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| 23 minute gap caused by an express |
Here is BrizCommuter's guide as to why the express services were abolished:
- The sector 2 timetables are based around a recurring 15 minute cycle in the peak period.
- In the am peak, and majority of the pm peak, the Ferny Grove Line has 2 trains services per 15 minute cycle. These services have specific slots through the CBD in between services on the Airport, Shorncliffe, and Doomben Lines.
- If a Ferny Grove Line service was to run express, it would take up 2 slots instead of 1 as it runs slightly faster.
- This would result in service gaps of up to 22-23 minutes instead of 7-8 minutes for non-served stations - that's a 15 minute longer wait for some passengers so that others can get to work a few minutes faster!
- It would also result in service gaps of up to 15 minutes instead of 7-8 minutes for stations served by the expresses - that's a 7-8 minute longer wait for passengers who use stations served by the express service so that they can get to work a few minutes faster!
- Just 1 express per hour would reduce the capacity of the line and trains per hour figure by 12.5%.
- 2 expresses per hour would reduce the capacity of the line and trains per hour figure by 25%.
- The Ferny Grove Line is only 16km long, shorter than many metro lines around the world, and is thus too short to realistically justify an express service.
- The old timetable had just 1 express service per hour, which was not useful to anyone travelling on the other services. Only an idiot would plan their life around an hourly express service.
So as you can see, express services on the Ferny Grove Line are not justified, and commuters still wanting an express service to and from Ferny Grove are quite frankly selfish.
Recent outbreaks of "morning 3-car-itis", and "15 minute gap before the 5:26pm fever" are however entirely justified.
I kinda agreed with your opinion on the express issue for the FG line, until Translink went and stuck on 3 car services, now I very much disagree with your analysis. Since Translink and QR have decided that it is the FG line passengers who should suffer, then I believe it is only fair that express services should be incorporated into the timetable for at least part of where the current 3 car services are. Running from Mitchelton to Bowen Hills.
ReplyDeleteAs I have pointed out to you before and your analysis above ignores it, those from Mitchelton inwards all have alternative bus routes they can catch to get them to the city. Those who live Oxford Park and west have no such options.
It is only reasonable that whilst Translink and QR run 3 car services in both directions, then at least some of those services should be express. If those who live between Mitchelton and Windsor don't like it, they can catch the bus, they at least have that option.
Garvin - the 3-car issue would be better solved by turning them into 6-car units. Running express services would only create 7-8 min longer gaps between trains for passengers between Mitchelton and Ferny Grove, and 15 min longer gaps between trains for passengers between Gaythorne and Windsor. Each express service will remove another service from the line due to track slots through the CBD. So running expresses would actually make the Ferny Grove Line service considerably worse, and even result in more overcrowding.
ReplyDeleteBrisbanites are so selfish!
ReplyDeleteGarvin - the 3-car issue would be better solved by turning them into 6-car units. - Perhaps, but since this does not exist unless a full timetable network change was made, lets say this is not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteNow on to your conclusions below, which I disagree with.
Running express services would only create 7-8 min longer gaps between trains for passengers between Mitchelton and Ferny Grove,=
Under my plan, it does not create any greater time difference at all. Remember, my plan is to keep the current timetable, and run the 3 cars as express from Mitchelton to Bowen Hills. So those from FG to Mitchelton are keeping their same time slots. They are no worse off, unless they are wanting to travel to stations Gaythorne to Windsor.
And 15 min longer gaps between trains for passengers between Gaythorne and Windsor.
Again, and I feel I do need to repeat this, those from Mitchelton inwards have multiple bus options, so the train is not the only option. That needs to be taken into account in the timetabling. A fact you seem to readily ignore, but then complain two minutes later about integrated services.
Lets deal with the services from 7am approx onwards, there are three three cars- 6:55, 7:10, 7:25.
They can be turned into express services, resulting in a 15 minute service for the Gaythorne to Windsor stations, but remember, they are having much complained about 3 car services, and they have bus options.
Each express service will remove another service from the line due to track slots through the CBD. So running expresses would actually make the Ferny Grove Line service considerably worse, and even result in more overcrowding.
No it doesnt- As explained above, the same timetable is kept, except that services are arriving 5 minutes earlier at Bowen Hills. There are open slots on platform 1 at Bowen Hills that could accommodate the three express services, either with the current timetable as mentioned above, or with moving the timetable by a couple of minutes.
I still believe it is possible.
Garvin - sorry, but you are talking gibberish.
ReplyDeleteIf you turned the 3-car services into expresses, then to keep the same slot through the CBD, they would have either have to:
1) Depart stations Ferny Grove-Mitchelton 5 mins earlier, just 3 mins behind the preceding train, thus creating an uneven alternating 3/12 minute headway or...
2) to maintain a 7-8 min frequency between Ferny Grove-Mitchelton, the train would run at the same speed as an all stations train between Mitchelton and Bowen Hills with no time saving, defeating the purpose of running express.
Also, why should passengers between Gaythorne and Windor be screwed with a less frequent service than passengers between Mitchelton and Ferny Grove? The whole point of the new timetable is a frequent service for ALL passengers, it is just unfortunate that two of these services are overcrowded.
I read those letters in North West News and thought what a bunch of selfish *****
ReplyDelete