Article: Queues line up for sardine-can trains

[ozbob]

From the Courier Mail click here!

Queues line up for sardine-can trains

Queues line up for sardine-can trains
Article from: The Courier-Mail

Craig Johnstone

October 05, 2009 11:00pm

FRUSTRATED rail commuters may be forced to line up in formal queues, and stand for more than 20 minutes onboard their overcrowded trains, amid concern southeast Queensland is headed for a commuting crisis.

With the fast-growing population in Australia and a road network already struggling to cope, the Bligh Government is worried the rail system in southeast Queensland is headed for a critical choking point.

A government-commissioned report has urged the introduction of "alternative proposals" to buy time and keep the rail system going if it is unable to build a second crossing of the Brisbane River by 2016.

The Government is studying the feasibility of a proposed $8.2 billion rail tunnel running under the river which would include several underground stations between Fairfield and Bowen Hills.

However, the so-called Cross River Rail project is under an extremely tight time frame and reliant on federal infrastructure funding, forcing the Government to look at other ways to ensure the network can cope with morning peak passenger demand forecast to jump by nearly 60 per cent to 70,000 by 2016.

Project director Luke Franzmann said yesterday a decision to go ahead with the cross-river tunnel would need to be taken by mid-2011 to allow it to be built in time.

"We need to take the time now to get it right for Brisbane," he said.

Mr Franzmann is heading up the $25 million feasibility study into the project, which envisages high capacity trains moving up to 1200 people at a time underneath the city. However, transit authority Translink is also investigating ways of maximising the capacity of existing rail infrastructure.

One proposal is to better manage the loading and unloading of passengers by directing them into formal queues on platforms while they are waiting for trains to arrive.

Translink is also examining a report by transport consultant Systemwide which warns that the rail network will be "very well loaded" by 2014 and that "alternative solutions" should be investigated.

"An alternative is not to implement additional services and accept overloading and shift to other modes (of transport)," the Systemwide report states.

Other proposed solutions included "changes to policy, such as lengthening the 20-minute allowed standing time from the city".

Queensland Transport has a rule that aims to ensure no train passenger is forced to stand for more than 20 minutes.

The Bligh Government is also considering adding an extra car to regular six-car trains.

[ozbob]

Blog comment:

There is the capacity to put on more trains, TransLink is restricting the operators.  The Government is restricting TransLink.  All effort must be directed into sorting out the rail network now.  Bus is unable to cope, the only hope is to ramp up rail.  The mess is a sad indictment on successive governments and failed transport planning (as identified recently by the Queensland Auditor General).   

I would suggest the transport meltdown (together with the health and education meltdown), as well as the lies and corruption has guaranteed that the labor is probably finished in Queensland unless a correct focus on sustainable transport is made today.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

6th October 2009

Greetings,

The Courier Mail has today highlighted the looming capacity constraints on our rail network ( Queues line up for sardine-can trains http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26170223-952,00.html ).

RAIL Back On Track has consistently identified this as a major issue for years ( http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?board=19.0 ) .

There is capacity to put on extra rail services today.  The fact is there are funding restrictions which are not allowing the operator to respond, not only on rail but bus as well.

There are solutions as we have often suggested.  Spread peak loadings for example, but we have a stalemate at the moment and a failure to grasp the initiative.

The Cross River Rail Project must be accelerated.  The bus system is already approaching maximum capacity.  Time to bite the bullet and fund operators and introduce innovative ticketing and incentives. Other states can, but Queensland languishes in a transport backwater.

To accept that  chronic overloading and mediocrity is  inevitable is unacceptable.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
RAIL Back On Track


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

Media Release 29 September 2009

SEQ:  Call to accelerate Cross River Rail Project

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has called for an acceleration of the Cross River Rail Project (1).

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The major choke point on the QR Citytrain network is the CBD axis. To quote from the project web site (1) 'The inner city is the hub of south east Queensland?s rail network. There is a bottleneck in the inner city rail network, which by 2016, will restrict the number of trains and passengers from around south east Queensland moving into and through the city.'

"We would suggest that the timeline 2016 is overly optimistic.  We have already started to reach a point where there are restrictions on some lines.  There is still some capacity to increase service frequency on the Ipswich - Caboolture rail corridor for example, but options are much more restricted on the main southern line at peak. Some innovative thinking will need to be done to fully utilise the upgrades and extensions on the Gold Coast line.  For example some services may need to run via Tennyson."

"One way of spreading peak loads is to use the go card as a differential fare pricing instrument.  Encouraging early, late and off peak travel via fare discounts, which in effect makes peak travel premium, would be the next logical step. Melbourne's free early bird scheme has been a big winner with savings and gains for their public transport network (2)."

"The long term neglect of our rail network is starting to bite.  There are a number of significant upgrades in progress but unless the capacity constraint through the CBD is addressed gains will be minimal.  It is essential that the Cross River Rail Project be fast tracked."

References:

1.  http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/Home/Projects_and_initiatives/Projects/Cross_river_rail/

2,  Sleepy commuters doing bit to save state $85m http://www.theage.com.au/national/sleepy-commuters-doing-bit-to-save-state-85m-20090926-g76y.html

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

-----------------------------------------------------

[ozbob]

Media Release 27 September 2009  Re-released 6th October 2009

SEQ:  Public transport stalls in South East Queensland

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has asked why has public transport stalled in south-east Queensland?

Robert Dow, spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"A failure to properly utilise the new bus way extensions (1), a failure to introduce urgently needed rail PM peak services (2), a failure to move forwards with the go card has us and many commuters perplexed!(3,4)"

"The Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy has the admirable aim of a 'turn and up go' timetabling on our rail system (5).  The fact that we still have hour and half hour gaps on timetables makes this aim look like a distant timetable mirage let alone miracle."

"The bus system is already at saturation at peak.  Recent 'bus-lock' events on the south-east busway have exposed the precarious nature of the bus system."

"The only hope is to generate bulk mass transit capacity is rail.  This was clearly identified in the Western Brisbane Transport Network Strategy.  A critical project is the Cross River Rail project (6).  This must be accelerated.  Increased rail capacity through the CBD axis is essential to allow a 'turn up and go' timetable.  Additional stabling for trains will need to be put in place around the rail network.  These two things are an urgent priority."

"The Opposition has recently highlighted that a review of the operation of QR Passenger with a possible take over by TransLink is being conducted (7).  Have these 'turf wars' distracted the key players from actually getting on with the job and ensuring public transport services are adequate at peak and off peak?  It certainly seems so to the public transport users."

References:

1.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2709.0

2.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2547.0

3.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2722.0

4.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2165.0

5.  http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resources/file/ebd8430e44211d5/Pdf_wbtns_complete.pdf

6.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2034.0

7.  http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=2678.0

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[mufreight]

The Bligh government is now revisiting the proposal that it previously ridiculed of operating 7 car trains, an idea that is from a operational aspect with present infrastructure absurd and the costs of upgrading the infrastructure and providing modified rollingstock would be better spent on the cross river link infrastructure which would provide the track capacity to operate more, more frequent services and resolve the capacity problems by improved levels of service.
The millions now being spent on more consultants and reports most of which it would appear are directed at finding excuses to do nothing, is more money that could be spent on resolving the problem by providing the urgently needed infrastructure.

[ozbob]

Editorial Courier Mail 6th October 2009 click here!

Cross River Rail project long overdue

Cross River Rail project long overdue
Article from: The Courier-Mail

October 05, 2009 11:00pm

THE proposed Cross River Rail project, with its promise of an underground metro system for Brisbane's city centre, would change the face of the entire southeast Queensland region.

Adding capacity to the region's commuter rail network would finally give some impetus to the notion of people living and working close to key public transport hubs. It would boost frequency and reliability, allow better integration between the rail and bus systems and encourage residential and commercial development to cluster around new centres of activity anchored by underground train stations. It is perhaps the single public infrastructure project with the most potential to add to ? rather than detract from ? the quality of life that attracts thousands of new residents to the region every week. What a pity it was not built 20 years ago, and what an indictment on the quality of the Government's urban planning that it has waited until the rail network is strained to breaking point to get around to thinking a second river crossing is needed.

The Government often replies to criticism about its failure to properly plan for the region's water management needs by pointing out that no one could have foreseen the state's worst drought on record. But that line of argument does not work when it comes to the region's transport network, which has been under considerable strain for many years. Until recently, however, there was little coherence to what the Government said it proposed to do about fixing congestion. It seemed more interested in blaming Canberra for the problem while it happily collected taxes from newly arrived interstate migrants and failed to provide any leadership on transport planning. It is worth noting that southeast Queensland is relying on an integrated transport plan drawn up a decade ago and an updated plan remains at least a year away from completion. This is not to say that planning was not being done. There was plenty being done but most of the work was occurring in isolation, with one department or entity, such as Queensland Rail, not knowing what the other was doing.

In the case of a second inner-city river rail crossing, the Government is only now examining its feasibility after first identifying the looming capacity problem on the network in 2005. The costs, of course, will be massive. A new tunnel is likely to cost $1.7 billion but constructing the stations to service it would total another $3.5 billion, according to preliminary work on the project's feasibility study. The belated sense of urgency surrounding the project suggests the Government is worried that it will not be able to build it in time. But the alternatives, which The Courier-Mail reveals today, would hardly be palatable to commuters already frustrated by having to use an overworked rail system. If the region is to ever have an underground passenger rail system the Government is going to have to level with Queenslanders about how things will be so much better on the trains, but the catch is they are going to have to get used to things being a whole lot worse beforehand.

[Derwan]

My comment - before I even saw Bob's:

The system is in meltdown and all the TTA can come up with is, "Stand in line!"  We stand in line, then stand on the train.  Sorry, we just can't STAND it any more!

Initiatives that could be implemented immediately include extension of peak periods (increased frequency for a longer time) and fare incentives using the Go Card to travel outside of the traditional peak period.  There is still capacity to increase services through the city using new rolling stock that has been delivered.

Instead we see pointless banter and unimaginative ideas.

[Jon Bryant]

My blog as well

Our governments at all levels have spent 40 years building a road based transport system and the result is grid lock.  This is because every time we build new road capacity the existing population changes its travel behaviour to fill it.  The more road space you build the more traffic you encourage.  You can never build enough road space because you are creating the problem you were trying to fix.  The freeways we built over the last 40 years are the single and only reason we have the traffic problems of today.   Thus building more road space (aka the NSBT, Northern Link, Airport Link and Gateway Duplication, etc., etc.) will only create an even bigger problem.  Does this sound like a good use of your hard earned taxes?  NOT IN YOUR LIFE!!!

We have and still do treated public transport with contempt.  Every transport study in Queensland starts with a simple assumption that public transport will only cater for 5-10% of trips.  There is no attempt to even set any higher targets.  Thus the whole study is designed to cater for the rest of the trips by car and thus the viscous circle described above continues.  We need to start setting sustainable public and active transport targets of around 60-70% and then cater for the rest by car (i.e. road space and car).  Then and only then will we avoid the traffic and public transport nightmares we are dealing with today.  It is time to read the WRONG WAY TURN BACK signs.

[#Metro]

People will use PT if it is high quality, frequent and reliable. There is no argument about that.
We have seen that already. What is more, is that people are willing to pay more for it, if they get more back, so saying "there is no money for that" I think is an excuse.

We have a duplicated ticketing system that does not align price and demand well.
We have poor control over keeping fare evaders off the network with ticket gates.
We have stations falling apart on the network, and others that are bicycle unfriendly.
We have silly rules which, rather than make the network change to accommodate people's needs and preferences, tells them that they can't take their bike on the train when they want to (unless it is of a restrictive, pre-prescribed design).

There are inefficiencies in many places, which are only just starting to be addressed (i.e. introduction of sectorisation, new generation signalling and safety systems).

Recent investments have assisted in placing the PT system on the path to social, economic and environmental self-sustainability and quality. But these have had the effect of showing what a void there is to fill, and shown that a mass popular PT system is possible. People want to use PT. That is why everything is full!

[david]

Although this article is slightly alarming, the proposals are only proposed in the worst case scenario. We are not even close to there yet. There are still 3-car trains doing peak-hour services, a major lack in early/late AM/PM peak and plenty of spare capacity on many short-haul services. My suggestion is that they start hiring some REALLY good timetable planners to completely change the timetable for each line in order to squeeze in extra services.

Programs such as the free travel before 7am will encourage people to travel on lighter loading early AM peak services. Spreading the peak is possibly a good planning technique as it reduces the demand during the core peak times. Early morning services could run empty after terminating at Roma St/Bowen Hills to form late AM peak services (e.g. Beenleigh-City services running empty to Ferny Grove to form more services). This also reduces the need for trains to come out of Mayne during peak times and hence providing some more capacity on the inner city lines.

Both state and local governments could also help by relocating non-essential services out of the CBD.

In essence, the Cross River Rail Project should NOT be delayed any further. There is an immediate need for the project to begin ASAP. Any delays would prove costly. All levels of government should begin committing money to this project now!

[ozbob]

From the Brisbane mX 6th October 2009 page 5

Queues not on cards