Ministerial Statement: TransLink CEO to head up transport for London Olympics

[ozbob]

Transport and Multicultural Affairs
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk
18/07/2011

TransLink CEO to head up transport for London Olympics

TransLink Transit Authority CEO Peter Strachan has accepted a position with the UK government as Director-General in the Department of Transport - responsible for Major Projects in London.

Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked Mr Strachan for his service to Queensland which will end in October 2011.

"It is a credit to Peter and a strong recognition of our public transport system that he has been appointed to such a senior role," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"He will have responsibility for major road and rail projects in the UK and public transport in London including transport for the 2012 London Olympics," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"The South-East Queensland public transport network and Translinks' achievements under Peter's leadership have been recognised both nationally and internationally.

"TransLink go card usage has risen to 80 per cent, a five-year funding strategy for public transport has been put in place and there have been significant service and infrastructure upgrades.

"Peter's leadership during the summer disasters saw 97 per cent of our public transport network back up and running within days.

"However, perhaps his biggest achievement has been to lead a fully cohesive public transport network consisting of 20 service delivery partners and contractors.

"This morning's Tourism and Transport Forum report Improving Your Commute, again highlights that Queensland is a leader when it comes to our initiatives to meet customer expectations.

"It has been a pleasure working with Peter and I wish him all the best for the future."

The Queensland Government will now undertake a search for a replacement.

==============================================================

[Mr X]

Look out, London 

[Derwan]

Our loss is their gain...

Now - let's get someone DECENT in the job!

[Gazza]

Look out, London

...

[Derwan]

Whoa.  I didn't actually read all of the release...

"Peter's leadership during the summer disasters saw 97 per cent of our public transport network back up and running within days.

Um... no... we have QR and the BCC to thank for that.

"However, perhaps his biggest achievement has been to lead a fully cohesive public transport network consisting of 20 service delivery partners and contractors.

Fully cohesive? Really?  Is this another delusion?

[SurfRail]

I think Peter's tenure at the top can be characterised as being far far far too focused on world's best practice governance (ie internal processes) and not on world's best practice delivery (ie service outcomes).  The UK sounds like an ideal home for that sort of thinking - wonder why he left? 

Let's import somebody from a system that is run properly, like Zurich, Hong Kong, Prague, even Perth perhaps...

[mufreight]

What a relief, now if he is not replaced the overinflated salary that he was paid for building another uneeded and inefectual bureaucracy can be divirted to the operators to fund services, every little bit helps, now if we get realy lucky the rest of his imported coterie of clowns also pack up and go before they also dissapear in the mire that they have created.
Hopefully the winds of change are upon us and are favourable.  Heaven help London.

[ozbob]

From Brisbanetimes click here!

Translink boss off to the Olympics

Translink boss off to the Olympics
Daniel Hurst
July 18, 2011 - 5:20PM

The man in charge of southeast Queensland's transport network for the past two years has quit to take on an Olympic challenge overseas.

Translink chief executive Peter Strachan will end his role in October after landing a key posting in the United Kingdom government.

As the UK Transport Department's Director-General responsible for Major Projects, Mr Strachan is set to oversee transport for the 2012 London Olympics.

Mr Strachan worked with Translink since March 2009. During his tenure transport patronage and Go Card usage has increased. But he has also overseen controversial 15 per cent-a-year fare rises.

Announcing the departure, Transport Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk today thanked Mr Strachan for his service.

"It is a credit to Peter and a strong recognition of our public transport system that he has been appointed to such a senior role," she said in a statement.

Ms Palaszczuk said Translink's achievements under his leadership had been recognised both nationally and internationally.

"Translink Go Card usage has risen to 80 per cent, a five-year funding strategy for public transport has been put in place and there have been significant service and infrastructure upgrades," she said.

"Peter's leadership during the summer disasters saw 97 per cent of our public transport network back up and running within days.

"However, perhaps his biggest achievement has been to lead a fully cohesive public transport network consisting of 20 service delivery partners and contractors."

Robert Dow, from commuter lobby group Rail Back on Track, said he would give Mr Strachan a pass mark for his time at Translink.

He said Mr Strachan had done "a reasonable job in a difficult time financially" and got out on the network to talk to commuters fairly regularly but the state's transport fare structure needed to be improved.

"I think it's been a difficult period because I think they've been working under a fairly tight budget and I think that's constrained what they would have liked to have done," Mr Dow said.

"Nonetheless there have been some improvements in bus routes and some rail services. There's a lot to be done though."

Ms Palaszczuk said the Queensland government would now search for a replacement.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/translink-boss-off-to-the-olympics-20110718-1hlbu.html

[ozbob]

Courier Mail --> TransLink boss Peter Strachan quits for Olympic job

[BrizCommuter]

It doesn't matter how good the new CEO of TransLink is, they will still have to put up with limited government funding and abysmal policies.

[david]

I'm secretly hoping that Paul Scurrah replaces him 

[#Metro]

I hope the new CEO has a strong background in RAIL and EFFICIENCY.
Someone who values ruthless efficiency and can re-organise the network to massively cut the dead wood.

So I'm thinking someone who is ex

Hong Kong MTR
Zurich ZVV
Toronto TTC
Switzerland CHH

something like that

[O_128]

I hope the new CEO has a strong background in RAIL and EFFICIENCY.
Someone who values ruthless efficiency and can re-organise the network to massively cut the dead wood.

So I'm thinking someone who is ex

Hong Kong MTR
Zurich ZVV
Toronto TTC
Switzerland CHH

something like that

And Whoever runs SNCF in France.

I think one condition that needs to be implemented is to make it clear that translink is completely independent of the governments sphere of influence, they just receive funding, And that the CEOs being the CEO is allowed to implement job cuts and introduce services etc.

[HappyTrainGuy]

"Peter's leadership during the summer disasters saw 97 per cent of our public transport network back up and running within days.

Yeah right! The hard working QR and BCC employees were the ones responsible for that before during and after the floods.

[BrizCommuter]

http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com/2011/07/translink-ceo-quits.html
It's time for a change, and BrizCommuter isn't referring to the TransLink CEO position.

[Fares_Fair]

"TransLink go card usage has risen to 80 per cent, a five-year funding strategy for public transport has been put in place and there have been significant service and infrastructure upgrades."

Go card usage, where there is no other option, has increased to 80% !  WOW  
A five year funding strategy (being 15% fare increases year after year) ! WOW  
and finally "significant service and infrastructure upgrades", that must be the new timetables that make our journeys longer NOT shorter. WOW  

Expect to see more buses in the London rail network - we have 44% of them on weekday journeys, for half-way to Brisbane.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[O_128]

"TransLink go card usage has risen to 80 per cent, a five-year funding strategy for public transport has been put in place and there have been significant service and infrastructure upgrades."

Go card usage, where there is no other option, has increased to 80% !  WOW  
A five year funding strategy (being 15% fare increases year after year) ! WOW  
and finally "significant service and infrastructure upgrades", that must be the new timetables that make our journeys longer NOT shorter. WOW  

Expect to see more buses in the London rail network - we have 44% of them on weekday journeys, for half-way to Brisbane.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

This reeks of a "mate" job to me, The transport to London Olympic park has been in place for year, the javelin trains are all ready to go as is everything else so what exactly will he be doing to earn his million pound + a year?

[SteelPan]

Fancy somoeone wanting to put Translink CEO on their CV 
Seriously, I hope they go external for the next head honcho - but to be honest, until they have better political leadership, the type with a CAN DO attitude, I don't think alot's going to change!  Certainly not at the sharp end of PT service provision, let alone infrastructure delivery.

[Mr X]

I don't think the CAN DO type is actually into PT. Just level crossing upgrades.

I wonder what the greens would do... 

[mufreight]

I wonder what the greens would do... 

On rail probably nothing constructive other than to plant native trees along the railway right of way between the rails to reduce carbon emissions. 

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane Breakfast with Spencer Howson interview with CEO TransLink

Click here!

Translink CEO leaving Brisbane for London

19 July 2011 , 8:14 AM by Spencer Howson

After only two and a half years here in Brisbane, the head of Translink is moving on.

He's heading back to the UK where he'll become Director-General of Transport - responsible for major road and rail projects - and public transport in London including for the 2012 Olympics.

Peter Strachan, good morning and congratulations:

[O_128]

I wonder what the greens would do... 

On rail probably nothing constructive other than to plant native trees along the railway right of way between the rails to reduce carbon emissions. 

light rail to moggill 

[Jonno]

I wonder what the greens would do... 

On rail probably nothing constructive other than to plant native trees along the railway right of way between the rails to reduce carbon emissions. 

Read their policies before you make such biased comments.  They alone are the champions of rail, transit and active transport.  Why are we so blinded by the 2 parties that have failed transport so badly???

[Mr X]

Just looked on the Green's website under "Sustainable Transport and Planning" on their policies pages- http://greens.org.au/policies/sustainable-economy/sustainable-planning-and-transport

17. develop national urban planning standards that provide for the location of high density housing and commercial buildings close to high capacity public transport, and the clustering of medium-density housing, community facilities and small-scale businesses around neighbourhood shopping centres.
18. a comprehensive, integrated public transport system, with critical components publicly owned and controlled.
19. a transport system, including roads, railways, airways and sea-lanes, that is safe, environmentally sound, efficient and reliable.
20. increased opportunities for the community to participate in transport planning.
21. incentives to favour public transport systems over private car use.
22. public transport services to be provided under community service obligations.
23. public ownership of the national rail system.
24. train services that are competitive with road transport – reliable, safe, fast and inexpensive.

[dwb]

Fancy somoeone wanting to put Translink CEO on their CV 
Seriously, I hope they go external for the next head honcho - but to be honest, until they have better political leadership, the type with a CAN DO attitude, I don't think alot's going to change!  Certainly not at the sharp end of PT service provision, let alone infrastructure delivery.

You are joking right?

[O_128]

I wonder what the greens would do... 

On rail probably nothing constructive other than to plant native trees along the railway right of way between the rails to reduce carbon emissions. 

Read their policies before you make such biased comments.  They alone are the champions of rail, transit and active transport.  Why are we so blinded by the 2 parties that have failed transport so badly???

Because all though there transport policies are great the rest of the country will go bankrupt and the trains will only run from 7am to 5pm as we will have no coal industry and they are scared of nuclear power so the sun and wind are the only options.

On a little tangent did anyone else know that getting a few kilos of Helium 3 from the moon could power the US for a year  

[Mr X]

Solar power is so expensive 

UQ had a whole heap installed on 3 buildings for several million dollars and they are so effective they power 5% of UQ's electricity 

[dwb]

Solar power is so expensive 

UQ had a whole heap installed on 3 buildings for several million dollars and they are so effective they power 5% of UQ's electricity 

Getting off topic much? The point of the carbon scheme is so that we invest in new technology and make it cheaper. The current exemption for road freight will go away in a few years. Trains can't be exempt now and anyway its just forcing the government to meet its own commitments about using green power and the like - as Campbell started with BCC, TL/QR etc should be investing money in greener long term projects as "foundation" funding partners. This will help them avoid any carbon tax payments. Presumably they won't do it until AFTER the scheme is implemented, so that any "cleaning up" they do of their emissions will earn them carbon credits.

[Mr X]

Solar power is so expensive 

UQ had a whole heap installed on 3 buildings for several million dollars and they are so effective they power 5% of UQ's electricity 

Getting off topic much? The point of the carbon scheme is so that we invest in new technology and make it cheaper. The current exemption for road freight will go away in a few years. Trains can't be exempt now and anyway its just forcing the government to meet its own commitments about using green power and the like - as Campbell started with BCC, TL/QR etc should be investing money in greener long term projects as "foundation" funding partners. This will help them avoid any carbon tax payments. Presumably they won't do it until AFTER the scheme is implemented, so that any "cleaning up" they do of their emissions will earn them carbon credits.

Off topic even further much?

[dwb]

Solar power is so expensive 

UQ had a whole heap installed on 3 buildings for several million dollars and they are so effective they power 5% of UQ's electricity 

Getting off topic much? The point of the carbon scheme is so that we invest in new technology and make it cheaper. The current exemption for road freight will go away in a few years. Trains can't be exempt now and anyway its just forcing the government to meet its own commitments about using green power and the like - as Campbell started with BCC, TL/QR etc should be investing money in greener long term projects as "foundation" funding partners. This will help them avoid any carbon tax payments. Presumably they won't do it until AFTER the scheme is implemented, so that any "cleaning up" they do of their emissions will earn them carbon credits.

Off topic even further much?

Maybe so but Bob has been tweeting lots recently and he keeps a pretty close eye on the forum, two birds with one stone really.

[Mr X]

Because all though there transport policies are great the rest of the country will go bankrupt and the trains will only run from 7am to 5pm as we will have no coal industry and they are scared of nuclear power so the sun and wind are the only options.

Not necessarily, they seem to be open to any renewable resource -> http://greens.org.au/policies/climate-change-and-energy/climate-change-and-energy

17. future energy needs to be met using sustainable, renewable energy sources.

Their resistance to nuclear seems to be more of an inter-generational equity and public safety -> http://greens.org.au/policies/climate-change-and-energy/nuclear

2. the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons, or of catastrophic accidents at, or terrorist attacks on, nuclear power stations, are so great that the risks are unacceptably high.
3. future generations must not be burdened with high level radioactive waste.

This is a bit of a tangent from the original topic lol 

[somebody]

"However, perhaps his biggest achievement has been to lead a fully cohesive public transport network consisting of 20 service delivery partners and contractors.

That is some of the most damning faint praise I have ever heard.

If I didn't know better (maybe I don't), I'd say it was intentional.

[Stillwater]

It is interesting to read the official ministerial media statement issued at the time Peter Strachan was appointed.  Note the third dotpoint about frequency, and also the last sentence:  "The State has made a huge investment in transport – now it's about really joining up the network and giving passengers the world-class system they deserve."   Ahh, the obligatory 'world class' reference in every media release.  I suppose we really do have the world class system we deserve. 


Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

New TransLink Transit Authority CEO to lead 10 year vision

A senior executive with a track record of achievement in transport and operational roles in the UK and Australia has been appointed as the TransLink Transit Authority's new CEO.

Minister for Transport John Mickel today announced the appointment of Peter Strachan while outlining a the 10 year TransLink Network Plan which will now go to local councils for consultation.

Mr Mickel said the new CEO had been selected following a national and international search for a world class executive to lead the new Authority.

"I congratulate Mr Strachan on his appointment, which is a major coup for Queensland and boosts our government's push to improve public transport services across the region," he said.

"He has an enviable resume and reputation and will bring almost 30 years of experience in the transport industry to his new role."

Mr Mickel said the appointment came after a busy first quarter for the new authority, which had included a strategic review of the network and the drafting of the new TransLink Network Plan.

"I launched the new TransLink Transit Authority in July and tasked them with progressing our vision for public transport and providing a blueprint for getting us there," he said.

"I'm excited to see the new TransLink Network Plan taking shape because we know that providing a high frequency mass transit system is vital to addressing congestion through reduced car use."

Mr Mickel said the plan sought to align urban and transport planning at all levels of government and would now be sent to local council for feedback.
It includes:
• A 10-year vision for public transport across south-east Queensland.
• A rolling 4-year program of planned service additions and adjustments.
• Creating more than 100 high-frequency routes, each guaranteeing bus and train services every 15 minutes.

"We've seen a staggering 40% patronage growth across the public transport network in the past four years and it's been a massive task to keep pace with that demand," Mr Mickel said.

"Keeping pace with that growth has been the priority in the short term but building a network of high frequency services is vital in attracting even bigger numbers to public transport in the future.

"We believe Mr Strachan's experience and track record made him the right person to take the plan and make it a reality in South East Queensland."

Mr Mickel said TransLink's new CEO joined British rail operator Network Rail in 2005 as the Route Director of London's North Western region.

"In this role he is currently responsible for overseeing the West Coast Main Line – the busiest mixed traffic railway in Europe – from London to the Scottish border as well the urban areas of Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool," Mr Mickel said.

"In 2006 Mr Strachan was appointed as a non-executive director on the Board of Transport Initiatives Edinburgh - the company responsible for developing and building the Scottish capital's new light rail system.

"He is also a director of the Institution of Railway Operators and Trustee of the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust.

"He became the international public transport company's Chief Executive of the Australian Rail Division, running trains and trams in Melbourne before adding bus companies in Melbourne and Perth to the portfolio."

Mr Strachan said he was keen to return to Australia and live in "a vibrant city like Brisbane".

"I'm relishing the challenge of heading up the TransLink Transit Authority and delivering an effective public transport system for Brisbane and South East Queensland," Mr Strachan said.

"The State has made a huge investment in transport – now it's about really joining up the network and giving passengers the world-class system they deserve."

Media contact: 07 34067664
8 October, 2008

[somebody]

I suppose we really do have the world class system we deserve. 

I think so.

And we will soon have world class traffic congestion.

Very interesting about 100+ high frequency routes.

[O_128]

If she says world class one more time.......

[Mr X]

So this guy was meant to deliver 100 BUZ routes?


We only got 5!!
120/140/196/222/412! CityGlider doesn't count, it's BCC

[SurfRail]

So this guy was meant to deliver 100 BUZ routes?


We only got 5!!
120/140/196/222/412! CityGlider doesn't count, it's BCC

100 high frequency routes.  By their own marginal definition of an HFP route, which is considerably easier to meet than the BUZ benchmark, you would also include the 88, the 515 and 590 on weekdays, the gradual upgrades to the 555 etc.  Not much to crow about.

[somebody]

Is there any word on who will be acting in the role once he has gone?  Or when in October he will be gone?

[ozbob]

No, but I am lead to believe that a world search is to be undertaken for a replacement.  Haven't seen any ads yet, but there might have been.

[Stillwater]

He departs without achieving one of the objectives set by government:

Creating more than 100 high-frequency routes, each guaranteeing bus and train services every 15 minutes

(See media release).  In Mr Strachan's defence, its probable that this government did not provide the financial resources required to achieve the goal.

So we have yet another 'world class' backdown by government -- promising a 15-minute service and not delivering on that promise (except for a limited section of the network).