Article: Late Queensland Rail trains on track for fine

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Late Queensland Rail trains on track for fine

Late Queensland Rail trains on track for fine
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Ursula Heger

August 13, 2009 12:00am

QUEENSLAND Rail is facing its second fine in two years after it failed to dramatically improve the number of late peak-hour trains.

Figures released by TransLink show 91.74 per cent of peak-hour services arrived on-time last year ? or an average of 18 late trains every day.

The rail operator is contractually obligated to ensure 92.4 per cent of peak-hour trains arrive within four minutes of their scheduled time, with no more than 0.5 per cent of trains cancelled.

While on-time running has improved marginally on last year, up from 91.15 per cent, it is not enough to avoid a significant penalty from TransLink.

The fine will be the second for QR, after the rail provider last year copped a $6.7 million penalty for its worst performance in more than four years.

The fine may be offset in part, however, with a bonus after the rail operator improved the number of peak-hour train cancellations since last year. Up to 99.8 per cent of trains were running.

The fine, which has not yet been finalised, is expected to be handed down next month.

QR Passenger executive general manager Paul Scurrah said the service was working to improve on-time running performance and had seen good results in recent months.

"TransLink and QR met during the last quarter to plan strategies to improve on-time running performance," he said.

There were several strategies in place, including new rollingstock to improve maintenance schedules for older trains, infrastructure improvements, and extra driver and crew recruitment. "We have introduced new procedures at train control to inform train crew, station staff and customers of delays," Mr Scurrah said.

"This helps to more effectively assist passengers boarding and alighting (from) trains."

Rail Back on Track spokesman Robert Dow said he was concerned QR Passenger was copping a fine for issues with maintenance issues on the network which were the responsibility of the newly separated QR Network.

"What we are looking at now is level crossing issues, network track and signal failures and passenger illness," he said.

"We think fining QR Passenger is not the way to go. We think the Government should be fining QR Network because they are responsible for the failures.

"If you take away those network and track failures the on-time running performance dramatically improves."

[ozbob]

Media Release 11 August 2009

SEQ:  QR Ciytrain congratulated for improved on-time running performance

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport users has said that QR Citytrain is  actually providing an improved on time performance and this should be acknowledged.  The TransLink Tracker (1) figures do not tell the detailed story.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"As reported in the TransLink tracker QR Citytrain is achieving an on-time performance of 91.74 percent for 2008/9, up from 2007/8 at 91.15 per cent.  This is despite significant impacts from level crossing incidents and network failures during the past year.  Factors beyond the control of QR Citytrain."

"The on-time performance criterion of arrival not later than 3minutes 59 seconds is one of the tightest in the world.  This is seldom acknowledged."

"If incidents beyond QR Citytrain's control are taken into account the on-time performance is around 95%.  An exceptional performance, particularly on a network shared with a heavy load of rail freight traffic.  The bizarre  process of fining QR Citytrain for the consequences of network failures and errant motorists driving into boom gates is silly.  The government is in fact fining itself. All this achieves is less funding for urgently needed services and so a cycle of negative reinforcement is set up."

"Using the same flawed logic maybe it is time TransLink and Queensland Transport started to fine themselves for the failure to properly resource our public transport systems?"

References:

1.  http://www.translink.com.au/resources/tracker/TransLinkTracker_0809Q4.pdf

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org