Quiet Car

[Gazza]

Well, perceived reliability has been pretty bad recently including 2 all line stoppages, and many single line stoppages. Whilst the quiet carriage may not be responsibility of maintenance staff, it still appears to the general public that QR are concentrating on the fluff (quiet car, wi-fi) and not the essentials

Well, I'm a bit smarter than to just "perceive" stuff like a typical CM whinger. Notice I've actually thought about who is responsible for what.

[BrizCommuter]

Well, perceived reliability has been pretty bad recently including 2 all line stoppages, and many single line stoppages. Whilst the quiet carriage may not be responsibility of maintenance staff, it still appears to the general public that QR are concentrating on the fluff (quiet car, wi-fi) and not the essentials

Well, I'm a bit smarter than to just "perceive" stuff like a typical CM whinger. Notice I've actually thought about who is responsible for what.

You may be, but the average commuter probably doesn't.

[Gazza]

And fanning those incorrect perceptions is productive?

[justanotheruser]

I have never really noticed any issue with noise penetrating between carriages.

And general conversation shouldn't penetrate the carriages.  I've only noticed if the people in the next carriage are particularly noisy, which shouldn't happen anyway.

Why shouldn't it happen? just in case I'm confused we are talking about trains with no doors between carriages. i have plenty of times heard noise from next carriage. i didn't really care because I think those who want quiet carriages are accurately described in BrizCommuters blog!

[justanotheruser]

Organizations can walk and chew gum.

QR quite obviously can't.

They can tell passengers about the quiet carriage changes, but can't be bothered to tell their passengers and even their own staff about some timetable changes.  It's quite laughable.

So what about the "multiple severe service disruptions"...
Are you saying not changing the quiet carriage/thinking about it, would have prevented these?
Are the track gangs the same people who put stickers up in carriages?

I'm sure he isn't however if you stop and think about it rather than using argument by ridicule the guy who puts the signs on the carriages is not the one who makes the decision about changing location of quiet cars. So obviously that is being discussed somewhere else. Since this was commuter feedback that led to the change then typically the people taking the feedback don't have the power to make that decision so it goes up the line. That is where you might have people looking at this that are also responsible for more important matters. Or of course you could just think that maybe the point is with other important changes why is something trivial like this being discussed. If it works so well as you say then why is there a need to change it? Why has there been enough commuter feedback to trigger the change? Doesn't make sense if it is all working so well.

[Gazza]

Working well, but could be better, like anything really.
The annoucements about the quiet carriage have always been a point of annoyance from the start, and now with this change it we can stop having them.

Changing the location of the quiet carriages is the sort of thing that can happen with the stroke of a pen. Multiply the number of carriages by the number of stickers ($ each) and the man hours needed to put the stickers on, and there's your budget and case to move fowards. It could be decided in one meeting, if that.

Working out why the network keeps stuffing up, or writing the timetable for a big chunk of the network is much more involved, needs more people etc.

The two are not comparable, and I don't believe for a second that the move to shift the quiet carriage is delaying the timetables or contributing (even 1%) to network meltdowns, or their resolution.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Gazza, bang on. The whole quiet carriage thing came out and was responsible/looked after by PR department in Queensland Rail which has nothing to do with maint., track gangs and timetabling (Seperate department. Any onboard advertising for quiet carriages/how to be nice on trains was simply inserted into the fleets general advertising campaing schedule). After feedback the PR department put forward to move the quiet cars to the middle carriage which was simple in itself as its just a few stickers/posters which can be done pretty quickly. The second and hardest/longest part of that request was the volume adjustment and rollout of the automated messages such as "The next station is blahblah" which has to have the onboard software modified/updated to reflect that the second car would have a fixed lower volume while any communication made via the guard over the PA was still at 100% (eg telling passengers information) which is up to the rollingstock maint. guys to carry out during a set time period eg whenever the rollingstock happens to have some downtime at Mayne (Remember the trains don't have to be in the sheds to have work carried out on them ).

[Golliwog]

Yet to see one of the new quiet car stickers/signs, though they did say they would be rolled out over the next few weeks. Would have thought though they would have prevented a bit of confusion by at least removing the previous quiet car posters specifying the first and last cars though.

[ozbob]

Been a few reports of sightings on Twitter of new quiet carriage signage out on the network.

Bottle water being handed out has new quiet carriage message on it as well.

[Fares_Fair]

Quiet carriage stickers on outside of carriage on the 6:14am train from Nambour to Roma Street.

[#Metro]

What? No muffins?? 

[Fares_Fair]

Nope, not even bottled water !
But hey, we're from the Sunshine Coast.

[ozbob]

   

[ozbob]

--> http://metrowoe.com/2012/04/13/this-is-how-it-should-be-done/

[SurfRail]

I think the muffin should be a topic icon as well!

[Golliwog]

Nope, not even bottled water !
But hey, we're from the Sunshine Coast.

Not sure what basis they made their station choice on for handing out the water. I get on at Ferny Grove which is the highest patronage station outside the CBD (though I think in the latest data released it may have been just beaten by Darra? Not sure) yet there was nothing there. But I did get one when I got off at Park Rd. I suppose there is a big student market there with all the interchanging that would take place.

[somebody]

Ferny Grove is only the busiest station when off peak patronage is excluded.  IIRC Petrie has passed it even on that measure.  All day, Indooroopilly is busier, by FAR!

Outside of the core Roma St-Fortitude Valley section, South Bank is the busiest, then Bowen Hills, then Indooroopilly closely followed by Toowong, Sth Bris, CAB, Helensvale, Petrie.  Ferny Grove is 33rd!

At least according to the 2010 survey.

[Golliwog]

Ferny Grove is only the busiest station when off peak patronage is excluded.  IIRC Petrie has passed it even on that measure.  All day, Indooroopilly is busier, by FAR!

For starters, in handing out waterbottles in AM peak, why would the offpeak patronage of the station be included in the decision making process? From the 2010 PLS, Ferny Grove is 5th in terms of AM boardings after Roma Street, Central, Petrie and Darra.

Outside of the core Roma St-Fortitude Valley section, South Bank is the busiest, then Bowen Hills, then Indooroopilly closely followed by Toowong, Sth Bris, CAB, Helensvale, Petrie.  Ferny Grove is 33rd!

At least according to the 2010 survey.

Where in the 2010 survey is that? I also assume you mean the 2011 survey. Based on the 2011 survey on total measured passenger boarding and alightings for the AM and PM peak (it doesn't include off-peak), Ferny Grove is 10th, not 33rd, and that includes the CBD stations.

[somebody]

For starters, in handing out waterbottles in AM peak, why would the offpeak patronage of the station be included in the decision making process?

Fair point, but in answer to your other questions, I'm getting my info from here: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftranslink.com.au%2Fresources%2Fabout-translink%2Fwhat-we-do%2Fcustomer-research%2F100501-public-transport-survey.pdf&ei=Gt-LT6K3AYuhiQfxyay-CQ&usg=AFQjCNFGs7YuQMn-WZ7G7P1jdbr8StlY9w&sig2=lU6pcqhtDseS8XmGs8VVHA

[kazzac]

I havent noticed any signs saying location of new 'quiet carriages'yet ,first day today though.I will still board last carriage  every a'noon because its less crowded there.

[Golliwog]

For starters, in handing out waterbottles in AM peak, why would the offpeak patronage of the station be included in the decision making process?

Fair point, but in answer to your other questions, I'm getting my info from here: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftranslink.com.au%2Fresources%2Fabout-translink%2Fwhat-we-do%2Fcustomer-research%2F100501-public-transport-survey.pdf&ei=Gt-LT6K3AYuhiQfxyay-CQ&usg=AFQjCNFGs7YuQMn-WZ7G7P1jdbr8StlY9w&sig2=lU6pcqhtDseS8XmGs8VVHA

Ahhhk. I suppose that comes with the nature of Indooroopilly station though, passengers boarding there can go either direction.

[SurfRail]

They are making their way slowly onto the fleet.  Similar style to the wifi signs on the Bombardier sets, just by the doors on the car exterior.

[ozbob]

[Gazza]

Signage:

[somebody]

"loud" musical and mobile devices.  Undoes the whole point by leaving it open to interpretation.

[Fares_Fair]

how loud is loud?
unfortunately a subjective criterion.

I understand that less than one-third of surveyed passengers use them from time to time.
Not altogether overwhelming, in fact it's a minority.

Still, it's nice to have them there.

[justanotheruser]

travelled on train for first time in months yesterday and saw a quiet carriage sign advertising the introduction of quiet carriages. Stating first and last car of six car service and last car of 3 car service. Will be interesting to see if that is taken down although chances of gettingthat exact train again are slim. Was on a train with no interior doors between carriages

[Gazza]

^I got a train the other day which had those old posters remaining in a carriage next to the "new" quiet carriage with permanent stickers.
http://twitpic.com/9fw1sg
Promptly posted that on the QR twitter.

[BrizCommuter]

Still plenty of old (first and last car) quiet carriage posters on trains. Not removing them within a few weeks is rather half-arsed of QR!

[SurfRail]

Still plenty of old (first and last car) quiet carriage posters on trains. Not removing them within a few weeks is rather half-arsed of QR!

What do you expect?  There are still maps on trains showing Tennyson!

I'm willing to bet that every single map onboard a Metro train now shows South Morang, Lynbrook and Cardinia Road.

[justanotheruser]

must be a different persons job to remove posters than putting on stickers!

although that makes sense if they contract out advertising on trains.

[Gazza]

Still plenty of old (first and last car) quiet carriage posters on trains. Not removing them within a few weeks is rather half-arsed of QR!

What do you expect?  There are still maps on trains showing Tennyson!

I'm willing to bet that every single map onboard a Metro train now shows South Morang, Lynbrook and Cardinia Road.

But probably not Coolaroo.

[kazzac]

^I got a train the other day which had those old posters remaining in a carriage next to the "new" quiet carriage with permanent stickers.
http://twitpic.com/9fw1sg
Promptly posted that on the QR twitter.

I"ve noticed that too,it will confuse people.

[BribieG]

It's only a couple of years since the automatic voice stopped announcing "passengers for the Chinatown Mall and the Valley Bingo Hall    this is your station".

I use a mobile device called a tablet which I read books on etc, that's why I sit in the Quiet Carriage so I can be less distracted.  :conf

[Gazza]

You sure? I've been living here over 4 years and never heard a Bingo Hall announcement.

[Golliwog]

The Bingo hall announcement hasn't stopped. I got it on a random trip maybe a month ago.

[justanotheruser]

You sure? I've been living here over 4 years and never heard a Bingo Hall announcement.

I haven't heard it once in 9 years and I travelled there 5 days a week for three years plus weekend here and there. So I think it is just a pressing of the wrong button on the automatic announcer.

[longboi]

You sure? I've been living here over 4 years and never heard a Bingo Hall announcement.

I haven't heard it once in 9 years and I travelled there 5 days a week for three years plus weekend here and there. So I think it is just a pressing of the wrong button on the automatic announcer.

Not exactly. All EMUs that haven't been installed with the new internal comms. system still have "Valley bingo hall" and "Doomben - Pinkenba line" recorded.

[justanotheruser]

You sure? I've been living here over 4 years and never heard a Bingo Hall announcement.

I haven't heard it once in 9 years and I travelled there 5 days a week for three years plus weekend here and there. So I think it is just a pressing of the wrong button on the automatic announcer.

Not exactly. All EMUs that haven't been installed with the new internal comms. system still have "Valley bingo hall" and "Doomben - Pinkenba line" recorded.

well thats what i meant. it was a recording and somehow that recordinggets played.

[SurfRail]

The old EMU VAS only seems to be used quite rarely - guards still seem to prefer manual announcements.