Network tour: Gold Coast excursion

[SurfRail]

Hi all,

Following on from today's network tour out to Ipswich, I have put together the following itinerary for discussion.  This will work for either a Saturday or a Sunday.  Saturday 27 August is out as there is a QOCS tour (also to the Gold Coast) on that day.

Despite planning, I would be joining at Beenleigh on the way down at the earliest.


Dep Central 0924 – Arr Helensvale 1029 (Gold Coast line)

Dep Helensvale 1051 – Arr Griffith Uni 1112 (Route 709)

Dep Griffith Uni 1142 – Arr Southport 1156 (Route 709)

Dep Southport 1246 – Arr Broadbeach 1312 (Route 706)

Broadbeach monorail

Dep Broadbeach 1401 – Arr Burleigh Heads 1419 (Route 702)

Dep Burleigh Heads 1440 – Arr Varsity Lakes 1444 (Route 769)

Dep Varsity Lakes 1518 – Arr Central 1639 (Gold Coast line)


This should give you an opportunity to look at the following

Beenleigh Line
- Operation of the Beenleigh line
- Various sidings and works depots, including the Dutton Park depot, Yeerongpilly sidings, Yeerongpilly rail welding facility, Clapham yard, Pradella siding, Salisbury to Kuraby third track, Kingston sidings, Bethania junction and Holmview siding
- Stabling and turnback arrangements at Beenleigh

Gold Coast
- Helensvale Station and operation of the YourBus service
- Gold Coast University Hospital Station Shell at Griffith Uni
- Various light rail corridor works around Southport and on the highway to Broadbeach
- The dinky little Broadbeach monorail, for those who have never had a ride
- Varsity Lakes station, for those who have not yet visited
- Stabling arrangements at Robina (on the way back)
- Operation of the Gold Coast Highway bus services generally

Plenty of time for lunch at Southport or Broadbeach (although the dining on offer at Broadbeach is superior).  The advantage of the routes we would be using is that this journey can be delayed by a half-hour at ay stage with no missed connections en route - except for the 769, which is only hourly, but there are ways around that.

[ozbob]

Thanks SurfRail for this excellent itinerary.

How would Sunday 14th September suit?

[SurfRail]

Thanks SurfRail for this excellent itinerary.

How would Sunday 14th September suit?

Think the old wires must have crossed slightly there Bob - Sunday 14 August will be OK. 

[ozbob]

I will be in Melbourne that weekend,  how about 21st August?

[SurfRail]

Sounds good.  Anybody else coming along?

[ozbob]

OK we will go for Sunday 21st August 2011   

[Stillwater]

 

[ozbob]

Standby, the date will be changed. This clashes with the Queensland Rail Run/Walk and open day at Ipswich Workshops Museum ...

[SurfRail]

I'm amenable to any weekend in September at this point, more than happy to take suggestions. 

Remember - as indicated above, Saturday and Sunday timetables are interchangeable for our purposes - unless you need to rely on better services on Saturday to connect to and from the Gold Coast line within Brisbane or beyond.

[SurfRail]

Is anybody keen to get onboard for say Saturday 10/Sunday 11 October, or the following weekend?

[cartoonbirdhaus]

That sounds like a suitable time. [Puts hand up]

[ozbob]

  thank you!

[SurfRail]

OK folks, at this stage the proposed date is this coming Saturday, 17 September 2011.

Any takers?

[ozbob]

At this stage plan to go!

[ozbob]

At this stage plan to go!

Unfortunately, something has come up and I won't be able to make it next weekend.

[SurfRail]

Saturday 24 September 2011 is still free.

[ozbob]

Saturday 24 September 2011 is still free.

Thanks, sounds good to me.  Lets go for for the 24th September.

[somebody]

Why's there a 22 minute wait at Helensvale?  These buses don't coordinate with the trains in the opposite direction either.

I'm thinking of coming.

[cartoonbirdhaus]

24 September is quite do-able.

[SurfRail]

Why's there a 22 minute wait at Helensvale?  These buses don't coordinate with the trains in the opposite direction either.

I'm thinking of coming.

709 is not the designated 'link' route.  The rationale is to provide a rough 15 min headway between Southport and Harbour Town/Helensvale, I believe.  If you are on time, and scurry along quickly once off the bus, you can make southbound services, but not northbound ones.

[ozbob]

Meet at Central 9am or so Saturday 24th September on departure platform for the 9.24am Gold Coast service (usually platform one).  Will travel in car 2!

Looking forward to this!!   

[somebody]

Why's there a 22 minute wait at Helensvale?  These buses don't coordinate with the trains in the opposite direction either.

I'm thinking of coming.

709 is not the designated 'link' route.  The rationale is to provide a rough 15 min headway between Southport and Harbour Town/Helensvale, I believe.  If you are on time, and scurry along quickly once off the bus, you can make southbound services, but not northbound ones.

As it happens, I'll have occasion to use the 709 tomorrow.  Looking at the timetable, it isn't obvious why all of the 703/707/709 can't be retimed to fit in with the train.  It's OK northbound.

Are all the Gold Coast connections like this?  I thought 765/761 was a tad daft, but this one's worse on the face of it.

EDIT: Looking at the 715, I can see a 19 minute wait northbound, 745 has a 26 minute wait on weekends northbound.

These are the only timetables I've checked!

[somebody]

I'd have to say, the thing which struck me most about the GC train and the 709 is how well loaded these services are.  GC train definitely seemed quite slow.  There were a number of 50km/h speed restrictions and one 40km/h restriction that I saw.  I don't think it spends much time above 70km/h Park Rd<->Beenleigh.

I don't know what is so hard about coordinating the buses.  If retiming the 709 requires retiming some other routes as well, then so what?  It doesn't even coordinate with the northbound train either.

[SurfRail]

I'd have to say, the thing which struck me most about the GC train and the 709 is how well loaded these services are.  GC train definitely seemed quite slow.  There were a number of 50km/h speed restrictions and one 40km/h restriction that I saw.  I don't think it spends much time above 70km/h Park Rd<->Beenleigh.

I don't know what is so hard about coordinating the buses.  If retiming the 709 requires retiming some other routes as well, then so what?  It doesn't even coordinate with the northbound train either.

I expect in coming years we will see the 715 in more or less current form, and a service doing what the 709 does between Helensvale and the northern terminus of the GCRT system, with a total of around 8-10 per hour (broken up into maybe 4 x 715s and 6 x uni services).  You will also likely still have what is currently the route 3 operating between Helensvale and the uni.

[ozbob]

Meet at Central 9am or so Saturday 24th September on departure platform for the 9.24am Gold Coast service (usually platform one).  Will travel in car 2!

Looking forward to this!!  

Hope you can make it!  History in action ....  

Dep Central 0924 – Arr Helensvale 1029 (Gold Coast line)

Dep Helensvale 1051 – Arr Griffith Uni 1112 (Route 709)

Dep Griffith Uni 1142 – Arr Southport 1156 (Route 709)

Dep Southport 1246 – Arr Broadbeach 1312 (Route 706)

Broadbeach monorail

Dep Broadbeach 1401 – Arr Burleigh Heads 1419 (Route 702)

Dep Burleigh Heads 1440 – Arr Varsity Lakes 1444 (Route 769)

Dep Varsity Lakes 1518 – Arr Central 1639 (Gold Coast line)

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

Inbound ex Goodna SMU 262, on time too ... 

[ozbob]

Left Central on time, IMU161 leading, in car 2.

[ozbob]

Heading back to Brisbane onboard IMU168.  Great day, the early light rail works impressive, variety of buses and went for a ride on the monorail. Thanks for putting together the day SurfRail.

[ozbob]

Few random photographs

Light rail related - early days but is very obvious why light rail is needed.















General

















The old Southport railway station was next to Railway Street (to the right of the street, longitudinally towards the sea, where the shops are).



























Photographs R Dow 24th September 2011

[SurfRail]

Thank you to ozbob and MaxHeadway for making it down - looking forward to having another wander around somewhere in SEQ soon. 

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

25th September 2011

Few observations from the Gold Coast

Greetings,

A number of RAIL Back On Track members travelled to the Gold Coast yesterday to view progress on the Gold Coast Rapid Transit and travel on some of the local bus routes.

The early works for the light rail are taking shape (photographs --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6434.msg69283#msg69283 ).

My first visit to the Gold Coast was in 1969, and like others have seen many changes.  The rapid growth and continued expansion of the Gold Coast dictates a sustainable transport solution such as light rail.  It will be transforming, not only for the Gold Coast but it will no doubt signal a change in thinking in Brisbane and elsewhere.  Modern light rail is a superb people mover.  Every effort should be made to extend the light rail to Burleigh Heads and Helensvale as a matter of priority.  This would go a long way in helping relieve the traffic congestion.

The journey down and back on Queensland Rail was comfortable with modern IMU trains, running on time, with good loads of passengers.  We travelled on a number of local bus routes, all carrying good loads of passengers.  There is some limited bus priority on the main highway but more is needed.

We noted a 'Your Bus' at Helensvale rail --> http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_standard2.aspx?pid=9139.  This is a dial-up mini-bus service, which commenced in the Pacific Pines and Park Lake areas. This type of service would be suitable for some areas such as Ipswich and Sunshine Coast.

We used our go cards and travelled seamlessly around on the public transport.  More effort should be made to promote the opportunities to use public transport to visit the Gold Coast.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
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RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org