Random observations around the network ...

[Fares_Fair]

I saw news reports tonight on both Ch 7 local news and Ch 9 WIN news.  
Commuters calling for $300 million commitment over 3 years, to fix the line.

Ch 7 Local News

Announcer said that public transport lobbyists railway from Beerburrum to Nambour needs to be upgraded urgently.
Lives are being put at risk and the region's economic development is being constrained.

Robert Dow, spokesperson for Rail Back on Track described it as a national disgrace, and that the line has been left to languish.
Bulk freight is being pushed onto the Bruce highway, causing enormous damage and road trauma, he said.
It's the most congested single track in Australia.

Hundreds of trucks could be taken off the road every day if the rail was duplicated, the reporter announced.
Project to cost around $1.7 billion dollars.

Government says that it is part of its 20 year plan for the state.
Transport Minister says transport infrastructure damaged by the floods may need to take priority.

Peter Wellington called for state government to put money on the table, and that the federal government would not contribute anything if the state wasn't going to make it a priority.

Ch 9 WIN News

RBoT call for political action on the rail duplication for the SCL.
Robert Dow, spokesperson for Rail Back on Track gave a call for policy by both parties.
ALP and LNP uncommitted on policy.

We need to get policies out of the major players.
We cannot as a community continue to push more and more bulk freight out onto the roads, he said.

I was able to record both of these stories onto my phone, used to make the notes here, but not necessarily 100% verbatim. (189Mb)

EDIT: Information added.

[Stillwater]

In the Ch7 report, the local independent Member for Nicklin, Peter Wellington, called on the state government to assign priority to the SCL duplication and work up a funding submission that would require joint state-feds funding.  Seems like a good idea.

The same report quoted the Transport Minister as saying that funding for the SCL now depends on sums left after money is diverted to flood restoration works.  That needs clarification and follow-up.

[#Metro]

Do we have links to these videos/stories?

[Fares_Fair]

Not at this point, I do not know how to transfer the files to You tube, nor do I know if it is allowable to do so under copyright laws.
The 2 stories are 189 Mb in size.

Will look into it if I have time tomorrow.

[#Metro]

I've tried searching for the media on the Yahoo 7 site... surely they post up their stories? It 2012 now...
I don't own a TV! LOL

[Golliwog]

I've tried searching for the media on the Yahoo 7 site... surely they post up their stories? It 2012 now...
I don't own a TV! LOL

It's annoying, sometimes they put them online, other times they don't. Annoying really.

[Fares_Fair]

Brisbane news usually is available on the net, but regional and Sunshine Coast local news isn't.

[Fares_Fair]

Feedback received, thank you.
to QR

thank goodness.
we escaped the chaos this morning.  Guard on the Nambour - City service that pulls into Caboolture at 6.23 am advised us around Bald Hills the sig problems in the CBD had been fixed.
Guards are talking to us more and more which is great.

[ClintonL94]

Onboard the 06:59 Ferny Grove Train with IMU 104/123. Came out of Beenleigh Depot. There must be enough IMUs on the Sunshine Coast line..


---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?rlekjv

[somebody]

There must be enough IMUs on the Sunshine Coast line..

I see a flying pig.

[Cam]

A group of youths smoking in the first carriage on a Caboolture Train that is Brisbane bound at Graceville. If only we had an SMS number to alert the guard. It's stinks in here!

Woodstock seems to be a popular drink at this time of the day in the quiet carriage.

[Fares_Fair]

QR complaints 1800 643 443

[HappyTrainGuy]

A group of youths smoking in the first carriage on a Caboolture Train that is Brisbane bound at Graceville. If only we had an SMS number to alert the guard. It's stinks in here!

Woodstock seems to be a popular drink at this time of the day in the quiet carriage.

Seen any drug deals go down yet? (Its funny cos it does happen haha).

[Arnz]

179 and 185's toilets needs decanting.  Been out of order for over a week (Been rostered on afternoon Nambour runs for most of last week with the odd Gold Coast-Airport appearance, and is rostered on today.)

[PollyWouldLikeASeat]

A SMS number would be nice, I would feel a lot safer, if I could send a TXT message about a problem, rather than having to draw attention to myselft by having to move to the next carriage to make a call.  

[O_128]

A SMS number would be nice, I would feel a lot safer, if I could send a TXT message about a problem, rather than having to draw attention to myselft by having to move to the next carriage to make a call.  

I had this exact issue last week, A few indigenous kids were chroming on the seats in front of me, feeling light headed I moved, the kids then yelled at me. Another old lady commented and they started screaming at her.

You can't press the button in these situations.

[#Metro]

You can't press the button in these situations.

What's needed is a texting alert or silent alarm. Skytrain in Vancouver, Canada has this.

[ozbob]

Was at Corinda earlier this afternoon, when I arrived I looked at the freight loop and thought very rusty rails, hasn't seen a train for a while.  The main freight line well used.

On my return to the station, an UP coalie was actually routed onto the freight loop.  Run through and back onto the UP sub and continued on to Oxley. 

Must have been just to give the points a work out ..  been a while since I have seen  a train on the loop.



Photograph R Dow 19th March 2012

[Arnz]

Onboard the 06:59 Ferny Grove Train with IMU 104/123. Came out of Beenleigh Depot. There must be enough IMUs on the Sunshine Coast line..


---
I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?rlekjv

Those IMUs got swapped onto a afternoon peak run out to Nambour oddly enough.  I'm guessing those IMUs found its way in the Beenleigh depot due to the recent trackwork on the Beenleigh line.

[Fares_Fair]

I received an A4 colour printed notice in my letterbox of a noise warning for works on the Sunshine Coast line from Northgate to Gympie North this weekend, 24th & 25th March, 2012 starting  2:00am Saturday to last service on Sunday.

 for great communication by Queensland Rail !

[Derwan]

 for great communication by Queensland Rail !

We've got them the last couple of closures for the Shorncliffe Line.  What I like about them is that they're NOT generic.  They have the "type of work", which indicates the main pieces of work that will be done during the closure.

[ozbob]

Onboard EMU80 UP Richlands, just passed a 3 car IMU? main down with 'Santa Express' Desto

[Golliwog]

Anyone else notice the 2 new information stations that were installed at Central station overnight? Theres one outside the gates next to the row of ticket machines and one inside under the row of PIDs. Only had a quick play around (QR staff were hogging it  ) but had a map of the station marking where you were, and could be told to point out where the ticket machines were, toilets, etc. Also had a map of the busway+rail network, a map of the BUZ network (though it was just called 'Bus Map' which was a little misleading seeing as there are plenty of other routes). You could also look up stop timetables for any bus, rail and I assume Ferry stop in SEQ. I believe you could then within that turn on or off various routes if you were or weren't interested in them.

Pretty cool, though may need some tweaking. The QR staff memeber looked up the timetable for Ferny Grove station (which I think was only listing the rail services as the interchange was in there seperately? Not sure didn't get a good look) But I did notice that with that the rail service in the turn on/off routes were broken down by destination, so you could get it to only show you the rail services from FG to Cleveland, or Beenleigh, etc. But it was only by final destination, I don't think you could make it show only services that went to Park Rd station or something. Not sure if it's overly user friendly unless you know what you're looking for though.

[Fares_Fair]

I caught an all stops rail bus at 8:20am ex-Nambour to Caboolture this morning, then an all stops train from Caboolture to the city.

Day started badly when I got onto the first bus to arrive (we don't get many in Palmwoods) and touched on, wrong bus it seemed so I touched again to cancel within 30 seconds and got poinged for a $5 fixed fare.
Got onto correct bus that arrived 2 minutes later and touched on, then touched off at Caboolture.
Touched on at caboolture for the train, and touched off at Central (2 minutes late, not bad).

Checked my go card history and find I have been pinged $10 fixed fare total.

Phoned TL to correct it and get them to add the $2.84 onto my card, to make up the correct fare of $12.84
I was told by (name withheld) that the policy is not to do so.

UPDATE: This has since been corrected to show the correct charge, so clearly advice received was incorrect.

[achiruel]

I received an A4 colour printed notice in my letterbox of a noise warning for works on the Sunshine Coast line from Northgate to Gympie North this weekend, 24th & 25th March, 2012 starting  2:00am Saturday to last service on Sunday.

 for great communication by Queensland Rail !

While I'm all for communication, does it really need to be in colour?  B&W printing would save quite a bit of money.

[ozbob]

Darra, IMU 187 down Caboolture service



Photograph R Dow 31st March 2012

[STB]

On board SMU277 enjoying the free wifi.  It's working well!

[ozbob]

Was just down at Goodna rail and noted SMU283/283  with full length advertisements (wraps - Flight Centre) along the window area of one carriage in each set.

'Metro' arrives in Brisvegas ..

[ozbob]

Was just down at Goodna rail and noted SMU283/283  with full length advertisements (wraps - Flight Centre) along the window area of one carriage in each set.

'Metro' arrives in Brisvegas ..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmp/7041643837

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmp/6895546046

Nice photos!

[Fares_Fair]

Does this now mean our fares are guaranteed to be the lowest or our money back? 

[Fares_Fair]

I wonder if they will put courier advertisements up on the trains ...
"When it absolutely, positively has to get there"

[ozbob]

Platform 7 Roma St 6.20am down  EMU01/15  'Special' Desto



Photograph R Dow 10th April 2012

[ozbob]

Granddaughter Ava taking note of coal train at Oxley ..

[Stillwater]

Tonight's Gympielander was running five minutes late on its run north as it pulled into Landsborough station.  The two coordinating bus services that were due to meet the train pulled out of Landsborough station just as the train came in.  One made it across the level crossing before the boom gate came down, the other was one vehicle back at the boom gate.  The train became another five minutes late when the 'Palmwoods next stop' announcement was made just as the train stopped 50 metres short of the station.  Palmwoods folk thought the train was at the station and tried to pull open the doors of the ICE carriages.  More than one pressed the emergency button.  The doors then had to be reset.

An announcement should be made at least 2-3 times on the ICE runs to Gympie North:  "The doors on this train operate by turning the handle down and pulling the door inwards, towards you.  Do not push the emergency button located on the wall beside the door.  This is NOT the door release mechanism.  The door works as a normal door."

[HappyTrainGuy]

Haha, not again. The "Emergency Button" sticker should be enough of a deturrent. You'd also think that the people using the doors would notice the ballast, trackside infrastructure, grass and general lack of a platform before attempting to open the doors. But then again its still common to see people pressing the emergency buttons or physically trying to pry open the doors with locked stickers plastered all over them 

[Golliwog]

Haha, not again. The "Emergency Button" sticker should be enough of a deturrent. You'd also think that the people using the doors would notice the ballast, trackside infrastructure, grass and general lack of a platform before attempting to open the doors. But then again its still common to see people pressing the emergency buttons or physically trying to pry open the doors with locked stickers plastered all over them 

Maybe it was dark?

On a semi related note:
The only time I've had to use one of the emergency features of an EMU was at Central when they had announced the Ferny Grove->Cleveland/Beenleigh (not sure, I only caught it to Park Rd so it never mattered to me) I was on was terminating at Roma St due to a mechanical error (door issue) and that we should transfer onto the service P1@Central which would continue on to whatever the final destination was. Yet the doors never got released, as that was part of the mechanical issue. However when I pressed the intercom button and tried to talk, there was no response...

[Arnz]

On board carriage IM8169 this evening, QR wi-fi working fine along with a operational toilet at the end of the carriage.  Just leaving Beerwah now.

PN012 was in the third track holding bay this evening and IMU185 subbing for the ICE on the counter-peak shuttle tonight.

[Golliwog]

Caught the ~1.30pm City to Ferny Grove service and noted that the two tracks accessing the mains from Mayne yard were red boarded and had a track crew working along it with just a small hand pushed track vehicle. Looked like they were checking and fixing the gauge?

[Fares_Fair]

Ch 9 Brisbane News story tonight at 6:00pm.

I received reports of 'video promos' (promotions) being aired last night and this morning.
Tonight there will be a story about crowding on Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast line trains.

A Reporter and cameraman travelled on a train to and from the Sunshine Coast on Monday, and the Gold Coast yesterday to see for themselves what the commute is like.
We shall see the results of their investigation tonight.

Unfortunately, many of us will still be on the trains when it goes to air ...

[Stillwater]

Traveston patronage must be on the rise, lol.  Two people boarded the northbound Gympielander at Traveston on Saturday night and someone was waiting for the daylight southbound service yesterday.  The shiny new seat must be a hit.  The old bed that was there before the seat was installed has disappeared.

http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=7128.0