Fares Increase, QR's Rail Fail Farce Continues...

Screenshot from getsetforthegames.com
How can we prepare with no timetables?

As Queensland Rail's (QR) inadequate Summer Holiday Interim Timetable (SHIT) comes to a close, TransLink have unimpressively increased public transport fares in SE Queensland by 1.5%. This small fare increase, based on CPI, was expected as part of the public transport fare reforms. Unfortunately, any increase in fares during the continuation of #RailFail leaves a very sour taste in the mouth of the dwindling number of SE Queensland rail commuters. It is totally unacceptable for fares to be increased until QR's full October 2016 timetable is re-implemented or even improved upon.

Just to add insult to injury, QR's 2017 interim timetable will be continued indefinitely throughout 2018. Commuters are not impressed with the ongoing 330+ axed train services/week, and confusingly different timetables for Fridays. Even QR's base service (before service axing) is worse than Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth. The sporadic hourly weekend services are also worse than Adelaide, Auckland, and even tiny Wellington. Both QR and TransLink continued to show their contempt for commuters, by only announcing the continuation of the 2017 interim timetable with less than a week until the 2018 2017 timetables were implemented. Very little explanation was required, just stating " On Monday 22 January, services will revert to the timetable in place prior to the temporary summer service changes, coinciding with the beginning of the school term". QR have also ignored questions on social media asking for when the October 2016 timetable will be restored, which shows that either they don't have a clue,  don't care about their customers, or both. Stop the spin, and just be honest please QR!

The lack of information from QR, TransLink, the Queensland Government, and the utterly pointless CityTrain Response Unit on when #RailFail will be resolved is very concerning. Given that only 2 train services have been restored in the last year shows quite how badly QR stuffed up when it came to planning the October 2016 timetables for the opening of the Redcliffe Peninsula Line. With the Commonwealth Games looming, changes to train drivers working conditions later in the year, and drivers leaving QR at a similar rate to new drivers being qualified, then BrizCommuter is expecting at least another year of pain for SE Queensland commuters.

On the subject of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018), commuters are being urged to change their journey plans during the games at: https://www.getsetforthegames.com/travel-public-transport
Unfortunately, as neither expected train service frequencies, let alone the actual timetables themselves have been published, then this situation is somewhat farcical!  Maybe QR and Department of Transport and Main Roads are awaiting a decision on the legality of running the badly designed NGR trains before publishing the timetables?

With Rail Fail, Commonwealth Games Fail, and NGR Fail still ongoing, SE Queensland's public transport system is set to be an embarrassment to Australia on the world stage.