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

[techblitz]

ive done a quick check inbound petrie to central morning peak..

70% of the connection windows between lines are 6 minutes and its a 9 minute difference between lines to get to the city. It equates to a miniscule 3 minute timesaving if you switch at petrie from RPL. Not even worth it..

However there are 3 services which have the trains arriving at the same time which presents an opportunity for people to 'risk it' and give themselves a potential 9/10 minute timesaving if they can make the switch successfully...

An alternative solution is to perhaps alternate 2 or 3 Redcliffe morning starters and have them run express to northgate from petrie and offset it with 2 or 3 Caboolture/SC starters running all stations between petrie/northgate. This gives that little bit more of an option if people from both lines don't want to deal with connection gaps etc.

[DayboroStation]

As a regular commuter along this line, my suggestion would be to run selected ex-Kippa-Ring services express from Strathpine, with additional Petrie starters (all stations to Northgate) to make up the shortfall.

The bottom line is that time is money and saving an extra 5 minutes each way by running more express services would attract more passengers to the Redcliffe Peninsula line.

[Arnz]

There isn't really much slots available on the Northgate - CBD mains trackpair to allow any 'meaningful' increases to allow RPL expresses + the extra slots required for the all stops trains to make up for those expresses.

Also, all-stopping the SC trains are a huge no-no considering the poor frequency when compared with the cousins down south.  Selected Caboolture trains (e.g the Mon-Thursday ex 7:11am) maybe, but still complicates patterns.

[#Metro]

What will happen when Sunshine Coast line gets additional services when upgraded? Is there enough capacity?

[tazzer9]

I have always thought that a few lines in qld would highly benefit from v/line style flagship express services.   These operating just prior to peak and just after peak when there is some extra track capacity but also to try and attempt the get more people travelling outside of the core peak time. 
Kippa ring would certainly benefit from a few express services. 

[not_available]

ive done a quick check inbound petrie to central morning peak..

70% of the connection windows between lines are 6 minutes and its a 9 minute difference between lines to get to the city. It equates to a miniscule 3 minute timesaving if you switch at petrie from RPL. Not even worth it..

However there are 3 services which have the trains arriving at the same time which presents an opportunity for people to 'risk it' and give themselves a potential 9/10 minute timesaving if they can make the switch successfully...

An alternative solution is to perhaps alternate 2 or 3 Redcliffe morning starters and have them run express to northgate from petrie and offset it with 2 or 3 Caboolture/SC starters running all stations between petrie/northgate. This gives that little bit more of an option if people from both lines don't want to deal with connection gaps etc.

One of those 3 is the 7:40-ish from kippa ring, timetabled to leave petrie 7:56, just like the train from Nambour(there's a driver change for that one @ petrie as well) . Either both trains are on time, and people successfully switch, or the one from kippa ring leaves Kallangur on time but takes it's time and ends up arriving to Petrie as the Nambour/Ipswich train departs... and is all of a sudden 1 minute behind

[ozbob]

The second part of this interview I discuss some of the issues on the Redcliffe Peninsula Line (first NGR)

7 News

https://www.facebook.com/7NewsBrisbane/videos/vb.130736376939223/843261002547486/?type=2&theater

[JustSomeTrainGuy]

In my opinion, once QR is able to restore a full timetable (and is in a position to add additional services on top of that), services should be running;

(from Kippa Ring) express Petrie to Bowen Hills and then all stations to Springfield
(from Caboolture) express Petrie to Bowen Hills and then express Roma St/Milton to Darra and then all stations to Ipswich
(from Petrie) an additional Petrie to Darra service stopping all stations

I doubt the network has that sort of capacity though

[HappyTrainGuy]

What will happen when Sunshine Coast line gets additional services when upgraded? Is there enough capacity?

Already been answered. 9 car trains via CRR. QR want longer trains as upgrading a few stations is cheaper than inner city upgrades. Especially around Sandgate Road and Nundah to Toombul. This has already been factored into future upgrades and other stations ie strathpine, Petrie, Elimbah and Beerburrum. Dakabin-Morayfield are all easily upgradable. As too are many of the Gold Coast line stations.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> New trains to run on 139 services, but no express trains for Redcliffe

As Queensland Rail chief executive Nick Easy announced almost new trains would run on 140 services, he was unable to explain why only one-third of the expected passengers are using the Petrie to Kippa-Ring rail line.

It has emerged that the Redcliffe Peninsula (Petrie to Kippa-Ring) line carried fewer than one-third of the expected 21,000 daily customers.

"I think that is question that TransLink needs to answer," Mr Easy said when quizzed on the line's poor performance.

Mr Easy announced on Monday that two additional New Generation Rollingstock trains had been added to the CityTrain network.

That meant 27 of the 75 new trains were now in service.

The two new trains will run on the Redcliffe Peninsula and the Springfield lines and provide 139 additional services a week.

However, Mr Easy also said the new trains did not mean extra express services to the Redcliffe line, despite calls for these services by commuters on Monday.

"At this point in time our focus in that we consistently provide the current timetable," he said.

"So the resources that we have, supports that current timetable.

"We have recently seen in the June and July period and in the (August) holiday timetable for the Ekka, there was no downgrading in services."

Mr Easy said that was because Queensland Rail had extra train crew.

"At this point in time I am not in a position to comment on other increases to services," he said.

The Redcliffe Peninsula line will receive an extra 22 services, but not express services.

Mr Easy said there was a "one-seat journey", which took 55 minutes, from Kippa-Ring to Brisbane Central on the line.

Public transport advocacy group Rail Back on Track has cited a lack of express services and poor bus connections with Hornibrook Bus Lines as major problems.

Hornibrook referred all enquiries about its bus services to TransLink.

Mr Easy would not comment on the connection between bus lines and rail lines, although he has on other occasions.

"Queensland Rail is not responsible for the bus services or the connections," he said.

"But what we will continue to do is work with TransLink and all the authorities in relation to the delivery of the timetable."

The Queensland government will pay $4.4 billion over 32 years to add 75 of the latest trains and carriages to the CityTrain network.

The roll-out of the trains, which are assembled at purpose-built rail yards at Wulkuraka near Ipswich, have been marred by design flaws, driver shortages and union problems.

Mr Easy said "testing" of the trains would influence how quickly the remaining 48 trains would be added to the CityTrain network, but declined to give any indication to reporters.

"The timing for the deployment of the future lines is something that we will communicate to our customers in due course," he said.

Mr Easy said the incident where one of the NGR trains came into contact with overhead power lines on July 7 was still being investigated by Queensland Rail.

"We do know there was an issue with the pantograph," he said.

The pantograph is the structure on top of a train which connects to the electrical power supply.

"That led to the delinement (sic), but what we will do is conclude that investigation," he said.

"That particular train was withdrawn from service and that matter has been rectified and the train has been returned to the network."

Mr Easy also declined to answer a question about a possible merger of QR and TransLink into a single public transport authority.

"That is question you will have to address to the state (government)," he said.

In March, independent experts recommended a merger of Queensland Rail and TransLink after identifying "a serious culture of mistrust" between the two bodies.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated the NGR trains would add 139 services to the timetable. The NGR trains will instead replace older trains on existing services.

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Construction begins at USC Moreton Bay campus at Petrie


USC Moreton Bay site at the start of piling construction work. Picture: USC


An aerial view of what the university campus will look like at Petrie.

PILING works at USC Moreton Bay began last Thursday today, marking the start of stage one of construction of the campus' first building.

Hansen Yuncken has been contracted to build the three-storey building that has more than 16,000m sq of floor space.

The building will include a large lecture theatre, multipurpose rooms, and an open auditorium suitable for community events.

It has been designed to cater for rapid growth of the student population over the campus's first three years, with the university expected to open in time for Semester 1, 2020.

The first intake of students could be up to 1200 and will have a choice of almost 50 study programs including business, education and computer science.

Moreton Bay Region Mayor Allan Sutherland said the start of work on the campus was history in the making.

"In less than two years this building will be complete and its doors will be open to the first intake of USC students right here in Petrie, which is just incredible," he said.

"Given there hasn't been a new greenfield university campus opened in Australia in about 15 years, the eyes of the education world will certainly be looking at us and I expect significant investment to follow."

USC vice-chancellor Professor Greg Hill said it was thrilling to see USC Moreton Bay begin to take shape.

"Moreton Bay is one of Queensland's fastest growing regions, but has been the only region of its size in Australia without its own full-service university campus," he said.

"USC Moreton Bay represents an exciting opportunity to harness the region's potential, and significantly boost educational opportunities for local residents."

He said USC Moreton Bay's initial undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs would have an employment focus to ensure benefits flow quickly to the wider community.

Builder Hansen Yuncken has have worked for more than 10 universities and many schools across Australia.

Its recent projects included QUT's Education Precinct Building at Kelvin Grove, The Cairns Institute at James Cook University, the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre, and the award-winning Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, constructed for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"We are excited to commence piling works and look forward to working with USC and the project's stakeholders to deliver an exceptional facility," Queensland state manager Greg Baumann said.

USC won the tender in 2015 to provide a university campus as the centrepiece of Moreton Bay Regional Council's The Mill at Moreton Bay development.

USC last year secured a $121 million loan from the Federal Government for stage one of the campus, which is tipped to reach a student population of 10,000 by 2030.

[ozbob]

Moreton Bay Rail Link - Independent Investigation into the Signalling System

https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/TabledPapers/2017/5517T812.pdf

[ozbob]

There is a misconception around that the MBRL was designed for 9 car trains.

This is not correct, the stations and stabling are all built for 6 car trains and designed for possible extension to 7 car trains. There was a study done some time ago that determined it was possible to extend platforms at Central to 7 car.

MBRL was originally when designed and built under CSEQ2031, and was for the Kippa-Ring line to run through the CBD on the mains. Under this scenario 9 car trains not possible.

The routing of MBRL has now changed under SEQ Rail Connect but the limitations on the branch still remain.

[aldonius]

It might not be designed for it per se, but it's definitely possible: every MBRL station other than Kippa-Ring and Petrie has side platforms on straight-enough track. (Kippa-Ring and stabling will be some trouble to rebuild, but Petrie would need rebuilding under any introduction of Northside 9 car services.)

Of course, if you want to run 9 car trains from Kippa-Ring you probably convert them to express from Petrie and retain 6-car all-stoppers.

[ozbob]

East Ipswich could be built for 15 car trains as well.

9 car trains is not happening anytime soon. Queensland Government is very unlikely to upgrade the CRR stations to 9 car before 2032 which is a pre-requisite. (yes the caverns are large enough).