Goodna Station

[Cam]

Further to my post above, someone driving to Goodna Railway Station in peak times can usually drive another 2 minutes to Gailes & a further 2 minutes to Wacol & typically park their vehicle closer to the station than they would have at Goodna. I doubt very much that commuters from north or north-east of Petrie would drive to Lawnton or Bray Park in peak times with the old timetable due to the road congestion in the area. The new timetable has no express services from Lawnton or Bray Park so it makes Petrie even more attrative for commuters.

However, on the Ipswich Line, Gailes & Wacol are now more attractive stations in peak times because all express services now stop there with the new timetable. From observations & my own experiences driving to these stations, I think that there are a reasonable number of commuters that  drive past Goodna Station & park at Gailes or Wacol because of these reasons.

[ozbob]

Re lifts at Goodna Rail, following advice received from Queensland Rail

the Goodna lift repairs are currently underway and remain on schedule to be completed by the original timeframe of late July.  Lift suppliers around the city have allot of significant back orders that are a result of the number of lifts affected by the floods.

Thanks!

Yes, there are 243 car parking spaces as such at Goodna, they fill early and every day. I have noted a number of cars at Gailes and Wacol is building as well. If we can get back a modified 523 bus at Goodna I think that will help the locals a bit too.  Very hard to park after the peak.

Goodna is a busy station, it is not Petrie but for the facilities provided is surprisingly busy. 

[HappyTrainGuy]

I doubt very much that commuters from north or north-east of Petrie would drive to Lawnton or Bray Park in peak times with the old timetable due to the road congestion in the area. The new timetable has no express services from Lawnton or Bray Park so it makes Petrie even more attrative for commuters.

There's also Dakabin a few mins to the north of Petrie. Its in the middle of nowhere but your chances of getting a seat on an express or a parking spot are better than Petrie. Another benefit is that its mostly served by Caboolture-Petrie exp to Northgate-City/City-Northgate exp to Petrie-Caboolture services in the peaks. The downsides are that there isn't a single bus service connecting to the station, Petrie has more connections/services available due to Petrie starters/terminators and Dakabin has less disability services/security available (CCTV cameras for parking/unmanned station/elevators etc..).

[Cam]

Perhaps Ozbob should stand as an independent candidate for Bundamba, not only could there be influence applied to the ignored needs of the Bundamba electotate but also in the area of public transport statewide.
One thing for sure there would be no shortage of workers to support him as a candidate.
   

Disagree.

If Queensland had an upper house of parliament, you may only need a few percent of the statewide primary vote to be elected to the upper house. In the NSW 2011 election, the "Shooters and Fishers" party had a candidate elected to the upper house with 3.7% of the vote. Hypothetically, a public transport party which promoted the issues raised in this forum, would have a reasonable chance of having a candidate elected to the upper house at the next Queensland election if Queensland had an upper house.

[ozbob]

Noted some lift technicians at work on the Goodna lifts today ...

[mufreight]

The workers on the lifts at Goodna today were conspicuous by their absence. 

[ozbob]

Goodna, some work on the bus stops road over the weekend, buses using the kiss n' ride bays.

A container with bits and pieces for the lifts is in place.















Photographs R Dow 25th June 2011

[ozbob]

The old shelter at the bus stop has now gone, new paving and edging.

[ozbob]

Goodna station has different platform numbering from the rest of the network.  It is a curious thing.

The up plaform at Goodna is platform 2 (Ipswich bound), the down platform (city bound) is platform 1.  This is the reverse of the normal pattern at other stations.

I have enquired as to the reason for this, just from an interest basis.  I have asked for reasons generally but no-one knows it seems.

A light hearted look at why it might be so ..

• There was long ago a 'platform one' on the UP loop (long since removed)
• Goodna platform numbers were originally fixed by a Victorian
• Goodna was where the 'sod was turned' for the railway between Brisbane and Ipswich (true) and so they wanted to have something special
• It's Goodna ... a special place with a special station ...  

Anymore?

[Fares_Fair]

• there's a magnetic anomaly around Goodna
• it was decided upon by a lady who had no-one to ask directions ...
  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[somebody]

Numbered by someone who was unaware of the convention.

[ozbob]

Numbered by someone who was unaware of the convention.

Possible, but unlikely as it would have been corrected.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodna_railway_station  has it wrong.

The automated voice system announces the Ipswich train arriving at platform 2 and so forth.

http://web.archive.org/web/20080729121540/http://qroti.com/placeinfo/qld/rail/goodna/  from 2008, not sure if this was correct too!

[ozbob]

From http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=3877.msg42591#msg42591





Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[ozbob]

Interesting photograph 1924.  The Brisbane road, this appears to be on the down side of the line heading into Goodna.

Railway can be made out along the mid of the photograph.



From http://queenslandplaces.com.au/goodna

[Golliwog]

With the goods siding there I could imagine it may have been given the 'platform 1' name hence platform 2 on the up main, but that would only make sense if the down main was platform 3, but its platform 1. Who knows.

[ghostryder]

Bob
Riverview station has or had the same numbering set up on its platforms. I have a shot of the station building on the city/Brisbane bound platform. You can clearly see the Number 1 sign fixed to the station building.

scott

[ozbob]

Bob
Riverview station has or had the same numbering set up on its platforms. I have a shot of the station building on the city/Brisbane bound platform. You can clearly see the Number 1 sign fixed to the station building.

scott

Thanks Scott, very interesting.  I checked out Gailes it is inline with the normal convention.  Ipswich itself is normal numbering, might have to check out the others between Goodna and Ipswich. 

[ghostryder]

Bob
A couple of things i learned when researching Goodna. Goodna was not intended to be the site of the first sod turning for the Ipswich to Brisbane rail link. But was chosen after both the cities of Brisbane and Ipswich threatened to boycott the line if the construction of the line was not started from their city. To appease both cities the sod was turned by Governor Normanby at Goodna about half way between Ipswich and Brisbane. Construction crews worked from Brisbane Ipswich and Goodna. The ceremony for the first sod was paid for out of railway loan funds. From opening until the line was duplicated Goodna was one of several stations where passing facilities were provided for passing operations. The Woogaroo Ck bridge when built in the 1960s was one of the first examples of pre stressed concrete structures to be used for civil engineering in Australia and Queensland.

scott

[ozbob]

Thanks Scott.

[ozbob]

New bus stops at Goodna, A and B .. and general area including subway.
The advertising signs are now non functional as not really viewable from the highway.
















UP platform - 2  reverse of the normal convention on Queensland Rail SEQ network




















RIP Memorial to a number of young folk killed in a MVA at this location









Photographs R Dow 28th June 2011

[ozbob]

Am heading off to Ipswich this afternoon to check out the platform numbers Redbank to Ipswich.

Reports that Riverview has reverse numbering as well.  Plot thickens ...

[ozbob]

Checked the stations from Goodna to Ipswich.  Only Goodna and Riverview have the reverse numbering (ie. platform 2 outbound), the other stations as per the rest of the network.

[ozbob]

Still no explanation for the numbering variation at Goodna and Riverview ...

Meanwhile, it does seem that there might be a chance the lifts at Goodna rail station might be operational before the next big wet ..

Spotted today, a Liftronic van in location ...  





The lift on the St Ives side of the highway close to being operational.  
The structures each side of the line (constructed at a high flood proof level) nearly finished.















Bus stops A and B - new



Photographs R Dow 8th July 2011

[ozbob]

With respect to the reverse numbering of Goodna (and Riverview) platforms.

I have received some advice that the numbering may be related to when the station was rebuilt.  I went look for some evidence of a possible different early station layout.

I found this image taken in 1928, it shows an island platform.  So I await further advice.



Article identifier
    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21295402
Page identifier
    http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page1741977
APA citation
    ALONG THE IPSWICH LINE. (1928, June 9). The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864-1933), p. 13. Retrieved July 11, 2011, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21295402

Note: ==> http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home  Historic Australian Newswpapers is a great resource ..

[ozbob]

The thing I find interesting about this reverse numbering is that no one knows why?  Inquiries are ongoing though ...

[Golliwog]

The thing I find interesting about this reverse numbering is that no one knows why?  Inquiries are ongoing though ...

Maybe in a few weeks there will be someone out switching the signs over? Problem solved! The response would then be "But it doesn't have reverse numbering."

[colinw]

Stumbled upon this image of the Goodna RSL in the 2011 flood.  The station is behind the RSL.

Speaking of flood images, on the weekend I went to a birthday bash at the Royal Exchange Hotel in Toowong.  In the upstairs area there is a photograph of Toowong station submerged during the 1893 flood, complete with a couple of rowboats occupying the rail right of way.

[ozbob]

The thing I find interesting about this reverse numbering is that no one knows why?  Inquiries are ongoing though ...

Maybe in a few weeks there will be someone out switching the signs over? Problem solved! The response would then be "But it doesn't have reverse numbering."

But it is not a problem, it is just intriguing.  To change it is actually a bit more complicated than it first seems, a lot of voice announcements need updating and working timetables changed I expect.  No, I think they will stay as is.

[ghostryder]

Bob
In regards to the issue of rebuilding the only real rebuilding i am aware Goodna underwent was when the Current station building was built to replace the old timber structure destroyed by fire in the 1980s, and i was told that the timber station was close to if not the original building. Goodna was a crossing station from the opening of the Ipswich line and remained that way until the line was duplicated in the 1880s.

scott

[ozbob]

Thanks Scott, I think I have a possible explanation for the reverse numbering, at least at Goodna, and it may be the same for Riverview.

The early Goodna station had one platform face.  It faced where the down line is now.  There was a passing loop up side at Goodna but the loop did not have a plaform as such.  The early township was between the station and the river.  It would appear that when the platform was modified to include a second platform face (up line) the original platform - platform one was retained as the number, and the new platform named two.  This has stuck, even though the rest of the network was numbered differently.  It may well be a similar story for Riverview.

Meanwhile, the Pipe train passing through Goodna, 12th July 2011



Photograph R Dow 12th July 2011

[somebody]

That was going quite quickly.  The caboose does look weird.

[ozbob]

A shelter has now been placed at the Kiss 'n Ride / FlexiLink stop, thanks TransLink!









Lifts still not operational - the lift on the St Ives side is nearly ready by the look of it.
Work has been going on with the railway stations lifts, July is nearly over!





Photographs R Dow 23rd July 2011

[ozbob]

Always nice to visit Goodna rail.  Heading into Corinda for the Ipswich line CRG meeting this evening.  Security guards with dogs on the station.  I like dogs    And informed sources have suggested to me that the rail station lifts are another two weeks away yet.  Despite best efforts, the end of July deadline will not be met.

[ozbob]

UP coalie through Goodna ...  plenty of paths ...

[mufreight]

Always nice to visit Goodna rail.  Heading into Corinda for the Ipswich line CRG meeting this evening.  Security guards with dogs on the station.  I like dogs    And informed sources have suggested to me that the rail station lifts are another two weeks away yet.  Despite best efforts, the end of July deadline will not be met.

being more of a pesamist than an optimist the end of August seems more realistic as a date for the restoration of the lifts at Goodna, the original instalation took less than six weeks, I doubt that any further comment about the abilities of the contractor currently employed to maintain the lifts is needed.

[Cam]

being more of a pesamist than an optimist the end of August seems more realistic as a date for the restoration of the lifts at Goodna, the original instalation took less than six weeks, I doubt that any further comment about the abilities of the contractor currently employed to maintain the lifts is needed.

I think that a media release or another letter to local media is warranted. If I was mobility impaired & used Goodna Station, I would be knocking on the member for Bundamba's door every day demanding that the lifts be restored.

Perhaps a ramp should have been installed as part of the Ipswich Motorway upgrade so that Goodna Station will be accessable after the next flood.

[ozbob]

There is the subway access from Bertha St end, but not well marked, and some lighting improvements are needed highway side along the path to Bertha St.  Also with the lifts has been some additional damage done by vandalism since the floods which is also contributing to delays.  I raised the issues last evening directly with Queensland Rail, including station signage yet again.  Goodna has had some improvements of late, finally a shelter at the kiss n'ride/FlexiLink dropoff/pickup, some new bus shelters and paving.  The roads are being fixed up too.   Complicating everything of course is the massive road upgrade of the highway as well.  Not much more can be done for the instant, we just have to wait.

[ozbob]

31st July, lifts still out ..













Photographs R Dow 31st July 2011

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

1 August 2011

Re: Goodna and the forced isolations

Greetings,

Article in the Courier Mail today further highlights the ongoing pain for Goodna.  Not helped by the caviler attitude of the road authorities and even more difficulty to access Goodna.

From the Courier Mail click here!

Ipswich flood victims on Struggle Street


Ipswich flood victims on Struggle Street

    by Michael Madigan
    From: The Courier-Mail
    August 01, 2011 12:00AM

RESIDENTS of Goodna, still struggling to find their feet more than six months after the January floods, want some practical solutions for dealing with the next deluge ...

The lifts at the rail station are still not operational.  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5712.msg64526#msg64526

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

On 28/07/2011 3:48 AM, RAIL Back On Track Admin wrote:

Greetings,

Goodna was impacted with the floods.  My observations of Goodna is that it is still struggling.  St Ives shopping centre is still very quiet and is of concern to local businesses and residents.  Closing off direct access to Goodna eastbound from the Highway is not going to help matters.

It is already not easy to access Goodna, this closure is probably going to be the businesses death nell for some sadly.

Goodna railway station has had some recent improvements. A shelter was finally placed at the kiss n'ride / FlexiLink point, and some new bus station shelters.  The lifts are still not operational, but hopefully will be in a few more weeks.  Access to the railway station has been difficult and remains so.  (  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=5712.msg64053#msg64053 ).

State and Local Government needs to consider the impacts of this Goodna ramp closure and provide support as needed.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

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

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=75805

Main Roads, Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure
The Honourable Craig Wallace

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Motorists asked for patience during Goodna ramp closure

Motorists are being asked to prepare for changed conditions when an exit ramp off the Ipswich Motorway is temporarily closed at the end of July for six months.

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace said complex construction requirements for the motorway upgrade meant the eastbound exit ramp at Goodna would need to be closed.

"From July 31, eastbound motorists wishing to exit at Goodna will need to turn off earlier at Mine Street, Redbank and use Smiths Road, or use the Logan Motorway exit at Gailes and detour back to Goodna via Brisbane Road," Mr Wallace said.

The ramp will be closed to enable construction of the permanent Brisbane-bound motorway alignment. The Ipswich-bound works were recently completed and the start of Brisbane-bound works through Goodna mark a major step toward completion.

Mr Wallace said he appreciated the temporary change would cause a slightly longer trip for motorists approaching Goodna from the west.

"We've tried to minimise any inconvenience to drivers but the detour is necessary so we can complete this much-needed upgrade," he said.

"It's taken extensive planning to be able to keep motorway traffic flowing while these works are carried out.

"The good news is, the start of the Brisbane-bound carriageway puts the end clearly in sight, pushing us over the halfway mark for this section of the motorway upgrade."

Advertisements, flyers and road signs will signal the change in the days leading up to the exit closure, to give motorists time to plan ahead and make adjustments to their travel plans.

The motorway upgrade remains on track for completion by the end of 2012.

[ozbob]

Some paving for over-flow car parking in Woogaroo St near the station has been done.






Other parking is still a little problematical when it rains ..



Photographs R Dow 4th August 2011