Courier Mail: Sunshine Coast commuters endure overcrowded trains

[#Metro]

Sunshine Coast commuters endure overcrowded trains

LONG-haul Sunshine Coast commuters suffer the worst rail services in the southeast, with 80 per cent of morning peak-hour services overcrowded.

New figures released to The Courier-Mail show commuters on the Nambour line are forced to stand for at least 20 minutes on most peak-hour services.

That was despite a fall in the number of commuters using the Citytrain network.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast-commuters-endure-overcrowded-trains/story-e6freoof-1225884921038

A comment from a reader:

not good enough of sunny coast  Posted at 9:25 AM Today

One train every 40 mins during peak hour is just disgraceful, which is what we get north of Caboolture. Then try standing for 90 mins due to lack of seats or sitting on the inter-urban trains which are run up there instead of the inter-city trains. You have a numb bum after 90 mins on those bloody seats. The sunshine coast service is a shocker and needs urgent attention.

Comment 11 of 17

[Barbar]

Sunshine Coast commuters endure overcrowded trains

LONG-haul Sunshine Coast commuters suffer the worst rail services in the southeast, with 80 per cent of morning peak-hour services overcrowded.

New figures released to The Courier-Mail show commuters on the Nambour line are forced to stand for at least 20 minutes on most peak-hour services.

That was despite a fall in the number of commuters using the Citytrain network.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/sunshine-coast-commuters-endure-overcrowded-trains/story-e6freoof-1225884921038

A comment from a reader:

not good enough of sunny coast  Posted at 9:25 AM Today

One train every 40 mins during peak hour is just disgraceful, which is what we get north of Caboolture. Then try standing for 90 mins due to lack of seats or sitting on the inter-urban trains which are run up there instead of the inter-city trains. You have a numb bum after 90 mins on those bloody seats. The sunshine coast service is a shocker and needs urgent attention.

Comment 11 of 17

Unfortunately there is no possibility of an improved service for LONG-haul Sunshine Coast commuters until the track duplication between Nambour and Beerburrum is completed..so far I've been waiting 20 years for this to happen....guess it'll be another 20 

[somebody]

Unfortunately there is no possibility of an improved service for LONG-haul Sunshine Coast commuters until the track duplication between Nambour and Beerburrum is completed..so far I've been waiting 20 years for this to happen....guess it'll be another 20 

Err, won't it be enough if it goes as far as Landsborough?  Is your point that you don't count as a long haul commuter until you are past Landsborough or something?

[mufreight]

While it is a bit tight with the present alignment north of Beerburrum it is possible the operate services on a 30 minute peak frequency south of Landsbrough and with affordable infrastructure improvements, duplication on the new alignments that have been surveyed in selected locations giving effectively a few long intermediate crossing points where trains can be timetabled to cross on the move would ensure the integrity of the timetabling.

[Barbar]

While it is a bit tight with the present alignment north of Beerburrum it is possible the operate services on a 30 minute peak frequency south of Landsbrough and with affordable infrastructure improvements, duplication on the new alignments that have been surveyed in selected locations giving effectively a few long intermediate crossing points where trains can be timetabled to cross on the move would ensure the integrity of the timetabling.

mufreight I consider a 15 minute frequency as an affective "peak" target...other States can manage this frequency why not QLD? .for the record I recently spoke to an ex long term Northern line worker who stated in no uncertain terms that freight services will not release any of their time slots to commuter services ...as for affordable infrastructure improvements...I agree with the concept but it'll still take 20 years before those to start 

[Barbar]

Unfortunately there is no possibility of an improved service for LONG-haul Sunshine Coast commuters until the track duplication between Nambour and Beerburrum is completed..so far I've been waiting 20 years for this to happen....guess it'll be another 20 

Err, won't it be enough if it goes as far as Landsborough?  Is your point that you don't count as a long haul commuter until you are past Landsborough or something?

Nope...I view a Sunshine Coast long haul commuter as those that commute from any station north of Calboolture....Sure after another 20 year delay the Beerburrum to Landsborough track duplication project may start but ending it there is just short sighted. 

[somebody]

I would not say that a 15 minute peak frequency north of Caboolture is a fair ask.  30 minutes is well and truly adequeate.  Sydney's South Coast line isn't even 30 minutes, the Central Coast Line is better, but it is far from consistently 15 minutes.  Blue Mountains is close, but the Southern Highlands line is attrocious.

[Derwan]

I consider a 15 minute frequency as an affective "peak" target...

Ultimately - yes!  At this stage though, that's a fair target for the suburban network, but not the interurban network.  Some of the suburban lines are nowhere near a 15-minute peak frequency.

[stephenk]

I consider a 15 minute frequency as an affective "peak" target...

Ultimately - yes!  At this stage though, that's a fair target for the suburban network, but not the interurban network.  Some of the suburban lines are nowhere near a 15-minute peak frequency.

Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, and Caboolture Lines all have peak gaps of more than 20mins.

[Arnz]

Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, and Caboolture Lines all have peak gaps of more than 20mins.

You can probably omit Beenleigh and Caboolture if you count Gold Coast (4 tph) and Nambour/Gympie Trains (2 tph) in the equation.  Many passengers from Caboolture and Beenleigh (To a lesser extent: Loganlea and Petrie) do catch those trains in afternoon peak.

[#Metro]

Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, and Caboolture Lines all have peak gaps of more than 20mins.

Meanwhile, back at Perth, the trains on the Clarkson line departs every 5-7 minutes.

[stephenk]

Ferny Grove, Cleveland, Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, and Caboolture Lines all have peak gaps of more than 20mins.

You can probably omit Beenleigh and Caboolture if you count Gold Coast (4 tph) and Nambour/Gympie Trains (2 tph) in the equation.  Many passengers from Caboolture and Beenleigh (To a lesser extent: Loganlea and Petrie) do catch those trains in afternoon peak.

I fail to see your argument. 4tph worth of Gold Coast services will not increase the service frequency at Salisbury will it?

Alderley to Windsor, Wynnum to Buranda, and Banoon, Salisbury to Moorooka all have a service gap of 22 or 23mins in the busier parts of the am peak. Virginia to Morayfield have the well known 30min gap just after 6pm, which is well within the peak fare period. Shorncliffe has the infamous 38min gap in the early part of the pm peak fare period.

Translink's peak service provision requirement of 20mins is already pathetic for inner suburban stations. It is then made worse by QR's schedulers failing to even manage a 20mins service. No wonder the rail patronage is decreasing!

[Barbar]

Lets face the facts....QR's service improvement priorities don't include the Sunshine Coast "interurban/long haul/whatever label you want to use" commuter...why so? because the money isn't there to build the planned infrastructure needed to support both the current and the projected increased commuter population resident north of Caboolture...its such a shame and disappointing that building toll roads and CBD car tunnels are still in fashion...oh the waste of it all