612 ABC Brisbane Interview with CEO Queensland Rail

[ozbob]

Queensland Rail CEO Paul Scurrah answers questions

01 June 2011 , 7:52 AM by Spencer Howson

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[dwb]

Some of the things they spoke about... I notice that he seemed really keen on peak spreading through ticketing incentives, not free travel but discounts. Maybe this means one of the things the Government is considering is stronger off peak discounts that those currently applied or planned to be applied. Plus I wonder if they're doing any elasticity testing on their patronage levels each time they change the Go card fares?

Peak spreading - incentives
Curved platforms - problems with more doors than 2 per carriage?
Station renovations
MBRL

[somebody]

Curved platforms - problems with more doors than 2 per carriage?

I found that one kind of spurious.  Yes, the gap would be greater on a middle door.  What is too great?

[BribieG]

Can anyone remember what the off peak discount was on the old paper tickets? The current Go Card discount doesn't seem to be as good, or am I imagining that?

[somebody]

Can anyone remember what the off peak discount was on the old paper tickets? The current Go Card discount doesn't seem to be as good, or am I imagining that?

You are correct.  Redeeming quality is that it is available when you make 1 peak time trip in a day.  Old discount was ~25%, new one is 15%.  Link: http://www.cityinfo.com.au/Link/Ferry%20Map.pdf

[BrizCommuter]

Curved platforms - problems with more doors than 2 per carriage?

I found that one kind of spurious.  Yes, the gap would be greater on a middle door.  What is too great?

Depends on whether the platform is concave or convex. If the latter, the middle door will have less of a gap.

[mufreight]

Curved platforms - problems with more doors than 2 per carriage?

I found that one kind of spurious.  Yes, the gap would be greater on a middle door.  What is too great?

Depends on whether the platform is concave or convex. If the latter, the middle door will have less of a gap.

But if convex to maintain clearance the doors at the end of the carriage being close to the bogie pivot point will then be further away from the platforms despite the extended door plates.

[somebody]

But if convex to maintain clearance the doors at the end of the carriage being close to the bogie pivot point will then be further away from the platforms despite the extended door plates.

So what?  We already have this.

[dwb]

What is an acceptable gap and what is an unacceptable gap?

I'm guessing, if you can fit a leg down there that is too big. Anyone know what the acceptable standard is?

[somebody]

What is an acceptable gap and what is an unacceptable gap?

I'm guessing, if you can fit a leg down there that is too big. Anyone know what the acceptable standard is?

A tad over 100 people every year do precisely that on CityRail.

[dwb]

Are you serious?! I every 3 days?!!?!?!

That's something like 0.0015% of passenger trips on trains right? which i guess is low... but really?! I every 3 days?!

*disbelief*

[mufreight]

What is an acceptable gap and what is an unacceptable gap?

I'm guessing, if you can fit a leg down there that is too big. Anyone know what the acceptable standard is?

A tad over 100 people every year do precisely that on CityRail.

Quite a figure Simon but then bearing in mind the numbers of passenger journeys each day I think that you will find that if it were a number of incidents per 10.000 passengers carried that the figures here on the QR Citytrain network would be considerably higher.
After its refurbishment there were 4 such incidents recorded at Indooroopilly alone in one week.

[somebody]

Are you serious?! I every 3 days?!!?!?!

That's something like 0.0015% of passenger trips on trains right? which i guess is low... but really?! I every 3 days?!

*disbelief*

Apparently.

Source is posters around the CityRail system.

[Stillwater]

The issue (and motivation to address the problem) is not the number of incidents of this type, nor the percentage of passenger vehicle kilometres travelled versus the number of similar incidents, but the potential monetary legal liability QR is exposed to if all these people sue for injury and trauma.

[somebody]

What is an acceptable gap and what is an unacceptable gap?

I'm guessing, if you can fit a leg down there that is too big. Anyone know what the acceptable standard is?

A tad over 100 people every year do precisely that on CityRail.

Quite a figure Simon but then bearing in mind the numbers of passenger journeys each day I think that you will find that if it were a number of incidents per 10.000 passengers carried that the figures here on the QR Citytrain network would be considerably higher.
After its refurbishment there were 4 such incidents recorded at Indooroopilly alone in one week.

I believe annual patronage on CityRail is about 5x that on CityTrain.  So the ball park figure for CityTrain for comparison is around 20 p.a.  I doubt there are this many in QLD as at the majority of stations it is pretty much impossible to do so.

[mufreight]

What is an acceptable gap and what is an unacceptable gap?

I'm guessing, if you can fit a leg down there that is too big. Anyone know what the acceptable standard is?

A tad over 100 people every year do precisely that on CityRail.

Quite a figure Simon but then bearing in mind the numbers of passenger journeys each day I think that you will find that if it were a number of incidents per 10.000 passengers carried that the figures here on the QR Citytrain network would be considerably higher.
After its refurbishment there were 4 such incidents recorded at Indooroopilly alone in one week.

I believe annual patronage on CityRail is about 5x that on CityTrain.  So the ball park figure for CityTrain for comparison is around 20 p.a.  I doubt there are this many in QLD as at the majority of stations it is pretty much impossible to do so.

Simon with all due respect you would have to be kidding, might I suggest that you spend a day riding trains off peak on pension days, because of the difference in height between platforms and carriages it is quite frequent for people to miss their step and at some stations such as Park Road where platform 4 has been closed because of this problem and platform 3 is barely better and would not be tolerated on any other Australian rail system.
A more realistic probable figure for the Citytrain network is over the system one per day.
From personal observation I have seen one oldie miss the step at Riverview on Sunday and another at Ipswich platform 3 on Wednesday, the ambulance chaser litigation specialists could have a picnic on this one with liability claims, no doubt given the new Federal Disability access laws and the interface between platforms and carriages on the Citytrain system there will be a steady flow of such claims.

[somebody]

Have you seen the gap on CityRail?

[colinw]

Frankly, I have an enormous laugh when people start banging on about platform gaps in Brisbane.

Talk about turning a mole hill into a mountain.

The gaps on some of the tube lines in London, particularly the older ones like the Bakerloo Line, dwarf anything you see here. Ditto for some main line platforms. They would have NO PROBLEM operating platform 4 at Park Road over there.

[ozbob]

I cringe every time I see platform 4 Park Road, what a waste ....

[Golliwog]

Frankly, I have an enormous laugh when people start banging on about platform gaps in Brisbane.

Talk about turning a mole hill into a mountain.

The gaps on some of the tube lines in London, particularly the older ones like the Bakerloo Line, dwarf anything you see here. Ditto for some main line platforms. They would have NO PROBLEM operating platform 4 at Park Road over there.

Theres a reason "Mind the Gap" is associated with the London Tube.

[colinw]

Its quite common to hear "mind the gap" announcements on mainline station as well.  I've seen mainline station gaps that you could lose a small child down easily, but they soldier on and carry volumes of passengers that Aussie rail systems can only dream about.

Oh, and sorry about the tone of the above post. I appear to be in a cranky, s**t-stirring mood tonight.

[O_128]

Its quite common to hear "mind the gap" announcements on mainline station as well.  I've seen mainline station gaps that you could lose a small child down easily, but they soldier on and carry volumes of passengers that Aussie rail systems can only dream about.

Oh, and sorry about the tone of the above post. I appear to be in a cranky, s**t-stirring mood tonight.

The district and circle line gaps were unbelievable, though to be epected when some of these stations are over 100 years old. Some of the stations have "Mind the Gap" going on loop

[colinw]

My first experience of the tube was the Bakerloo, starting from Paddington.  I couldn't believe the gaps, or how antiquated the whole thing felt.

BUT - the service frequency, and the atmosphere of the system, is just wonderful. Every time I ride the tube I feel like a kid in a lolly shop.

My best friends in England whinge constantly about their rail service.  All I can say is that if I lived near a mainline station with a half hourly service of Intercity 125 HSTs I would be a happy guy indeed.  LOVE those things.  200 km/h Chippenham to Swindon with the window in the vestibule down.  Box tunnel and the scenic run through Bath into Bristol Temple Meads.  Magic stuff!  Although the atmosphere is probably all going to end with the London to Cardiff electrification, just approved.  The electric service will undoubtedly be faster, more frequent & more efficient, but just won't have the class of the 125s.

[Golliwog]

I remember when I was over there, there was a station on the line to Nottingham which IIRC was built on a curve, however it being a higher speed line, the tracks were canted for the trains that didn't stop so the gap was intersting to manouvre to say the least.

[mufreight]

They would have NO PROBLEM operating platform 4 at Park Road over there.

Maybe not over there but the WHS rules that are currently in force in this country are such that its use here is not allowed, the ammusing part is that in this nanny state the same government that has created these laws and regulations that supposedly apply to all has not only granted QR an exemption on older stations but continues to construct and rebuild platforms that are non compliant with their own standards.

[dwb]

They would have NO PROBLEM operating platform 4 at Park Road over there.

Maybe not over there but the WHS rules that are currently in force in this country are such that its use here is not allowed, the ammusing part is that in this nanny state the same government that has created these laws and regulations that supposedly apply to all has not only granted QR an exemption on older stations but continues to construct and rebuild platforms that are non compliant with their own standards.

The DDA Act is not their standard. It's national.

[dwb]

Frankly, I have an enormous laugh when people start banging on about platform gaps in Brisbane.

Talk about turning a mole hill into a mountain.

The gaps on some of the tube lines in London, particularly the older ones like the Bakerloo Line, dwarf anything you see here. Ditto for some main line platforms. They would have NO PROBLEM operating platform 4 at Park Road over there.

Gaps are problems... especially if they occur at new or significantly rebuilt stations, but like you say Colin, let's keep some perspective!

[somebody]

Would the DDA stand up to a high court challenge?  On what authority did they pass it?  The Feds only have authority to pass laws on certain subjects.

[mufreight]

There are also State WH&S regulations which do apply such as step height, used to be something like 9ins (225mm) and there are also limits on the width of any horizontal gap also although not sure of what that dimension is.
The DDA federal leglislation is effectively a further overlay of the WH&S state leglislation and as a learned friend ( a retired family member who used to dress up in a wig and a black gown and sit up and look serious while he and his fellow persons in black considered the form of the next race at Flemington) informs me is enforcable on not only State authorities such as QR but also on the actual State Government.

[SurfRail]

Would the DDA stand up to a high court challenge?  On what authority did they pass it?  The Feds only have authority to pass laws on certain subjects.

Foreign affairs probably.  They can enact legislation to comply with treaty obligations, and there is no constitutional restriction on what treaties the government can enter into.