New train, tram operators for Melbourne

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

New train, tram operators for Melbourne

New train, tram operators for Melbourne
Clay Lucas and Mex Cooper
June 25, 2009 - 11:13AM

Connex has been stripped of its contract to operate Melbourne's train system, with Hong Kong company Metro Trains Melbourne to take its place.

The city's trams will also have a new operator with Keolis Downer EDI ousting the incumbent Yarra Trams as the government's preferred tenderer.

The decision to oust Connex is likely to be warmly greeted by train passengers who have become increasingly infurated with late, overcrowded and cancelled services across the network.

May was the fifth month in a row that Melbourne trains did not meet punctuality targets with almost one in 10 failing to arrive at their destination on time.

Connex this year had $11 million wiped from its revenue by the Government after 2.8 per cent of all train services were cancelled in the first months of the year.

[ozbob]

Update from Melbourne Age click here!

New train, tram operators for Melbourne
Clay Lucas and Mex Cooper
June 25, 2009 - 11:13AM

Connex has been stripped of its contract to operate Melbourne's train system, with Hong Kong-backed company Metro Trains Melbourne to take its place.

The city's trams will also have a new operator with Keolis Downer EDI ousting the incumbent Yarra Trams as the government's preferred tenderer.

The fresh contracts will begin in December, with the new operators offered an initial eight-year term, with an option to extend for a further seven years.

The decision to oust Connex is likely to be warmly greeted by train passengers who have become increasingly infuriated with late, overcrowded and cancelled services across the network.

May was the fifth month in a row that Melbourne trains did not meet punctuality targets with almost one in 10 failing to arrive at their destination on time.

Connex this year had $11 million wiped from its revenue by the Government after 2.8 per cent of all train services were cancelled in the first months of the year.

MTM is a joint venture between Hong Kong's MTR Corporation Ltd, Australian companies John Holland Melbourne Rail Franchise Pty Ltd and United Group Rail Services Ltd. MTR also operates the London Overground rail service.

The new contract will include a customer service regime, offering incentives for MTM to improve customer service announcements, cleanliness, graffiti removal and increased personal safety on the rail network.

The contract will also include a 50 per cent increase in funding for rail maintenance.

Announcing the tender winners this morning, Premier John Brumby said MTM had a proven track record of operating metropolitan train networks, achieving 99 per cent reliability on Hong Kong's mass transit system.

The new operator would bring "significant change" to Melbourne's transport network, he told reporters.

Asked if the decision was a condemnation of Connex, Mr Brumby said it "wasn't helpful to look back", but he admitted there were elements of Connex's performance that "obviously could have been improved".

He said the final cost of the contracts had yet to be decided, although he believed the winning bids represented value for money.

The tender decision had been based on reliability, punctuality, cleanliness, safety and cost, he said.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky, a regular target of commuter fury, said MTM would deliver improved reliability and fewer cancellations for Melbourne's train passengers.

She said the change in operators would not affect current train and tram employees, who would be transferred to the new companies.

The government is yet to release the new names or livery for the city's train and tram networks.

Keolis Downer EDI (KDR), a consortium made up French firm Keolis and Australian maintenance provider Downer EDI, will also be offered an eight-year term with an option for a further seven years to run Melbourne's trams.

Mr Brumby said KDR's bid showed it was committed to customer service, including a greater focus on staff training and providing more timely and accurate information to passengers.

"Our trams are an iconic symbol of our city and KDR has proven strategies to improve services, reduce cancellations and increase maintenance. KDR operates four tram networks in France,'' he said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Connex and Yarra Trams dumped in favour of MTR and Keolis

Connex and Yarra Trams dumped in favour of MTR and Keolis
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

June 25, 2009 12:00am

UPDATE 2.19pm: TRAIN and tram services won't improve without massive investment in the crumbling system, commuters say.

In a major shock, both Connex and Yarra Trams were today stripped of their contracts to run Melbourne's train and tram networks in favour of two new operators.

Premier John Brumby announced this morning that from December French group Keolis will run Melbourne's trams while Hong Kong's MTR will run trains.

"They submitted bids that show they had the experience and expertise to deliver improved train and tram services in Melbourne," Ms Kosky said.

Keolis spokeswoman Maryanne Graham said the company would focus on customers, and punctuality and reliability.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the government needed to do more to coordinate services and fix infrastructure problems.

"We hope both the new operators will do their best to provide Melbourne with a reliable public transport service, but we also know that many of the problems the network has fall squarely on the shoulders of the government,? Mr Bowen said today.

The PTUA wants better co-ordination between train, tram and bus services, more tracks to unclog bottlenecks on the train system and an upgrade of signals to allow for more frequent and reliable trains.

The have also called for more priority at traffic lights for trams and buses and for the sleeper replacement program to be sped up to avoid track buckling during summer.

Mr Bowen said there was scope for the new operators to lift performance.

"Cleanliness on the system, more staff, better maintenance to improve reliability, and better customer service and information are all essential, and are things that can and should be improved," Mr Bowen said.

Following this morning's shock announcement, the State Opposition called for Ms Kosky to also be relieved of her duties as Public Transport Minister.

"Changing the operators of Melbourne?s rail and tram system changes little,? Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said today.

?The only meaningful change will be if Minister Kosky goes.?

Mr Mulder said Connex and Yarra Trams were the Brumby Government?s sacrificial lambs.

?Minister Kosky supplied Connex and Yarra Trams with crumbling tracks and rundown fleets of trains and trams.

?From December, Minister Kosky will supply MTM and Keolis with the same decrepit tracks and rollingstock for the rail and tram networks respectively.?

No decision has been made on what the train system will be called, Mr Brumby said but the Government has previously said it wants a new Melbourne-themed brand for the train network.

Details of the bid costs have not been disclosed and will not be known for six to eight weeks.

"These bids in our view represent value for money," Mr Brumby said.

Mr Brumby said Connex's past performance had nothing to do with the decision.

"There are some things they have done well, there are some things in which they could have improved," Mr Brumby said.

"I don't think it's helpful to look back, this is about looking forward."

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Trevor Dobbyn said more needed to be done than changing train logos and livery.

?This change presents a real opportunity for the Government to improve Melbourne?s public transport system,? Mr Dobbyn said.

?For too long public transport has been under-resourced, both in terms of staff and services provided to the public.?

?We are as keen as the people of Melbourne to make sure this deal is more than just a name change and that it will lead to more staff and better services.?

Connex executive chairman Jonathan Metcalfe said he was disappointed by the decision.

?We are convinced that we put in a very strong bid focused on how the customer experience can be improved and how we could successfully partner with the Government to deliver the raft of projects that will transform the Melbourne train network over the next decade,? Mr Metcalfe said.

?From the Connex perspective, we are very proud of our achievements in managing the train network through a period of unprecedented growth as a very loyal partner with the State Government.

?We have re-integrated the two rail networks in the wake of the National Express exit and put in place new technologies and ideas.?

Three groups, Connex and Keolis from France, and MTR from Hong Kong, submitted their bids in April.

Keolis also submitted a bid to run the tram network, but the Government previously said the same company would not be given both contracts.

The tender process was rocked by the leak of confidential Connex documents that were supposed to have been secure.

News that the Connex parent company, Veolia, was interested in buying a stake of the Yarra Trams parent, Transdev, held up the announcement.

The reputation of Connex has suffered a battering, particularly during the summer meltdown and the Oaks Day debacle last year.

But the company has recently turned in its best performance in five years, with just 25 trains cancelled last week.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Hong Kong operater MTR vows to make train system safer, cleaner

Hong Kong operater MTR vows to make train system safer, cleaner

Ashley Gardiner

June 26, 2009 12:00am

A BOLD promise of fewer late and cancelled services, improved personal safety and better cleanliness clinched the deal for a Hong Kong operator to run the city's trains.

Metro Trains Melbourne will take over the network in December after the State Government dumped Connex.

Central to the MTM bid, led by Hong Kong's MTR, is a train maintenance system designed to get as many services out of the existing fleet of trains as possible.

This should ease the squeeze, with more frequent services.

Premier John Brumby said extra services would begin next year.

"We wanted improved levels of reliability, we want better punctuality, we want better safety, we want first-rate customer service and we want cleanliness," Mr Brumby said.

Finer details, including the specifics of improved services and how much it will cost the taxpayer, will not be released until the contracts are signed in August.

But MTM chief executive Andrew Lezala pointed to the way things are done in Hong Kong as a clue to what commuters can expect.

"Have a look at how we operate things in Hong Kong, in terms of the way we plan our services (and) maintenance," Mr Lezala said. "We will be applying all the things that we do well elsewhere in the world to Melbourne."

Mr Lezala said MTR's recent takeover of the London Overground, which had similarities to Melbourne, had delivered improvements.

"The punctuality has come up, the reliability has come up," he said. "The staff have a fantastic pride now in what they're doing, the place has been renovated, it has really transformed."

In Hong Kong, MTR has developed train stations into major multi-level retail centres. The company may push for more development of stations here, a move certain to provoke controversy.

While the demise of Connex was no surprise, the decision to dump Yarra Trams was surprising.

KDR, a group including French operator Keolis, will take over the tram network in December.

The State Government owns the Yarra Trams name, but it was not clear whether the trams would be rebranded.

A new Melbourne-themed brand will be chosen for the train system.

Mr Brumby said the decision to axe the existing operators was not a reflection of their performance.

"If you look at Connex's record, there are some things they have done well, there are some things where obviously their performance could have improved," Mr Brumby said.

"This is really a bidding process that looks forward."

Connex has plodded from problem to problem since it took over the entire Melbourne train network in 2004.

A second operator, National Express, walked out, leaving Connex with a shortage of drivers, which led to cancelled services.

Once that was fixed, Connex was hit by brake problems on Siemens trains, which had been purchased by National Express.

A surge in patronage slowed the system and made it extremely uncomfortable for peak-hour commuters.

A debacle on Oaks Day, where the suspension of train services forced racegoers to walk home, was a major public relations disaster for the already troubled company.

But a meltdown of the system over summer - Connex was fined $11 million after extreme temperatures and a union spat wreaked havoc with train services - proved to be the last straw.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

New Melbourne train operator is a good operator

New Melbourne train operator is a good operator
Article from: Herald Sun

Mark Armsden

June 26, 2009 12:00am

IF the Mass Transit Railway Corporation can manage to achieve just 50 per cent of the efficiencies it offers commuters in Asia's busiest metropolis, then Melburnians are sure to experience a major upgrade in their urban rail network.

When I lived in Hong Kong (1993-2006), the MTR was a key part of life. It moved us quickly around Hong Kong, travelling around the island and under the harbour at two points to cover most of Kowloon.

On a busy day, it was not unusual to use the network five or six times.

The most enjoyable thing about commuting with the MTR was its reliability and the facilities.

There is no such thing as a timetable for the MTR. Well, there probably is, but they are not made public. Trains come around every four minutes in non-peak periods and about every two at peak times to provide 3.7 million commuter trips each day.

Stations are pristine. Staff are helpful. Ticket machines work. Announcements in Cantonese, Mandarin and English are to the point and informative.

I can't recall ever waiting more than five minutes for a train. Carriages are kept clean. The interiors are sparse, but clean. Security was never an issue for me or my female friends, no matter what time of the evening we were travelling.

Reliability is the key to its operations. Even in force 10 typhoons, you could always count on the MTR moving you through its underground network.

Maybe the MTR in Hong Kong works well under pressure. If a train ever broke down it would throw the entire system into chaos. I don't recall this ever happening.

The MTR has done well, it also manages and runs trains from Kowloon to China (the Kowloon-Canton Railway or KCR), from central Hong Kong to Disneyland, and the valuable Airport Express.

Make no mistake, Hong Kong citizens are hard markers and if the MTR was not what locals would call "worthy" of receiving their custom then the company would have been moved on swiftly until an acceptable alternative was found.

I know running a rail network in Melbourne - under Australian workplace and union regulations - is entirely different to Hong Kong, but the MTR should be given a chance.

[Matt]

Hi Bob,
          Heard an announcement re the Kippa-ring rail this am, what's your take on it.
Mal.

[ozbob]

Always hopeful, check out here --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7.0

Did a quick interview on 4BC this morning, welcomed it but again it has been promised before.  Let's hope it finally gets up.

Cheers
Bob

[longboi]

MTR know how to run a transport system, lets hope the Victorian State Government doesn't let them down and funds the necessary infrastructure upgrades which are needed to truly improve the Melbourne rail network.