Random observations around the network ...

[HappyTrainGuy]

At Woodridge station (don't ask)  and a 500 series bus came past the station, heard a massive bang and smoke came went everywhere, any ideas?

Logan. 

[Fares_Fair]

Double whammy, go figure ?

07-Feb-12 06:50:58 PM   Touch off   Palmwoods   -12.84    *
07-Feb-12 04:59:35 PM   Touch on   Central      
07-Feb-12 04:59:35 PM   Touch off   Central   -10.00    *
07-Feb-12 01:16:12 PM   Touch on   Roma Street      
07-Feb-12 01:16:12 PM   Touch off   Roma Street   -10.00    *
07-Feb-12 01:11:01 PM   Touch on   Central      
07-Feb-12 08:13:20 AM   Touch off   Central   -12.84    *
07-Feb-12 06:19:09 AM   Touch on   Palmwoods      
06-Feb-12 06:45:40 PM   Touch off   Palmwoods   -12.84    *
06-Feb-12 04:59:28 PM   Touch on   Central      
06-Feb-12 01:18:34 PM   Touch off   Roma Street   -2.44    *
06-Feb-12 01:11:50 PM   Touch on   Central      
06-Feb-12 08:14:27 AM   Touch off   Central   -12.84    *
06-Feb-12 06:20:29 AM   Touch on   Palmwoods      

[Golliwog]

When you touched off at the gates at Roma St, did you touch on the inside or outside gate reader? If you touched on the outside one, that could explain it as they may be set up like the rear bus door readers, and only be one-way, so it thought you were touching on to get a train leaving from Roma St. I believe the QR staff that man the gates at Roma St do have paper tickets on hand specifically for pax who are just walking through the concourse to/from the parklands.

[somebody]

I have a hard time believing that FF would lean over the gates to touch in the wrong direction.  Perhaps the direction of the gate was somehow set wrongly.  If so, a lot of people got fixed fares.

[Fares_Fair]

I will revisit the site today at lunch time and take some pics.
I touched off at the first Go gates after coming down the escalators from Platform 2.
I was on the correct side of the gates.

I then exited at the Roma Street Parklands end of the facility.

The single touch off generated 2 lots of $10 fixed fares ??
How can that happen ??
#gocardquirk

When contacted, TransLink could not understand what had occurred.
The helpful TL person told me there were already 2 fixed fare charges, there was only 1 visible on my history when I called them, but he could see the second.
He said I would get the second fixed fare the next time I touched on.
Sure enough, I did.

I will follow up on the journey correction scenario.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[STB]

Hang on a tic, did you come in on a train that terminated on Platform 2, then touch off at one of those readers on platform 2?  Or did you touch off/on at the fare gates?

The only thing I'm thinking about is that you came in on a train that terminated on platform 2, then you went down to the fare gates (still in a touch on phase from touching on at Central station) and then touched again on the 'touch on' side of the fare gates which touched you on/off and charged the fixed fare.  When in fact you should've touched off at the standalone reader on Platform 2 and then touched on again at the fare gates downstairs.

EDIT: That second fixed fare looks like you touched on at Roma Street using what I think happened as posted above, and then you didn't touch off at the fare gates at Roma St Parklands (did a staff member let you through?) and then because you failed to touch off within the allocated time that you can do so, it charged you a fixed fare again when you went to touch on at Central to head home.

[somebody]

EDIT: That second fixed fare looks like you touched on at Roma Street using what I think happened as posted above, and then you didn't touch off at the fare gates at Roma St Parklands (did a staff member let you through?) and then because you failed to touch off within the allocated time that you can do so, it charged you a fixed fare again when you went to touch on at Central to head home.

Agree.  Completely plausible and the system operated correctly in that case.  Just didn't work out for FF.  Note: before you flame me, the fixed fares should be refunded in this case.

[Fares_Fair]

I received this fixed fare today, after travelling from Central Station to Roma Street on my regular lunch time exercise regimen.
I touched off at the closest gates after exiting from Platform 2 at Roma Street, and then walked the full length down to the Roma Parklands exit, walking straight thru' the open gates and telling the staff there that I had touched off at the Platform 2 exit gates.

I contacted Translink, who were very helpful, and they will correct the erroneous fixed fare charges, he informed me that I would be charged 2 lots of $10 fixed fares even though it is not shown here. Correction may take up to 24 hours to appear.
My history shown below:
Note the 5 freebies.

07-Feb-12 01:16:12 PM Touch on Roma Street    
07-Feb-12 01:16:12 PM Touch off Roma Street -10.00  *  
07-Feb-12 01:11:01 PM Touch on Central    
07-Feb-12 08:13:20 AM Touch off Central -12.84  *  
07-Feb-12 06:19:09 AM Touch on Palmwoods    
06-Feb-12 06:45:40 PM Touch off Palmwoods -12.84  *  
06-Feb-12 04:59:28 PM Touch on Central    
06-Feb-12 01:18:34 PM Touch off Roma Street -2.44  *  
06-Feb-12 01:11:50 PM Touch on Central    
06-Feb-12 08:14:27 AM Touch off Central -12.84  *  
06-Feb-12 06:20:29 AM Touch on Palmwoods    
03-Feb-12 06:53:24 PM Touch off Palmwoods    
03-Feb-12 05:00:18 PM Touch on Central    
03-Feb-12 08:13:42 AM Touch off Central    
03-Feb-12 06:16:28 AM Touch on Palmwoods    
02-Feb-12 07:52:26 PM Touch off Palmwoods    
02-Feb-12 04:58:17 PM Touch on Central    
02-Feb-12 08:15:14 AM Touch off Central    
02-Feb-12 06:20:46 AM Touch on Palmwoods    
01-Feb-12 07:04:47 PM Touch off Palmwoods    
01-Feb-12 04:59:11 PM Touch on Central    
01-Feb-12 01:36:33 PM Touch off Roma Street -2.44  *  
01-Feb-12 01:25:28 PM Touch on Central    
01-Feb-12 08:11:35 AM Touch off Central -12.84  *  
01-Feb-12 06:21:03 AM Top up Palmwoods 200.00    
01-Feb-12 06:19:44 AM Touch on Palmwoods  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[STB]

Bingo!  I was right.  In this case it is user error not a system error.

[Fares_Fair]

Hang on a tic, did you come in on a train that terminated on Platform 2, then touch off at one of those readers on platform 2?  Or did you touch off/on at the fare gates?

The only thing I'm thinking about is that you came in on a train that terminated on platform 2, then you went down to the fare gates (still in a touch on phase from touching on at Central station) and then touched again on the 'touch on' side of the fare gates which touched you on/off and charged the fixed fare.  When in fact you should've touched off at the standalone reader on Platform 2 and then touched on again at the fare gates downstairs.

EDIT: That second fixed fare looks like you touched on at Roma Street using what I think happened as posted above, and then you didn't touch off at the fare gates at Roma St Parklands (did a staff member let you through?) and then because you failed to touch off within the allocated time that you can do so, it charged you a fixed fare again when you went to touch on at Central to head home.

Yes, STB he did, I went thru the open gates and told him that I had touched off back near the bottom of Platform 2 escalator.

[Fares_Fair]

Bingo!  I was right.  In this case it is user error not a system error.

How can it be user error, I went thru' gates to touch off?
I came down from the platform 2 escalator, how could I be on the wrong side of the gates?

[STB]

Bingo!  I was right.  In this case it is user error not a system error.

How can it be user error, I went thru' gates to touch off?

You didn't touch off at the standalone reader on Platform 2, and touched instead on the 'touch on' side of the fare gates downstairs while you were still touched on from touching on at Central station.

[SurfRail]

FF - for clarity, if you arrive at Platform 2 at Roma Street and need to go through the barriers for any reason (eg to change trains, to get to the Parklands), here is what you need to do:

1. Touch off at one of the standalone readers on platform 2; and

2. Touch on at the gate downstairs.

(Optional step 3. - touch off at the Parklands gates, which will result in nil additional fare).

The gates are not configured to be unidirectional.  If you touch off against a reader facing "out", it will not count as a touch-off.  You have to be inside the barriers for that to work.

It is a serious design flaw with Roma Street platforms 2 and 10 and is not clear enough for the average commuter.  I expect you would not be the only one to have fallen foul of this.

[Fares_Fair]

Hello SR,

Thank you.
I appreciate the constructive advice.
Clearly, I wasn't aware of the unusual situation there.

One would think there would be a standalone reader near the top of the escalators as one exits platform 2 (northern end).
There's none in sight.

Thanks again.

[somebody]

FF - for clarity, if you arrive at Platform 2 at Roma Street and need to go through the barriers for any reason (eg to change trains, to get to the Parklands), here is what you need to do:

1. Touch off at one of the standalone readers on platform 2; and

2. Touch on at the gate downstairs.

(Optional step 3. - touch off at the Parklands gates, which will result in nil additional fare).

The gates are not configured to be unidirectional.  If you touch off against a reader facing "out", it will not count as a touch-off.  You have to be inside the barriers for that to work.

It is a serious design flaw with Roma Street platforms 2 and 10 and is not clear enough for the average commuter.  I expect you would not be the only one to have fallen foul of this.

Why's step 3 optional?  If he doesn't touch off, if his next touch on is at a unidirectional gate (or a bus or ferry) his next touch on will result in a fixed fare.  Similarly if his next touch on is more than 3.5 hours later.  Otherwise, the next touch on will be a touch off.

[STB]

Hello SR,

Thank you.
I appreciate the constructive advice.
Clearly, I wasn't aware of the unusual situation there.

One would think there would be a standalone reader near the top of the escalators as one exits platform 2 (northern end).
There's none in sight.

Thanks again.

The reader is definitely there, near the steps IIRC.

[somebody]

Is there one at the other access point?  I think it's a ramp.

[SurfRail]

Why's step 3 optional?

For Roma Street only (ie to emphasise that if you end up on platform 2 and need to get to the Parklands, you need to touch off, then touch on and off again.)

The third touch will of course just be wherever you leave the rail system, whether that is after walking through the concourse or catching a train elsewhere.

[Stillwater]

Boy, I bet that is not explained adequately to those hopping off at Roma St to go to St Andrews Hospital, the medical specialists in the vicinity of the hospital, or to the tourists travelling to and from Roma St Station to their motel and hotels on Wickham Terrace.

[Fares_Fair]

Hello SR,

Thank you.
I appreciate the constructive advice.
Clearly, I wasn't aware of the unusual situation there.

One would think there would be a standalone reader near the top of the escalators as one exits platform 2 (northern end).
There's none in sight.

Thanks again.

The reader is definitely there, near the steps IIRC.

Read here: No steps, it's a long moving walkway.
It's a schemozzle!

Cheers and thank you, SR

[STB]

Hello SR,

Thank you.
I appreciate the constructive advice.
Clearly, I wasn't aware of the unusual situation there.

One would think there would be a standalone reader near the top of the escalators as one exits platform 2 (northern end).
There's none in sight.

Thanks again.

The reader is definitely there, near the steps IIRC.

Read here: No steps, it's a long moving walkway.
It's a schemozzle!

Cheers and thank you, SR

There are steps there, near the northern end of the platform. I've have always gone down the steps on Platform 2 after coming back from QUT.  Unless you are confusing Platform 3 as Platform 2??  I'm talking about the dual busway/railway platform.

[SurfRail]

There's definitely more than one reader on platform 2, but they probably aren't sited that well.  That they need them at all is a bit of a bungle, but kind of difficult to avoid given the busway shares the platform.

[SurfRail]

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/service-updates/eastern-region-information-booklet.pdf

Check out pages 44 and 45...

[HappyTrainGuy]

There are gocard readers on platform 2 (long distance XPT/citybound busway platform). The GoCard readers on platform two has signs advising bus users not to use it as its only for the rare time a train terminates there.

[ozbob]

Presently at Corinda,  number of UP ippys missing in action ....

[HappyTrainGuy]

Bowen Hills should be getting their new displays today

[Arnz]

Inboard IMU178 just sighted larger than normal traffic in Burpengary-Morayfield area due to car pileup in area.  Loos are operational for those wondering, lol.

[barnesy]

observation on QR facebook
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360947400590293&set=a.360947360590297.93407.139321872752848&type=1&theater

[#Metro]

Finally, a station that DOESN'T look like a Jail!

"Busway style rail stations" I like!

[SurfRail]

Their aesthetic is improving markedly.

Alderley I understand will look very similar to this once finished this year.  Cleveland is also having a new entrance built (but not a general station upgrade including platform raising - it's just to create a waterproof environment and wider entrance for the fare gates going in).

[O_128]

Not as good as the original version,  I don't like how the ramp has replaced the stairs.

[Golliwog]

Well, first up it's still an artists impression, second up, it kind of has to be, why would you put wheel chair parks at the bottom of a set of stairs, and make them use a lift to rise up less than 2m?

[#Metro]

Question on everyone's lips...

So, what's the FREQUENCY and SPAN OF HOURS pre- and post- upgrade?

HAHAH

[STB]

I actually prefer the ramp, more DDA friendly and makes more sense if the platform is only going to be a few metres off the ground from the carpark.

[kw]

Due to the track fault this morning at Roma St. 19V2 (6:42 CAB), 1934 (7:04 PETRIE), 1942 (7:16 PETRIE), 1954 (7:34 PETRIE), 1958 (7:40 PETRIE), 1966 (8:04 SHOR), T970 (5:56 GYM NTH) ran Albion > Normanby > Roma St 10 > Central 6 > Valley 4 > Bowen Hills 4 > Mayne yard.

[achiruel]

Question on everyone's lips...

So, what's the FREQUENCY and SPAN OF HOURS pre- and post- upgrade?

HAHAH

Yep, millions of dollars on concrete but ZERO on service improvement to/from the station.

[ozbob]

At Corinda, there was a bit of procession of Up trains, must have been clearing after the earlier issues at Roma St.  Waiting for the 9.28am ex Richlands.

[Fares_Fair]

This morning at Central station I noticed a number of punters go through the fare gates, it was crowded, and they got the big red cross and a "sensor blocked" message.
I don't think thay noticed it or appeared not to worry about it.

[Fares_Fair]

Inside word.
Interview on 4BC radio Drive program, this afternoon around 3:35pm.
Funny fungal platforms and the Ferny grove line.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

Corinda





Photographs R Dow 10th February 2012


TransLink Desto ( I think this might have been a tuition train for Redbank stabling)



Photograph R Dow 15th February 2012