisher Street and Camberwell Street, she said.

Water was up past peoples' knees along Melbourne St, South Brisbane and there have been several reports of basement car parks being inundated.

Long live the Tennyson loop ...

[Jon Bryant]

They cancelled to 6:47 Cleveland so I decided to catch a cab. Swiped off at Central after swiping on 20 mins earlier.  5 buck error charge.  This is a programming error as I clearly could not have travelled far given our current frequencies.  Worse case it should be a zone 1 fare.  Rang Translink to get my 5 buck back and response to pointing out the programming error was "maybe they will fix it one day". Worst customer experience I have had for a long time.    

[ozbob]

Yes, if you touch on and then don't cancel the touch in 20 minutes then subsequently touch off at the same station it is an automatic fixed fare.  They will refund it of course but you have to ring and so forth.  Many folks were caught with this when there the major signal failures late last year.

[Derwan]

Did anyone receive any eRail updates during yesterday's disruptions?  I didn't, but I don't think the Shorncliffe line was significantly disrupted.

[Nightwriter]

They weren't announcing that trains were being cancelled on the Ipswich line (3.53, 4.09, 4.12 I'm pretty sure where the ones), so it wouldn't surprise me if there were no eRail updates. 

[ozbob]

Had a few erail alerts (see earlier in this thread) but many seemed not to have been sent.  Probably too many?

OTP was reported as 16 Feb 57.8% 129/223  which means just about everything yesterday afternoon was late.

[Fares_Fair]

Hello All,

I can confirm no eRail alerts on the North Coast (Caboolture and Sunshine Coast) lines yesterday.
Trains heading north delayed from 15 min. at start of trip to 30 min. by end.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Otto]

I only got erail alerts for GC, Beenleigh and Cleveland lines yesterday.

[ozbob]

Daughter number one has called from Central. Major problems Ipswich line, no trains. Power problems between Corinda and Ipswich .....

[ozbob]

Twitter

TransLinkSEQ
 
Up to 1.5 hour delays on the Ipswich line.Trains are suspended due to an overhead power problem at Gailes. Visit http://www.translink.com.au
10 minutes ago from API

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/alert.php?id=454

Ipswich line - effective 17 February 2010

QR has advised TransLink that services are suspended on the Ipswich line due to an overhead power problem at Gailes. Passengers can expect delays of 1.5 hours. Alternative transport is being arranged.

[verbatim9]

Twitter

TransLinkSEQ
 
Up to 1.5 hour delays on the Ipswich line.Trains are suspended due to an overhead power problem at Gailes. Visit http://www.translink.com.au
10 minutes ago from API

I guess the overhead system is beginning to age and without regular maintenance it tends to fail.

[ozbob]

Much confusion.  I picked up daughter number one in the horseless carriage at Graceville.  Trains terminating at Graceville from town. She commented 'go chaos' and much confusion.  Took a car load all stations to Darra ...    (daughters horseless carriage stabled at Darra).

No sign of buses or any staff at Graceville ...   EMU 73 stuck at Oxley.

Just heard a whistle, maybe things starting to move.

[ozbob]

Twitter

TransLinkSEQ
 
Services have resumed on the Ipswich line. Passengers can expect 10-15 minute delays as services return to normal.

11 minutes ago from API

[STB]

Word from the TL site is the overhead power problem on the Ipswich line was due to suspected vandalism.

Ipswich line - effective 17 February 2010
QR has advised TransLink that services have resumed on Ipswich line after an earlier overhead power problem at Gailes caused by suspected vandalism. Passengers can expect 10-15 minute delays as services return to normal.

[ozbob]

Understand something on the power lines ...

Communication has to be improved.  Because of the complex safety procedures what used to be fixed simply is now are drawn out process. So delays and delays are more common.  Then there must be clear instructions issued to the punters.  It was a shambles again this evening.  No one has a clue what is going on, buses?  I asked the punters I picked up did they know what is going on?  Nothing.  Where, when, what side of the line the buses will be and so forth needs to be passed on.  No staff.  It is not the train crews fault, they can only relay what they are told. There are station announcements and so forth that can be made.   I think we need local volunteers who can be called to go to a station when there is a meltdown and inform patrons as to what is actually going on, what the alternate arrangements are and so forth.  Got to be better than nothing which is often the case these days (most stations unstaffed when needed).

Maybe we should bring back steam and scrap the electrics.  Yay!!   (tic).

[ozbob]

Feedback from one of the punters I transported in horseless carriage ...

Basically, they were doing announcements at Central but there were alot of confused people...they
didn't know whether to get on or off the trains that were passing through Central on plat 5.
When everyone piled off the train at the Graceville, the station was packed and most people would
have struggled to find the go card reader.....was absolute chaos!!!!  How are you supposed to line
up in an orderly line when the reader is where it is ?!?!  I just had to push my way through to the
front, nothing else you could do!  And they had no one directing people at Graceville....people
wouldn't have even known whether to go left or right to exit the station for the buses that were
apparently being organised.

What a disaster!!

[#Metro]

No staff.  It is not the train crews fault, they can only relay what they are told.

Can't they talk over the station's PA system remotely until staff arrive?
On the busway they can talk to you remotely... I've seen it happen to smoking kids and rowdy people.

[ozbob]

Can't they talk over the station's PA system remotely until staff arrive?

Exactly, we have been suggesting that this could be done for the past 3 years ....

Something about noise restrictions, but for goodness sake when there is a disruption it would be so simple to make announcements.  People would understand that it is necessary.  Eg. "Attention passengers, due to a power failure there are no trains.  Buses will be arriving shortly.  Please wait on the platform 1 side of the station.  We apologise for the delay ..." 

[longboi]

This is exactly what the customer care reps are supposed to be doing.

The PA at stations can be used remotely however in these sort of situations control are far too busy trying to sort out the mess to be making announcements which is the job of station staff.

[mufreight]

The failing in the system using the logic of the previous post is that someone has to tell the station staff and it appears that this is not happening and on one recent occasion the station attendant tried to ring to obtain information and could not get through,
If it is an unattended station who then provides the information to waiting commuters?

[ozbob]

The PA at stations can be used remotely however in these sort of situations control are far too busy trying to sort out the mess to be making announcements which is the job of station staff.

There is usually no station staff.  Maybe QR needs to have someone who can use the station announcement system who is not tied up with active train control duties.

[#Metro]

The PA at stations can be used remotely however in these sort of situations control are far too busy trying to sort out the mess to be making announcements which is the job of station staff.

Yes, but this seems to be the "we are too busy" approach to solving problems, rather than a "customer" centered approach.
Could staff at the next station down the line make announcements? Translink? It seems a little unbelievable that people are too busy to make an announcement? I just don't believe it. I think I would just press the emergency button.

1. Announcement- train is late, service is delayed etc. Sorry. This could be an automated message.
2. Free alternative transport for affected commuters, or a refund

Most people are reasonable. They will get a cab or carpool as alternatives.
If there was an alternative metro service, the impact of these delays would not be so hard, but not for a while yet...

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Vandals stop peak hour trains on Ipswich Line

Vandals stop peak hour trains on Ipswich Line
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Robyn Ironside

February 18, 2010 06:40am

THE Queensland Police Rail Squad will today investigate suspected vandalism of power lines which halted trains during evening peak hour.
The attack which allegedly occurred on the overhead power bridge at Gailes shut down train services on the Ipswich line from 5.30pm until just before 7pm.

A Translink spokeswoman said the entire line was suspended for the period, apart from "some movement between Roma Street and Corinda''.

One commuter who contacted www.couriermail.com.au said it was frustrating for passengers who were initially told buses were being arranged, only to hear a few minutes later they were not.

"Another minute the technicians were on the job, and the next minute they hadn't arrived at the job. Every 15 minutes we were told it would be a half hour,'' she said.

The Translink spokeswoman said buses were being arranged but then they realised that by the time they arrived the problem would be fixed.

"They were being sourced. At that time of day 5.30pm, it is difficult to get enough buses to service the whole Ipswich line,'' said the spokeswoman.

"We initially thought it would take up to two hours to fix the problem but it was repaired in just over an hour.''

The commuter praised the goodwill of passengers, who "kindly offered lifts to others heading in the same direction'' when their "lifts'' arrived.

"The passengers' patience in this dire and confusing situation is to be applauded,'' she said.

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/ontimerail.php

QR morning peak updates for Friday 19 February 2010

8.00am
The 7.48am Varsity Lakes to Brisbane Airport service will be delayed approximately 15 minutes at Robina waiting for police to attend to a person on the tracks between Robina and Ormeau.


7.52am
For safety reasons, trains have been halted in both directions between Robina and Ormeau due to a person situated reported to be near the tracks. The 7.48am Varsity Lakes to Brisbane Airport service will be delayed approximately 10 minutes at Robina.

================

erail 8.21am

19 Feb 2010

30 mins delay for services on Gold Coast Line due to police incident. Service to resume by 10:00 AM.

[ozbob]

erail 8.37am

19 Feb 2010

Services for Gold Coast Line have resumed as normal.

[ozbob]

Letter to the editor Queensland Times 19th February 2010 page 8

Rail commuters emerge as the unlikely heroes

[madbaza]

train completley cancelled and another train only available at 7:35 pm at Roma Street Station.
It was cancelled due to an operation issue so it was stated over the platform speakers
At approx 6:15 pm a Gold Coast train arrived and it was anounced that it would be stopping at Coopers Plains but once on the train passagers were informed that the service was express to Loganlea and would not be stopping at Coopers Plains.

[ozbob]

erail 9.11pm

19 Feb 2010

Disruptions on Cleveland Line due to staff issues. Expect 30 mins delay. Service to resume by 20 Feb 2010 4:45 AM.

Alt. transport operating between Central and Cleveland.

==================

1.04am

20 Feb 2010

Services on Ferny Grove Line are cancelled due to staff issues. Service to resume by 4:59 AM.

Alt. transport operating between Roma Street and Ferny Grove.

[p858snake]

7:15AM Cleavland (All stats.) depat. FG
- Delayed due to a medical emerg. @ keepera station.
- Cancelled and rerouted into 7:26AM All stats. Beenleigh service.
- No eRail updates.

[ozbob]

Twitter

TransLinkSEQ Up to 30 minute delays on the Ipswich line due to a signalling fault at Corinda.   
4 minutes ago   via API 

[ozbob]

http://www.translink.com.au/alert.php?id=467

Ipswich line - effective 24 February 2010

QR has advised TransLink trains are running again on the Ipswich line after a signalling fault at Corinda.

However, outbound trains from Corinda will experience delays of about 15 minutes due to a points fault.