Article: QR tells commuters: There's not much we can do to help you

[Fares_Fair]

Atricle: QR tells commuters: There's not much we can do to help you
by Richard Bruinsma
Sunshine Coast Daily, p13.
Friday 25 January, 2013

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/nothing-will-change/1731007/

QUEENSLAND Rail has argued that there is little it can do to decrease the duration of local commuters' train journey to Brisbane, short of cancelling stopovers at Sunshine Coast stations.

A QR spokesman said most morning trains stopped at all Sunshine Coast stations before running "express" from Caboolture to Brisbane - stopping at only a handful of stations.

"Any changes to the length of services, the stations trains stop at, or the express parts of their journey, can have a positive or negative impact for different groups of customers," the spokesman said.

He noted that reducing the scheduled stops of the 6.57am service from Nambour, for example, would have negligible impact on travel times, yet would disadvantage a significant number of commuters.

"If it were not to stop at Caboolture and Bowen Hills, there would be a saving of approximately one minute," the spokesman explained.

"Ninety-nine current customers board at those stations and 57 alight.

"If the same train were not to stop at any stations on the Sunshine Coast - other than Nambour - there would be an extra saving of approximately 12 minutes.

"(However) 202 customers who currently board at these Sunshine Coast stations ... would not be able to get on, leaving about 50 on the train."

The explanation comes as Sunshine Coast commuters this week expressed significant concerns about less-than-adequate commuter services to Brisbane, which include frequent delays, overcrowding, and lack of toilet facilities.

Four local politicians accepted an invitation by The Daily this week to experience the trip for themselves and speak with commuters about the concerns.

The four included Queensland Environment Minister, Member for Glass House Andrew Powell, Federal candidates for Fairfax Ted O'Brien, of the LNP, and Jim McDonald, of The Greens, and Federal LNP candidate for Fisher Mal Brough.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Scott Emerson, confirmed yesterday that Mr Powell had spoken to him about local infrastructure and commuter concerns.

"The financial debt left to us by the former Labor government means we have not yet been able to commit to duplicating the Sunshine Coast line," Mr Emerson said.

[Fares_Fair]

We have arrived at the reported destination ...


Landsborough to Nambour - Initial Advice Statement by Arup Engineers (2007), Page 4
http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/docs/library/pdf/mp_landsborough_nambour_rail_IAS.pdf

The 'Initial Advice Statement' to the Queensland government for the Landsborough-Nambour rail corridor stated; "It is likely that the region would experience adverse socio-economic effects should the NCL between Landsborough and Nambour not be upgraded. Increases in demand are likely to significantly challenge the ability of the current infrastructure to support an acceptable level of rail service in the future."

That future has arrived.


Caboolture to Landsborough Rail Upgrade Study: Needs Assessment by Queensland Transport (2002),
http://www.arup.com.au/clrs/genfiles/needs_assessment_executive_summary.pdf

Conclusion p(iii), states; "In summary, it has been concluded that the majority of the desired levels of service cannot be met with the existing rail infrastructure. Hence, an upgrade of the Caboolture to Landsborough (my note: NOT Beerburrum) section of the main north coast rail line is needed." Overall, the needs assessment found that an upgrade will: "improve the level of service for passenger and freight rail services in terms of service frequency, hours of service, seating capacity, freight capacity, reliability, and travel time; allow for a progressive increase in rail services throughout the day and a consequent decrease in Rail bus services in the corridor;"

[somebody]

It's a bit meaningless to dump the stations Elimbah to Woombye all together.  Landsborough carries approximately half of those stations.  I think the 6:57am ex-Nambour train (from Gympie) should serve Landsborough then Caboolture.  Other commuters do have other options, particularly the train 17 minutes before.

[Arnz]

Oh boy, this article is troll bait for those "anti-Sunshine Coast" folk lurking on the board.   

To quote one blogger- "Build a second line and use the same stops as the Gympie train. Typical, just blame the previous government and do nothing to fix it. Maybe a private investor could build it and then charge. "

Sadly, he doesn't know the chokes south of Caboolture which prevent part of the express running during peak with the "increased" services to Caboolture and Nambour.  I wouldn't mind PPP provided that various levels of government come to the party.  A $1.00 surcharge for commuters using Glasshouse, Beerwah and Landsborough for example along with improved reliability and clockface 60 min off-peak & weekends/and clockface 30 min peak with Gympie incorporated into the Clockface Peak timetable.   There should be some focus on triplication between Petrie and Narangba to allow increased capacity for counter-peak passenger & freight, sadly that's not on the radar.

As opposed to current times like 5:04pm, 5:28pm, 5:49pm (Gympie) and 6:04pm.  Changing the current Cab/NBR afternoon peak TT around to mess around with the current NBR/GYN departures with 5:04pm (stop pattern , 5:34pm (Gympie - stop pattern 6), 6:04pm (stop pattern 7) and 6:34pm (stop pattern 7), followed by the existing 7:04pm would give the afternoon peak TT a clockface 30 min peak from 3:34pm to 7:04pm.

Stop Pattern 6 (Gympie) - express Bowen Hills to Caboolture
Stop Pattern 7 - express Northgate to Caboolture
Stop Pattern 8 - express Northgate to Petrie

[Stillwater]

We have had confirmed in recent days that QR, since 2008, has been managing the public fallout over toilets on trains headed to the Sunshine Coast.  Note that QR has not worked to fix the problem with availability of working toilets on trains.  Its efforts, principally, have been managing public expectations.  From 2008....  In January 2013 QR received a ministerial direction to actually fix the problem.  The day after the ministerial direction, QR defiantly sent to Gympielander north without toilets.

QR continues to manage the public relations in preference to addressing the actual issues.  It has a public relations line, which it tested on an Owen Jaques tweet yesterday or the day before, about there being 'insufficient passengers' on the SCL for express services between the coast and Brisbane.  It is monitoring this site, it is monitoring the Sunshine Coast Daily website, and posting subliminal messages ... again attempting issues management around the operational deficiences of the SCL.

And they are well known.  In the above post, FF, has identified just two examples of comprehensive advice to the Queensland Government about the SCL.  There are at least 10 reports with similar advice.

"improve the level of service for passenger and freight rail services in terms of service frequency, hours of service, seating capacity, freight capacity, reliability, and travel time; allow for a progressive increase in rail services throughout the day and a consequent decrease in Rail bus services in the corridor;"

QR is no longer a freight operator, its focus is passenger rail only.  So it no longer considers freight and passenger rail issues concurrently.  It looks at issues through the blinkered eyes of passenger rail, whereas all the reports to government speak of the critical issue of rail freight.

It is on the basis of rail freight efficiency that the Queensland Government submission concerning increased rail capacity for the SCL was made to the Commonwealth Government.  Passenger rail will benefit indirectly through improvements to rail freight capacity north to Cairns.

With current flooding the Bruce Highway, just see how much Queensland will have to rely upon rail freight services to meet the needs of people across the more than 27 electorates through which the Sunshine Coast and the North Coast lines run.  The freight sure ain't going to be carried on railbuses!

Through managing the public expectation and issues fallout while not addressing the fundamentals of what advice it is receiving, QR is carving for itself a smaller hole of relevancy in the debate.  Not a leader.  Not a contributor.  But a reactionary.

FF has chosen to highlight two pieces of advice ... one saying there will be adverse socio-economic consequences for Queensland should investment in rail capacity for the SC not proceed.  QR has shown it is prepared to take the gamble and manage the fallout while allowing those socio-economic consequences to occur and inflict damage.

The real issue is whether an LNP government with wall-to-wall representation across the Coast (except Nicklin) would allow that to happen.  Would the government let that happen against a timeline when those socio-economic consequences will hit home at the timing of the next state election in 2015?

QR may well find itself again being directed by government to fix the problem, not just manage the PR.  Spin, smoke and mirrors were the hallmarks of the Bligh Labor Government, and look where that administration ended up.  Can Campbell Newman afford to tempt fate, or will he be Can Do to QR's Can't Do attitude?

[ozbob]

Well put Mr Stillwater ..

Remember this all who lurk and post ...  it is only the beginning ...

[somebody]

The day after the ministerial direction, QR defiantly sent to Gympielander north without toilets.

Be interesting to read the response to the "please explain" which should be issued for that.

[colinw]

Perhaps Mr Emerson should ask QR what VEOLIA or MTR would do if they were given a hypothetical SEQ passenger or interurban franchise?  Threaten to remove their cosy monopoly and see what happens.

[ozbob]

 

[ozbob]

 <-- waiting for express link to Caloundra ...

[Stillwater]

We should also monitor carefully the pollie double-speak re rail infrastructure in the lead-up to federal and state elections.  Mr Emerson is now on record saying that the Beerburrum-Landsborough rail upgrade is the LNP state government's "second highest rail priority" behind CRR.

That is true.  However, the priority list of projects for which the state government is seeking federal financial input is as follows:

CRR, Bruce Highway Upgrade, Second Range Crossing and Toowoomba bypass (Warrego Highway), then - a distant fourth - Beerburrum to Landsborough rail track duplication.  The state wants $12 billion from the federal government for other things before it wants $1 from the feds for Beerburrum-Landsborough.

The challenge is to convince Mr Emerson otherwise.

[Stillwater]

Efficiency on the Sunshine Coast line (at Cooroy station):



And QR says:  Nope, we can't help you

               

[somebody]

Efficiency on the Sunshine Coast line (at Cooroy station):



And QR says:  Nope, we can't help you

               

So they were just given the wrong road??  Why didn't they just go into the platform?

[Stillwater]

Dance of the trains.  Platform on main line.  Notes to the video state that it was edited.  Gympielander had to wait on the crossing loop for another train heading north - either Tilt or freight train (that bit was edited out).  This rerouting via loop crossings and reversing into stations can occur up to two or three times in one journey either north or south.  It makes a nonsense of government boasting of modern trains and their speed capability when trains have to travel 40-60 kph for much of their journey on the SCL.

[Stillwater]

Interesting ... at Cooroy station, the words 'north' and south' have been painted on the platform, together with arrows beside the words, to let people know (particularly backpackers and tourists who use this station to access Noosa) which way is which.  It is confusing with trains heading one way and reversing the other.  I know of more than one occasion where someone choofed off to Gympie thinking they were heading to the 'big smoke' of Brisbane.  Imagine their surprise when they alighted at Gympie North, in the middle of bush!

As QR says: There is nothing much we can do to help you.  In fact, that could be QR's motto.

[beauyboy]

It is a disgrace that this so called "first World Nation" the NCL is in the state that it is!
On Christamas my uncle wanted to discuss railways with me because he saw so few trains using the NCL , I had to explain that it was running at capacity, and government funding of an upgrade was the issue.

The fact that we are having trains reversing into stations and old 25kmph points on the NCL is rediculous. While I don't agree with wasting money some interium solutions need to be found. Placing tempory platforms at stations that are served by Traveltrain & Citytrain services so that they can cross and load at the same time may be an option.

Donald

[ozbob]

See, there was something that they could do to help.  Paint arrows on the platforms!

When the trains are 'dancing' little wonder some of the punters get confused ... particularly after a long tropical luncheon ...

Cooroy might be in line for a water bubbler! 

[Fares_Fair]

Latest Comments

Womble from Norman Gardens a day ago

Build a second line and use the same stops as the Gympie train. Typical, just blame the previous government and do nothing to fix it. Maybe a private investor could build it and then charge. The Sunshine Coast line is long overdue for a major rebuild, to cope with the increased commuters. Mind you if it was the Gold Coast,we would have another service and new trians straight away! The train infrastructure is outdated and belongs to a third world country. Spend the money now to replace the infrastructure!


SlowTrain from Landsborough a day ago

The QR spokesperson is sadly misinformed and possibly referring to an outdated timetable as the majority of trains express running has been drastically reduced to between Petrie and Northgate only. A step in the right direction would be to return the express running from Caboolture to Bowen Hills.


CallMeSceptical from Tanawha a day ago

Has anyone thought of organising, either a Saturday or Sunday evening public meeting, where train commuters, local MP's, the Minister of Rail and QR heads are ALL under the same roof. Maybe it's about time this happened so that ALL sides can Express, excuse any pun as not intended' their views so everyone be it a regular commuter or casual and the general Sunshine Coast community at larage knows actually what: is, can, could possibly, not viable, cost to much etc be done to improve the Sunshine Coast train trips.



Fares_Fair from Palmwoods 15 hours ago

Caboolture to Landsborough Rail Upgrade Study by Qld Transport (2002), states;
"..it has been concluded that the majority of the desired levels of service cannot be met with the existing rail infrastructure. Hence, an upgrade of the Caboolture to Landsborough section of the main north coast rail line is needed." Overall, the assessment found that an upgrade will: "improve the level of service for passenger and freight rail services in terms of service frequency, hours of service, seating capacity, freight capacity, reliability, and travel time; allow for a progressive increase in rail services throughout the day and a consequent decrease in Rail bus services in the corridor;"
and this -
Landsborough to Nambour - Initial Advice Statement by Arup Engineers (2007), p4
"It is likely that the region would experience adverse socio-economic effects should the NCL between Landsborough and Nambour not be upgraded. Increases in demand are likely to significantly challenge the ability of the current infrastructure to support an acceptable level of rail service in the future."

My point: "That future has arrived."

The Coordinator-General's report on the EIS, p33, dated November 2011: ...highlighted potential economic benefits including:
•a total of $4.57 billion of output generation into the Queensland economy (including SEQ) over the entire construction period (seven years) and a total of 2786 jobs on average at any point in time.

Economic benefits anyone?

[Stillwater]

It is interesting that the Reserve Bank governors are advising government that renewed investment in infrastructure is desirable to counter the economic effects of a wind down of mining activity due to the high price of commodities in recent times.

Mr Emerson has said that Queensland is not getting 'its share' of federal government infrastructure funding. ($1b from the Commonwealth for the Southern Sudney Freight Line and more than $3b for the Victorian Regional Rail Link), but only smaller funding package for MBRL in Queensland.

The feds may not have $4b immediately available for CRR, but they may be able to stump up $400m-odd for Beerburrum-Landsborough.  If there is a shortage of funds available for infrastructure spending, the SCL upgrade may be the practical 'short-term' project that can proceed while governments save for big-ticket items such as CRR.

[Stillwater]

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council wants its region to be Australia's most sustainable area and sees public transport in that context.

Andrew Powell MP, the man who makes rail duplication on the SCL line his No.1 priority and then does nothing about it, is a climate science sceptic, it seems.  He happens to be the Environment Minister in a Newman Government.  He is the No.1 custodian of the environment in Queensland.  In reality he is something else.

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2012/s3517410.htm
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-environment-minister-andrew-powell-is-a-climate-change-sceptic/story-e6freon6-1226384897682
http://www.readfearn.com/tag/andrew-powell/

Is this ambiguity an LNP strategy in order to give wriggle room to the coal extraction industry?  And those who build super roads and tunnels that contribute to exhaust fumes from cars – a contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.  Like QR, he believes there is not much that can be done about the SCL through his electorate.

[Stillwater]

You are an LNP strategist and you are charged with preparing a list of promises that will attract the maximum number of Queensland voters to your party in September.  You know that rail is a hot issue in the LNP heartland, the Sunshine Coast, where your party holds the two main seats of Fairfax (by a 7 percent margin) and Fisher (4.1 percent).  Had your party retained Mr Peter Slipper as the Member for Fisher (he's now an Independent), your party would have lost, but you know that Mal Brough, the endorsed LNP candidate, is a proven stayer and well-known locally.  He is likely to poll higher than Peter Slipper.

You wonder whether it is good for the party to promise to spend $400 million duplicating Beerburrum-Landsborough.  It would, but it would not win any new seats.  It would merely increase the party's margin in Fairfax and Fisher.  Where would you spend $400 million to attract new voters and inflict a body blow on the ALP?  You cast your eyes to the Labor seats of Moreton (held by Labor by a margin of 1.1 percent), Petrie (2.5 percent) and Lilley (3.2 percent).  There will be a sympathy vote for K. Rudd in Moreton, but he is likely to be knocked off by a general swing to the LNP anyway.  The real prize would be Wayne Swan's scalp in Lilley.

What's a big issue that would require about $400 million in the seat of Lilley ... something that would appeal to the doctor's wives around Clayfield and those trendy up-and-comers buying apartments with Brisbane River views?  Why, it is a major upgrade of the Doomben Line.  You decide to kick those poor dumb voters on the Sunny Coast who vote for you every time, for nothing, and announce the Doomben Line upgrade as party policy. 

[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily click here!

It's a very long ride and commuters shouldn't stand for it

It's a very long ride and commuters shouldn't stand for it
Have your say »

    Kathy Sundstrom
    7th Mar 2013 5:37 AM

F WE can't have shorter train journeys, can we at least have room to sit please?

This is the gist of a request from frustrated rail commuters who often spend hours standing in cramped carriages travelling from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast.

The already crowded situation was made worse on Monday when the peak hour evening trains experienced lengthy delays.

Rail commuter Jeff Addison's two-hour journey was 35 minutes longer on Monday after two signal failures.

"It was a double whammy signal failure," Mr Addison said. "It failed again within minutes of being fixed."

One of his fellow commuters' journey was delayed by an extra 90 minutes.

Many people had to stand and wait while Queensland Rail worked to fix the problem.

The first hour of the peak hour journey from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast routinely has large crowds of people standing with no room to sit.

Mr Addison said the train service utilised "suburban-style trains that are not designed for the comfort or use of long-haul commuters".

"Our trains need more comfortable seating for the three-hour journey, along with luggage racks for airport destination and return travellers," he said.

"The Victorian V-Line model of a separate long-haul commuter track and unique comfortable carriages would make for a very good start."

Queensland Rail has kept to its promise of ensuring the long journey at least had working toilets.

Before the Daily highlighted the problem in January, as many as 25% of trains had broken toilets.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said Monday's signal fault "was a consequence of ongoing wet weather".

[Stillwater]

A responsive network operator would anticipate all possible contingencies, including how signals can be protected from the tropical downpours we have in and around Brisbane.  Maybe after years of drought we have forgotten just how difficult the rain can be.  As has been shown, when a bit of whispy bougainvillea or a pigeon gets where it shouldn't be, the system can be in chaos.  We can add rain to the list.

[HappyTrainGuy]

There are tropical downpours and then there's just plain flooding of areas because the ground is so saturated already. The slightest bit of rain and the underpass at Strathpine gets closed off due to flooding. The nearby Golf Course and much of the surrounding areas on the northside of Brisbane are the exact same. Alot of the time water just gushes onto the tracks from properties outside the railway corridor. Infact between Petrie and Dakabin when heading north look to the left hand side where about 2m of dirt has been washed away from the banking leading up to the roadway.

I don't except to see trains with different seating considering the comfy IMU100 seats were swapped out for generic easier to clean, replace-repair seats.