Redcliffe Peninsula Line [was MBRL (Petrie to Kippa Ring)]

[Gazza]

This all said, Qld is curious in that the two halves of a line are given different names....No other city seems to do that.

Eg if the London Victoria line was in Australia you can bet it would be divided into to Brixton Line, and the Walthamstow Central line, and the printed timetable would only show as far as Oxford Circus for each

[red dragin]

16 stations vs 55 stations though for the above example, using Caboolture - Rosewood.

Does the Undergound have a published timetable? (I know there are run sheets for the crew)

[aldonius]

the two halves of a line are given different names....No other city seems to do that.

That's because in Queensland lines aren't planned and constructed like that. When we through-route we do so because it's convenient.

Also, Brisbane (in normal service) is an exclusively radial system.

[SurfRail]

This all said, Qld is curious in that the two halves of a line are given different names....No other city seems to do that.

Eg if the London Victoria line was in Australia you can bet it would be divided into to Brixton Line, and the Walthamstow Central line, and the printed timetable would only show as far as Oxford Circus for each

The pertinent equivalent would be the subsurface lines (Metropolitan/District/Hammersmith & City/Circle), which are all intertwined with each other. 

You can't really have a "Cabswich" or "Clevecliffe" line here, although under the current timetable we are closer than ever before.

If we had any lines with their own dedicated rollingstock which were not linked to each other in normal operation with different trains going different places from time to time, I suspect we would give them a single name.

[petey3801]

This all said, Qld is curious in that the two halves of a line are given different names....No other city seems to do that.

Pretty much every city in Australia does the same thing as here, ie:
Sydney: Eastern Suburbs line, Illawarra line; North Shore line, Western Line; Northern line, North Shore line; North Shore/Northern line, Richmond line; East Hills/Airport line, Inner West line etc.
Melbourne: Not sure of the exact line pairings (I assume there are some?), but all lines are named according to their destination (or, at least, one of the major stations on the line).
Adelaide has all lines terminating at Adelaide station, so no through running IIRC.
Perth: Mandurah line, Joondulup (or whatever it is) line. I believe most others terminate at Perth, so no other through running IIRC.

So really, Brisbane is far from the only place that has through running with different line names on each half.

[ozbob]

Melbourne doesn't have pairings as such.  Lines are grouped for timetabling and administration etc.



    City Loop

Caulfield group

    Frankston line
    Pakenham line
    Sandringham line
    Cranbourne line

Northern group

    Upfield line
    Werribee line
    Craigieburn line
    Sunbury line
    Williamstown line
    Flemington Racecourse line

Burnley group

    Lilydale line
    Glen Waverley line
    Belgrave line
    Alamein line

Clifton Hill group

    South Morang line
    Hurstbridge line

Greater-metropolitan

    Stony Point line
    Melton line

[hU0N]

I'd argue that Brisbane doesn't really have through routing in the proper sense.

It just so happens that for operational reasons (specifically lack of platform space), trains are not turned back at Roma Street, instead when each train from a south/west line arrives it "switches places" with a train from a northern line, and they take over each othto haveer's outbound run. Importantly though, this isn't done because QR or translink thinks of the two lines as one entity, it's just happens to be how they manage their fleet to provide the services that have been scheduled.

Obviously this is (in many ways) a distinction without a difference. But I think it shows up in a bunch of places.

• line names. Each half of the line is named separately
• timetables. Timetables are written from city to terminus and vice versa. They only list the follow on by way of a note to indicate what each train turns into after the city
• peak hour specials. Which always start/finish their run in the city, but aren't considered short workings
• that until quite recently, services on one line could through route to two or three other lines depending on time of day. And I don't think this has reduced over time due to a change of heart by QR, I think it's just that as timetables are streamlined and sectorised, it tends to work out that virtually all IPS trains continue to CAB etc.

So I think it's a bit of a mischaracterization to say that Brisbane has two names for each line. I think that QR thinks of each line separately, and plans and runs them all separately, all as radial lines that aren't through routed. It's just an accident of the operational policy, the end to end ticketing and the fact that guards are not required to kick everyone off each train at Roma Street* that gives the impression and experience of a through routed service.

* I know this sounds silly,  but there are BCC buses that enter the city as one route and in a similar fashion to trains, depart as a different route. And in each case, you are not permitted to remain in the bus even if your ultimate destination is along the outbound route. You must get off and reboard. Yes,  most of these route pairs are unlikely to be especially useful through routes. But it is still rather an odd policy when you really think about it.

[Gazza]

I should clarify that I was more referring to outside Aus.

It just so happens that for operational reasons (specifically lack of platform space), trains are not turned back at Roma Street, instead when each train from a south/west line arrives it "switches places" with a train from a northern line, and they take over each other's outbound run. Importantly though, this isn't done because QR or translink thinks of the two lines as one entity, it's just happens to be how they manage their fleet to provide the services that have been scheduled.

I beg to differ on a couple of key points.
-The network map shows the line pairings.
-Destos on trains don't show "Central" and then change after. When I board at Oxley the train says "Caboolture".
-Trains which divert off from the normal pairing are the exception rather than the rule.

The washington Metro is another example of what i mean.
http://www.wmata.com/rail/maps/map.cfm

Any deviations from regular pairings are shown on the map.

[Gazza]

I just realised from now on I'll endure lengthy announcements similar to the GC line every time I  take a train to the City:

"This is a Brisbane city and Caboolture train, running express from Bowen Hills to Petrie, stopping only at Eagle Junction and Northgate"

and

"This is a Kippa Ring train, running express from Bowen Hills to Northgate, stopping only at Eagle Junction"

[red dragin]

The railway line that finishes at Kippa Ring Station (I aint starting up again! ) is scheduled for its first track closure between the 4th & 6th of April. As there are no works listed for Easter at the moment, this must be the final tie-in works?

Still haven't seen any signs of test trains yet. Unless they are replacing the work fence at Petrie each day.

[petey3801]

No test trains as yet that I know of. There is supposedly a week long closure around Easter for connection/commissioning works, unsure of the dates though.

[kram0]

My understanding is it will be operational on Monday the 11th of April. This may change depending on how testing goes.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2016/2/21/north-pine-river-upgrade-boosts-rail-network-capacity

Media statement
Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe

North Pine River upgrade boosts rail network capacity

A new 310-metre quad-track rail bridge has been completed across the North Pine River to deliver extra service capacity on our rail network.

Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe said the $168 million project doubled the number of tracks across the river from two to four and was built as part of the Queensland Government funded Lawnton to Petrie project.

"More than 650 train services will travel to and from Moreton Bay each week when the new rail line opens by mid-year," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"To cater for these services, the Palaszczuk Government has invested an extra $168 million to deliver 1.5 kilometres of additional track between Lawnton and Petrie where trains on this new line will join the existing rail network, supporting hundreds of construction jobs."

State Member for Pine Rivers Nikki Boyd said the new wider bridge, which was now being used by Caboolture & Sunshine Coast trains, delivered an additional third and fourth track across the North Pine River to cater for our region's expanding train network.

"This bridge, as well as ongoing works to deliver additional tracks between Lawnton and Petrie, will deliver improved reliability, flexibility and efficiency for passengers in our local area," Ms Boyd said.

"The new bridge took about 12 months to complete and was built parallel to the existing bridge."

Ms Boyd said the Palaszczuk Government was working with Moreton Bay Regional Council to preserve some of the old bridge structure now that works to demolish and remove the old North Pine River Bridge had started.

"The original North Pine River rail bridge was built in 1936 and while it served our community well, it has come to the end of its design life," Ms Boyd said.

"The original rail bridge has great significance to the community with early generations of the local Dohle family involved in its construction.

"A commemorative section of the original bridge will be donated to the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum for residents to appreciate."

The bridge demolition will be staged over 12 weeks and a crane was been floated along the North Pine River to assist with removing the old structure.

Time-lapse video (construction of the bridge): https://youtu.be/zsQq4ID_CzY

[kram0]

Hi, is there any reason the overhead gantry has only 3 signal boxes and not 4 considering there is 4 tracks across the bridge?

Thanks.

[SurfRail]

Is the westernmost track bi-directionally signalled?

[petey3801]

The Down Main (western most track) will not be bi-di once the whole project is complete.

[Jonius7]

Is anyone able to tell me why the MRBL ends at Kippa-Ring? Looking at a map it seems awfully far from the centre of Redcliffe and it looks like they could have gone one station further with a "Redcliffe" station. Perhaps the area is already too jam-packed developed, which in that case an underground rail station would probably be out of the question (I can just imagine the government saying it'll double costs or something).

[Gazza]

Is anyone able to tell me why the MRBL ends at Kippa-Ring? Looking at a map it seems awfully far from the centre of Redcliffe and it looks like they could have gone one station further with a "Redcliffe" station. Perhaps the area is already too jam-packed developed, which in that case an underground rail station would probably be out of the question (I can just imagine the government saying it'll double costs or something).

Got it in one.

Ideally it would go all the way to Redcliffe, but without a corridor it would have to be elevated or tunneled along that stretch.

That would basically double the cost of the overall project, but wouldn't double the patronage

[OzGamer]

Is anyone able to tell me why the MRBL ends at Kippa-Ring? Looking at a map it seems awfully far from the centre of Redcliffe and it looks like they could have gone one station further with a "Redcliffe" station. Perhaps the area is already too jam-packed developed, which in that case an underground rail station would probably be out of the question (I can just imagine the government saying it'll double costs or something).

Got it in one.

Ideally it would go all the way to Redcliffe, but without a corridor it would have to be elevated or tunneled along that stretch.

That would basically double the cost of the overall project, but wouldn't double the patronage

It always seemed to me that you could just have a single track elevated section running along Anzac Ave separating into two tracks on an elevated island station platform in the Redcliffe Hospital car park. It would look and operate quite a lot like the Airtrain - you could easily run four or five trains an hour in both directions as the single track section would only be about a kilometre. I'd be amazed if it was anything like doubling the cost of the project.

Anyway, there's literally no reason this couldn't still be built some time in the future.

[red dragin]

For the one stop or two it would cover, the proposed bus network for the region can do the job for quite a while.

Anzac Ave from Kippa Ring to the waterfront is mostly shop fronts, aside from the Hospital most people would taking a car or bus to the station if an extension was built.

[ozbob]

[red dragin]

^

I really like the designs, no real gold plating, similar to the busway stations in appearance and function. Open, airy, spacious.

The Ikea like flat pack nature of them is a good move, all basically the same with mostly common parts. The platforms being on a lattice structure rather than an earth mound might see them being a bit cooler too.

Looking forward to putting Murrumba Downs to use.

[SurfRail]

Personally I'm not that keen on the plastic yellow finish they have used at all stations (which puts me far too much in mind of Indooroopilly) but the basic design itself is good. 

They have finally realised they shouldn't be specifying stations that resemble the Brisbane Correctional Centre.

[verbatim9]

I wonder why they go for yellow? Safety? Design is better than Indooroopilly Station.

[achiruel]

Interesting to see TransLink rather than QR branding.

[Arnz]

Interesting to see TransLink rather than QR branding.

All new and redeveloped stations (as a result of track amplification works) since the partial Beenleigh triplication to Kuraby has had predominant TransLink branding. 

[ozbob]

Visited Petrie for a quick look yesterday afternoon.  Almost ready.

Kippa-Ring trains will use platform 5 (up) and platform 3 (down).  Roads 1, 2 and 4 for northern line.





























Photographs R Dow 1st March 2016

[red dragin]

The stabling track between the station and the Gympie Road overpasses was rebuilt in a similar fashion to the track machine yard photographed.

The crane to pull down the old North Pine bridge where it crosses the river has started to be assembled.

Any further goss on a start to services date?

[ozbob]

RM 901 is at Mayne. It is used as an ' inspection ' vehicle for officials etc. So maybe not so far away.. Guess it depends on how well final slew final signalling etc goes.

[red dragin]

A "slow 60" sign has appeared near the signal at the branch end of platform 3 at Petrie. One of QR's mobile CCTV trailers has also appeared close by. RM1901 was still parked behind the open Motorail carriages at Mayne this morning.

[kram0]

I have heard from someone very close to the project they are having electrical issues with the new technology they have implemented with the signalling system.

[OzGamer]

I have heard from someone very close to the project they are having electrical issues with the new technology they have implemented with the signalling system.

I would be amazed if there weren't such issues. Par for the course for a major project with new technology.

They'll work it out.

[kram0]

I have heard from someone very close to the project they are having electrical issues with the new technology they have implemented with the signalling system.

I would be amazed if there weren't such issues. Par for the course for a major project with new technology.

They'll work it out.

I have no doubt they will sort the issues. They had hoped to start operations on Australia Day with a big family day, but the delays stopped that. At this stage he has advised me of April or May as a date of operation.

[red dragin]

All the construction fencing between Platforms 3 & 4 was removed today,  including the section across the branch. 

[ozbob]

All the construction fencing between Platforms 3 & 4 was removed today,  including the section across the branch. 

[red dragin]

Two diesel locos coupled sitting on Platform 3 this morning. Test train?

[ozbob]

^

> https://www.facebook.com/NorthLakesTimes/photos/a.273133332705232.71297.199746943377205/1120725127946044/?type=3&theater

[BrizCommuter]

Two diesel locos coupled sitting on Platform 3 this morning. Test train?

Maybe to pull SX carriages due to QR's lack of electric trains? 

[ozbob]

RM 1901 might be heading to Kippa-Ring tomorrow (6th March), due at 10am.  Sources suggest.

[verbatim9]

Apparently the additional track opened today on the Caboolture line. As per the Couriermail