Melbourne Trains

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

State Government declares war on Metro, invoking emergency powers

State Government declares war on Metro, invoking emergency powers

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * July 10, 2010 12:00AM

THE State Government has declared war on struggling rail operator Metro, invoking emergency powers to force it to lift its game.

Millions of dollars owed to the operator will be held back while Metro scrambles to get trains running on time.

Metro has failed to meet timetable targets for all seven months it has operated in Melbourne. In June, about 17 per cent of trains ran late, well over the 12 per cent target.

The operator was humiliated again this week when passengers had to get off a train and walk because of a faulty train between Flinders St and Southern Cross.

The State Government will withhold $4 million it owes to Metro for running the system from its $474 million annual fee. This is on top of the maximum $1 million a month Metro is being fined for failing to run trains on time.

Transport officials believe it is unlikely that Metro will hit its timetable targets by the end of September, which could have major implications for the November state election.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said the crackdown was the result of continued poor performance results.

"We are sending a strong message to Metro: the community expects and deserves better performance from their train system," Mr Pakula told the Herald Sun.

"It's not unreasonable for passengers to expect that they will reach their destination on time."

Metro's performance has been crippled by issues including speed restrictions imposed on the troubled Siemens trains.

Sand-release equipment will be installed to stop trains from sliding, which can occur under braking through lack of adhesion between wheels and track.

Metro believes the current timetable is flawed and contributing to the lateness of trains.

The operator also wants to cut the time it takes for passengers to get on and off crowded trains.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala was in Hong Kong on Friday in crisis talks with officials from parent company MTR. Mr Lezala said he was disappointed by the Government's move.

"After analysing the network's performance over the past seven months, we know where our attention needs to be," Mr Lezala said.

"We'll be spending the next 12 months focusing on getting this right, and we're confident our customers will soon see a consistent pattern of improvement."

Metro wants to adopt many of the practices used in Hong Kong, renowned for one of the world's best railway systems.

MTR deputy operations director Jacob Kam said eliminating delays caused by train faults took time.

"It takes three to five years to introduce on a (train) fleet that has already been properly maintained," he said. In Hong Kong, all trains were completely overhauled every four years.

They are essentially dismantled and rebuilt.

Among the other ideas to be adopted from Hong Kong will be a training college for staff, possibly at Flinders St station.

The big difference is that all aspects of MTR's railway, including trains, tracks and signals, are kept in peak condition.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the current problems were the largely the fault of the Government.

"The Government is obviously keen to act the tough guy as the election looms, but the real cause of delays is their lack of forward planning and investment over the last decade," Mr Bowen said.

"Metro has inherited problems with tracks, unreliable trains, problematic Siemens brakes, and chronic crowding and delays due to a shortage of trains.

"All of these are the Government's responsibility to fix."

Comment:

I grew up in Melbourne and remember the great days of VR.  When I joined the Army in 1969 I had the opportunity to return to Melbourne periodically since then.  A gradual run down of track and signalling infrastructure was obvious particularly when the privatisation/franchise process occurred.  It is a bit rich for  Governments to be attacking an operator for its own failings.  I agree with Mr Bowen.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

$4 million withheld from Metro for late trains

$4 million withheld from Metro for late trains
CLAY LUCAS
July 10, 2010

PAYMENT of millions of dollars will be withheld from rail operator Metro until it starts running fewer trains late.

Metro, which signed a $8 billion contract with the state government last year, will release its seventh month of performance figures today, showing it has not once met the on-time standards set for it.

Now, about one in five trains runs more than five minutes late.

Metro will not get the $4 million payment until it improves the train system's performance.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said withholding the payment would push the operator to perform better.

''We are sending a strong message to Metro,'' Mr Pakula said. ''The community expects and deserves better performance from their train system. It's not unreasonable for passengers to expect that they will reach their destination on time."

Under Metro's contract, it can be fined a maximum of $12 million a year for poor performance (Connex faced unlimited penalties and paid $25 million in its final year of operation).

But under the contract, if performance is poor for an extended period, the government can withhold payments of up to $4 million. It has now exercised this option.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said Metro had been handed a crumbling system and was now being made a scapegoat by the government.

''John Brumby wants to be seen to be doing something, but in reality, many of the problems [Melburnians] are experiencing on the trains were there when Metro took over the contract,'' he said.

RMIT transport academic Paul Mees, long a critic of the government's privatisation model, said withholding the payment was little more than spin. ''It is designed to deflect public anger in the lead-up to November's state election - but it won't make any real difference to Metro's profit levels,'' Dr Mees said. ''It is designed to distract attention from the real issue, which is the failure of privatised public transport.''

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said yesterday he was disappointed the payment was being withheld.

He said Metro had analysed the issues affecting performance and was working to a plan that would create long-term improvement.

[Dean Quick]

Years of neglect and under-investment and this is the result. The same has happened to the once extensive Victorian freight network which was privatised in 1999 and now almost non-existent. Rail Privatisation DOES NOT and NEVER WILL WORK!!!

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!  Editorial

This train has left the station

This train has left the station

   * Staff Writer
   * From: Herald Sun
   * July 10, 2010 12:00AM

PREMIER John Brumby has moved decisively to pull troubled train operator Metro into line, but too late.

Furious commuters will not forgive the Government easily after months of waiting for trains that come late or are cancelled.

Passengers, in once instance, were forced to climb down from a stranded train and walk to the next station.

When you have had problems getting to and from work, you are unlikely to forget having to trudge your way along the tracks.

As reported in the Herald Sun, the Government will withhold $4 million in revenue from Metro because of late trains. This is on top of up to $1 million-a-month in fines for poor performance.

Premier Brumby, faced with an election in November, has finally lost patience. But it remains to be seen whether even this drastic action will get Metro back on track.

The train operator says it has "analysed" the issues and is "working to a plan that targets long-term network improvement".

This sounds like so much gobbledygook and only vastly improved services will satisfy long-suffering train travellers.

On top of these frustrations, commuters are still waiting for the so-called myki smart-card ticketing system to be rolled out on trams and buses.

Like the trains, myki is late and is several hundred million dollars over budget.

[#Metro]

Why do smart cards take so unbelievably long to roll out, always go over budget and over time?

[longboi]

Again it has to be asked: How do they expect services to improve if they are constantly being hounded by the Gov't and having funding withheld - Its ludacrious 

[frereOP]

Years of neglect and under-investment and this is the result. The same has happened to the once extensive Victorian freight network which was privatised in 1999 and now almost non-existent. Rail Privatisation DOES NOT and NEVER WILL WORK!!!

Tell that to the British! I'm sure Richard Branson would disagree.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro not as late as it was before

Metro not as late as it was before
DEBORAH GOUGH
July 25, 2010

NEW timetables for three train lines have only marginally improved punctuality across the network, with one of those lines recording no improvement at all, new figures show.

The Department of Transport figures show Metro failed to deliver 1.3 per cent of services, its third-worst record since it began running the train network, 30 per cent worse from May to June, but within the threshold set by the state government of 2 per cent.

On punctuality, it has improved marginally, rising to 82.9 per cent of trains arriving on time, up by 0.2 percentage points on May's figure, but below the state government's threshold of 88 per cent.

Three lines failed to meet the 2 per cent or less threshold for cancelled services, Stony Point (2.8 per cent), Werribee (2.3) and Frankston (2). Only Alamein, Epping, Glen Waverley, Sandringham, Stony Point and Williamstown met the benchmark for punctual services.

The figures reveal how each line is performing and show that changes to timetables have failed to improve punctuality on one line and made small gains on two others. Under new timetables, some peak trains on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Frankston lines were taken out of the City Loop, upsetting some commuters.

Cranbourne line's punctuality remained unchanged from May to June, but it had a 57 per cent jump in cancelled trains.

The Frankston line was the poorest performer overall. It has the fewest trains running on time, just 65.5 per cent, although this was an improvement of 2.9 percentage points, but 2 per cent of trains were cancelled, up 81 per cent on May.

Pakenham had a 2.2 per cent improvement on its punctuality but still had 25 per cent increase in the number of trains cancelled.

Other services with high cancellations include Werribee (2.3 per cent) and Hurstbridge (1.. Sandringham, Williamstown, Upfield and Sydenham line cancellations all doubled from May to June from low bases.

Werribee train punctuality dropped too, from only 72.6 per cent of trains on time..

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said the figures were disappointing. ''The whole point of the new timetables was to improve reliability and punctuality. If that hasn't been achieved and these lines are still very unreliable then you have to question the effectiveness of the new timetable to deliver,'' he said.

Mr Bowen said despite the disappointing cancellation figures there were other improvements on the new timetabled lines. ''There has been a noticeable reduction in crowding on the lines since the timetable shake-up but we were hoping there would also have been a tangible improvement in punctuality too,'' Mr Bowen said.

A spokeswoman for Metro Trains said the new timetables had been running for only three weeks in June so the impact of the new timetables was not fully known.

''We know this is the first step towards improving our services, and we are confident further timetable changes will continue to improve the reliability of our services,'' she said.

She said Metro had exceeded its 98 per cent service delivery target for trains arriving and had done so since it took control of the network last November.

A train is considered on time if it departs no later than 4.59 minutes after the scheduled time.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Stranded by a wire

Stranded by a wire
CLAY LUCAS
July 28, 2010

A SINGLE piece of snapped overhead wire that brought chaos to Melbourne's train system yesterday - delaying more than 400,000 passengers for at least an hour - had been inspected for faults only 35 days earlier.

The 20-year-old wire, which Metro chief Andrew Lezala said had snapped because of ''fatigue failure'', was inspected by engineers on June 22.

The state government has offered free travel on suburban trains on Friday, and a free daily ticket for many V/Line commuters, to compensate for yesterday's delays.

The break occurred between Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations, highlighting the vulnerability of the entire system to glitches in key locations.

As the chaos unfolded, it became clear neither Metro nor the Department of Transport had an effective plan to deal with it. ''In terms of the scope of the disruption, this was about as bad as it gets,'' Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said.

The opposition blamed Premier John Brumby for under-investment in the rail system over the past 11 years, while the Greens demanded the government sack much of its Transport Department and create a new public transport authority to run the city's trains.

The problem began at 4.55am, when a cable holding up the wire from which trains draw their power snapped, causing the power lines on one set of tracks between Southern Cross and Flinders Street to droop.

To fix the snapped cable, repair crews were forced to shut power on all six rail lines running between the city's two busiest stations, grinding all trains in the CBD to a halt for more than an hour.

This caused a cascading effect across the entire network which delayed all lines for at least one hour, forcing many commuters on to already overcrowded trams and buses.

Many abandoned public transport and drove into the city, badly clogging the city's busy roads. V/Line services from Gippsland terminated at Dandenong, while the Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo lines were reduced to a crawl behind suburban trains.

Many passengers were stranded without any information about when trains would come.

And as commuters endured the worst of the delays, Premier John Brumby went on ABC radio and said the system was ''now back up and running''.

Mr Brumby also said Metro was continuing to improve its performance. ''They are very good transport operators. I have seen what they do in Hong Kong and they are here for the long haul. They will continue to improve,'' he said.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula - who yesterday declared he had full confidence in the secretary of his transport department - last night offered passengers free travel on Melbourne's metropolitan train system. Passengers using Metcard should not validate their ticket on Friday, and those using their myki card should not touch on or off when travelling.

Melbourne University finance professor Kevin Davis yesterday estimated the rail meltdown had cost Victoria's economy more than $12 million in lost productivity. It took until just after midday yesterday before Metro recovered its train schedule.

Last night, at a meeting of Metro's board members that had been organised before yesterday's chaos, Mr Pakula was expected to demand Metro lift its performance.

Under its eight-year, $8 billion contract with Metro, the government has boosted dramatically funding for maintenance, giving the operator $365 million over a 19-month period for repairs.

Until yesterday, Metro was close to meeting its on-time performance targets for the first time since taking over from Connex in December. It is likely to face the eighth $1 million fine from the government in a row - although it will hardly make a dent in the $50-60 million it gets paid each month.

Greens MP Greg Barber said the key issue was not spending on infrastructure. ''The root cause of this problem is rail privatisation,'' he said.

''Under the current system we have got a bunch of cardigan-wearing bureaucrats on one side and a bunch of greedy profit-seekers on the other. Responsibility for actually running the trains falls in the gap,'' he said.

■ Peak-hour traffic was thrown into chaos for the second time after a truck hit power lines and tram lines in Flemington. Traffic and trams were brought to a halt about 6pm as lines were cleared and power turned off.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Commuter chaos

Commuter chaos

COMMUTERS should brace for another six months of chaos on the train system as Metro races to replace frayed overhead wires.

Melbourne's ageing rail network plunged to a new low when a single broken wire disrupted tens of thousands of passengers.

Commuters will get a free ride on Friday as compensation, but passenger anger threatens to carry into the state election campaign this year.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula apologised for the debacle that left commuters late for work and students late for school.

"We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused," he said.

Metro bosses were ordered to Parliament House on Tuesday night for crisis talks.

In a bid to placate long-suffering commuters, travel on trains, trams and buses will be free on Friday.

The $1 million bill for the free day will be shared by Metro and the State Government.

Metro has warned wiring problems could continue for six months.

The wire at the centre of the chaos was identified for replacement last month.

"We didn't get to this one quickly enough," Metro chief Andrew Lezala said. "It was a pretty old piece of wire."

Metro faces a fine of up to $1 million for poor performance.

Blog comment:

Again, successive Governments who allowed the infrastructure to deteriorate under the cover of a privatisation/franchise con continue to blame the operator.  What a farce! 

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro tests go down to wire

Metro tests go down to wire

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * July 29, 2010 8:18PM

METRO has begun a complete inspection of the overhead power system after this week's peak-hour meltdown.

Every single line on the network will be filmed and analysed by a camera attached to the top of a train.

The beleaguered operator has also launched a new program of close-up inspections along deteriorating wires.

Metro's Geraldine Mitchell said the steps were necessary to ensure disruptions such as Tuesday's did not recur.

The company is also flying in experts from Hong Kong next month as part of a full audit of the electrical system.

Ms Mitchell said a CCTV camera had been fitted to a train roof. "It is expected the vision will only capture obvious defects, but it will ultimately provide a useful tool to view the network's overhead power lines," she said.

The operator has also reviewed its announcements on the morning, following many complaints of a lack of updates.

"We know our customers need timely, accurate information, and we realise that this is imperative during an incident such as that which occurred on Tuesday," Ms Mitchell said.

Delays happened because a computer was overwhelmed with the number of text messages being sent out to those commuters registered with Metro.

Up to 9am, 84,000 text messages had been sent, compared with a usual tally of 20,000.

Ms Mitchell said changes were being made to keep passengers better informed of train cancellations.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula was awaiting Metro's report into the incident, his spokesman said.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Safety breach amid rail chaos

Safety breach amid rail chaos
JASON DOWLING
July 31, 2010

TRAIN chaos in Melbourne that disrupted 400,000 commuters on Tuesday was worsened by a major safety breach, in which a train wrongly entered an area where electrical repairs were under way.

As Metro's staff rushed to fix the damaged overhead wiring on the viaduct between Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations, a train entered the shutdown repair area.

The train's overhead power connectors are believed to have transmitted power briefly to the shut-off lines, endangering the repair crew, according to the Electrical Trades Union.

While no one was hurt in the incident, Metro confirmed a ''short-circuit current would have run for a few milliseconds through the earthing straps that are there to protect for this exact circumstance''.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula has requested a full briefing from Public Transport Safety Victoria and Metro about the incident.

The safety breach prolonged the repair works on Tuesday morning that lasted for three hours and caused huge disruptions to peak-hour commuters.

Electrical Trades Union secretary Dean Mighell said the incident could have put workers' lives in danger.

''It seems to us that in the panic of a cable coming down and having trains offline at a key time in a key area, somewhere along the line safety systems have broken down,'' he said.

''What mystifies us is how do live trains get sent into an area where maintenance workers are actually working on the overhead rail system? The safety systems fell down badly.''

Mr Mighell said it was unclear if Metro could contact all its drivers simultaneously at a time of emergency.

Metro said it has two controllers on at once to communicate with its five metropolitan rail groups. Each group must be contacted individually, which Metro said could take three minutes.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said Tuesday's train incident had ''a minute effect on recovery times''.

''The minimal impact it had on the recovery was contributed by extra checks to ensure everything was safe,'' he said. ''Our safety division is ... conducting an investigation and we will know more details as to what exactly happened and why once that is finished.

''Our investigation will include an examination of safety protocols and procedures and the adherence to these.''

He said the investigation would determine if the driver was aware of the closed section of track.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Trevor Dobbyn said: ''We don't want to prejudice the outcome of Metro's investigation.

However, procedures and communications may need to be reviewed as a consequence of this incident.''

A spokesman for Mr Pakula said: ''The minister had made it clear that safety is the No.1 priority on our train network.''

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said that while it was important to repair the system ''obviously it is essential that Metro takes the appropriate safety measure to ensure staff and passengers are not put at risk''.

''It is a concern if they were unable to provide that safe environment and have obviously risked a serious accident occurring,'' he said.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said: ''It would be absolutely imperative as a result of this that [Metro] review their radio control and information to drivers and procedures because it would be probable we are going to have more incidents like this.''

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro plans television screens for Melbourne trains

Metro plans television screens for Melbourne trains

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * August 06, 2010 12:00AM

METRO plans to put TV screens in Melbourne trains, but commuters say that the rail operator should concentrate on running the network on time.

The company has called for tenders to install the screens, which would show news, sport, weather and Metro information - paid for by ads.

The move came as Metro admitted it failed to meet its timetable targets for the eighth month in a row.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said Metro should forget the TV screens and concentrate on running the trains.

"We wouldn't want them to divert too much attention away from fixing the rail system and getting the basics right," Mr Bowen said.

"We'd be cautious about the idea of TVs blaring advertising into carriages, particularly as some passengers appreciate the quiet time."

Metro spokeswoman Leah Waymark said the plan to put LCD screens in train carriages was in its infancy.

"But it does show some of the progressive thinking we are exploring for longer lead-time initiatives," she said.

"This would be a self-funded project designed to improve the customer travelling experience."

Ms Waymark said Metro would consult commuters before the screens were introduced across the entire system.

"We are drawing on the expertise of our parent company, MTR, who have similar infotainment systems in place to great effect," she said.

"We expect tender submissions in the coming couple of months with a view to trials in the first half of next year."

The operator released July figures showing less than 86 per cent of trains ran within five minutes of schedule, short of the 88 per cent target.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said big problems during the month included major disruptions to the morning peak on July 27 due to a power failure.

A power surge on July 2 near Newport also contributed to the tally of cancelled and delayed trains.

"Although we've managed to record our best punctuality result since January, we need to keep focusing on getting the basics right," Mr Lezala said.

"There's still a great deal of work that needs to happen.

"We'll continue working hard to upgrade and maintain the train network.

"We know what needs to be done, and that's why there's record amounts of money being spent on improving the railway."

Metro cancelled just 1.4 per cent of services, which meant it met its target of running more than 98 per cent of scheduled trains for the month.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro fails to meet targets for eighth month in row

Metro fails to meet targets for eighth month in row
MEGAN LEVY
August 5, 2010 - 4:10PM

Melbourne's train operator Metro has failed to meet minimum punctuality for the eighth month in a row, blaming the poor result on an overhead power failure that caused last week's rail meltdown.

New figures show 85.9 per cent of trains ran on time for the month of July - 2.1 per cent short of its minimum target.

Under Metro's contract with the government, the operator is meant to run 88 per cent of trains on time.

Premier John Brumby told Parliament on the day of Metro's appointment that, after "an exhaustive international tender", it would improve the performance of Melbourne's rail system from day one.

However today's result means Metro has now failed to meet the minimum punctuality target for every month since it took over in December.

Metro CEO Andrew Lezala today said the result was an improvement on June, when Metro ran about 83 per cent of trains within five minutes of their scheduled time.

He blamed the poor result on the rail chaos on July 27, when a snapped overhead wire stranded 400,000 peak-hour commuters across the network for more than an hour.

A power surge on July 2 had also knocked out power near Newport railway station, which had a "huge" impact on the number of late and cancelled trains, Mr Lezala said.

"Although we've managed to record out best punctuality result since January, we need to keep focusing on getting the basics right. There's still a great deal of work that needs to happen," he said.

He said Metro had run 98.6 per cent of scheduled services in July - exceeding the company's service delivery target.

Metro has been spending huge amounts of the money it receives from the government - around $2 million a day - on maintenance and renewal.

But problems with overhead wires coming down, points failures and signalling defects continue to plague the network.

Metro customers with a monthly, six-monthly or yearly Metcard can apply to receive one free daily Metcard or the equivalent in Myki money if Metro fails to run 88 per cent of services on time in a month.

[#Metro]

Snapping wires and power surges- points to extremely underfunded maintainence!
Also, get rid of those toxic trains that don't brake properly!

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Train caught in overhead wires as commuters faced 40-minute delays

Train caught in overhead wires as commuters faced 40-minute delays

    * Antonia Magee
    * From: Herald Sun
    * August 12, 2010 6:54PM

PASSENGERS on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines face up to 40 minute delays tonight after a train was caught in overhead wires near Dandenong station.

A Metro spokesman said passengers travelling beyond Westall station should be prepared for "anywhere up to 40 minute delays", while other passengers would only have minimal waits.

The spokesman said buses would replace trains between Westall and Berwick stations for several hours while the overhead wires were untangled.

Shuttle trains will also run between Dandenong and Cranbourne stations, and then between Berwick and Pakenham stations.

The spokesman said Metro did not know what caused the problem, only that it was being fixed.

Opposition Transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the delay comes only a day after Transport Minister Martin Pakula confirmed the system was improving.

"Instead commuters face a long trip home in a repeat of similar incidents this year near Southern Cross Station, at least twice on the Glen Waverley line, at Croxton on the Epping line and between Eltham and Hurstbridge," Mr Mulder said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro goes off the rails and adds buses

Metro goes off the rails and adds buses

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * August 16, 2010 12:00AM

METRO has a new idea to improve its train service: buses.

The rail operator is about to submit plans to the State Government for a shuttle bus between Camberwell and Caulfield.

And it has considered keeping its own fleet of buses, which it can deploy quickly when train services are suspended.

Metro estimates three trainloads of commuters would use a shuttle service between Camberwell, which lies on the Belgrave-Lilydale and Alamein lines, and Caulfield, which lies on the Cranbourne-Pakenham and Frankston lines.

Its studies show 2700 people a day change trains at Richmond, many of whom travel between Caulfield and Camberwell.

That 16km rail journey takes about 25 minutes when trains are running well. Depending on traffic, a 7km bus trip along Tooronga Rd, connecting with the Glen Waverley line at Tooronga station, could save time.

Another route could be Burke Rd, stopping at Gardiner station.

Documents obtained by the Herald Sun under Freedom of Information reveal the Government has been aware of the plan since January.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield confirmed the formal proposal.

"We are about to submit a study paper to the Department of Transport to investigate the possibility of providing a cross-line bus service," he said.

The exact route of the service is yet to be determined.

A similar shuttle bus runs between North Melbourne station and Melbourne University. It has few stops, and tickets cannot be bought from the driver, which reduces delays.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said: "It sounds like there's a definite need.

"If you can run a very frequent service, and it's faster than the alternatives, it will attract users, and that will relieve two of the busiest lines," he said.

Mr Bowen criticised the Government for not having done it already.

"This is the sort of thing the Department of Transport should supposedly be doing.

"It sounds like they've dropped the ball on this particular route," Mr Bowen said.

How handy would be the Outer Circle Railway ...

[#Metro]

Finally, the operators are slowly waking up. You need feeder buses and transfers!
But who will pay for this? There should be feeder buses to almost every station and they should be timed.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro cops $1m fine for late trains

Metro cops $1m fine for late trains

   * Shelley Hadfield and Matthew Johnston
   * From: Herald Sun
   * August 21, 2010 12:00AM


METRO has been hit with another $1 million fine, with just over 14 per cent of trains running late in July.

It came on the back of a quarterly report that slammed the performance of the metropolitan train provider.

The April-to-June quarter was Melbourne's worst quarter for train punctuality in the past year.

But the July monthly report was the service's best result for punctuality since January.

In July, 85.9 per cent of services ran on time, up from a low of 80.5 per cent in March.

Timetabled services were not delivered 1.4 per cent of the time.

The worst line for reliability was the Stony Point line, where 5.6 per cent of timetabled services were not delivered in July.

In the same month, just over 30 per cent of services on the Frankston line did not run on time.

But Metro spokeswoman Leah Waymark said Metro was posting 28-day average figures for punctuality and delivery on its website and these figures showed it had turned the corner, with its performance improving month on month.

Yesterday's figure for the past 28 days for punctuality was 87.5 per cent.

Metro has been fined each month since taking over for missing punctuality targets.

For the April-to-June quarter, Metro was fined the maximum $3 million.

During that period, 1 per cent of trains were cancelled and only 83.3 per cent of services ran on time - well short of the 88 per cent target.

According to that report, there was a significant decline in satisfaction with metropolitan trains.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said that public transport was looking like a hot issue in the lead-up to the state election.

"It's good to see some improvement but there's still a hell of a long way to go to improve punctuality," Mr Bowen said.

He said the quarterly figures were a reminder that the Government and Metro had to work a lot harder at improving train system performance.

"A late train can easily delay 1000 people," he said.

A Victorian government spokesman said it and Metro were committed to improving service.

"We have delivered 10 of 38 new X'Trapolis trains into the metropolitan rail service," spokesman Jason Frenkel said. "We have started construction on the Sunbury metropolitan rail electrification and early works are under way on the new South Morang rail line."

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Brumby Government had had 11 years to boost the public transport system in Victoria but trains were consistently running later.

He said infrastructure was failing, and public transport would be in the front of voters' minds in November.

"John Brumby is going to be judged on his performance as Premier and Treasurer," Mr Mulder said. "After 11 years of Labor, it just shows a downward spiral."

Almost 19 per cent of country trains were late in July, and 1.1 per cent of services were cancelled.

Fining operators for successive Governments' infrastructure failures and the actions of fools driving into boom gates and other incidents such as ill passengers and so forth is idiotic, counter productive to improvement, and a right royal farce!!

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro payments go up as services go down

Metro payments go up as services go down
Clay Lucas
August 24, 2010

METRO earned $53 million more from taxpayers over a three-month period this year than Connex did over the same period last year, a state government report quietly released on the eve of the federal election shows.

The jump in payments came despite a fall in the rail system's performance.

The government report shows Metro received payments of $206 million between January and March this year.

The report also records:

■ The Metcard ticketing system is performing better than ever, in contrast to the troubled myki system.

■ The lowest satisfaction with Melbourne's trains from users since the train system was privatised in 1999, with just 56 per cent of people surveyed saying they were happy with services.

■ One in six V/Line trains ran late.

Despite the worse performance and falling confidence in the suburban train system, the report shows Metro is earning revenue far exceeding that of predecessor Connex.

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula's spokesman said that almost all of the increase in payments was due to increased maintenance spending, and payments for big building projects at Laverton and Westall.

The report does show that Metro is getting more money for increased maintenance on trains and tracks; this accounted for $41 million of the $53.5 million jump in funding.

But Metro is paying far less in fines than Connex, despite running more trains late and cancelling more trains than in the same period last year.

Metro's fines for poor performance are capped at just $1 million a month - removing much of the risk the contracts are supposed to move from government to the private sector.

Connex paid fines of $5.2 million for poor performance, compared with Metro's $3 million, despite Metro cancelling more trains and running more services late than Connex did.

Metro's base contract is worth $4 million more a quarter than Connex.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the increased payments to the rail operator were the result of a deal cut by John Brumby and his ministers last year. ''Things have gone backwards, and John Brumby has to accept responsibility for that,'' he said.

However, Mr Mulder declined to say what a Liberal government would do to fix the problems if it won the state election in November. ''I will tell you what we will do differently at a later stage,'' he said.

Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu promised to unveil his party's transport plans in June 2008, saying he would ''progressively announce'' a transport strategy in the lead-up to November's state election. But few of the party's plans are public, despite just 96 days until the election.

The new government report also shows that the Metcard ticket system at one of its highest-ever recorded levels of performance, working 98.65 per cent of the time on trains, trams and buses.

It comes after Department of Transport secretary Jim Betts last month told Parliament that Metcard would probably not work by 2013.

''It has limited time left on the clock,'' he said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Cap cuts tardy Metro fines

Cap cuts tardy Metro fines

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * October 07, 2010 9:52PM

METRO has saved millions of dollars in fines for late trains because of the cap on penalties.

The operator would have paid out $15 million in its first seven months under the old system of uncapped fines.

Instead, Metro paid only $4.8 million, Auditor-General Des Pearson has found.

But the capping arrangement has worked against Yarra Trams, which has been rewarded with a $740,000 bonus, which could have been $1.9 million if there were no limits.

Mr Pearson also revealed that taxpayers were forced to pay an extra $22 million to Metro and Yarra Trams.

This was because passenger growth was under the expected 4 per cent increase predicted for 2009-10.

In fact, patronage grew by 2.7 per cent on trains and 2 per cent on buses, but fell by 1.2 per cent on trams.

As a result, actual fare revenue was below forecasts, Mr Pearson said.

Similar payments could be made in 2010-11 and 2011-12 if patronage numbers fell short of expectations.

A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said that if patronage was higher than forecast, operators would have to give extra money back to the State Government.

Taxpayers will also cover the cost of any fare revenue lost due to the introduction of myki.

The State Government will pay a subsidy of $2.31 a trip for train travel in 2010-11, which is 35c more than in 2008-09.

This was because more money was being spent on maintenance, Mr Pearson said.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said $200 million a year was being spent for the maintenance of overhead lines, power supply and tracks.

... A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said that if patronage was higher than forecast, operators would have to give extra money back to the State Government...

What a bizarre setup, great incentive to under perform ... crikey!

[#Metro]

The State Government will pay a subsidy of $2.31 a trip for train travel in 2010-11, which is 35c more than in 2008-09.

Compared to the figures in Queensland, which are even worse.
More trains = more passengers = less subsidy/passenger

[O_128]

Isnt great how the state government seeks to blame metro for there problems, Its only been 7 months of course they arent of going to made dramatic improvements and withholding money from them isnt helping

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

New trains arrived full of defects

New trains arrived full of defects
Clay Lucas
October 25, 2010

EIGHTEEN trains for Melbourne delivered in the past year had a series of faults that had to be repaired before the trains were put into service.

French engineering giant Alstom was contracted by the state government in 2008 to build the trains for Melbourne, at a cost of $14.4 million each.

The X'Trapolis trains were manufactured in Katowice, Poland, before being trucked to Savigliano, Italy, where they were assembled. The trains were then shipped 9000 kilometres to Melbourne.

Fourteen of the trains are already running on Melbourne's network, allowing Metro to devise new timetables and to retire temporarily over summer seven older Hitachi trains that only have air conditioning in the driver's cabin.

But the union representing Victoria's railway workers said the new trains have had problems, ranging from the minor to serious, from the start and that they are getting worse with each delivery.

The Age has been given a 10-page list detailing the issues with the trains. Issues identified by drivers during testing of the vehicles, before they were put into service include:

■ Six carriages arrived fitted with faulty $5000 driver windscreens that had to be replaced.

■ Doors between driver cabins and passenger compartments did not shut or had large gaps.

■ Driver consoles were so bright they made it hard for drivers to see at night, obliging Metro to fit perspex shade covers to dashes to stop the glare.

■ Driver window demisters that did not work.

■ Suspension problems.

■ Poorly fitted door seals that let wind noise - and potentially water - into driver cabins.

■ A faulty passenger emergency door release system on one train that was missing parts.

The trains have speed restrictions of 90km/h because their braking efficiency falls away dramatically over that speed.

They run only on the Epping, Hurstbridge, Lilydale, Belgrave, Glen Waverley and Alamein lines because they are not compatible with other trains and signalling on the network.

The new trains are also not compatible with the 29 Alstom X'Trapolis trains that have been running in Melbourne since 2002. The older trains have analogue communication systems and the new ones digital. Metro will soon retrofit the old trains with more modern systems.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union locomotive division president Terry Sheedy said: ''The quality of the workmanship on these trains is progressively deteriorating with each one, and each one that comes in is taking them a lot longer to get into service because they have to do so many checks.''

The state last year ordered another 20 trains from Alstom, at a cost of $17.1 million each. These will also be manufactured in Poland, but will be assembled in Ballarat instead of Italy.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said some of the faults were serious.

''John Brumby needs to explain whether he pushed Metro to get these trains in service for political purposes, knowing all along that they were riddled with faults,'' he said.

The head of Alstom's transport division in Australia, Jean de La Chapelle, said the list of issues raised in reports from train drivers to Metro did ''not reflect the status of the trains as they are today''.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said the trains were tested intensively.

''Any legitimate faults, such as cracked and scratched windscreens, a pantograph fault, or minor wiring problems are fixed before the commissioning phase continues,'' she said.

''No train enters the network until it has passed all safety requirements.''

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro blames timetable change for missed target

Metro blames timetable change for missed target
Clay Lucas
November 1, 2010

RAIL operator Metro has once again failed to meet performance targets set for it last year by the state government for running Melbourne's trains on time.

In October, Metro is expected to have just missed its target of running 88 per cent of the city's trains on time.

After what one Metro source described as ''teething problems'' caused by the introduction of a new timetable early in October, and also the opening of new stabling yards in Newport, Metro ran 87.9 per cent of trains on time.

As a result of more than 12 per cent of trains running late, passengers with long-term tickets will now be able to claim a free ticket as compensation from Metro.

Since taking over from Melbourne's previous rail operator Connex in December last year, Metro has managed to only once meet the punctuality target the government set for it.

In September, when it met the target for its first and only time, a Metro spokeswoman said there had been a consistent pattern of improvement in trains running on time.

Yesterday, Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield declined to confirm the punctuality target had been missed. But he acknowledged it would be close to the 88 per cent target.

In September 2009 Premier John Brumby told the Victorian Parliament the arrival of Metro would deliver improvements to ''the non-negotiables''. These included punctuality, he told Parliament. ''Passengers will notice changes from day one,'' Mr Brumby said.

Punctuality got dramatically worse after Metro took over, although it has improved in the past three months.

Asked yesterday about the performance of public transport in Victoria, Mr Brumby conceded there had been issues.

''I've been concerned about the performance in those first few months certainly of Metro in terms of punctuality and cancellations,'' he said.

[ozbob]

Metro meets service delivery target, misses punctuality.

--> http://www.metrotrains.com.au/About-us/News/Metro-meets-service-delivery-target-misses-punctuality.html

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro told to clean up its act

Metro told to clean up its act

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * December 29, 2010 12:00AM

THE State Government has fined Metro the maximum $100,000 over its filthy railway stations.

Department of Transport officials have released their first score card on Metro's management since it took over the railway network last year.

The $100,000 fine, for failing to meet the minimum standard in its contract for station cleanliness, is on top of a $1.7 million fine for too many late trains in July-September.

For the first time, the Department of Transport has published the train system operator's "customer experience" performance. A team of assessors examined a sample of station platforms and concourses across Melbourne.

Their report showed Metro was marked down for sub-standard platform and concourse cleaning and rubbish removal.

How dirty is your station? Email photos to online@heraldsun.com.au or MMS 0404 333 444

But it exceeded targets in train conditions and cleanliness and in removal of graffiti from trains; it also got a pass in removing graffiti from stations.

Metro was paid $300,000 for producing a better than expected outcome, leaving it with a net $200,000 in bonuses.

Under its contract with the Government, Metro can be fined up to $100,000, or paid a bonus of the same amount, for the cleanliness of its stations.

The same applies for ratings of personal safety and the extent of damage to railway stations, also with potential penalties of up to $100,000 for each category.

Provision of customer information, such as video screens and public announcements, is also measured.

Metro is also marked on the state of suburban railway corridors and the level of customer satisfaction, as recorded by the official survey.

The assessment period was for the seven months from last November, when Metro took over, to June 30.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the view of passengers differed from the official assessment.

"While on paper Metro met most benchmarks, passengers tell us they continue to have concerns about many of these issues," Mr Bowen said.

"Personal safety remains a big concern, particularly on unstaffed stations.

"Customer information, particularly during disruptions, can be patchy, though it is improving.

"Cleanliness on trains is inconsistent. Some are spotless, but others have litter strewn around the carriages, dirt on seats and paint on the walls.

"Overall, Metro are doing better than Connex in a lot of these areas, but they still need to improve."

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said improvements would continue to be made.

"Although we exceeded or met nine of the 10 CEPR benchmarks, we aim to continue this improvement by meeting, or exceeding, all benchmarks set," Mr Whitefield said.

"We've already had a noticeable improvement in areas such as passenger information and graffiti prevention and removal.

"We look to further continue improving all aspects of our customers' experience, including the cleanliness of trains, stations and surrounding areas."

[Golliwog]

I still don't like the idea of fining an operator for late running (or any other criterion), it just doesn't work to improve performance. However I think when coupled with a bonus for exceeding targets that they could work.

[#Metro]

They go to such extraordinary lengths, and completely forget about what people want: MORE FREQUENT TRAINS!

It is the same here. The trains are state of the art, on time etc etc,
we don't care, just give us more trains and a bus waiting at the station
when we get off!

[Arnz]

Just imagine had rail services in Melbourne had still been state-owned and was fined for failing to meet "targets".  It would've ended in the same situation as Queensland, the government "fining itself".

[frereOP]

They go to such extraordinary lengths, and completely forget about what people want: MORE FREQUENT TRAINS!

It is the same here. The trains are state of the art, on time etc etc,
we don't care, just give us more trains and a bus waiting at the station
when we get off!

Only a metro-style (that's lower-case "m") system with dedicated end-to-end lines or loops can offer that kind of service where trains don't have timetabling issues.  In a network like Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane have, more trains means more delays at signals while trains are switched from line to line.  In a traditional metro, the only limiting factor is the distance between trains and turn-around time at each end which is why you can have frequencies as short as 2 mins between services.

[#Metro]

I would prefer further upgrades and untangling of the current rail system (CRR1, sectorisation, signal upgrades, standardization and simplification of running patterns to achieve this IMHO) rather than constructing an entirely new separate rail system. There are many problems on the current network (i.e. single track sections) that need sorting out and could really benefit from the money that would otherwise be spent on tunneling from Newstead-CBD-Toowong which already duplicates existing CityCat, heavy rail and bus routes. I just hope that the rail version of "route 88" is avoided...

In the busiest hour there is a train every 5 minutes into the CBD from the Ipswich Line, and one every 6 minutes coming off the Beenleigh line (I have excluded Cleveland and GC trains, but I suspect it is 1 every 2-3 minutes if we assume a full capacity Merivale Bridge).

The trick will be how to do this and increase service in the counter-peak direction at that time.

VTP

[#Metro]

They go to such extraordinary lengths, and completely forget about what people want: MORE FREQUENT TRAINS!

It is the same here. The trains are state of the art, on time etc etc,
we don't care, just give us more trains and a bus waiting at the station
when we get off!

15 minute trains!!! 

[somebody]

I still don't like the idea of fining an operator for late running (or any other criterion), it just doesn't work to improve performance. However I think when coupled with a bonus for exceeding targets that they could work.

Yes, it suffers from the same limitation found with bonus systems in the manufacturing industry.  The targets become laughable.

If they insist on bonuses/penalties, it really should be on things more like patronage especially, and perhaps also fare box recovery.  Although measuring it in any given year isn't much of an incentive.  It needs to be over a number of years.

[frereOP]

I would prefer further upgrades and untangling of the current rail system (CRR1, sectorisation, signal upgrades, standardization and simplification of running patterns to achieve this IMHO) rather than constructing an entirely new separate rail system.

Whether you can "untangle" lines in Brisbane to turn it into a metro-style system is debateable but I agree it is a better alternative.  I think the existing system is too much of a dinosaur and suffers traditional "heavy rail" philosophy (funnels into a central point rather than forming a matrix with interchange stations.

I'm just saying that new lines should be built as metro lines (above or below ground makes no difference) to avoid the problems of an integrated network.

There are many problems on the current network (i.e. single track sections) that need sorting out and could really benefit from the money that would otherwise be spent on tunneling from Newstead-CBD-Toowong which already duplicates existing CityCat, heavy rail and bus routes. I just hope that the rail version of "route 88" is avoided...

City-Cat is a great way to travel but is slow.  Newstead to UQ in 1/3 the time would be better and anything to get buses off the increasingly congested road is a good thing.

In the busiest hour there is a train every 5 minutes into the CBD from the Ipswich Line, and one every 6 minutes coming off the Beenleigh line (I have excluded Cleveland and GC trains, but I suspect it is 1 every 2-3 minutes if we assume a full capacity Merivale Bridge).

Maybe but trains crawl across the bridge and are limited to 20kph between Roma St and the tunnel to Central.  This all slows down the existing network and you can't fix that without building new lines.

The trick will be how to do this and increase service in the counter-peak direction at that time.

VTP

And that report echoes everything I said.  RBOT should be supporting a similar change to Brisbane ie away from an antiquated "network" style to a metro style operation.

The other feature that enhances speed is minimising station stop time by optimising the alighting and boarding of passengers.  Multiple doors (3 or 4 per side per carriage), parallel seating and more standing room is the solution.

[#Metro]

I think a matrix is better suited to other cities. See, this is one of my criticisms of the metro idea- the Brisbane CBD is very compact and well contained by international comparison. Once you get out of that, you IMHO you really have a good environment for surface transport options like BRT and LRT, which are far cheaper and would transport more people overall.

The projections that are used to justify the metro don't really make a lot of sense to me.

Example:

By 2031 there will be 2.4 million trips per day in inner Brisbane (within about five
kilometres from the CBD), up from about one million in 2006. A subway system for
Brisbane will support the expected growth and expansion of the inner city.
This will be a new separate network, with separate operations to existing rail infrastructure.
The London underground and New York subway are well known examples of this style of
rail operation.

So let me get this straight- this suggests that there are 260 million trips on PT done in 2006
within 5km of the Brisbane CBD. Excuse me DTMR, but the entire TL network only carried  180 million or so
by the latest figures... so it looks like they have been adding car and something else (bicycle and walking?)
to that figure too...

The second thing is that they have chosen the mode first and then went off to find ex-post 'problems' and comparisons
to justify it. Are they taking into consideration the different city layout and problems with Brisbane (poor transport on the
current system and poor frequency on the edges) or do they just want to be "the new world city" and copy Paris with little
thought about how this should be adapted to circumstances here.

I'm now very skeptical of this approach, and I will say that while not against the metro for the sake of being against metros,
I think the ideas and plans put forward don't really do much compared to BRT and LRT options, which they did not consider
before jumping in with the metro idea.

Whether you can "untangle" lines in Brisbane to turn it into a metro-style system is debateable but I agree it is a better alternative.  I think the existing system is too much of a dinosaur and suffers traditional "heavy rail" philosophy (funnels into a central point rather than forming a matrix with interchange stations.

I'm just saying that new lines should be built as metro lines (above or below ground makes no difference) to avoid the problems of an integrated network.

There are ways to untangle networks, and it has to be done anyway- population growth and demands for more trains will see to that. Again, not impressed with the "route 88" approach to the metro system. Again I am questioning both the alignment and how they arrived at their choice of mode.

City-Cat is a great way to travel but is slow. Newstead to UQ in 1/3 the time would be better and anything to get buses off the increasingly congested road is a good thing.

I agree, but imagine Brisbane is what Melbourne or Sydney is today. That is the kind of projection they are making. In both these cities, there is still a need for surface transport options (Melbourne is upgrading the trams to LRT slowly), Sydney is extending rail and LRT, and there are busway, heavy rail and LRT options available to Brisbane which also separate traffic from PT. It does not logically follow that it must be a metro, although I concede that it could be a metro. Again I am questioning both the alignment and how they arrived at their choice of mode.

I'm not going to rule out the metro entirely, because it has worked in other cities and could work here. But things need to be thought about before we do a "direct transplant" from Paris. We have existing infrastructure that can and needs to be upgraded and capacity exhausted and other options like busways, light rail, BRT and surface prioritisation that has not been considered properly IMHO.

[somebody]

Maybe but trains crawl across the bridge and are limited to 20kph between Roma St and the tunnel to Central.  This all slows down the existing network and you can't fix that without building new lines.

Something probably could be done about this, but there isn't the will to do so.  Which is strange.  They had the will to straighten the bits north of Caboolture.  Something really should be done about the Milton-Roma St-Central bit which is too slow and won't be fixed by CRR1, or CRR2.

[Golliwog]

True, but perhaps the plan could be do fiddle with that post-CRR? I would think it would be much easier to manage changes in that congested area if some of the traffic was removed.

[#Metro]

I'm optimistic once CRR1 is opened.

Just think about it, all the Beenleigh trains and all the Gold Coast trains will be removed from the Merivale Bridge.
Which just leaves Ipswich trains, Cleveland trains and trains to Yeerongpilly/Tennyson- just three lines, for the whole of Roma Street Station.

I wonder how the northern sections will be sorted out though?

[Stillwater]

From the North?  The Trouts Road corridor, although it is anyone's guess as to when it will be built.  CRR first -- and that won't be delivered until 2018, two years after we are told it is absolutely needed.