Article: Airtrain increases services from Brisbane Airport

[ozbob]

From Courier Mail click here!

Airtrain increases services from Brisbane Airport

Airtrain increases services from Brisbane Airport
Article from: The Courier-Mail

By Peter Morley

March 26, 2008 11:00pm

BRISBANE Airport passengers complaining that night Airtrain services are too limited are in for a little relief.

But the extra services will still not meet the demands of air commuters who want trains to the city and the Gold Coast to run much later into the night.

Depending on the day of week, the last train currently leaves the domestic terminal at 7.34pm before picking up at the international terminal.

From Monday, Airtrain will introduce an 8pm departure and its peak-hour morning services from the Gold Coast will depart every 15 minutes instead of every 30 minutes.

Airtrain general manager Chris Basche said the increased services were needed more than ever due to Brisbane's traffic crisis as commuters were becoming increasingly frustrated.

"Demand for Airtrain has never been stronger. Airtrain has sustained strong passenger growth over recent years. Patronage has increased 16 per cent this financial year, outstripping the Brisbane Airport's growth rate of 6 per cent," he said.

[ozbob]

As RAIL Back On Track has highlighted many times, the fundamental problem with the railway line to the airport is the obscene cost of travel and the lack of services.  The sooner the railway is brought into normal Translink zones and QR suburban timetables the sooner the massive road congestion will be eased.

The only reason there are few more services is because the Gold Coast peak services will be increased from March 31.  The flow on to the Airport services is a consequence of this and will help at peak.  The last train will now leave from the airport at 8pm, previously the last train is 7.34pm.  Not much of an improvement!  Services are required from 5am to midnight.

See http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=31.0

My blog comment:

The fundamental problem with the railway line to the airport is the obscene cost of travel and the lack of services.  The sooner the railway is brought into normal Translink zones and QR suburban timetables the sooner the massive road congestion will be eased.  It is no-brainer.

The only reason there are few more services is because the Gold Coast peak services will be increased from March 31.    The last train will now leave from the airport at 8pm, previously the last train is 7.34pm.  Not much of an improvement!

[ozbob]

Added some more comments to this article at the Courier Mail blog

The noise excuse is a complete nonsense I agree Eric. My house over looks the main western railway line. We have freight trains running 24/7. These are diesel-electric locomotives that make some noise, as do the coal wagons, freight wagons. The electric passenger trains are quieter than most cars. I sleep like a baby in any case.

The trains running to the Airport are electric IMUs (new ones) in the main. They are quieter than a car. Do we ban the noisy trucks and motorbikes? No we don't.

The government has rolled out the noise excuse to me before. It is aberrant nonsense. Bring the air train into normal translink zones and same service hours as the rest of the suburban rail network. The road congestion problems would be over.

And ...

The real story is the timetable changes on the QR Suburban and Interurban networks as a whole, not just the Airtrain. (Which is run by normal QR trains at a reduced lease cost already).

It is welcome news for rail commuters particularly on the Gold Coast, Beenleigh, Ferny Grove and Cleveland lines that there will be new QR Citytrain timetables and some extra services from the 31st March. It is essential to continue the upgrade momentum to all lines.

The Caboolture and Ipswich lines are suffering severe congestion problems at peak and there are still no extra services. With the increasing road congestion north of Brisbane, and as a result of the Ipswich Highway road works further pressure will be put on the rail services on these lines. The Shorncliffe line still has significant gaps in the peak timetables. Increased services on the Doomben line would also be very welcome.

Hopefully some relief for commuters on the Caboolture, Ipswich and Shorncliffe lines will be forthcoming in the next timetable changes in September. Until then, rail commuters should aim to travel during early or late peak times if possible. Some discount fares to act as an incentive should be considered by the Queensland Government. It is also essential that should there be occasions when it is necessary to cancel services that those lines already under great stress are the last to lose services.