Buses on Ipswich to Rosewood line - Sat 05.04.08

[Mozz]

Buses running instead of trains on the Ipswich to Rosewood line - Saturday night 5 April 2008. Report from QR Website:

SERVICE DISRUPTIONS
QR is experiencing service disruptions on the Rosewood to Ipswich line (in both directions) due to staff shortages. Buses will run in lieu of trains between 6:00 pm until the last service.

For further enquiries please call Translink on 13 12 30 or contact QR Passenger Services on 07 3606 5555.

QR apologises for these changes to your normal service and appreciates your patience as we work to minimise these disruptions

I have sat here in front of the screen, trying to think of an appropriate followup to this advice, I don't know whether I can. I don't want to be seen to be the bearer of bad news, nor bringing more negativity into the arena of current issues QR and the TTA are facing with respect to public transport - but this is obviously a real issue. QR can't provide trains on a rail line and are using buses as a fall back situation. I wanted to believe that more staff are being employed to compliment the new tracks and the new trains.

However maybe I should just start to believe the spin and everything will be great in September 2008 with the new timetable or in December 2010 when the trains ordered in 2004 have been delivered, or 2015 when the new Springfield rail line is operational or just pick some random point in the future when there are enough staff, trains and tracks to service the community appropriately .....

[ozbob]

Thanks for this report Mozz.

[Mozz]

I suspected that there might be a flowon effect that wasn't passed on to commuters. It seems that there were huge and significant delays and train cancellations on the Ipswich line on Saturday night as evidenced by this post on the couriermail blog today:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/comments/0,23836,23498720-3102,00.html

QR is becoming the newer version of CityRail. I was stranded at Goodna Railway station on saturday night for an Hour and a Half waiting for the Caboolture train which was Delayed twice then Cancelled twice. I arrived at Central at 11pm!! A total outrage. Seriously, QR, get rid of all the old trains and bring in the new, Ipswich Lines are in need for a total makeover.

Posted by: Someguy from Bellbird Park of Bellbird Park 12:00pm today
Comment 113 of 119

I for one am getting a bit tired of hearing comments from translink and QR management promoting to commuters that communication is a priority and they are working on communication and there is lots of communication happening - just saying so doesn't make it so.

I only saw the comment on the QR site after logging on to check how to get a train into the city on saturday night. Immediately I saw it I thought to myself hmmm I am sure this will have impacts on the ipswich line as a whole not just to Rosewood and the post above confirms there was at least one significant issue with a twice delayed then canceled service/s.

The other interesting thing is that I am registered to receive sms and email alerts on train delays on this line. From memory I have received a couple of advices in the past couple of months and none on Saturday night regarding the obvious issues which were being experienced and again none when I have personally known of 20 minute plus issues on the Ipswich line.