New Generation Rollingstock

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

4th July 2017

New Generation Rollingstock - 500 days since NGR701 towed to Wulkuraka

Good Morning,

Today marks 500 days since NGR 701 was towed to Wulkuraka.



Yesterday, in response to our request the Queensland Audit Office for an audit into the NGR Project I was advised that this specific request was declined.

This is because there is presently a contractual dispute with this project and no funds have been transferred.

It still remains a great concern to us that the NGR trains are still not in revenue service and what their DDA compliance status is.

Yesterday, there were multiple ' mechanical issues ' with the Queensland Rail train fleet causing disruption, delays and cancellations yet again.
[ See here for details > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg194850#msg194850 ]

Queensland Rail, as does the community, needs these NGR trains in service sooner than later.

We have a very serious problem on our hands SEQ.

Best wishes
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3706.msg194764#msg194764 ]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881920057160290304

^

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881920815499014144

^

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881923652979089408

^

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881924647326961664

^

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881930615188201472

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/881933870999916546

[ozbob]

Spotted an NGR moving swiftly UP Goodna around 3.45pm this afternoon.

Might have been in honour of the 500 days!   

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/882283737106358272

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/882457206980919297

[ozbob]

^ I do worry about TMR.  A fresh start after 502 days?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/882649354946752512

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/882653090272296960

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/882654349662474240

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/882843981255548928

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/882871187503669248

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

7th July 2017

Time the truth was told about the ' Not Going Right ' trains hey?

Good Morning,

Some good news and some bad news.

It appears that there is finally an acknowledgement in the towers of mediocrity that there are issues with the New Generation Rollingstock trains in terms of design and non-compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.  The bad news is that trains will not be introduced anytime soon is my guess.

So how does this leave us moving up to the Commonwealth Games?  Clearly the rail network in SEQ, all lines except Gold Coast/Airport, will suffer more service reductions in order to support an increased frequency on the Gold Coast lines unless something is done to accelerate the ' fixing of the trains '.  It is NOT acceptable to expect SEQ to put up with ongoing rail service reductions till some time in 2019.  A reduced service timetable for the Commonwealth Games will result in a non-connected dysfunctional public transport network.  The exact opposite of what is required and what the ' authorities ' are presently spinning in delusion and deceit.

It is time you all grasped this point. We have a major crisis on our hands.  The present bumbling path to fixing the trains is not working.  Crew training needs acceleration.  A full service rail timetable must be delivered by January 2018.  If Queensland Rail and the fools in Transport and Main Roads / Translink cannot manage that, get an operator and staff that will.

Have a great day now won't you.  Cash bonuses for you all?

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3706.msg194877#msg194877 ]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883014105702965249

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883017061596676096

[ozbob]

8th July 2017

Not Going Right trains - community service public information campaign

Good Morning,

In view of the lack of information from the Transport authorities re the failure that is the New Generation Rollingstock trains (aka Not Going Right trains )  project we have commenced our own public information campaign.

The NGR information campaign is going very well > https://www.facebook.com/RAILBackOnTrack/posts/1701464616534385:0
Thousands of visitors to our FB page are now aware of the shambles.  This is apart from the 50,000 <> 80,000 hits on our discussion forum daily > https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php

The public and RAIL Back On Track members are tired, very tired, of the failure that pervades the halls of transport bureaucratic blunder - particularly the incompetence and managed deceit.

Have a great day, enjoy your slumber, as we work away trying to save SEQ's public transport network.

Don't forget another reduced service rail timetable tomorrow for SEQ, with the worst train service frequency of any suburban rail system in Australia and New Zealand ( https://translink.com.au/service-updates/132261 ).  How tragic for Brisbane and SEQ and the battling public.

' Fixing the trains ' is going splendidly - NOT!

Best wishes,
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

7th July 2017

Time the truth was told about the ' Not Going Right ' trains hey?

Good Morning,

Some good news and some bad news.

It appears that there is finally an acknowledgement in the towers of mediocrity that there are issues with the New Generation Rollingstock trains in terms of design and non-compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.  The bad news is that trains will not be introduced anytime soon is my guess.

So how does this leave us moving up to the Commonwealth Games?  Clearly the rail network in SEQ, all lines except Gold Coast/Airport, will suffer more service reductions in order to support an increased frequency on the Gold Coast lines unless something is done to accelerate the ' fixing of the trains '.  It is NOT acceptable to expect SEQ to put up with ongoing rail service reductions till some time in 2019.  A reduced service timetable for the Commonwealth Games will result in a non-connected dysfunctional public transport network.  The exact opposite of what is required and what the ' authorities ' are presently spinning in delusion and deceit.

It is time you all grasped this point. We have a major crisis on our hands.  The present bumbling path to fixing the trains is not working.  Crew training needs acceleration.  A full service rail timetable must be delivered by January 2018.  If Queensland Rail and the fools in Transport and Main Roads / Translink cannot manage that, get an operator and staff that will.

Have a great day now won't you.  Cash bonuses for you all?

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3706.msg194877#msg194877 ]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883373814377095168

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883374810595680256

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883375453494366209

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

9th July 2017

Not Going Right trains - community service public information campaign gains steam

Good Morning,

Days since NGR 701 towed to Wulkuraka is now 505.  Five hundred and five days in which the fundamental design problems with the trains have only been given scant regard until recently. It has only been the threats of legal action by disability groups that has forced a tacit acknowledgement that there are problems with DDA compliance and it needs fixing - we now have the ' Fixing the NGR trains ', another monumental blunder along with ' Fixing the trains '.

It will probably be many months still before we see these NGR trains in revenue passenger service.  Is anyone concerned about that?  We are.  This is a shocking abysmal failure by the former Newman Government, followed up with more failure and bumble by the Palaszczuk Government.

Serious questions have to be asked as to why such a botched design was ordered in the first place by the Newman Government.  This explains in part why mainstream media in SEQ appear to be reluctant to report on the NGR botch as it hits back at the Newman Government and the  gross mismanagement by the LNP and their transport bureaucracy.  The ALP have not covered themselves in glory either with their constant attempts at cover-up (surprising) and general frozen at the wheel approach, not only for NGR fail and but rail fail generally.

We have been forced into our community service public information campaign re the NGR (Next Generation Rollingstock a.k.a. Not Going Right) trains because Queensland Citizens deserve to know the sheer level of incompetence and managed deceit that lies within the corridors of power and fumble bumble bureaucracy and maladministration of this state. They deserve to know that the rail fail shambles, compounded by NGR fail, will certainly impact the 2018 Commonwealth Games as more reductions in service on their lines to pump up the Gold Coast line services.

We are so looking forward to the state election.

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3706.msg194989#msg194989 ]

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883741233062961152

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883742624087015425

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883746957201555456

[BrizCommuter]

Have blogged the above RBoT press release.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/ngr-not-going-right.html

[ozbob]

Have blogged the above RBoT press release.
https://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/ngr-not-going-right.html

Thanks!   

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/883805179501400064

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/883957496372535296

[ozbob]

RAIL Back On Track (RBoT) and its collective membership, direct and indirect, will stand up for the passengers of our public transport network.

It is a great shame that our transport authorities do not.

I will battle on till the day I die for the citizens of QLD.  And I if I go, I trust that many will follow to fight for better outcomes  ...

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 10th July 2017 page 19

Should NGR mean Not Going Right?

[ozbob]

Putting these here for convenience of review:

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/874442445798256640

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/874873442285256704

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/875221212334399489

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/875603592673083392

And ..

https://twitter.com/InclusionMoves/status/879637642689650688

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/884456607219724288

[ozbob]

Letter to the Editor Queensland Times 11th July 2017 page 19

Rollingstock going off the rails

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/884815378546696192

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/884816385737502720

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

12th July 2017

Not Going Right trains - community service public information campaign at full speed!

Good Morning,

Days now 508 since NGR701 towed to Wulkuraka. Definitely  ' Not Going Right ' hey?

FYI.  Letter to the Ed Queensland Times 11th July 2017 ( https://www.qt.com.au/news/rollingstock-going-off-the-rails/3198676/ ).



Do you think it is time the public knows the truth about this majorly botched project?

Who is protecting who?

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ozbob]

Latest media:
Not Going Right trains - community service public information campaign at full speed!
> https://t.co/UCJVBC3DWG#qldpol pic.twitter.com/qhcSHdpUF8

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 11, 2017

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/884824210958430208

[Stillwater]

Is there a warranty on these new trains in the same way as a car has a warranty period after purchase?

Has a warranty period started on the NCR trains?  If so, what are the chances of the 15 trains now housed at Wulkuraka will be out of warranty before they go into service?

[SurfRail]

There's no way any kind of guarantee, warranty, right of indemnity etc in the State's favour would commence until the units are accepted for service, which has not occurred yet.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/885043855552372743

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/885044403856961537

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

13th July 2017

Not Going Right trains - wall of silence treats us all with contempt

Good Morning,

The is a distinct lack of honesty, transparency and detail concerning the New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) a.k.a ' Not Going Right ' trains.  The bemused public see the trains running around the network but they are not able to board.  When will the public be able to board?  2019? 2031?  The Government has a moral obligation to inform the public as what the actual problems are with the NGR trains and when they will be fixed.

There appears to be a deliberate campaign to protect whomever is responsible for this monumental botch.  Just think about it for a minute.  How on earth did Queensland manage to design and order new trains in today's environment that are not DDA compliant? 

Mind boggling!  Rank incompetence!

Coupled with rail fail, this NGR fail is probably terminal for Government unless some decisive action is taken.  The bumblers who managed to arrive at this point should be shunted as well in our opinion.  Hiding behind a wall of secrecy and blunder is not helping, is it?

Best wishes,
Robert

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

Sent to all outlets:

12th July 2017

Not Going Right trains - community service public information campaign at full speed!

Good Morning,

Days now 508 since NGR701 towed to Wulkuraka. Definitely  ' Not Going Right ' hey?

FYI.  Letter to the Ed Queensland Times 11th July 2017 ( https://www.qt.com.au/news/rollingstock-going-off-the-rails/3198676/ ).



Do you think it is time the public knows the truth about this majorly botched project?

Who is protecting who?

Best wishes,
Robert

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

[ozbob]

Latest: Not Going Right trains - wall of silence treats us all with contempt
> https://t.co/LfjCSBm2rx#qldpol#railfail + #NGRfail = bye! pic.twitter.com/E7V0qppOEW

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) July 12, 2017

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/885188777517260800

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> New Queensland trains: Disability access issue could force redesign


A New Generation Rollingstock train at Ipswich

DISABILITY access flaws plaguing the State Government's troubled $4.4 billion train building program could force a costly project redesign, fuelling concerns of further delays.

The Government confirmed it was looking at how to overcome disability access issues with its New Generation Rollingstock, including a "redesign of some train elements".

A Transport Department spokesman said that "no decisions had been made on time frames or budget yet" and it was still consulting.

"We are confident any accessibility changes will not delay the entry of the first NGR trains into passenger ­service at the end of this year," he said.

Disability advocate Geoff Trappett has been consulted on the redesign option.

Options included shifting the position of train guards, ­redesigning toilets and a complete redesign of carriages.

Mr Trappett first wrote to the Palaszczuk Government about the problems in 2015.

Design problems include toilets and aisles being too narrow for wheelchairs and the guard positioned too far from disability access points in the centre of the train platform.

Queensland Rail last month announced it would hire 21 ­station staff to help passengers board.

But Mr Trappett said that did not solve the design problems. He said that the ­redesign option raised doubts about whether the trains could be ready by the time of the Commonwealth Games in April, but he said the deadline should not come at the expense of a long-term fix.

"They couldn't possibly release the trains the way they are," Mr Trappett said.

"They are going to be pushing up a very hard deadline and it would be very surprising if they didn't have a back-up plan of trains being reallocated from other lines for Commonwealth Games."

Transport Minister Jackie Trad in April said the Government was not considering shifting the position of the guards.

This week, she said the Government was confident the trains would begin running by the end of the year.

Print: Couriermail 13th July 2017 page 17

Back to the drawing board

[#Metro]

There appears to be a deliberate campaign to protect whoever is responsible for this monumental botch.  Just think about it for a minute.  How on earth did Queensland manage to design and order new trains in today's environment that are not DDA compliant? 

There is no Queensland Senate, no house of review to look over whatever the Queensland Parliament is doing and proposing.

The electorate doesn't trust either side and so it has responded by electing a hung parliament.

Similar situation with the Feds, hung parliament there also.

Need a house of review to flush out the problems with laws and stop scrambled proposals from getting royal assent.

The government didn't just buy a lemon, the gov't requested a lemon!

"One Lemon Please!"

[ozbob]

This NGR botch really demands an in depth inquiry.  Not sure if a Royal Commission is warranted but this sort of failure MUST not be allowed to occur again.  The chain of circumstances that lead to a botched design being submitted must be exposed.  Nothing else will do.

[#Metro]

This NGR botch really demands an in depth inquiry.  Not sure if a Royal Commission is warranted but this sort of failure MUST not be allowed to occur again.  The chain of circumstances that lead to a botched design being submitted must be exposed.  Nothing else will do.

The gov't got a lemon train because it requested it to be built to lemon specifications.

Oh well, at least the MPs that ordered this go home with nice salary and pension.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/RACQOfficial/status/885288859956793344

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

14th July 2017

GC2018 - rail fail for SEQ looms large

Good Morning,

This morning in an article at Brisbanetimes 2018 Commonwealth Games spectators to get the 5G treatment [ http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/mobiles/2018-commonwealth-games-spectators-to-get-the-5g-treatment-20170713-gxar3o.html ] Gold Coast Commonwealth Games organising committee chairman Peter Beattie is quoted as commenting:

" Mr Beattie said he was aware of public concern about rail but remained confident the Queensland government would provide the new trains and carriages promised for the Gold Coast line before the Games began in April 2018.

"The director-general of Transport Minister Jackie Trad's department comes to our board meetings," he said.

"We are confident that what we have said about increasing the number of trains between Brisbane and the Gold Coast to deliver those large number of clients because the ticket includes the public transport, so I have a degree of confidence between our transport team and theirs."

Mr Beattie, that is no guarantee.  The DGTMR on his watch has presided over rail fail, Redcliffe Peninsula Line fail, and now New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) fail.

We do agree that there will be an increased frequency of trains on the Gold Coast line but at a reduced service cost on the other lines of the SEQ rail network.  Such will be the impact of rail fail and NGR fail. This will result in a non-connected dysfunctional public transport for most of SEQ for the Commonwealth Games.  Queensland Rail and the transport authorities cannot be trusted to deliver the goods in our opinion.

Rail fail must be fixed by January 2018  or the end result will be massive road congestion with transport paralysis.

Good luck Mr Beattie, you and Queensland are going to need it.

Best wishes

Robert

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

[ Attached: https://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3706.msg195147#msg195147 ]

[ozbob]

Days since NGR 701 towed to Wulkuraka