Before BrizCommuter heads into hibernation, what is the state of play?
- Queensland Rail (QR) - is still managing to be the worst train operator in Oceania. The expected date for resolution for #RailFail seems to be state secret, which can only mean that it won't be resolved this decade. Both the previous LNP government and the current ALP government should hang their heads in shame on how they have handled QR. In fact, BrizCommuter thinks that the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) are running QR! Train service frequencies are now worse than Adelaide. Melbourne has a 500% more frequent train service on some weekends. The only thing that QR seem to be good at (sic) is obfuscation of reasons why trains are delayed - "congestion on the network" anyone?
- NGR - an absolutely disastrous project, poorly managed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. The lack of disability access is a national disgrace, and not enough trains were ordered. Lets hope the the inquiry finds out who made the wrong decisions, and why they were made so that the same mistakes are never made again. A further little known problem, is that more trains need to be ordered very soon for service expansion and Cross River Rail, and there is zero progress as to how this order will proceed.
- Brisbane's Bus Network - still a confusing and inefficient mess, with multiple bus routes along the same corridors staring at different locations in the CBD. Maybe the Brisbane Metro might solve things?
- Brisbane Metro - finally came good after the original ludicrous "rubber tyred metro" plan, but only really brings the busway to standard that it should have been built to in the first place. Unless you believe LNP spin, it is not as important as...
- Cross River Rail - finally going ahead (unless a future LNP government cancel it again), but now cut price the point at which it is quite half-arsed. The tunnel needs to be designed to allow a railway line along the Trouts Rd Corridor/North West Transport Corridor to be connected. Without at least 40 extra trains, sustained driver recruitment, and multiple related infrastructure projects (including extra tracks on the Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line and Cleveland Line), Cross River Rail is heading towards being a $5.4b Rail Fail.
- Unfair fares - the current fare system is broken. No weekly capping is causing a nose dive in weekend patronage. Increasing fares during #RailFail is not winning any friends.
- LNP loony policies - however bad the ALP are running the show, the LNP really don't get it. Every election they come out with a ridiculous unworkable idea such as 7-car trains, the BaT Tunnel, and Hyperloop to Bundaberg. The plan to privatise QR by stealth has cause major issues with the NGR and #RailFail. The LNPs anti-Cross River Rail stance continues despite being a reason why they lost the last state election.
- Backlog of infrastructure projects - with the slow progress of major infrastructure projects in SE Queensland, there is now a huge (and expensive) backlog of public transport infrastructure projects required to keep pace with population growth and urban sprawl. These include the Salisbury to Beaudesert Line, Trouts Rd/North West Transport Corridor, rail to Caloundra and Maroochydore (CAMCOS), Gold Coast Line extension to Coolangatta Airport, Springfield Line extension to Ripley, Cleveland Line duplication, extra tracks on Gold Coast/Beenleigh Line corridor.
See ya!
RE congestion on the network
ReplyDeleteTo start with the Queensland government through Queensland transport via Translink appoints service providers - contractors to provide the rail bus and ferry services.
None of the service providers create the timetables, timetables are created by Translink.
The service provider is payed for each service that's run start to finish, service fee + km fee + on time bonus regardless of the number of passengers carried.
The service providers are payed by Translink from consolidated revue. Your fares go to Translink not the service provider.
Service providers must comply with relevant transport regulations.
Queensland Rail - QR is a contractor to Translink, ticket services, track maintance services, signal control services and train services.
Complaints about timetable issues go to Translink, Complaints about the train or train staff go to QR.
QR is not really interested in timetable issues, their all about seeing that the train runs from start to finish as close to time as possible, so they can get payed, but there are rules that must be followed such as "congestion on the network" - your train has been delayed because its following closely behind another train and has to comply with the compulsory safe driving on yellow signals policy. The trains speed is reduced by a percentage of the track speed on passing a yellow signal, this is to comply with the QR SPAD prevention measures. Due to a number of SPADs, QR had to take measures to show QT that as a rail operator, their doing something to reduce the number of SPADs on the rail network.
Believe it or not it's actually about reducing potential crashes before they happen, a delay for passengers but overall a good thing.