Qld's Transport Minister refuses to attend Public Forum

[Fares_Fair]

The Queensland Transport Minister, Rachel Nolan MP and Member for Ipswich has refused to attend a public forum to discuss the impacts of the
draft 2011 timetable proposed for the Sunshine Coast.

The Minister has stated in correspondence that the concerns of the Sunshine Coast commuters were valid.

We can only hope that she has the good sense to see those concerns directed into an improvement of our services, and not the degradation first proposed.
The lengthened times of travel caused by the axing of the already full capacity 5:14pm ex Roma St service and the proposed arrival and departure times into
the CBD were abominable. The impacts were widespread and angered the Sunshine Coast commuter.

It would be appropriate for the Qld Transport Minister to allay our concerns with concrete commitments of service improvements
to the longest-haul, toilet deprived, limited service frequency, commuter on the SEQ QR network.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[ozbob]

If it is any consolation I understand there will be changes made to the draft in line with the consultation and feedback.

[mufreight]

One could readily become of the belief that the draught was as result of all the hot air eminating from the Minister, the Transport department and the Translink management, time to close the door, stop the draught and let QR create the timetable without the ongoing turf wars that currently exist.

[Fares_Fair]

Thank you Bob,

I surely hope so, they wouldn't want to get it wrong this time around, I can assure you.
Any details of what may be in store (hypothetically speaking) ?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Arnz]

From what I understand some timings will be changed to address those concerns at least.  As for stopping patterns, Unfortunately I can only see very few (if any) changes at all to some services.  

My bet (don't take my word) for the afternoon peak is that a modified 5:15pmish service to Nambour will be all stops to Northgate, then express Northgate to Caboolture, whilst a Petrie train is extended to Caboolture to compensate.

[Stillwater]

The forum was going to be organsed by LNP Members who, no doubt, would have used the event to bring maximum political pressure on the Minister.  In that sense, the invitation to Ms Nolan would be akin to getting an invitation to your own hanging.  Now that she is not going to attend a forum, such a meeting becomes very uncomfortable for LNP members had they went ahead with it.  Why?  Because the audience would have focussed on the Opposition policy and what the LNP would do about the Sunshine Coast track and timetable.  The noose would be around the LNP Members' necks.  So the question has to be asked:  Whay will the LNP do about the Sunshine Coast service and track?

[#Metro]

Oh well, balls in the LNP's court. Let's hear it from their side!
Are there any other parties active on the Sunshine Coast? Greens? Independants?

[ozbob]

Thank you Bob,

I surely hope so, they wouldn't want to get it wrong this time around, I can assure you.
Any details of what may be in store (hypothetically speaking) ?

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

Not specifically, other than that times will be changed in line with the community feedback consultation.  Final touches are being made and hopefully the new timetables will be made available as soon as finalised.  That is what pro-active organisations would do ...

[Fares_Fair]

From what I understand some timings will be changed to address those concerns at least.  As for stopping patterns, Unfortunately I can only see very few (if any) changes at all to some services.  

My bet (don't take my word) for the afternoon peak is that a modified 5:15pmish service to Nambour will be all stops to Northgate, then express Northgate to Caboolture, whilst a Petrie train is extended to Caboolture to compensate.

I hope that you are wrong Arnz, and I mean absolutely no disrespect.

I stand for most of my journeys home each night because it is crowded and there are usually women standing as well.
I probably get to sit one day per week.
It's for 45 minutes from Bowen Hills to Caboolture.

Where are the people who get on the proposed intermediate stops to Northgate going to sit ?
Maybe some will make a 5:04pm service it it still exists in some form.

Anyway, I shall eagerly await the outcome of the feed-back revisions, along with all Sunshine Coast fellow commuters.
Our arrival and departure times, length of journeys and this particular service is crucial. 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Arnz]

From what I understand some timings will be changed to address those concerns at least.  As for stopping patterns, Unfortunately I can only see very few (if any) changes at all to some services.  

My bet (don't take my word) for the afternoon peak is that a modified 5:15pmish service to Nambour will be all stops to Northgate, then express Northgate to Caboolture, whilst a Petrie train is extended to Caboolture to compensate.

I hope that you are wrong Arnz, and I mean absolutely no disrespect.

To be honest, so do I.  Though my trains from Brisbane are usually the earlier 4pm ones.

The planners whilst understanding, they were wanting "sectorisation" on the inner city lines, when I've spoke to them last year at the Sunshine Coast/Nambour draft timetable session.

I stand for most of my journeys home each night because it is crowded and there are usually women standing as well.
I probably get to sit one day per week.
It's for 45 minutes from Bowen Hills to Caboolture.

Where are the people who get on the proposed intermediate stops to Northgate going to sit ?
Maybe some will make a 5:04pm service it it still exists in some form.

Anyway, I shall eagerly await the outcome of the feed-back revisions, along with all Sunshine Coast fellow commuters.
Our arrival and departure times, length of journeys and this particular service is crucial.  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

I'm guessing a 5:04pm departure will still exist in some form, but may be cut to Caboolture, whilst hopefully a later timeslot is allocated for our fellow Sunshine Coast commuters that finish at 5pm.  

Looking at the Caboolture draft, the departure timeslots out of Central are 5:10pm (Caboolture exp), 5:19pm (Petrie all-stops), and 5:22pm (ex-Rosewood to Caboolture exp).  

A shuffling of both Caboolture and Sunshine Coast timetables and stop patterns will be done to accomodate a later timeslot (and hopefully a decent running pattern).

[Fares_Fair]

This revised draft timetable (to be released shortly according to QR) will carry the optimal services possible
and cannot be bettered until the infrastructure is improved by extending loops and adding extra stabling at a minimum,
or duplicating the line in accordance with the now abandoned Beerburrum to Landsborough works and beyond.

With the forecast growth of the Sunshine Coast and the proposed 50,000 people at Caloundra South / Palmview
the State Government needs to be improving infrastructure NOW.

Does the Gold Coast line have single lane track ? It does for only a 6 minute section of track between Helensvale and Coomera !
Does the Gold Coast line have a staggering 52% of it's services as Rail buses (from Nambour to Caboolture) ? No.
Do we have 63% of the Gold Coast services ? per capita of population as at June 2009.

I'm not criticising the Gold Coast line or its' services, just using it as the closest comparison to ours, except ours is a considerably longer commute.

I suspect that the new timetable configuration will bear this out.

Regards,
Fares_Fair

[#Metro]

I feel your pain FF.


Dis-Connecting SEQ 2031. You have to fight every inch just to get an upgrade.
It's like having 1 lane (in total) on a highway. It's only once on my travels that I came across a bridge with a single lane where you had to look to see if anyone was coming so that you didn't have a head-on collision.

So frustrating...

[Fares_Fair]

Thanks tt,

I intend doing something about it.
Have already started.
I know I have the backing of the long-suffering Sunshine Coast commuter.

Regards,
Fares-Fair

[somebody]

This revised draft timetable (to be released shortly according to QR) will carry the optimal services possible
and cannot be bettered until the infrastructure is improved by extending loops and adding extra stabling at a minimum,
or duplicating the line in accordance with the now abandoned Beerburrum to Landsborough works and beyond.

This is worrying rhetoric. Sounds like they are lining you up to tell you something you don't want to hear.

I have mocked up a timetable which has a 45 minute frequency to Landsborough, without a cross until there.  Not all the trains would be likely to be able to continue to Nambour or beyond.  I think that would be the limit, but I seriously doubt it is what they would be putting forward.

I'm also concerned that they would be getting ready to tell you that you need to put up with serving all stops between Northgate and Roma St until CRR.

[Fares_Fair]

This revised draft timetable (to be released shortly according to QR) will carry the optimal services possible
and cannot be bettered until the infrastructure is improved by extending loops and adding extra stabling at a minimum,
or duplicating the line in accordance with the now abandoned Beerburrum to Landsborough works and beyond.

This is worrying rhetoric. Sounds like they are lining you up to tell you something you don't want to hear.

Hello somebody,

To clarify, the optimal services line is from documents, the part from "and cannot be bettered" etc. is my own opinion
but came out of a North Coast CRG meeting.
I have yet to hear anyone [officially] admit to the severe limitations of the line.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.