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

[ozbob]

Moreton Bay Rail Koala Action Plan

> http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Projects/Featured-projects/Moreton-Bay-Rail/Publications/Moreton-Bay-Rail-Koala-Action-Plan

MBRL has done a good job, an issue recognised and managed.  The massive road and property developments have no impact?

So let's target MBRL.   Wankers ...

[BrizCommuter]

...absolutely, the urban sprawl of North Lakes has probably killed off 99% of the Koalas in that area.
Unfortunately this this QLD where property developers vs wildlife or heritage is always won the by the property developer.

[SurfRail]

If anything the construction of the project and the koala monitoring program have probably given them good data and therefore ammunition to stop the decline.

[dancingmongoose]

The article seems to give them impression that they expect there would be 0 koala deaths if not for MBRL. Anyone with half a brain would know that a good number of those would have died anyway. And as Bob has mentioned there are other outside influences that may have impacted them. Making mountains out of molehills here

[achiruel]

That's a rather misleading click bait headline when there's little evidence that the majority of the koala deaths were related to the construction.

[ozbob]

That's a rather misleading click bait headline when there's little evidence that the majority of the koala deaths were related to the construction.

Yep. Not one of their best efforts by a long shot.  I note the article has been ' down positioned ' on their web page.

MBRL did an outstanding job with koala management.  Something not done for property or roads.  As SurfRail pointed out, they have actually done the koala preservation movement a huge favour and benefit.

[kram0]

That's a rather misleading click bait headline when there's little evidence that the majority of the koala deaths were related to the construction.

Yep. Not one of their best efforts by a long shot.  I note the article has been ' down positioned ' on their web page.

MBRL did an outstanding job with koala management.  Something not done for property or roads.  As SurfRail pointed out, they have actually done the koala preservation movement a huge favour and benefit.

Agree. But the media love to dramatise the real story as that sells papers and gets people talking!!

[Derwan]

Without a baseline (i.e. how many deaths in the previous equivalent period), it's impossible to tell whether deaths have increased, decreased or remained about the same.

If anything it suggests that we have a wild dog program.  Without MBRL, we wouldn't have seen this highlighted in such great detail.  If this is addressed, MBRL could be seen as a saviour for koalas rather than a detriment.

[ozbob]

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

Timing of the release of independent review of the Moreton Bay Rail Link signalling system

Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe today confirmed he has received advice the Independent Review of the Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) Project will be finalised in the coming weeks.

The Department of Premier and Cabinet who are leading the independent audit yesterday wrote to Minister Hinchliffe to advise they have requested the reviewer undertake further work to finalise the report.

"While I asked for the audit to be finalised before the end of July, I support the decision by the department of Premier and Cabinet to request further work," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"The audit was announced to determine what went wrong and how the signalling system was selected.

"This audit has been run separately to the work being undertaken by Queensland Rail into the requirements of the signalling systems in order for Moreton Bay Rail Link to open."

The full scope of the audit is outlined below:

Governance and Contractual processes for MBRL, including:

    Any signalling system related issues, risks and/or opportunities arising from the decision in 2012 to bring the project under the auspices of the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR);
    A review of the signalling system elements of the tendering and contract process;
    Whether the role assigned to Queensland Rail through contractual and/or governance documents and processes provided for appropriate involvement of the rail operator in the assurance processes relating to signalling; and
    Contract milestone payments relating to signalling, and gainshare payments, and the grounds upon which any payments have been made.

Performance and integration of signalling systems during design and construction, including:

    The nature of assurance activities by the project team, Queensland Rail, or other parties to monitor, test, and review signalling systems and signalling system interface/integration;
    The nature of interface/integration issues experienced between multiple signalling systems on the one network; and
    The adequacy of assurance activities, and lessons for future rail contract selection and oversight;
    The processes by which concerns raised by Queensland Rail or other parties regarding the signalling systems or signalling system integration were managed; and
    The assurance program being implemented by Queensland Rail in order to have the project commissioned

Mr Hinchliffe said he expects the report will be finalised in the coming weeks.

Advice from Queensland Rail into the requirements of the signalling system in order for MBRL to open is expected to be finalised by mid-August. 

[Golliwog]

Any word yet on how the signalling fix is going?

[ozbob]

Any word yet on how the signalling fix is going?

[ozbob]

Catching the train from Kippa-Ring to the Ekka today? Oh .. wait ..
That's right another project booby trapped by @LNPQLD & segways#qldpol

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) August 4, 2016

[ozbob]

There was a brief news item on MBRL on 7 News this evening.  Hopefully might be on line later.

Minister Hinchliffe indicated that a date for opening might be announced in a week or so.

Found it!

New report shows Queensland Rail advice ignored before project delay

Internal bickering has plagued one of Queensland's most anticipated rail projects. 7News can reveal official documents for the troubled Moreton Bay Rail link showed the State Government initially ignored advice from Queensland Rail. Sarah Best reports.

>> https://au.news.yahoo.com/video/watch/32269830/new-report-shows-queensland-rail-advice-ignored-before-moreton-bay-rail-link-project-delay/#page1

[ozbob]

^

State Government initially ignored @QueenslandRail's concerns about the Moreton Bay Rail Link. @sarahbestqld #7News https://t.co/XeAOhbdubh

— 7 News Queensland (@7NewsQueensland) August 8, 2016

[ozbob]

Catching the train on MBRL to the Ekka today?
NOPE!
Another @LNPQLD rail fail! Queenslander! O_O#qldpol pic.twitter.com/27IiB6LX4y

— Robert Dow (@Robert_Dow) August 9, 2016

[ozbob]

Standby ...

Announcement pending by Minister Hinchliffe re MBRL (report 4KQ News) ..

[verbatim9]

[red dragin]

Standby ...

Announcement pending by Minister Hinchliffe re MBRL (report 4KQ News) ..

Is it good or bad that it is being delivered on a public holiday?

[ozbob]

They are posting a lot of happy snaps of steam engines ...   

Do you think the Minister would deliver bad news at the Ekka ?   

[red dragin]

They are posting a lot of happy snaps of steam engines ...   

Do you think the Minister would deliver bad news at the Ekka ?   

"QR will employ more new staff to support the signalling solution for the MBRL"

ie staff and ticket cause the existing system is beyond fooked.

[ozbob]

We should know shortly, one way or the other! 

[ozbob]

Moreton Bay Rail Link all clear to open after work on the signalling, but still no date set. @abcnews #qldpol pic.twitter.com/2DwmAOOiZV

— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 10, 2016

[ozbob]

"It's now safe to commence final step linking signalling system with rail network" M.Bay Rail Link @tennewsqld pic.twitter.com/m25UwN829D

— Jonathan Lea (@JonathanLea10) August 10, 2016

[ozbob]

Well good news.  At least the new signalling system does not need to be replaced.

Onwards!

[ozbob]

6 day closure Zillmere to Caboolture will be a big drama but necessary says @StirlHinchliffe @abcnews #qldpol pic.twitter.com/NbBgGa1PfT

— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 10, 2016

Moved on from the Ekka ... 

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2016/8/10/critical-track-closure-date-set-for-moreton-bay-rail-link-connection

Media Statements
Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Critical track closure date set for Moreton Bay Rail Link connection

Following approval from Queensland Rail and the Department of Transport and Main Roads, the next critical step to commission the historic Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) project has been given the green light to procced.

Minister for Transport Stirling Hinchliffe said Queensland Rail and the Department of Transport had resolved concerns with the signalling system and determined it is now reliable and safe to commence the final step in linking the signalling system with the existing rail network.

"The Palaszczuk Government's priority has been to ensure residents receive safe, high-quality infrastructure and reliable services when the Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) opens," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"I would like to thank the Project Team and Queensland Rail for working tirelessly over the past two months to address the serious concerns with the signaling system to ensure this historic project can be delivered."

Mr Hinchliffe said preparations were now underway to support a rail line closure on the Caboolture line between Zillmere and Caboolture from 9pm on Friday 16 September until 2am on Friday 23 September 2016.

"To connect this line we will need to close the Caboolture line for six days which will be one of the largest rail line closures to ever take place in South East Queensland," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"We know that this will be a major disruption for commuters who travel between Caboolture and Zillmere on the train line, but it is absolutely critical work to allow us to make this historic rail line a reality for the people of the Moreton Bay region.

"That's why I've asked my department to ensure it is mobilised to respond with the largest contingent of buses possible to help transport commuters to their destination."

Mr Hinchliffe said the Project Team had deliberately chosen a date during the school holiday period to minimise the impact on commuters.

"The Project Team will close the line for a six day period to ensure the vital Moreton Bay Rail Link (MBRL) Project can operate and to connect the new signalling system and perform final testing ahead of the opening," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"This work will impact thousands of commuters, but it is essential to ensure safe high quality infrastructure and service reliability when the Moreton Bay rail line opens.

"I want to reassure commuters that hundreds of hours of preparation had gone into a comprehensive service plan for the closure with buses replacing trains along the rail corridor.

"The department has deliberately timed this closure for the school holidays as it reduces the number of customers impacted by the closure, in particular school-aged children and those on holidays and modelling shows us that the line has less demand during this period.

"We are planning to mobilise more than 200 buses to accommodate affected passengers to ensure everyone can get to their destination.

"I will also be asking my Director-General to write to other departments to allow public servants, who are able to work from home to accommodate this request during this period."

Mr Hinchliffe said the operational plan will be supported by extensive customer communications including widespread advertising, signage, online notices, on-board and station announcements and staff on the ground to help direct customers where they need to go.

"Extra station staff will be available at stations and bus connections to assist passengers and temporary timetables will be available for the closure," he said.

"We have taken measures to limit the inconvenience for customers however we ask that regular Caboolture line customers take note of this substantial closure and have alternative options in place where possible.

"For those customers who can, I encourage them to consider working from home during this period.

"Commuters can be confident there is a plan in place to accommodate them during this vital closure."

Alternate bus replacement services will be available between Zillmere and Caboolture, for passengers during the closure with bus interchanges to be located at Elimbah, Caboolture and Boondall stations.

During peak period buses will be 'turn up and go' with express buses available from each station to Boondall station and buses stopping at all stations for intermediate travel.

During off-peak buses will run at 15 minute frequencies with buses running express and stopping at all stations.

Additional train services will also operate along the Shorncliffe line with frequency increased from 15 minutes to 7minutes 30 seconds during peak and increased from 30 minutes to 15 minutes off-peak.

"We know this is a major inconvenience to Caboolture and Sunshine Coast line passengers but I cannot stress enough how important this work is to enable the Moreton Bay rail line to open," Mr Hinchliffe said.

More information on the closure is available at www.translink.com.au (external site), the MyTransLink app or call 13 12 30.

[ozbob]

MBRL will open "Very soon" after the 6 day September closure of Caboolture line. @StirlHinchliffe @abcnews #qldpol

— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 10, 2016

[Stillwater]

So, when would be convenient for a RailBOT excursion day on the MBRL?

[ozbob]

So, when would be convenient for a RailBOT excursion day on the MBRL?

Would be a good end of year trip!  Lunch at Kippa-Ring or nearby .. 

[ozbob]

Has been thought about.  School holidays too, which also helps with bus availability.

Closure: 9pm on Friday 16 September until 2am on Friday 23 September 2016

Alternate bus replacement services will be available between Zillmere and Caboolture, for passengers during the closure with bus interchanges to be located at Elimbah, Caboolture and Boondall stations.

During peak period buses will be 'turn up and go' with express buses available from each station to Boondall station and buses stopping at all stations for intermediate travel.

During off-peak buses will run at 15 minute frequencies with buses running express and stopping at all stations.

Additional train services will also operate along the Shorncliffe line with frequency increased from 15 minutes to 7minutes 30 seconds during peak and increased from 30 minutes to 15 minutes off-peak.

Some learnings from the recent 37 days closure on the Frankston line in Melbourne.

Allow all door boarding on the buses.

Support the punters with little coffee stands, snags and other treats here and there.

Staff get out, greet and talk to the regular travelers before and during the closure.

Don't play crappy music on the buses!   

[Golliwog]

Some details up on Translink website already. http://translink.com.au/service-updates/78956

Interesting though that through out the notice they state that from Zillmere-Roma St and from north of Caboolture, "trains will run as scheduled" which would suggest normal timetables, but then further down they state that a special track closure timetable will be in place - not yet available. Though good to see Shorncliffe line finally getting a train every 15 minutes on weekends

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Queensland transport: Rail commuters face a week of chaos as Caboolture line to be closed

SIGNALLING issues that have delayed the Moreton Bay Rail Link have been resolved, but commuters will be in for six days of pain before it can finally open.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Queensland Rail and the Transport and Main Roads department had determined the system was now reliable and it was safe to take the final step in linking it to the existing rail network.

Preparations are now underway ahead of the closure of the Caboolture line between Zillmere and Caboolture from 9pm on Friday, September 16 until 2am on Friday, September 23.

"To connect this line we will need to close the Caboolture line for six days which will be one of the largest rail line closures to ever take place in Southeast Queensland," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"We know that this will be a major disruption for commuters who travel between Caboolture and Zillmere on the train line, but it is absolutely critical work to allow us to make this historic rail line a reality for the people of the Moreton Bay region."

Mr Hinchliffe said more than 200 buses would be used to transport affected commuters and he encouraged people to work from home, where possible.

He said there would be widespread advertising, signage, online notices, on-board and station announcements and staff on the ground to inform commuters.

"Extra station staff will be available at stations and bus connections to assist passengers and temporary timetables will be available for the closure," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"We have taken measures to limit the inconvenience for customers however we ask that regular Caboolture line customers take note of this substantial closure and have alternative options in place where possible.

Mr Hinchcliffe said allowances would be made for public service workers who use the line to work from home where possible in order to ease the travel burden.

He said "bugs" in the signalling system of the Moreton Bay Rail Link, which related to what would happen when trains went through red signals and how that would be "flagged with the rest of the system", had been dealt with.

The Transport Minister said the problem would temporarily be fixed by turning to a manual signalling system and delaying the use of an automated one.

He said additional staff would be brought onto the Queensland Rail signalling team to monitor the system.

"Ultimately, there's more work that will need to be done to the signalling system to ensure that it doesn't require that level of staffing and manual operation into the longer term," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said the manual solution would only be short term.

"I'm absolutely confident that we will have a fully automated system into the future," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said the State would also consider extending the European Train Control System to the MBRL.

"That may be the longer term solution," he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said commuters who take the replacement buses will not be expected to pay for that portion of their trip during the period of disruption.

An audit into how the debacle occurred remains ongoing.

Mr Hinchliffe said he expected the rail link to be completed shortly after the track closure, potentially as early as October.

Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Allan Sutherland said news the rail line was inching closer to opening was welcome.

"I'd like to thank residents for their perseverance because it's been very frustrating for people to see a $1 billion piece of infrastructure sitting unused," he said.

Cr Sutherland said it would be worth the wait and something for whole community to celebrate.

He said the 5-6 day shutdown was always going to have to happen and was not the result of the signalling issue.

"That's just the medicine we have to take. We can't avoid that," he said.

"We're going to have to work together as a community."

He hoped the line would open "shortly after" the shutdown, but said he had not yet been given a date.

Alternate bus services will be available between Zillmere and Caboolture, for passengers during the closure with bus interchanges at Elimbah, Caboolture and Boondall stations.

During peak period buses will be 'turn up and go' with express buses available from each station to Boondall station and buses stopping at all stations for intermediate travel.

During off-peak buses will run at 15-minute frequencies with buses running express and stopping at all stations.

Additional train services will also operate on the Shorncliffe line.

No, hardly chaos.  Chaos happens when things not planned, this is a disruption to normal rail services but a necessary one.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Minister says Moreton Rail Link signalling issues resolved

A major Queensland rail project is back on track after potentially dangerous signalling issues were finally resolved.

However, major work still needs to be done to complete the Moreton Bay Rail Link and commuters are being warned to brace for disruptions.

Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said it was safe to begin the final step of linking the project's signalling system with the existing rail network as Queensland Rail and the Department of Transport had resolved signalling concerns.

Mr Hinchliffe had ordered the rail link, worth nearly $1 billion, to be delayed in May after it became apparent a serious signalling flaw could have caused train crashes.

It had been due to open in mid-2016.

Mr Hinchliffe said the government's priority was ensuring residents got safe and reliable services when the rail link opene

That will not happen until after the new signalling system is connected to the existing network and tested.

The Caboolture line, between Caboolture and Zillmere, will have to be closed for six days to enable this work to be undertaken.

The closure will be in place during the school holiday period from 9pm on September 16 until 2am on September 23.

"We know that this will be a major disruption for commuters who travel between Caboolture and Zillmere on the train line, but it is absolutely critical work to allow us to make this historic rail line a reality for the people of the Moreton Bay region," Mr Hinchliffe said.

[red dragin]

Couriermail Quest --> Queensland transport: Rail commuters face a week of chaos as Caboolture line to be closed

Mr Hinchliffe said commuters who take the replacement buses will not be expected to pay for that portion of their trip during the period of disruption.

The door is now slightly open for scheduled shutdown replacement buses to be free. 

[ozbob]

^ Yo. Good to finally see commonsense is rising. Touch off when leaving a rail station, touch on when entering the rail station. 

All rail replacement in Melbourne is free.  Not that matters a great deal down there with the virtual flat fares ...

[ozbob]

Diesel long haul passenger & freight trains will be only services allowed through Petrie in a 6 day shutdown #9News pic.twitter.com/Lgd7fDPJl6

— Darren Curtis (@DarrenCurtis9) August 10, 2016

[ozbob]

Thousands of commuters will be affected when the Caboolture rail line closes for six days. @DarrenCurtis9 #9News https://t.co/iyIzYURhuE

— Nine News Brisbane (@9NewsBrisbane) August 10, 2016

[Stillwater]

QUOTE: "The Transport Minister said the problem would temporarily be fixed by turning to a manual signalling system and delaying the use of an automated one. He said additional staff would be brought onto the Queensland Rail signalling team to monitor the system."

[ozbob]

I think they might be doing a staged introduction of the new system.
Local manual control before full system integration.
Get it all operating then complete the final integration.
Only a guess..

[verbatim9]

Its good people on the Caboolture line get free travel for a week for the inconvenience for line shut down, as reported by Channel 9 News.