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

[HappyTrainGuy]

I really do not see "the buses are worse" as a reasonable excuse

It does when you start adding up how many stations it applies to which is why I was p%ssed  when the translink review for Brisbane's northside was scrapped as so many stations had finally had proper feeder routes to interchanges. If you lived in Narangba or Burpengary. What do you think the last train leaving Central would be for you to be able to catch the last bus home? 5.46? 6.01? 6.19? 6.37? 7.07?

[verbatim9]

Hey folks.  15 minutes is not going to happen dream on.

We would be much happier with three trains an hour rather than two an hour from here to infinity, particularly on the Ippy.  It is going to be tight with 15 minutes out of peak on the Ippy simply due to the number of trains (the Ipswich line carries the most tonnage of all the suburban lines).  The train movements will increase with Wulkuraka a little as well.  So rather than be stuck with poor frequency QR should look objectively at what can realistically be achieved.

Other jurisdictions do this as a staging point in frequency improvements ie. 3 trains per hour.   But hey this is Queensland, mediocrity rules.

There are no plans by the looks of things for anything better than 30 minutes on Kippa-Ring - Springfield Central out of peak so the 15 minute argument is null and void.  20  minutes just might be achievable.  People who actually use the services would much rather an improvement albeit a small one than nothing.

Agree there 9am-9pm is a good aim for min 20min frequency 7 days

[verbatim9]

I really do not see "the buses are worse" as a reasonable excuse

It does when you start adding up how many stations it applies to which is why I was p%ssed  when the translink review for Brisbane's northside was scrapped as so many stations had finally had proper feeder routes to interchanges. If you lived in Narangba or Burpengary. What do you think the last train leaving Central would be for you to be able to catch the last bus home? 5.46? 6.01? 6.19? 6.37? 7.07?

I noticed no connection to Bribie Island in the late eve. Last bus off the island to Caboolture is 7pm. You would think with the new Pub @ Sandy Point and tourism on weekends you could have a few late night services to and from the area.
Hopefully all the bus services in the area will be reworked to meet first and last trains at Caboolture and Kippa-ring with the onset of trains next year.

[petey3801]

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that we won't even have 15min freq Northgate to Petrie when Kippa Ring opens. My sneaking suspicion is the Caboolture trains will run express all day (at least Northgate to Petrie), with every second one continuing to Nambour. On weekdays at least...

[Arnz]

^

I'm preparing myself for the worst case scenario unfortunately.  Although there is only 1 positive out of this.

30 mins to Kippa Ring and 30 mins to Caboolture overlaid to provide 7 day, 15 min off-peak around the clock services between Virginia and Petrie & vice-versa. 

No changes to Nambour (Sunshine Coast services) till the end of 2016 at the earliest/mid 2017 at the latest when there are more NGR rollingstock delivered, assuming Jackie is held to account on the "hourly Sunshine Coast services at the end of 2016" statement when the Woombye NGR stabling facility opens. 

Even then, the details of Jackie's "Hourly Sunshine Coast services when the Woombye NGR facility opens" statement is still vague,
- is it hourly to Landsborough (with trains to Nambour every 2 hours with buses in the gaps)?
- Hourly service to Nambour? (which is squeezing it on capacity with the freights, and a new depot at Woombye does not automatically create new paths on the NCL)
amongst other details.

Saying that, I would think the Caboolture/Nambour off-peak services may be merged by 2017 at the latest (2tph all day express to Ipswich and Caboolture with every 2nd CAB train extended to Landsborough, with Nambour services every 2 hours with a bus meeting inbetween at Landsborough) , Potentially, the 15 minute all-stations Kippa-Ring to Springfield services to fill in the gap for the missed stations on the Ipswich-Nambour corridor.

[James]

That's basically Metrobus in Sydney in a nutshell.  Small wonder the gains have been nowhere near as good as we had with BUZ and the Gold Coast upgrades.

I still say some of the Gold Coast HF upgrades could do with some improvement - for some of the routes, the frequency falls off a cliff to hourly after 7pm at night. Still does much better than QR's HF thanks to the weekend services though.

Unfortunately, I have a feeling that we won't even have 15min freq Northgate to Petrie when Kippa Ring opens. My sneaking suspicion is the Caboolture trains will run express all day (at least Northgate to Petrie), with every second one continuing to Nambour. On weekdays at least...

Re: 20 minute frequency.

20 minute frequency is just continuing in the tradition of half-baked projects. 20 minute frequency does not connect with buses (e.g. a half-hourly service would miss every 2nd train), it does not fit with the rest of the network and it goes against QR's mentality of having an underlying clockface timetable all day.

The people in QR, TransLink and government simply need to balls up and make services run every 15 minutes. Even if you ran the 681 at 5 minute frequency, it is totally useless if you don't have the trains running frequently, because the network does not allow frequent connections to Petrie, the CBD and onwards destinations. Unless you expand the frequent rail network, any high frequency in the outer suburbs will be tokenistic and wasted money. Guess how many outside of BCC's area (but within greater Brisbane) have access to 15 minute frequency 6am - 9pm 7 days a week? Very few, that's for sure.

[ozbob]

What makes you think anything really connects now?

My favourite failure is the Airtrain arrives at Eagle Junction as the Ippy flyer departs.  Fuking brilliant.  If the next one was along in 20 minutes, 10 minute less wait time hey? LOL

There are only ' mind ' issues with respect to 20 minute frequency.  Easy to adjust buses etc.

It is worth a go.  Much more likely to be done than 15 minute fantasy.  That is not going to happen sadly.

Other places can manage.  Guess all too hard for Queensland - backward banana state.

[SurfRail]

I still say some of the Gold Coast HF upgrades could do with some improvement - for some of the routes, the frequency falls off a cliff to hourly after 7pm at night. Still does much better than QR's HF thanks to the weekend services though.

Absolutely.  Next step should be 6am-9pm and half-hourly until midnight.  The 750 would be picture perfect if it just had around another 4 services to take the HF period out to 9pm (although I don't expect every bus route to be running until 2am).

I have my own thoughts on which should be the next routes upgraded to half-hourly service all day 7 days a week, and which of those should then be upgraded to HF standard. 

My focus for the time being is to try and get some of the truly absurd rubbish fixed, like no buses to Clearwater after 3pm and routes with 4 services per day on weekends around Coomera.  Transport Minister appears to be resolutely disinterested in this, maybe because it isn't sexy enough or maybe because her CoS intercepted my correspondence without it getting to her (which I expect to be the case).

Fortunately we can live with 30 minute rail frequencies out of peak down here but ultimately I think that needs to change - it would be well after the Brisbane suburban system is tidied away though.

[SurfRail]

20 minutes really is a double-edged sword.

It would deliver an improvement, but at the same time it completely takes the pressure off them to do anything further and we end up with something substandard for the next 20 years or more until somebody wakes up.

I don't think we should stop agitating for 15 minute headways.  If the focus needs to shift onto "why the hell haven't you developed the capacity to do this you nongs despite knowing about it for years" rather than "please please please", so be it.

[#Metro]

There is nothing to stop anyone to suggest 20 min timetable to be considered. Looking at something =/= adoption.

[ozbob]

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

The 515 bus in Ipswich is working very well.  The other thing I noted today, did not see one paper ticket purchased on board, couple of top-ups by they are relatively fast in any case.  Finally people are waking up to the high cost paper.

[James]

What makes you think anything really connects now?

My favourite failure is the Airtrain arrives at Eagle Junction as the Ippy flyer departs.  Fuking brilliant.  If the next one was along in 20 minutes, 10 minute less wait time hey? LOL

That's a simple timetabling issue which could be fixed by slightly shifting departure times. All you'd need to do is shift the entire timetable on the suburbans 2 minutes later and you'd solve both the Airtrain -> Ippy misconnect and the Ippy -> Gold Coast line misconnect. Both are a total shambles, but it is not the end of the world.

Minor timetabling issues are not the reason to be calling for frequency upgrades, otherwise we'd be upgrading the 411 to run every 20 minutes because it departs Toowong (Benson St) 2 minutes before the Ipswich train arrives at Toowong.

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

Bob, outer Ippy/Cab punters are being no more shafted than those on the outer Beenleigh/Shorncliffe line have been. Really, punters out at Beenleigh have been shafted the most, they've lost all their express services in the peaks and get a miserable 2tph, even after Salisbury - Kuraby was triplicated!

[ozbob]

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

[techblitz]

Hey folks.  15 minutes is not going to happen dream on.

spot on ozbob.....up until indro/toowong.....im still seeing very empty counter/intra peak springfield central trains on half hourly...15 minutes would be an absolute cost disaster....Good to see you are open to 20 minutes...its a tradeoff.....i would happliy lose some frequency to see fuller trains and better service extended out past petrie,cannon hill,coopers plains etc...under the current climate of minimal to no high frequency BT feeder routes and overstaffed trains(guards)...this is not about waving a 15 minute flag in front of everyones face in the hope they come(not enough people will come)...its about reigning in QR costs while giving people on the outers better than half hourly.......incremental on QR services is a must until their running costs come down....

I still say some of the Gold Coast HF upgrades could do with some improvement - for some of the routes, the frequency falls off a cliff to hourly after 7pm at night

i can partly see why translink cuts them back...as an example the loadings on the 750 and 745 post 7pm outbound are absolutely abyssmal.....infact apart from school hols/fri sat nights etc....i will go as far as to say that all the routes that leave broadbeach station(exc. 700)..... post 7pm are abyssmal.....for what the current patronage is...9pm high frequency max for the 750....which is essentially what a lot of brisbane buzes need as well...

[Gazza]

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

But the inner suburban stations have higher density.

[SurfRail]

The only thing which should be stopping 15 minute frequency anywhere is physical constraints - track capacity/train paths, rollingstock, stabling. 

Soft impediments like cost and crewing can be fixed very bloody easily but won't be unless pressure is applied.  If we give up, who the hell else is going to do anything about it?

[techblitz]

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

But the inner suburban stations have higher density.

yes but each stations catchment area is different...eg: goodna or woodridge has equal if not more walkup/driveup patronage than say cannon hill or northgate....this is where there is 2 sides to the story and where ozbob points out that outer stations are getting shafted by being restricted to 30 mins whilst inner city stations such as morningside,salisbury which already have competing citybound bus services (110/227/125)..... are living it up large on 15 minutes....until BT get onboard with bus reform....then its up to QR to try and "share the spoils" to the outer stations...20min frequency is a good starting point....if it is operationally feasible then it should be looked at......

[hU0N]

^ yope.  Sick of waiting for impossible dreams.  Be pragmatic, advance incrementally.   Why should outer Beenleigh, Shorncliffe, Ippy and Cab punters be shafted relentlessly.  Inner suburbs over serviced in fact, brainless timetables.

But the inner suburban stations have higher density.

yes but each stations catchment area is different...eg: goodna or woodridge has equal if not more walkup/driveup patronage than say cannon hill or northgate....this is where there is 2 sides to the story and where ozbob points out that outer stations are getting shafted by being restricted to 30 mins whilst inner city stations such as morningside,salisbury which already have competing citybound bus services (110/227/125)..... are living it up large on 15 minutes....until BT get onboard with bus reform....then its up to QR to try and "share the spoils" to the outer stations...20min frequency is a good starting point....if it is operationally feasible then it should be looked at......

I think it's about more than just density.  Not only does density rise the closer a station is to the city, but so does the utility of the station.  This is, of course, an artefact of the radial nature of the city train network.  The train is designed to be a convenient way of getting to the city and adjacent suburbs.  And the closer a station is located to the city, the more likely that people living in the catchment will consider themselves as "CBD locals".  A person living in Milton is much, much more likely to consider the CBD shops to be their local shops, and near city schools to be their local school, and southbank cinemas to be their local cinemas, and Fortitude Valley bars and restaurants to be their local bars and restaurants than a person living in Woodridge.

Outer suburban stations are likely to be a good way for outer suburban residents to make SOME of their journeys, like getting to work, or perhaps to uni,  and maybe to the odd specialist appointment in town.  Conversely, inner suburban stations are more likely to be useful for ALMOST ALL journeys.  In short, in the inner suburbs, quality of service is the dominant impediment to people using transit.  Improved service therefore has large and immediate impacts (the kind that planners like).  In the outer suburbs, quality of service is often just part of the reason why people choose their car.  Added to that, service improvements close to the city cost less to implement due to the shorter workings.

The decision for transit planners seems to be:

"Implement the cheaper inner suburban service improvements that will have an immediate impact on patronage" VS "Implement the more expensive outer suburban service improvements that may have not have any effect on patronage until a whole raft of other factors are addressed"

You can see why the money goes to where it does.

[ozbob]

It is time the paradigm was changed.  Enough of mediocrity.

[ozbob]

Everyone who uses the train does not  go to Brisbane CBD.
For example on the Ippy.  Very significant counter-peak and constant local travel between stations out from Darra <-> Ipswich.  An increase in frequency from say 2 to 3 trains an hour will have a profound effect on driving patronage, as it will suddenly become a lot more convenient.

Transport planners in Queensland need to get out of the failed transport planning straight-jacket. Take a few risks, be brave. TransLink got burnt in 2013 but they should not give up.  They should try and try again until successful.

Fare reform is coming, but it needs to be matched by some bold moves with the network.  Bus reform is a no-brainer, but we don't have the political leaders with the courage to deliver it by the looks of things.  We are not giving up, we will do what it takes.

Mediocre frequency on the MBRL just further entrenches the failed system and failure in everyone's head!

[#Metro]

What will the train frequency during the peak hour be? Off peak?
For $1BN infrastructure, you think you'd get better service than the bus it replaced eh??

[BrizCommuter]

BrizCommuter disagrees with 20 minutes. 15 minutes is considerably more attractive than 30 minutes. 15 minutes off-peak can theoretically be operated across the entire CityTrain network (though Beenleigh/Gold Coast is a bit of an issue), apart from the Doomben Line, and North of Caboolture. There is also enough trains for this service, just currently not enough staff.

[James]

Everyone who uses the train does not  go to Brisbane CBD.
For example on the Ippy.  Very significant counter-peak and constant local travel between stations out from Darra <-> Ipswich.  An increase in frequency from say 2 to 3 trains an hour will have a profound effect on driving patronage, as it will suddenly become a lot more convenient.

But how many of these people are inelastic users of PT (i.e. people for whom using a car would be difficult/not possible)? The fact is the density doesn't exist in a lot of these outer suburbs, and the 'pull' of the CBD/UQ trip attractors (the ones which generate most of the PT due to parking constraints) is much smaller thanks to the long travel times involved. The increase in frequency would have a more profound impact at Altandi than it would at Ebbw Vale.

Also: It is likely that running trains express 2tph CAB - IPS with 4tph SFC - KR would save be better operationally than having 3tph CAB - IPS. 3tph CAB - IPS would also ruin the clockface. In order to keep it, you'd need to run 3tph SFC - KR which would actually use up more resources than the 4tph all-stops/2tph express option. Finally, if the express saves 5 minutes per trip, you'd actually save more time (on average) having a 2tph express vs. 3tph all-stops.

spot on ozbob.....up until indro/toowong.....im still seeing very empty counter/intra peak springfield central trains on half hourly...15 minutes would be an absolute cost disaster....Good to see you are open to 20 minutes...its a tradeoff.....i would happily lose some frequency to see fuller trains and better service extended out past petrie,cannon hill,coopers plains etc...under the current climate of minimal to no high frequency BT feeder routes and overstaffed trains(guards)...this is not about waving a 15 minute flag in front of everyones face in the hope they come(not enough people will come)...its about reigning in QR costs while giving people on the outers better than half hourly.......incremental on QR services is a must until their running costs come down....

Well it is time to tell BT to stop being a bunch of cry babies and start feeding trains. There's a reason the Springfield trains are so empty - it is because throughout the Centenary suburbs, the amount of support public transport gets from feeder buses is stuff all.

Chelmer to Sherwood is pretty well covered by rail really, not much you can do feeder-wise there. Corinda (and the rest of the IPS/SPC lines) could get a nice boost if the 104 actually ran more frequently and on weekends. Oxley and Darra are the shockers. You have a region with around 25,000 people living in it (Inala/Forest Lake and Centenary suburbs) and the only feeder buses going to the station are hourly and stop running at 6pm. 101, 102 and 103, looking at you. Peak-only route 467 which runs every half-hour. Route 468 which goes via everywhere and services horrible anti-PT developments. Route 452 which directly competes with the far more frequent 454 et al. and runs the wrong way to service Sumners Rd. 451 is only slightly better, but again is peak-only. Richlands has the 460 which goes right past the station and continues all the way to the CBD, while you have Route 100 (the only high-frequency bus west of Oxley Creek) which totally avoids the station. To top it off, Springfield is served by the woeful
Institutional change is required, and we should not be settling for less.

If the running costs are too high, it is time to give some fat cats and public servants pay cuts. Seriously, aren't we paying train guards something like $90,000 p.a. or something ridiculous like that? That is more than your average university graduate salary. There are lawyers law school graduates out there who are working for much less than that!

The issues are institutional. "Tinkering around the edges" will do nothing to truly forward PT in this state. If the incumbents know what is best for the state (like they did when they were lauding around during the state election), they will undertake the necessary reform to get wages under control and get running a proper feeder network. It requires cooperation on both sides of the fence, and political balls to pull through regardless of how many parochial Brisbane whingers start running little 'friends of the buses' groups.

Quite frankly, as long as QR keeps running a half-baked rail network, I really can't blame BT for running services in competition with trains.

(Edited: Lawyers probably get paid a lot more than 90k, it is the law students who have a degree to job rate of 65% or something crazy like that who are probably earning sfa.)

[#Metro]

If the running costs are too high, it is time to give some fat cats and public servants pay cuts. Seriously, aren't we paying train guards something like $90,000 p.a. or something ridiculous like that? That is more than your average university graduate salary. There are lawyers out there who are working for much less than that!

2x staff means 2x production costs for 1x service. However not so easy to transition in QLD at the moment, apparently due to lack of ATP on the network. There are precedents for trains on curved platforms operating DOO. There may be DDA issues as well with platform heights / gaps.

[Gazza]

I agree with huon and James about density and inner versus outer stations.
Point is, people naturally make short journeys more often, but might only make longer journeys once a day, and may be less spontaneous with the longer trips.

And there's no denying that there are more trip generators around the inner stations.

[ozbob]

LOL

You are stuck with mediocrity SEQ.  Good luck ...

Of course there are more trip generators in inner suburbs, does not mean the rest of the network has to suffer mediocre frequency, failed connections and no hope for improvements. 

15 minutes is not going to happen.  Short journeys are not only made in inner suburbs of Brisbane folks, this might come as a surprise to some.

[ozbob]

BrizCommuter disagrees with 20 minutes. 15 minutes is considerably more attractive than 30 minutes. 15 minutes off-peak can theoretically be operated across the entire CityTrain network (though Beenleigh/Gold Coast is a bit of an issue), apart from the Doomben Line, and North of Caboolture. There is also enough trains for this service, just currently not enough staff.

Will not happen.  It is time for a compromise.  Other jurisdictions can do 20 minutes, they understand the holy grail is not always achievable.

For many SEQ residents 20 minute trains would be a huge improvement over 30 minute.  With overlaps it will also give very high inner frequencies.

Time to re-think entrenched positions.  The alternative is to watch the public transport network continue to stagnate with the risk of service cuts.

What is wrong with Pakenham and Cranbourne running at 20 minute frequency?  I don't hear locals complaining.  Dandenong is equivalent to Petri in some repects, 10 minute trains is fantastic in from Dandy. 

At Caulfield, where the Frankston line joins the corridor (itself 10 minutes, was 20 minute once) means lots of options in from Caulfield, in terms of patterns and sheer frequency.   

Some times small steps are necessary to get the journey started.  The endpoint will be the same.

[ozbob]

.. The increase in frequency would have a more profound impact at Altandi than it would at Ebbw Vale ..

So?  What about Booval or Dinmore.   East Ipswich?   Ipswich? It is not about isolated examples, need to look at overall line effects.

Beenleigh line needs frequency boosts as do all lines.

Back to MBRL, it will be a huge disappointment, billions of $$$ for 30 minutes trains with hourly feeder buses that probably cease at 4pm (tic).  WTFG Queensland!!

Fukwits ..

It p%sses me off to see the stunned pax sitting at Goodna waiting for the next service, only to see it cancelled and then wait for another 30 minutes for a train (whilst empty sets transit through) or unable to get on a bus at Goodna rail (if the bus turns up).  The next one is often an hour away.

I have had enough. If it takes 20 minute trains to drive improvements so be it.  Waiting for 50 years for 15 minutes trains is no longer an option for me, sorry. 

The network is in crisis.

[ozbob]

Express patterns do nothing for the stations further out, and still entrenchs poor frequency on the outer network. This in turn means mediocre feeder arrangements, with the usual problems, so folks just give up.  Be fascinating to see the reaction once MBRL timetable hits the streets ..

New railway line, still ratsh%t frequency on stations skipped north of Northgate ..

[#Metro]

ANY increase is better than nothing! Grab whatever improvements one can get their hands on.

There is no harm in suggesting to QR. If it is possible, it is possible. If it is not possible, it is not possible.

There is no reason to split hairs over this.

[ozbob]

Exactly, highlighting other options may actually help achieve the holy grail in the end.

Bashing heads against the wall begins to hurt after a while, and you tend to stop.

Look for ways and means team ..  think smarter!

[ozbob]

The greater relative potential patronage gains are outside the inner Brisbane CBD.  To achieve that, there must be a network that enables the transformation.

[ozbob]

What will the train frequency during the peak hour be? Off peak?
For $1BN infrastructure, you think you'd get better service than the bus it replaced eh??

The sunshine state is great mate! 

[ozbob]

Twitter

Adrian Cutts ‏@LYBASkw 4h

Interesting: Petrie 4/5 already has their TL stop numbers allocated.

http://jp.translink.com.au/travel-information/network-information/stops-and-stations/stop/600627/timetable/2015-10-01 ... cc.@Robert_Dow

[BrizCommuter]

BrizCommuter disagrees with 20 minutes. 15 minutes is considerably more attractive than 30 minutes. 15 minutes off-peak can theoretically be operated across the entire CityTrain network (though Beenleigh/Gold Coast is a bit of an issue), apart from the Doomben Line, and North of Caboolture. There is also enough trains for this service, just currently not enough staff.

Will not happen.  It is time for a compromise.  Other jurisdictions can do 20 minutes, they understand the holy grail is not always achievable.

For many SEQ residents 20 minute trains would be a huge improvement over 30 minute.  With overlaps it will also give very high inner frequencies.

Time to re-think entrenched positions.  The alternative is to watch the public transport network continue to stagnate with the risk of service cuts.

What is wrong with Pakenham and Cranbourne running at 20 minute frequency?  I don't hear locals complaining.  Dandenong is equivalent to Petri in some repects, 10 minute trains is fantastic in from Dandy. 

At Caulfield, where the Frankston line joins the corridor (itself 10 minutes, was 20 minute once) means lots of options in from Caulfield, in terms of patterns and sheer frequency.   

Some times small steps are necessary to get the journey started.  The endpoint will be the same.

Another issue is that it is difficult to operate services with 15 and 20 minute frequencies on the same tracks. Thus maybe you could run services with 20 min frequencies on the mains (Ipswich/Springfield/Caboolture/Kippa-Ring) but not on the suburbans where there are already services with 15 minute frequency. Also, 20 minutes off-peak frequency does not divide into 3 mins peak frequency, and thus times would be different in peak to off-peak (not clock-face).

[ozbob]

Twitter

Transport Main Roads ‏@TMRQld 15m

These aerial pics were taken in September. Picture below is Mango Hill East station and Mango Hill station.

[red dragin]

Murrumba Downs station has all its car parks and lights.

Time for another tour perhaps? 

[DayboroStation]

Can anyone shed some light as to why there is some distance between the "old" platforms 2/3 and "new" platforms 4/5 at Petrie Station? Are there plans to realign the old platforms?

[red dragin]

Probably to make the curve into Platform 4 a wide radius (for freight?), and the run up the hill straighter from Platform 3 to build momentum.

That's what I am assuming anyway.

[hU0N]

Perhaps it cheapens the overbridge?  Compare to Albion, the overbridge has five massive piers under it just as it launches off the embankment because of the shallow angle between the bridge and the tracks it crosses.  A wider turn on platform 4/5 means the Caboolture tracks can turn towards the crossing before going up and over on a relatively short bridge.