BRISBANE SUBURBAN TRAINS

[captainch]

Saw the minister for transport & chief of operations on news tonight say the present cancelling of over 100 train trips will last a couple more weeks while they train new train drivers both should be SACKED & the people of Brisbane should get FREE TRAVEL until they fix this joke of a system up! what a discrace how do you tell you boss there's no trains look at lost money from people who pay to get to work arriving up to 2 hours late,they new the new Redcliffe line was opening but NO to busy getting their ugly mugs on T.V look at the great job we did .............................WELL IT AIN'T GREAT NOW! 5 YEAR OLD KIDDS could see this coming ...............whats next the NEW trains will be a failure too welcome to queensland sunny one day or stuffed & sold off the next it doesn't effect me i'm in Townsville but did over 50 years in the transport industry from driving trams/buses /& organising the transport for 2000 Olympic & parra Olympic games so not a arm chair critic! SO do know a bit about transport!

[moreton]

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... sagqw.html
Seems that cost cutting leftover from Campbell Newman era has left the trains undermanned.Moreton

[simonl]

Campbell Newman gets blamed more than a year after leaving office?

It's exactly the sort of thing which would happen in Qld. Crew needs were estimated not calculated? I believe it.

[captainch]

THE 2 top Brisbane trains staff either jumped ship this morning or were PUSHED! THEY WANT 150 DRIVERS & GUARDS in 2 weeks ..................TO QUOTE A FAMOUS movie" 'TELL EM THEIR DREAMING" ...............& NOW THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE WANTING free TRAVEL TILL ITS FIXED Brisbane fares in Brisbane are amongst the hihest in Australia!

[lunchbox]

How come someone "inside" - the union, for example, didn't see this train wreck coming?

[captainch]

just maybe the qld govt is so on the nose with queensland people they are hoping they will self distruck!!!!!!!!....................no body outside of Brisbane likes them as the rest of queensland doesn't matter!

[Roderick Smith]

October 31 2016 - 'Brisbane Times'.
Queensland Rail crisis - Train drivers' overtime exceeds $500,000 per fortnight; poor visibility for drivers Drivers can't properly see out the windows of the Queensland government's new trains, while drivers' overtime bills are exceeding half a million dollars a fortnight as the state's rail service comes under scrutiny following cancelled services.
On Monday, Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe confirmed there were "small issues that need to be resolved" with the new generation rolling stock.
Premier 'angry' over train delays.
A shortage of drivers continues to play havoc with Brisbane's trains but the transport minister refuses to resign. Nine News "One of the things that's being resolved and finalised is the comfort and settings for the crew, for the train crew," Mr Hinchliffe said.
"There have been some issues in relation to line of sight for drivers to be able to see the points on platforms where they need to stop. There are issues that are being corrected in relation to that.
Stirling Hinchliffe has defended calls from the opposition to resign, saying he is focused on fixing the issues. Photo: Bradley Kanaris.
"As is the case with any great major project, when you see the delivery of the final product there are some teething and small issues that need to be resolved."
Mr Hinchliffe said as the trains were being tested, there was a concern that drivers could not see "stopping points".
"At platforms there are markers on platforms to demonstrate to drivers where is the optimal place for this train to come up to a complete stop in order for the passengers to alight and to de-train," he said.
Mr Hinchliffe said visibility had to be available for the "full range of drivers", pointing out that some were his height or taller.
Train drivers can't see "stopping points" properly in new generation rolling stock, the transport minister said.
"There's a range there and that all had to be assessed and looked at," he said.
The former LNP government ordered 75 new trains under a private public partnership.
Mr Hinchliffe said five of the trains were in Australia at the moment, and they were undergoing testing and commissioning.
He said the trains were also being modified to provide space for guards.
It comes as the government and Queensland Rail face heavy scrutiny after 100 train services were cancelled earlier in October due to a shortage of drivers following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line.
Mr Hinchliffe has defended calls from the opposition to resign, saying he is focused on fixing the issues.
"We are delivering more services now than we were in September," he said.
"The lack of performance against the October 4 timetable has made us all furious, made us really upset because the high performance we were expecting and wanted to see hasn't been delivering."
Meanwhile, Queensland Rail is operating with a level of 30 per cent overtime as it struggles to provide the extra services required following the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line.
Mr Hinchliffe told 612 ABC Brisbane earlier on Monday: "We are running overtime levels of around 30 per cent".
"There is a cost to this.
"It's a consequence of there not being the levels of train crew."
Overtime bills soar following opening of new Redcliffe line Figures provided by Queensland Rail show the overtime bill for train drivers increased by 24 per cent after the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line.
For the two week rostering period before October 4, $466,701.82 in overtime was paid to 348 drivers.
During the two week period from October 4, the overtime bill was $578,752.41, paid to 379 drivers.
A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said train drivers were given the choice to increase their salary by doing overtime at times of their choosing.
"We are grateful to the traincrew staff for pulling out all the stops and doing extra duties, since we brought in the new timetable on 4 October," the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said strict fatigue standards were in place to ensure rosters, and any offered overtime, complied with the rules.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said there was "no evidence" of what Mr Hinchliffe was saying in relation to the visibility issues, describing it as a "red herring".
"And even if it were the case, that the drivers are unable to fully see or find out the stopping marks on the station, those are the teething problems, what is the minister doing since his announcement back in February?" Mr Nicholls said.
Mr Nicholls said the new trains, ordered under the LNP government, were designed so that guards could roam the carriages.
"Guards are absolutely necessary on those trains," he said.
"In government, what we were concerned to ensure was that guards weren't secreted away in little cubby hole at the back of the train. That guards were actually walking through the trains, that they were providing, safety, security and assistance to passengers."
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensl ... sej01.html 56 comments (mainly political sniping), and a good video.

[simonl]

How come someone "inside" - the union, for example, didn't see this train wreck coming?

Supposedly they entire organisation saw this coming but doing something about it would go against the Qld culture.

[Roderick Smith]

The daily spin word 'safety'; invoked to cover up anything. It is a principle of Westminister government that the minister carries the responsibility. Tough titties if Hinchliffe lacked the nous to detect that he was being misinformed. That is what every transport department does to every transport minister.

Via offlist emails.
Another new QR Brisbane Suburban timetable commences tomorrow Mon 7th Nov 2016. This one will last for about 2 months with another new one to begin in January 2017 when the new fares commence. The Media Release advising this appears below. Also attached are PDF copies of the new timetables. A quick look reveals no weekend trains Ipswich to Rosewood except for two on a Saturday (how do people get out there on a weekend?). Most lines have additional gaps between services. There are still one hour gaps during the day from Ipswich to the city.
This is shocking, as trains go to once an hour in some cases. Can you imagine a person thinking that they have 15 minutes to wait for a train, when in fact, they may have 45 minutes to wait?

Minister for Transport and the Commonwealth Games, Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe.
New train timetable to restore reliability.
A new timetable will roll out on Queensland Rail’s City network tomorrow to restore reliable services for rail commuters.
Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the sustainable timetable would deliver certainty for passengers.
“Queensland Rail has assured me that this is a timetable people can rely on,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“It will put an end to the unplanned and late cancellations Queensland Rail passengers have had to endure over the last month.”
Mr Hinchliffe said the new 2016 timetable delivered a modest services increase from September service levels.
"Under the new 2016 timetable, Queensland Rail are committed to deliver 7,883 services each week,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“This is a sustainable timetable, which should have commenced when the Redcliffe Peninsula line opened.
“As new drivers complete their training we will be able to increase service levels next year.
“The average wait between a cancelled service and the next service will be up to 10 – 12 minutes Monday to Friday in peak times.
“Outside of peak, the average wait will be up to 17 - 20 minutes for the next similar service.”
Mr Hinchliffe said more customer service staff would be stationed across the network tomorrow to assist commuters.
“There will be an increased number of customer service staff at key locations across the network on Monday, including 450 Queensland Rail staff and 17 TransLink staff, ready to assist customers and answer questions about the new timetable,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“At Central station, staff will also be equipped with iPads, to help customers access the TransLink journey planner.”
Mr Hinchliffe said the new timetable would free up tutor drivers to teach new recruits, which is the longer term solution and a key part of the Palaszczuk Government’s five-point plan to restore services and maintain safety for the travelling public.
“The timetable is live on the TransLink website and Journey Planner, so I encourage all rail commuters to jump online and plan their journey ahead of time, to make sure they’re aware of the changes,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“This timetable will operate until the end of the year and will provide the certainty and reliability that Queenslanders expect and deserve.”
The timetable for services in 2017 will be developed ahead of the introduction of Fairer Fares in the New Year.

[Roderick Smith]

170808Tu Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - Qld new emus.

Roderick.

[burrumbus]

Sounds like more buses may be needed to cover,Roderick.