Article: Website error strands commuters

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Website error strands commuters

Website error strands commuters

Miranda Cashin | 21st June 2011

PASSENGERS were left waiting at Caboolture train station for more than an hour on Sunday after a glitch on the Translink website displayed the wrong timetable.

ABOUT a dozen passengers were left waiting at Caboolture train station for more than an hour on Sunday after a glitch on the Translink website displayed the wrong timetable.

The journey planner option on the rail website displayed a connecting train at Caboolture that met the 3.37pm train from Brisbane and continued on to Nambour at 4.44pm.

On the new timetable, which has been in effect since June 6, there is no train from Caboolture to Nambour until 5.52pm.

"It's very frustrating," said one disgruntled passenger who did not wish to be named.

"The website is supposed to be the most up-to-date timetable. Most people use the web these days, so it's crazy they wouldn't have updated it.

"I'm lucky I had a book to read."

A Translink spokesman said there was an error on the website and it had been rectified.

In a separate incident, Sunshine Coast passenger Jan England was left frustrated when she rang the Translink customer service line to ask about services running on the Queen's Birthday public holiday.

She was told about the usual services, but was not informed of an additional service that would have been more convenient.

"Why didn't the Translink staff know about this extra service?" she emailed the Daily.

"On my return home in the afternoon, there was a two-hour wait between trains.

"Surely Translink can provide a better service than this."

Since the introduction of the new South-East Queensland timetable earlier this month there have been particular problems with the 5.22pm service from Brisbane to the Coast.

Up to 400 commuters are forced to stand most days.

Robert Dow, from Rail Back on Track, said that this was "unacceptable".

Mr Dow said Translink needed to provide an additional service during this peak time.

"It's not a 10-minute trip. It's an inter-urban commute of a couple of hours and to have commuters stand for 40 to 50 minutes is just unfair," he said.

"It's very uncomfortable."

A Translink spokesman said Translink and QR would continue to monitor the new timetable changes and customer feedback.

The Caboolture line was delayed yesterday morning after a reported fire at Dakabin.

A Translink spokesman said that at 7.25am police requested trains on the Caboolture line between Petrie and Dakabin be suspended. Trains between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane were delayed for more than 30 minutes.

When police investigated the reports, they found no evidence of a fire.