Planned closures - discussion

[ozbob]

[HappyTrainGuy]

You'll find the main reason for weekend closures vs overnight closures is time, noise restrictions, safe working, train movements and qualified people to give the final sign off. Some inspections are carried out overnight/during the day with any work needed being assigned to the closure. Remember, theres a reason why trains don't have the spray paint removed above the door top height.

[dancingmongoose]

Bit disappointed to have to pay full fare for the railbus from the airport last night. I know the airport line is a special case but charging full fare for a slower, less frequent service doesn't make sense especially when every other railbus is free

[Cazza]

https://translink.com.au/service-updates/161041#Anchor

"From the first service Saturday 17 February until the last service Sunday 18 February there will be track closures on all train lines near the Brisbane CBD.

If you are planning to travel by train to, or through the CBD over this period, you will need to transfer to a rail replacement bus at an inner city station.

Transfer at one of the following locations:

Wooloowin on the Doomben line.
IMPORTANT: Doomben line train services will terminate at Wooloowin. Southbound customers must take another train service to Albion before boarding a rail bus.
Albion on the Sunshine Coast/Caboolture, Redcliffe Peninsula, Shorncliffe. and Airport lines.
Bowen Hills on the Ferny Grove line
Murarrie on the Cleveland line
Yeerongpilly on the Beenleigh and Gold Coast lines
Corinda on the Ipswich/Rosewood and Springfield lines.
Replacement buses will stop at all stations affected by the closure.

Please plan ahead and allow approximately 60 minutes extra travel time. Normal train services will resume from the first service on Monday 19 February."


Why not just replace the whole Doomben Line with buses? I see no point of having to transfer for one station THEN another transfer onto a replacement bus. In off-peak/weekends, you are luck to see more than 20 people on a train departing EJ bound for Doomben anyway.

[SurfRail]

There are no trains on Sundays to begin with, and the 300 would be more direct in any event.  Better off just closing it during works unless they are going to run a proper timetable.

[verbatim9]

Bit disappointed to have to pay full fare for the railbus from the airport last night. I know the airport line is a special case but charging full fare for a slower, less frequent service doesn't make sense especially when every other railbus is free

TMR and Translink should get Council to run the replacement buses for the Airport line in the the future with the new 3 door Articulated Buses. Starting at the Cultural Centre then King George Sq Station Roma St - express to RWBH via the Northern Busway. Then onto the Airport link from there stopping at the International and Domestic then looping back to the Cultural centre on the same run. The route will be no doubt be faster and more convenient for workers at the Airport and travellers alike.

[tazzer9]

Only in QR's messed up PR department is Murarrie and Corinda considered inner city stations.   

[ozbob]

9th February 2018

Media Release
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey

Major weekend of Gold Coast rail maintenance preparing for up to eight Commonwealth Games Trains an hour

More than 400 Queensland Rail crews and contractors will work around the clock this weekend (9-11 February) to deliver more than 7,000 hours of maintenance and reliability works on the Gold Coast heavy rail line, ahead of running up to eight train an hour for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said in the short 48-hour timeframe, crews would turn around an extensive checklist of maintenance works to boost the safety, reliability and presentation of the Gold Coast line ahead of high-frequency, 24/7 rail services for the biggest sporting event in Queensland's history.

"Over the past 12 months, Queensland Rail has been progressively working on the asset maintenance and construction work required to ensure the reliability and on-time running of services on the Gold Coast line and across the South East Queensland (SEQ) rail network during GC2018," Mr Bailey said.

"In 2017, more than $124 million was invested in the maintenance of the inner city and Gold Coast rail lines, which included track maintenance, and upgrades to signalling infrastructure and overhead power lines.

"This is on top of the Palaszczuk Government's $163 million heavy rail duplication between Helensvale and Coomera opened last year, in order to improve rail capacity for the Games.

"Queensland Rail has also been busy undertaking preventative maintenance work on its rollingstock to ensure it's in top condition ahead of the Games.

"Across this weekend (9-11 February), Queensland Rail crews will span the Gold Coast line from Park Road to Varsity Lakes stations, to deliver final stages of maintenance works and checks.

"Work will include significant track maintenance at Yeerongpilly, in addition to general track and overhead power line maintenance between Woodridge and Varsity Lakes stations.

"The teams will also re-profile more than 45 kilometres of track between Beenleigh and Varsity Lakes station, using a rail grinder, to ensure trains are running as smoothly and quietly as possible."Every station between Beenleigh and Robina will also receive an extensive refresh and clean up as part of the planned station overhauls ahead of the games.

"At Beenleigh station, this will include the installation of new cladding and frame work around the building walls and subway, new timetable cabinets and landscaping.

"The entire region will be on show to the world during the Games, and through Queensland Rail's comprehensive suite of maintenance and upgrade works over the past year we've been working to ensure the rail network performs as reliably as possible during this time.

"Scheduled maintenance is carried out at every available opportunity on the network to ensure those standards are met all year round.

"In fact, over the past two quarters, Queensland Rail has consistently exceeded its on time running target, with more than 95 per cent of trains running to schedule during this time.

"We appreciate the patience of rail customers this weekend, as we undertake this important work."

From 9.30pm Friday, 9 February until the last service on Sunday, 11 February, buses will replace trains on the Gold Coast line between Park Road and Varsity Lakes stations.

Customers are encouraged to plan their journey in advance and allow for approximately 60 minutes extra travel time.

Queensland Rail will be continuing to undertake preventative and corrective maintenance work across the City network in lead up to the Commonwealth Games, including major weekend work in the inner city area (from Bowen Hills to Corinda, Murarrie and Yeerongpilly) from Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 February, and again on the Gold Coast line from Park Road to Varsity Lakes stations on Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 March 2018.

For more information on Queensland Rail's schedule of maintenance work, you can view the 12-month calendar or sign up for email notifications.

ENDS

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/961646326269198336

[verbatim9]

Are the inner city closures due to general maintenance as well as installation of ETCS?

[verbatim9]

Are the inner city closures due to general maintenance as well as installation of ETCS?

I see alot of new Siemens hardware being installed at inner city stations so I guess this weekend would include work on ETCS!?

[BrizCommuter]

I see that TransLink's website says that the Ferny Grove Line terminates at Bowen Hills this weekend, but then reels off a whole of of infrastructure and track work on the line. So is the Ferny Grove Line closed, or have TransLink done a poor copy and paste job? Confusing!

[BrizCommuter]

I see that TransLink's website says that the Ferny Grove Line terminates at Bowen Hills this weekend, but then reels off a whole of of infrastructure and track work on the line. So is the Ferny Grove Line closed, or have TransLink done a poor copy and paste job? Confusing!

I see that the Brisbane Times have been tripped up by TransLink's bad copy and paste job. Fools!
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/all-brisbane-train-lines-closed-for-weekend-track-work-hour-long-delays-expected-20180216-p4z0n9.html

[BrizCommuter]

Closure Confusion!
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/closure-confusion.html

[ozbob]

^

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/964610360891224064

[BrizCommuter]

^ Thanks. Maybe send the tweet to Brisbane Times who have just excelled themselves at lazy journalism.

[verbatim9]

Needed to catch the 301 this morning noticed that the 301 had trouble stopping at Bowen Hills because all the rail buses blocked the bus stop. The 301 just stopped in the middle of the road as there was no where to pull over. Lots of Rail bus representatives standing around people lining up for rail buses with a queue going going onto the pedestrian rail overpass. Looked like a debacle. Sometimes they get it right but I don't think it's appropriate to close the regular bus stop for rail bus services. The rail bus services should stop well before the regular bus stop or after the bus stop.

[SurfRail]

Same with the inner city busway stops.  It's idiotic.  Just get buses baxk on Roma St and Grey St.

[Golliwog]

Why is it that they can put out electronic timetables and routes for the railbuses replacing trains for the one off GC Commonwealth Games on the combined Beenleigh Gold Coast lines, but can't manage to do the same for the somewhat regular weekend maintenance closures?

[James]

Why is it that they can put out electronic timetables and routes for the railbuses replacing trains for the one off GC Commonwealth Games on the combined Beenleigh Gold Coast lines, but can't manage to do the same for the somewhat regular weekend maintenance closures?

Has been a long-standing RBoT gripe with rail buses. WA and Victoria manage to do it, I think even Sydney makes an attempt?

Queenslander effect at work... it would be eminently sensible to have rail replacement bus timetables, I think the lack of them gives QR to run replacement buses ad hoc, both for the benefit of, and to the detriment, of the average commuter trying to rely on the rail network to get around.

[techblitz]

Why is it that they can put out electronic timetables and routes for the railbuses replacing trains for the one off GC Commonwealth Games on the combined Beenleigh Gold Coast lines, but can't manage to do the same for the somewhat regular weekend maintenance closures?

The irony here is these shutdowns are done a year in advance....
Instead of trying to run to a set timetable....its easier to simply say "Passengers please allow up to 60minutes extra for your travels on railbuses"
Job done...how easy is that?? 


This on Saturday....she didn't plan the full 60...was penalised 90 minutes:

https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandRail/posts/1872533086098376

Frankly disappointed in the coordination between bus and train services during this time of track work in the CBD.

Finishing work at 5, I usually take the Nambour service leaving Central Station at 5:37. Instead I made my way to the replacement bus stop and caught an earlier bus around 5:18 toward Albion. Upon arriving at Albion, I hurried toward the right platform just ahead of the rest of the bus's passengers and found that, just as I had stepped onto the platform, the Nambour service that we were supposed to be connecting with pulled away without us! No one on that bus was able to make their connection.

This isn't such a concern with the Caboolture line, with trains every half hour. But on the Nambour line, the next train wasn't due to leave until 7:14. Your staff were unable to ensure that services connected properly, costing us all at least one and a half hours of our lives.

What's more, your station staff seemed misinformed about the train timetabling. I tried to explain my situation to them and make a complaint, but they kept assuring me that the next Caboolture train (only half an hour away) was a Caboolture/Nambour service despite the online and on-platform timetables saying that they would go no further than Caboolture. The staff were wrong, causing me further mishap.

The lack of organisation in this case is beyond a joke. To have customers miss a train by less than one minute on a line with very infrequent services should be an easy mistake to avoid, and hopefully an easy one to fix. I will be finishing work and catching the same service tomorrow. I hope you are able to provide an efficient service and not waste more of your customers' precious time.

this aint queenslander effect....this is QR/TL effect

[HappyTrainGuy]

Why is it that they can put out electronic timetables and routes for the railbuses replacing trains for the one off GC Commonwealth Games on the combined Beenleigh Gold Coast lines, but can't manage to do the same for the somewhat regular weekend maintenance closures?

Has been a long-standing RBoT gripe with rail buses. WA and Victoria manage to do it, I think even Sydney makes an attempt?

Queenslander effect at work... it would be eminently sensible to have rail replacement bus timetables, I think the lack of them gives QR to run replacement buses ad hoc, both for the benefit of, and to the detriment, of the average commuter trying to rely on the rail network to get around.

Translink are responsible for planned rail buses.

Why is it that they can put out electronic timetables and routes for the railbuses replacing trains for the one off GC Commonwealth Games on the combined Beenleigh Gold Coast lines, but can't manage to do the same for the somewhat regular weekend maintenance closures?

The irony here is these shutdowns are done a year in advance....
Instead of trying to run to a set timetable....its easier to simply say "Passengers please allow up to 60minutes extra for your travels on railbuses"
Job done...how easy is that?? 


This on Saturday....she didn't plan the full 60...was penalised 90 minutes:

https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandRail/posts/1872533086098376

Frankly disappointed in the coordination between bus and train services during this time of track work in the CBD.

Finishing work at 5, I usually take the Nambour service leaving Central Station at 5:37. Instead I made my way to the replacement bus stop and caught an earlier bus around 5:18 toward Albion. Upon arriving at Albion, I hurried toward the right platform just ahead of the rest of the bus's passengers and found that, just as I had stepped onto the platform, the Nambour service that we were supposed to be connecting with pulled away without us! No one on that bus was able to make their connection.

This isn't such a concern with the Caboolture line, with trains every half hour. But on the Nambour line, the next train wasn't due to leave until 7:14. Your staff were unable to ensure that services connected properly, costing us all at least one and a half hours of our lives.

What's more, your station staff seemed misinformed about the train timetabling. I tried to explain my situation to them and make a complaint, but they kept assuring me that the next Caboolture train (only half an hour away) was a Caboolture/Nambour service despite the online and on-platform timetables saying that they would go no further than Caboolture. The staff were wrong, causing me further mishap.

The lack of organisation in this case is beyond a joke. To have customers miss a train by less than one minute on a line with very infrequent services should be an easy mistake to avoid, and hopefully an easy one to fix. I will be finishing work and catching the same service tomorrow. I hope you are able to provide an efficient service and not waste more of your customers' precious time.

this aint queenslander effect....this is QR/TL effect

To be honest you can't blame QR for that considering rail bus transit times were ~20-25 mins Roma Street-Albion. And traffic is a nightmare along Brunswick Street due to the construction going on. Then the bus has to rat run through Albion.

[Cazza]

Would something like a RailBus map be helpful along with approximate timetables to help the commuters? I never like travelling on RailBuses due to the fact I know nothing about where they go or when they will run. Probably the two most important things to know when planning a PT journey.

I've just drawn up a quick map here: https://www.google.com.au/maps/d/viewer?mid=1j-1hBZBlxm7iTLVrwD26LAgbG_Q&ll=-27.59040080881445%2C152.99667835000002&z=9

Some lines I have done tiered servicing just so people from Ormiston travelling to Central don't have to get a bus winding through every single street, stopping at every station.

[Cazza]

^Lol, I just forgot that I hadn't switched the map off Private. Whoops. Should be available now.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/971868090068754433

[brissypete]

After seeing at least 10 people waiting at Fairfield Station earlier despite trackwork and signs to that effect I asked QR if there are announcements at affected stations, the reply was no but there is signage. I actually told one guy as he was about to walk down the stairs but as the Google app showed the train coming he didn't believe me or the sign right beside him.

I do think the signage could be clearer as well.

Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/974386203326791681

[ozbob]

Some observations from a visitor to SEQ.  This chap is a very knowledgeable very well travelled commuter.


https://twitter.com/The_Rail_Life/status/974906258221252610

https://twitter.com/The_Rail_Life/status/974911737265668096

https://twitter.com/The_Rail_Life/status/974914942578012160

https://twitter.com/The_Rail_Life/status/974919797442994176

[aldonius]

Random observation: Windsor station was a complete no-go zone today --- obviously the Eildon Rd pedestrian LX was out of commission what with the re-railing works, but they'd taken over the station carpark as a staging area too, so even the overpass was blocked. They actually had a maxi-taxi on shuttle duty.

[Golliwog]

Random observation: Windsor station was a complete no-go zone today --- obviously the Eildon Rd pedestrian LX was out of commission what with the re-railing works, but they'd taken over the station carpark as a staging area too, so even the overpass was blocked. They actually had a maxi-taxi on shuttle duty.

Yep, there was signage at the station that the car park would be closed off for the rail works.

To be honest you can't blame QR for that considering rail bus transit times were ~20-25 mins Roma Street-Albion. And traffic is a nightmare along Brunswick Street due to the construction going on. Then the bus has to rat run through Albion.

True - but I've previously mentioned on here, when I was in Berlin, I noticed that when they did a similar rail shutdown of one of their metro lines, they temporarily painted bus lanes on the adjacent road for the rail buses - which ran at an incredible frequency, like 1 banana bus every 90 seconds or better (I was sitting near some traffic lights and there was at least one bus going through it every cycle.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland Rail maintenance causes huge delays after Ed Sheeran concert

SCHEDULED maintenance has caused public transport chaos on the night of Ed Sheeran's first concert at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Passengers leaving from the city on the Caboolture/Sunshine and Redcliffe lines are being moved on to buses at Northgate station, and being told to expect delays of up to an hour on their journey.

Buses are replacing trains between Northgate and Petrie stations for the remainder of the evening.

TransLink announced the works – maintenance on overhead powerlines – two months ago, warning commuters that buses would be used from 9.30pm onwards, before tracks are reopened in the morning.

Despite the warning many are angry TransLink chose the night of a major Brisbane event to conduct the maintenance.

Carriages are completely full as trains leave the city, following the 52,000 capacity sellout gig.

Another own goal ...   

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/JorgeBrancoBNE/status/976216768824803328

[red dragin]

Friends drove from Wamuran to Albion then used the train because of the shut down, but then got stuck in roadworks. Got home at 2am.

But nothing about the roadworks in the media this morning

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/976239235039617024

[techblitz]

QR/translink didnt fail to disappoint on potentially the biggest night of the year so far...
There were reports of a fully packed 6 car train arriving into northgate and only 1 bus waiting.....its times like that I think of that classic cliché peddled by a select few here....'this many buses can fit onto one train'.

From what I am hearing they didnt have enough buses to allocate xtra for express running northgate to petrie?? If that is correct...that's not how you move people from a 50k+ event.
I also cringed at how they were gleefully promoting the extra trains for southern network users and remained skilfully quiet on the northside track replacement so as to not send those concert goers into a 'going to drive' panic

[ozbob]

TransLink and Queensland Rail are failed outfits.  Rather than getting better it gets worse on so many levels.

I apologised to a visitor last weekend for the rail replacement bus shambles. 

I hear morale is not the best either in both outfits.  It shows sadly ... leadership vacuum, and constant repetition of dumb things ...

[techblitz]

oh if only translink and its associated railbus operators had an overtime budget like QR`s.....a nice little incentive for them to find more railbuses 

[#Metro]

Shall we sign the QR service contract yet again?? Absolutely!

http://www.yourdictionary.com/die-hard

Die-hard

The definition of die hard is someone or something that shows or possesses extreme, absolute or complete loyalty even if facing defeat or hopelessness.

[achiruel]

So who actually organises the railbuses. Is it TL or QR?

I can't believe all the whinging about trackwork, it is organised 12+ months in advance, after all, but they still should do a better job of providing sufficient replacement buses on a night when big crowds are expected.

[ozbob]

So who actually organises the railbuses. Is it TL or QR?

I can't believe all the whinging about trackwork, it is organised 12+ months in advance, after all, but they still should do a better job of providing sufficient replacement buses on a night when big crowds are expected.

TransLink.  QR used to do once, a few years ago now ...

TransLink don't have a direct customer interface (behind a call centre firewall).   Part of the problem IMHO.

TransLink struggle to know which paper end to cutoff when preparing a Mrs Mac frozen sausage roll for zapping ...