BrizCommuter Blog

[Arnz]

North of Caboolture and west of Ipswich (and beyond) are ATP enabled.  Despite that, the ICEs are the only units in the Queensland Rail City network passenger fleet that has ATP installed atm.  The IMU100s are in the process of having ATP installed.

http://www.constructionsite.com.au/tender-for-the-design-manufacture-assembly-testing-delivery-of-atp2-for-imu100_Tend56988.htm (archived tender - original government tender has since been removed as done).

[Fares_Fair]

North of Caboolture and west of Ipswich (and beyond) are ATP enabled.  Despite that, the ICEs are the only units in the Queensland Rail City network passenger fleet that has ATP installed atm.  The IMU100s are in the process of having ATP installed.

http://www.constructionsite.com.au/tender-for-the-design-manufacture-assembly-testing-delivery-of-atp2-for-imu100_Tend56988.htm (archived tender - original government tender has since been removed as done).

As Professor Julius Sumner Millar would have asked; Why is it so, that the city doesn't have these measures, but outlying regions do?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[SurfRail]

North of Caboolture and west of Ipswich (and beyond) are ATP enabled.  Despite that, the ICEs are the only units in the Queensland Rail City network passenger fleet that has ATP installed atm.  The IMU100s are in the process of having ATP installed.

http://www.constructionsite.com.au/tender-for-the-design-manufacture-assembly-testing-delivery-of-atp2-for-imu100_Tend56988.htm (archived tender - original government tender has since been removed as done).

As Professor Julius Sumner Millar would have asked; Why is it so, that the city doesn't have these measures, but outlying regions do?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Higher speeds and lower traffic densities I would assume.  Makes it easier to test and implement, particularly when only certain trains are fitted.

[Stillwater]

So, as the IMU100's are upgraded progressively, that would suggest the countdown has begun for the phasing out of the ICE sets.  What's the date predicted for the end of ICE trains running to Gympie North?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/go-card-fare-gate-fail.html
Don't trust the fare gates!

[Golliwog]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/go-card-fare-gate-fail.html
Don't trust the fare gates!

Of course there's no way they can automatically refund those passengers impacted like that. By the very nature of it not recording the touch off, they have no way of knowing who was affected. But by making QR aware, they can make Translink aware so when people call to request a refund, they can easily cross check it.

On the topic of fare gates though, they wouldn't go astray at South Bank! Two readers at each exit just isn't enough during peak.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Why is it so, that the city doesn't have these measures, but outlying regions do?

Two completly different areas; speed, signal aspect, track, capacity and rollingstock wise.

North of Caboolture and west of Ipswich (and beyond) are ATP enabled.  Despite that, the ICEs are the only units in the Queensland Rail City network passenger fleet that has ATP installed atm.  The IMU100s are in the process of having ATP installed.

http://www.constructionsite.com.au/tender-for-the-design-manufacture-assembly-testing-delivery-of-atp2-for-imu100_Tend56988.htm (archived tender - original government tender has since been removed as done).

Some of the IMUs already have ATP parts fitted/installed but its not yet operational. If you include the TravelTrain network all the Tilts have ATP installed but like you said, even if the trains had ATP configured and installed it still means diddly squat when their running around in AWS territory. I don't expect to see ATP operational and running in the BSA until the EMUs are phased out and with the NGR well into its contract and that's before the issue of $$$ is raised to reconfigure the limited remaining rollingstock and most of the BSA network.

So, as the IMU100's are upgraded progressively, that would suggest the countdown has begun for the phasing out of the ICE sets.  What's the date predicted for the end of ICE trains running to Gympie North?

Highly unlikely. ICE units are still going to be around for a while. The ATP upgrades are going to pretty much enable all the Nambour trains to operate with 2 man crews considering the limited IMU100/120s and limited daily Nambour services.

[Arnz]

IIRC sources from here and elsewhere had already said that Nambour services that are not operated by the ICEs are now 2 man crewed due to something about labor costs (iirc - don't quote me on this one) and that services beyond Nambour to Gympie that are not operated the ICE require the 3rd crew member.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/go-card-fare-gate-fail.html
Don't trust the fare gates!

Of course there's no way they can automatically refund those passengers impacted like that. By the very nature of it not recording the touch off, they have no way of knowing who was affected. But by making QR aware, they can make Translink aware so when people call to request a refund, they can easily cross check it.

On the topic of fare gates though, they wouldn't go astray at South Bank! Two readers at each exit just isn't enough during peak.

On London Underground, if you have a "failed" swipe off, and you swipe on later at a nearby location, the system can automatically guess where you didn't swipe off and adjust fares accordingly.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/ashgrove-pollie-watch-part-2-15-min.html
The best public transport news for some time?

[Cam]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/ashgrove-pollie-watch-part-2-15-min.html
The best public transport news for some time?

Yes, and a good argument apart from the fact that you mention Manly & Kuraby but what about Ipswich which should have a 15 minute service years before either of these.

[somebody]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/ashgrove-pollie-watch-part-2-15-min.html
The best public transport news for some time?

Yes, and a good argument apart from the fact that you mention Manly & Kuraby but what about Ipswich which should have a 15 minute service years before either of these.

I feel that Manly is just not happening.  Similarly Kuraby pre-CRR as it would slow the Gold Coast trains.

Petrie/Caboolture, Ferny Grove and Coopers Plains should be the focus IMO.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/inner-northern-busway-still-cant-cope.html
Basket case busway photos.

[ozbob]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/inner-northern-busway-still-cant-cope.html
Basket case busway photos.

[Gazza]

Is there a local rag you can send those pics to? It seems like the perfect story for them to write on, especially in election time.

[somebody]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/inner-northern-busway-still-cant-cope.html
Basket case busway photos.

I want to know what is their hidden agenda?  Why won't they extend the 393 to supplement the 66?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/inner-northern-busway-still-cant-cope.html
Basket case busway photos.

I want to know what is their hidden agenda?  Why won't they extend the 393 to supplement the 66?

Discouraging public transport use?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/ashgrove-pollie-watch-part-3.html
Another Ashgrove election update.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/ashgrove-pollie-watch-part-4.html
Yet another Ashgrove election update for public transport users.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/qr-off-rails.html
What else are QR hiding from voters?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/elections-over-now-where-are-new.html
Election is over. So when will we see the new timetables?

[somebody]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/elections-over-now-where-are-new.html
Election is over. So when will we see the new timetables?

You've got hopes!

It'll be just like Richlands.

[Golliwog]

BrizCommuter: with regards to your question in the blog about signalling being in place, as far as I can tell, all the physical signals are in place along the duplication, and are currently covered with yellow boards, same with the new speed signs (though they're covered with black plastic). Whether they hooked up electronically yet, I don't know. But they have been there physically for a while now, as has the underground conduits I believe the cabling runs in so I don't see why they wouldn't be yet.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/brisbane-has-gone-all-lnp.html
What does the LNP future hold for public transport users?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/better-value-for-money-mr-emerson.html
How can we get better value for money from SE Queensland's public transport system?

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/what-waste.html
How far would the $1.2billion that will have to be spent to fix the QH payroll system, have gone if it could have been spent on public transport?

[HappyTrainGuy]

F**K ME! 20 bucks for more stabling at Caboolture and Nambour. This ones on me guys 

[Gazza]

$1.2 Bil on the payroll system...It's like "Queensland's Myki"

[Arnz]

Ignoring StephenK's troll bait in his blog, the NCL upgrades are more focused towards increased freight traffic and track fees and improved share revenue toward paying off the state debt (via the government's stake in QRN) with benefits passed down towards passengers on both the Caboolture and Sunshine Coast lines. 

Arnz also thinks the Lawnton to Petrie triple would cost slightly more than $200 million, including the bridge costs. 

Arnz also thinks instead of the 5th Northgate track, that a 3rd track from Petrie to Narangba (this station has 3 platforms) or Caboolture (slightly more expensive due to Caboolture river bridge crossing, but then again the government can end a Caboolture triplication project just before the Bridge to save $$) would be more productive (and possibly cheaper at least to Narangba) for freight capacity and improved reliability with benefits passed down to Caboolture and Sunshine Coast passengers, including the enabling of counter-peak direction express services to and from Nambour, instead of the current arrangement of changing trains at Caboolture in the counter-peak direction.

F**K ME! 20 bucks for more stabling at Caboolture and Nambour. This ones on me guys 

A small secondary yard south of Beerwah Station (Landsborough originators/terminators in the early morning and late afternoons) and the push for the stabling yards to be relocated towards Yandina seem to be better options than extending the Nambour yard (which under the Landsborough-Nambour project document, the yard is also earmarked for the Nambour station upgrade to 3 platforms  (which includes 2 through running side platforms and a dock platform)).

Edit: There are a few 6-car IMUs/SMU260s that are stabled at Caboolture which operate empty to Nambour early in the morning, moving those trains out of the Caboolture yard to the proposed Yandina location and/or suggested Beerwah location would enable more starters out of Caboolture, whilst at the same time significantly reducing the dead running.

[somebody]

I think the NCL upgrade is for both reasons: passenger and freight.

[SurfRail]

Cooroy would be better if possible, so you can have 30 min service to Nambour and minimum hourly service to Cooroy and the surrounding districts (Noosa/Tewantin etc) which are still all TransLink.  Should be achievable even with the single track between Nambour and Cooroy, no? 

Presumably still needs extra tracks to Nambour, which should be the aim anyway.

[Arnz]

The alternative is hourly to Landsborough, which is even achievable by duplicating/re-aligning only the Glasshouse-Landsborough section, or even Glasshouse-Beerwah only.

They would have to look at relocating the triangle (if heritage groups wish to continue running steam train) if the triangle at Landsborough is converted to a electrified turnback siding, with a  shuttle connection from Landsborough to Cooroy with a precision cross somewhere up the line.  Attached to Platform 2 at Landsborough, could be 'temporary' dock platform (3), where the triangle is of current, could be used to turn back trains toward Nambour/Corooy.

[Golliwog]

$1.2 Bil on the payroll system...It's like "Queensland's Myki"

$1.25B on the payroll system is an absolute CM beat up! If you read the numbers they actually post, $1.008B of that isn't fixing the system at all, it's running the system to pay people from when it started until 2017, ie: the cost you'll be paying even if it worked fine!

Now, is that more or less than the previous system cost to operate, I don't know. But trying to pretend thats a part of the cost to fix it is absolute cr@p!

[Gazza]

The Myki figure ($1.X bil? or whatever it is these days) included 10 years of running costs too, for what its worth.

[Golliwog]

The Myki figure ($1.X bil? or whatever it is these days) included 10 years of running costs too, for what its worth.

If the ongoing cost is that much more than the previous system (Q Health or Myki) then there would certainly be a discussion to be had on whether the new system was worth the extra cost. But trying to spin that ongoing cost as the cost of fixing the system (which is what the CM has done here) is just plain wrong.

[colinw]

What I don't understand about this whole Queensland Health payroll mess is why QH employees couldn't be switched over to whatever payroll system the rest of the public service runs on.

There have been absolutely no reports of other QLD public servants having their pay screwed up, so why does QH even need a different system?

Or does each department do its own thing with payroll?

[Stillwater]

It would appear the system can't handle all the different pay arrangements -- cleaner works one hour's overtime, nurse works time and a half after 7pm and double pay on Sundays, brain surgeon requires use of own car to rush to emergency operation at 2am.

What's needed is standardisation of everyone's pay across all the awards in Health to, say, one of 100 pay points -- toilet cleaner is on pay scale 2 and brain surgeon is on pay scale 95 etc.  Even the unions would support that rather than spend more than a billion dollars on a super computer to work everything out.

[somebody]

What I don't understand about this whole Queensland Health payroll mess is why QH employees couldn't be switched over to whatever payroll system the rest of the public service runs on.

There have been absolutely no reports of other QLD public servants having their pay screwed up, so why does QH even need a different system?

Or does each department do its own thing with payroll?

The complexities that manage to find their way into awards in Australia beggars belief!

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/tale-of-two-cities.html
Sydney new timetable information vs Brisbane new timetable information.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/samford-rdwardell-st-intersection-65m.html
Samford Road / Wardell Street intersection upgrade - a $65m waste?