Less Rail Patronage - Why?

Perth - 15 minute frequency, 7 days a week

After significant SE Queensland rail patronage increases in the mid 2000s, patronage has declined significantly in recent years. This is being used by the LNP as an excuse to axe Brisbane's Cross River Rail (yet again). There is huge latent demand for rail transport, but unfortunately this patronage is being stifled for the following reasons:

• I would catch the train if the pm peak frequency wasn't half of the am peak frequency.
• I would catch the train if the off-peak frequency wasn't so poor.
• I would catch the train if I didn't have to travel on overcrowded 3-car trains.
• I would catch the train if it wasn't for the axed train services due to Rail Fail.
• I would catch the train if Fridays had the same timetable as Monday to Thursday.
• I would catch the train if night time services didn't keep being replaced by buses.
• I would catch the train if my services didn't keep getting cancelled or expressed past my station.
• I would catch the train if weekend services were sometimes not hourly. 
• I would catch the train if it wasn't cheaper to drive.
• I would catch the train if I could salary sacrifice the fare.
• I would catch the train if the station car park didn't reach capacity at 6:50am.
• I would catch the train if there was a frequent bus service to the station.
• I would catch the train if the last connecting bus service ran after 5pm.
• I would catch the train if the air conditioning wasn't too hot/cold.
• I would catch the train if they weren't filthy cess pits. 

Unfortunately, most of the above are due to failed public transport policy by successive governments on both sides of politics (and in a  few cases Brisbane City Council and TransLink incompetence).  The biggest causes of patronage decline is poor frequency and overcrowded train services due to chronic lack of trains and drivers. The #RailFail lack of drivers won't be resolved until at least 2019. As not enough NGR trains have been ordered to maximise use of the current network, lack of trains will again be an issue by the early 2020s. Fare policy is a other huge issue, with a clear link between successive 15% fare increases and patronage decline. Lesser issues include the removal of cleaners at termini under the Newman government, and lack of station car parking.

There is huge latent demand for public transport in Brisbane, all it requires is for QR to run a frequent  train service that the population of SE Queensland deserves (as per Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne). Of course, governments may be purposefully stifling demand for public transport to avoid having to build more rail infrastructure such as Cross River Rail, and Salisbury to Beaudesert Line. If Queensland governments continue to ignore public transport, then Brisbane will struggle to attract business as it descends further into car-centric transport failure.