QR's Daytime Track Closures - An Easy Fix?

...except without the "Sorry" bit

There are 2 pairs of tracks (4 in total) through Brisbane's CBD. For many years, Queensland Rail (QR) have been regularly closing one of these track pairs for scheduled maintenance during the daytime off-peak period, much to the annoyance of passengers who have been delayed. Since the January 2014 timetable, when 15 minute off-peak services were added on a few lines, there have been delays due to:

• Services that are timed to run through Brisbane's CBD at the same time on seperate tracks, will always result on in a delay to one of those services. 
• Too many trains running through Brisbane's CBD in the daytime off-peak to reliably operate on one track pair. 
• A late running train will delay all subsequent trains as there is limited operating margin.
• Conflicting junction moves at Roma Street, Fortitude Valley, or Bowen Hills (e.g. Ferny Grove bound trains having to cross the path of all inbound services at Bowen Hills) causing further delays. 
• Lazy operations - e.g. 2 minute dwell time at Central for late running services. 

The effect of this on commuters and stakeholders:

• Typically, trains running up to 10 minutes late on all lines. 
• In some case, trains running up to 15 minutes late, or getting delayed further in their journey as a result of the earlier delay.
• Commuters being late for appointments, work, lectures, and meetings.
• Commuters missing onward train and bus connections - not good when some bus routes in Brisbane can be hourly (and yes, BrizCommuter has missed an hourly bus thanks to a daytime track closure). 
• Further evidence of QR's contempt for the travelling public. 
• Off-peak reliability figures are not published due to poor transparency, thus stakeholders are unaware of QR's mediocre off-peak performance. 

BrizCommuter is not aware of other urban rail systems that close tracks in the middle of day, resulting in delays. So why does QR think that they can get away with it? This is yet another example of QR's lack of customer focus. Lets hope that this is an easy fix for QR's new CEO - Mr Nick Easy.