19 Feb 2012: SEQ: Bus and Train Connections: Get the Basics Right!

[ozbob]

Media release 19 February 2012

SEQ: Bus and Train Connections: Get the Basics Right!

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has called for bus and train connections to be made functional and timely.

Major infrastructure projects are often seen as an integral part of increasing public transport usage, but infrastructure alone won't help if the basics, at the passenger level, of good service frequency and inter-coordination remain ignored, particularly in the case of feeder buses.

RAIL Back On Track Brisbane West Region spokesperson Gavin Seipelt said:

"Park and ride lots at capacity and spill-over into local streets is a daily occurrence.
At Oxley and Darra, park and ride facilities were recently expanded, but this added capacity has been quickly swallowed up, and we don't have an infinite supply of adjoining land and money to keep adding more bays."

"Station feeders buses that meet trains as they arrive and funnel passengers into the rail network are a real long term fix to the problem. Buses have the person capacity to get large numbers to and from the station, and passengers can catch the bus from close to home and go the whole way on public transport, rather than having to initially fire up the car.

"At Oxley for instance, the 467 (Peak only) & 468 fulfill this feeder role for the neighbourhoods West of the station, which sit beyond walking distance."

"But when you look closer at the bus timetable, things start to fall apart and it becomes clear why people are driving to the station instead.
The trains to and from Oxley Station run every 15 minutes, but these bus routes only connect hourly off peak and on weekends.
Similarly, in peak, trains run every 6 minutes, but buses only connect half hourly"

"Not only is an hourly bus service highly inconvenient to begin with, it also limits the number of train services passengers can access to only 1 in 4.
For example if a passenger who has finished their business in the CBD catches the wrong train home, it can potentially mean a 45 minute wait at Oxley for the next feeder bus from station to home.
The other option is to twiddle their thumbs in the CBD, letting trains go by, waiting for the specific outbound train that connects with the bus."

"On the Ipswich line beyond Darra, a double whammy of low train frequency and low bus frequency adds the problem of many wasted hours per year because of missed connections caused by late running services.
The issues are not limited to the West. Across SEQ this mismatch between bus and train frequency is the norm, and frustrates individuals efforts to use public transport."

RAIL Back On Track calls on all political parties to make sure feeder bus services meet every train throughout the day and on weekends.

"Until we start drilling down to these sort of 'nitty-gritty' issues of usability, at the level of passengers, the network will never truly get fixed."

Contacts:

Gavin Seipelt
RAIL Back On Track Brisbane West Region spokesperson

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[struzball]

http://translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/bulletin/1327629041

From Monday 20 February, we're introducing a new early morning weekday peak service on route 398 to get you on a train at Ferny Grove station and into the City before 8am.

This new service will leave from Arana Hills K-Mart at 7.09am and arrive at Ferny Grove station at 7.21am, connecting to the 7.26am CBD-bound train and getting you to Central station at 7.56am.

We know there's reduced parking at Ferny Grove station while we're building your new Park 'n' Ride facility, so we've introduced this new early morning service to give you an alternative during construction.

Be sure to check out the new timetable before catching your bus on Monday 20 February.

I had to laugh at this, there is already a bus that leaves Arana Hills K-Mart at 7.08am, heading towards Mitchelton train station.

The new bus time leaves Arana hills K-Mart at 7:09, reaches Ferny Grove 7:21
Leaves Ferny Grove 7:26 arrives in the city 7:56

The existing bus leaves Arana hills at 7:08, reaches Mitchelton 7:19 (one minute quicker)
Leaves Mitchelton 7:24 arrives in the city 7:45 (11 minutes sooner)

They would be far better off getting a bus to leave Arana hills at 7:00 so it could reach Mitchelton at 7:11 so you can catch the express train from Mitchelton at 7:15 arriving in the city at 7:32.
I for one would use that every day! 32 minute trip to the CBD from Arana Hills!

Boggles the mind why anybody would head out to Ferny Grove, then pay for 4 zones instead of 3, and add 11 minutes to their trip. 

Wouldn't it also be nice if there was a connecting bus for every express train between Mitchelton - City.  Currently there is only one express train connecting with a bus to/from Arana Hills Kmart, which leaves the city at 5:17.  The next bus arriving at Arana Hills K-mart connects to a train that leaves the city at 6:34pm, arriving at Arana Hills K-Mart at 7:06pm!

Imagine if you relied on the bus connection, if you miss the 5:17 train you don't get home till 7:06!  Lucky I'm not disabled, elderly or without a car.

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/120220-396,397,398.pdf

[somebody]

I'd suggest the extra 398 is for people west of Arana Hills K-Mart.

I'd think the 397/398 need to be reviewed.  So circuitous!

[struzball]

I'd suggest the extra 398 is for people west of Arana Hills K-Mart.

It appears to not stop anywhere but Arana Hills K-Mart and Ferny Grove station, according to the timetable.
edit: I guess I don't know how to read a timetable.

http://translink.com.au/resources/travel-information/network-information/timetables/120220-396,397,398.pdf

[somebody]

Only express routes list all the stops.  For routes which are express on part of the journey, eg 100, stops are listed only in the express part.

It's not necessarily clear.  If a stop is listed because its a timing point, what is so hard about noting that?

[SurfRail]

Only express routes list all the stops.  For routes which are express on part of the journey, eg 100, stops are listed only in the express part.

It's not necessarily clear.  If a stop is listed because its a timing point, what is so hard about noting that?

BT have a nasty habit of only including a small number of timing points for local and all stops routes, even longer ones.  Have a look at the 411 for a good example, and compare to any private operator timetable.

[somebody]

Only express routes list all the stops.  For routes which are express on part of the journey, eg 100, stops are listed only in the express part.

It's not necessarily clear.  If a stop is listed because its a timing point, what is so hard about noting that?

BT have a nasty habit of only including a small number of timing points for local and all stops routes, even longer ones.  Have a look at the 411 for a good example, and compare to any private operator timetable.

I hate timing points, especially inbound.  Having to wait for the timetable to catch up is one of my pet peeves, and it seems to happen all the time on the Ipswich Rd corridor.  It's a bit better on the Coro/Moggill Rd corridor.

Besides, how do you know if a listed stop is a real timing point or just an (incorrectly) inferred one?

[SurfRail]

Only express routes list all the stops.  For routes which are express on part of the journey, eg 100, stops are listed only in the express part.

It's not necessarily clear.  If a stop is listed because its a timing point, what is so hard about noting that?

BT have a nasty habit of only including a small number of timing points for local and all stops routes, even longer ones.  Have a look at the 411 for a good example, and compare to any private operator timetable.

I hate timing points, especially inbound.  Having to wait for the timetable to catch up is one of my pet peeves, and it seems to happen all the time on the Ipswich Rd corridor.  It's a bit better on the Coro/Moggill Rd corridor.

Besides, how do you know if a listed stop is a real timing point or just an (incorrectly) inferred one?

In Perth, timing points are all marked with something that looks like a radio button.  Not hard to do if you have somebody in control of all the bus stops in SEQ and don't have the current set up where BT virtually run their own closed shop with their own timetable formats.

[somebody]

Sydney timing points are public on the 131500.com.au website also.

According to the public info, every express stop on the Ipswich Rd corridor is a timing point between the CBD and Annerley Junction.