Darra To Rosewood closure 24 to 27 December ...

[ozbob]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1322183909

Darra to Rosewood track closure

From the first service on Saturday 24 December to the last train on Tuesday 27 December, tracks will be closed between Darra and Rosewood stations (including Richlands).

During this time, buses will replace trains in both directions.

Train services will operate hourly on Christmas Day.

Trains will return to normal on Wednesday 28 December.

Stations affected:

    Darra
    Richlands
    Wacol
    Gailes
    Goodna
    Redbank
    Riverview
    Dinmore
    Ebbwvale
    Bundamaba
    Booval
    East Ipswich
    Ipswich
    Thomas Street
    Wulkuraka
    Karrabin
    Walloon
    Thagoona
    Rosewood.

Improvement works

    stabling yard works at Redbank.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert_Dow Robert Dow

@TransLinkSEQ @QueenslandRail how about sorting out the ticketing policy during the very frequent track closures?? Or don't you care ...

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times 6th December 2011 page 10

Trains out of action for service operations

[ozbob]

QT Comment 6th December 2011.  Obviously, the QT is getting a bit of feedback ..

City deserves better service from TransLink

[ozbob]

A four day closure gives lots of opportunities to assist stranded punters and play 'spot the punter on the platform' ...

[ozbob]

Might go to Rosewood on 26th.  Should be lots of fun.  Some go to the boxing day sales, others go for bus rides ...

[ozbob]

A letter to the editor in today's Couriermail

From the Couriermail 21st December 2011 page 30

QR off track with Christmas work




No wonder the labor MPs along the Ipswich line are getting a little worried ...

[ozbob]

The ticketing confusion on bus-substitution still lingers.  Years after requesting clear guidelines ...

They are simply out of touch with reality ...

====================

Letter to the Editor: Submitted to Couriermail December 21

Your correspondent highlighting yet another track closure from the 24th to 27th December on the Ipswich / Rosewood line is spot on, most unfortunate timing (QR off track with Christmas work, Letters, Dec 21).  Another aspect that needs attention is the ticketing arrangements.  There is a lot of confusion as to what is required in terms of tickets on the buses substituted for trains.  Often the station access to go card equipment is blocked off, and the buses don't have functioning go card equipment.  The obvious thing to do is to come clean and state that travel on the bus legs of the rail substitute services is free. This is what generally happens in practise anyway. And why not? When there are track closures the length of journey time increases often by hours and confusion reigns.  Is it too difficult to state a policy?

[ozbob]

About to head off to Rosewood.  I am going to try to emulate the UP 8.35am service ex Goodna to Ipswich, with the connecting service for Rosewood that arrives Rosewood 9.26am.

[ozbob]

At Rosewood, arrived 9.47am, which is a good.  Left Goodna at 8.42am on a Thompsons bus, minor problem with a pax into Riverview ex Redbank which caused a back track to Redbank.  Only two pax onboard after Riverview, driver radioed ahead and the KBL Mini Bus was held to allow me to make the connection at Ipswich for Rosewood.

Will now emulate 11.05am departure ex Rosewood for arrival at Goodna 11.57am.

More later, but buses have go card equipment (including the mini buses) but off / or off line. Couple pax tried to touch driver stated ' you don't need to do that '.  No one has tickets.

About 30 pax onto the citybound bus at Goodna which was at 8.34am, most pax not aware of the closure.

[ozbob]

Good run back to Goodna, arrival 12.03pm.  Managed to find 3 pax on the platform waiting for a train, heading to Caboolture  I told them that they would need to catch the bus to Darra and then train.  They were grateful, plenty of signs around ...

Few photographs from today.  Seems to be well organised and running well.  Variety of bus patterns to keep the trip times as short as practical, helped by very light traffic.  The Ipswich to Rosewood buses are all stations, but Ipswich to Darra, a number of options.  BB Ipswich, Redbank, Goodna, and then all stations to Darra.  Other variations to cover.  Some pax I noted who joined bus at Walloon had paper tickets.

Goodna









The line to Bundamba racecourse



Rosewood



Cobb and Co stagecoach on display

















Marbug branch remains ('Museum Junction')





Photographs R Dow 26th December 2011

[ozbob]

The ticketing confusion on bus-substitution still lingers.  Years after requesting clear guidelines ...

They are simply out of touch with reality ...

====================

Letter to the Editor: Submitted to Couriermail December 21

Your correspondent highlighting yet another track closure from the 24th to 27th December on the Ipswich / Rosewood line is spot on, most unfortunate timing (QR off track with Christmas work, Letters, Dec 21).  Another aspect that needs attention is the ticketing arrangements.  There is a lot of confusion as to what is required in terms of tickets on the buses substituted for trains.  Often the station access to go card equipment is blocked off, and the buses don't have functioning go card equipment.  The obvious thing to do is to come clean and state that travel on the bus legs of the rail substitute services is free. This is what generally happens in practise anyway. And why not? When there are track closures the length of journey time increases often by hours and confusion reigns.  Is it too difficult to state a policy?

As observed today, majority don't have tickets on the rail-buses substituting.  Some folks try to touch on with go cards when boarding the bus (as they have learn't to do).  Drivers tell them not to bother ' no need to do that ', many of these folks don't realise the go gear is actually not on.  Some folks are purchasing paper tickets from AVVMs.  All in all it is just one big mess, that the authorities seem unable, or reluctant to sort one way or the other.  Another reason for a big shake up at TransLink.

[ozbob]

One of the reasons I think pax don't realise there is a track closure at stations like Goodna, is the fact that there are regular route buses coming and going.  The rail buses too many just look like more buses coming and going.  The signage at Goodna today was adequate IMHO.   I think it is critical to sort out the ticketing mess (either activate the go gear on the buses, or declare tickets not needed), then the station entry and exits can be roped off to make it very obvious that trains are not running.

[ozbob]

For interest, timings Goodna <-> Rosewood

Outbound

Goodna 8.42am

Redbank 8.48am

Detour to Riverview - Redbank

Ipswich 9.16am

     Change buses

Ipswich 9.17am

Thomas St 9.20am

Wulkaraka 9.27am

Karrabin 9.33am

Walloon 9.37am

Thagoona 9.43am

Rosewood 9.47am

============

Rosewood 11.05am

Thagoona 11.10am

Walloon 11.15am

Karrabin 11.22am

Wulkuraka 11.27am

Thomas St 11.35am

Ipswich 11.40am

  Change buses

Ipswich 11.41am

Redbank 11.58am

Goodna 12.03pm

=============

Timetabled times for rail

Rail 21 minutes Rosewood < all stations > Ipswich

Rail 20 minutes Ipswich < all stations > Goodna

[HappyTrainGuy]

One of the reasons I think pax don't realise there is a track closure at stations like Goodna, is the fact that there are regular route buses coming and going.  The rail buses too many just look like more buses coming and going.  The signage at Goodna today was adequate IMHO.   I think it is critical to sort out the ticketing mess (either activate the go gear on the buses, or declare tickets not needed), then the station entry and exits can be roped off to make it very obvious that trains are not running.

Only problem with roping off the entries and exits are that stations are also used as crosswalks over the railway line. It would help for island platforms but the walk up platforms it might not be as effective. You can put up as many signs you want but there are still the brainless people out there. When the NCL had a small shut down I think it was at Bald Hills or Zillmere (Can't remember off the top of my head), but as i walked down the stairs there was a sign in the middle of the platform a few metres from the entry for the cross over bridge and main entry/exit point with a chain to the PA system poles with orange poles on top and yet 3m behind the sign, sitting down on the seat was someone on his mobile mouthing off that he had been waiting for 45 minutes and the only thing that went by was a ute on the train tracks.

I'll have to try to find that photo a mate sent me of some bloke sitting up against the sign saying no trains running this weekend while waiting for the train haha.

[ozbob]

Yes, HTG, some stations modifications will be needed but the general principle is good.  A barrier is a bit harder to miss. 

[Mr X]

Is it possible/do they reprogram the electronic timetable display on the platform during closures to say "NO TRAINS TODAY - REPLACEMENT BUSES" ? You'd have to be a real dill to ignore that one.

[SurfRail]

Is it possible/do they reprogram the electronic timetable display on the platform during closures to say "NO TRAINS TODAY - REPLACEMENT BUSES" ? You'd have to be a real dill to ignore that one.

They can even do this on the 131500 planner for Sydney, so it will not inadvertently tell you to go to platform 24 at Central if the trains to Bondi Junction are out all weekend.

Up here, no mention whatsoever on the JP whenever there is trackwork.

[Golliwog]

Is it possible/do they reprogram the electronic timetable display on the platform during closures to say "NO TRAINS TODAY - REPLACEMENT BUSES" ? You'd have to be a real dill to ignore that one.

They can even do this on the 131500 planner for Sydney, so it will not inadvertently tell you to go to platform 24 at Central if the trains to Bondi Junction are out all weekend.

Up here, no mention whatsoever on the JP whenever there is trackwork.

They do provide a link to the service updates page in the JP underneath the journey they plan for you, but nothing that pops up to say specifically that certain trains or buses are not running or running to a modified route. That is silly.

[ozbob]

The only sign of activity yesterday between Goodna and Rosewood was at Redbank Stabling.  Commissioning for this yard was the reason for the closure.

Noted green signals on the down main between Ipswich and Redbank as well.

[ozbob]

Is it possible/do they reprogram the electronic timetable display on the platform during closures to say "NO TRAINS TODAY - REPLACEMENT BUSES" ? You'd have to be a real dill to ignore that one.

Yes, where the PIDs etc. exist, but many stations don't have them ...

[somebody]

Is it possible/do they reprogram the electronic timetable display on the platform during closures to say "NO TRAINS TODAY - REPLACEMENT BUSES" ? You'd have to be a real dill to ignore that one.

They can even do this on the 131500 planner for Sydney, so it will not inadvertently tell you to go to platform 24 at Central if the trains to Bondi Junction are out all weekend.

Up here, no mention whatsoever on the JP whenever there is trackwork.

131500 is the best in the country in this respect.  It includes rail replacement buses in the journey planner and excludes replaced trains.  Melbourne and Perth just have a note, trackwork applies on this line in this period, and you need to follow this link.  Here, we get nada.

[ozbob]

@rtt_rules  The Ippy has been pounded with track closures, this year and for the past 4 years, this is number 12  major weekend or longer closure for the year.  The community has had a gutful, that is why they are upset and write letters and so forth.  Many of the MPs along the Ippy are very nervous because the community is seriously annoyed.  

That is why the Ippy Community is upset, and frankly I don't blame them ...

[petey3801]

Well they can blame the upgrade of the Ipswich Carpark Motorway for a number of those disruptions. Then it comes along that if the upgrade to the motorway wasn't done, the people would complain even more. They can't win.

Closing down the line at this time of year makes a lot more sense (the need for a 4-day shutdown for comissioning of Redbank) than closing the line for 4 days during a normal working period where Monday and Tuesday would have bus services through the peak periods! Not a good idea! 

I know Ipswich line has had a number of closures, however this is one where we just need to suck it up and accept it. This is something that has been needed for some time, there is quite a shortage of suburban stabling areas with Mayne being quite overcrowded at the moment. It will also reduce the empty running to/from Ipswich in the morning/afternoons and may even allow the re-introduction of Redbank starters/terminators at some point in the near future.

[somebody]

^ Will trains be able to leave Redbank in either direction without reversing?

[ozbob]

^ Will trains be able to leave Redbank in either direction without reversing?

Yes

[ozbob]

I think most here understand why the stabling is need, the average punter just sees repeated closures.

Better information as to why is needed.

There is a particular sensitivity to track closures on the Ippy that doesn't seem to exist elsewhere. It is partly due to the long history of very frequent closures, but what riled them early was the constant closures when there were major events on the Ipswich social and recreation calendar.  Ipswich doesn't have that many, the Ipswich Cup, the show and the car races. One year all three had track closures.

Back in 2007 there was a track closure the weekend the Oxley Street Fair was on. I tried very hard to have the track closure moved, in that time if the weather was ratty they moved them.  Anyway, the organisers of the street fair tried too.  No luck.

The street fair was a disaster and buses were running through where the stalls and so forth were meant to be.  Such was the effect on the community the street fair was abandoned.  No one can be bothered now.  The street fair has never run again. Still some lingering resentment about that locally.

People can say this closure is needed, that one is needed and so forth. But unless there is full and proper explanations as to why, no surprise the punters are p%ssed.  No surprise at all.

[somebody]

^ That's an excellent example of why more notice of these closures is needed.  Cityrail give guidance as to proposed trackwork for the next 6 months.

[ozbob]

^ That's an excellent example of why more notice of these closures is needed.  Cityrail give guidance as to proposed trackwork for the next 6 months.

In the last year or so there has been better liaison with community re closures, but there are still some secret society elements.  Putting it out there as a draft, one year out ( interested parties could raise major clashes), and then final 6 months out would help.

We all know that time to time urgent, unscheduled closures are also necessary, but that needs to be communicated effectively at the time if that happens.

[BrizCommuter]

^ That's an excellent example of why more notice of these closures is needed.  Cityrail give guidance as to proposed trackwork for the next 6 months.

London Underground publish line closures 3 months in advance  (used to be 6 months, but maybe that wasn't flexible enough).
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/livetravelnews/planned-works/calendar/default.aspx