Re: Brisbane Airport Rail Link

[Colin Weaver <weaver@powerup.com.au>]

I saw that article in the Courier Mail - not only did it refer to the
new light rail to the airport, it also had an illustration of an ADTranz
EuroTram in front of Sth Brisbane which was taken straight off the
Brisbane Light Rail website!

The Gold Coast line could do with a clockface half hourly timetable - I
was quite surprised when I looked at the QROTI TVM and found that it
doesn't even stick to a half hourly peak, then hourly off-peak pattern,
instead varying slightly from a half hourly or hourly pattern through
the day.

For example, on a weekday trains for Robina depart Central at:

5:31, 6:01, 6:49, 7:46, 8:26, 8:57, 9:26, 9:56, thence hourly
until 12:56, 13:26, 13:56, 14:26, 14:56, 15:27, 16:03, 16:29,
17:30, 18:00, 18:29, 19:30, 20:26, 21:26, 22:26, 21:26

This kind of almost but not quite regular timetable is nearly
impossible to remember and probably plays a small part in
discouraging use of the service (not that the Gold Coast
trains look under utilised).

I doubt the 4 new IMUs will be sufficient to improve things much.  QR
needs to invest in a substantial new batch of IMUs - who knows, Walkers
come up with something even better than the 220 series SMUs.

--Colin



Leigh Kirwan wrote:
> 
> MattyQ wrote:
> 
> > John Kozak <jkoz@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> > 5pEV4.38652$PL4.809469@ozemail.com.au">news:5pEV4.38652$PL4.809469@ozemail.com.au...
> > > The Newspapers describe the Airport link to be "Light Rail", does this
> > mean
> > > that there is going to be a "tram" which connects
> > > to the QR railway system ?
> >
> > This is yet another fine example of the media not having a clue what they
> > are talking about. The Brisbane Airport (Airtrain Citylink) is a HEAVY rail
> > system. The only difference between the Airport line and any other line in
> > Brisbane is that it is privately owned. Everything else is the same -
> > permanent way, overhead traction, signalling, everything.
> >
> > It is intended that a 15 minute service will run. All trains will be express
> > between Eagle Junction and Bowen Hills. Every second train will continue
> > to/commence from Robina using the same stopping pattern as existing Robina
> > services.
> >
> 
> Does this mean that the off-peak hourly service to the Gold Coast will be
> increased to a 30 min. headway?  QR was recently crowing in the Gold Coast paper
> that they had recorded a 10% increase in passengers in the last year.  This is
> evidenced in quite a lot of standing room only trains.
> 
> Many destinations in Brisbane are not accessible by train, discouraging use by
> Gold Coasters.  Brisbane Airport, however seems to me to be a very marketable
> destination for Citytrain.  I wonder how just 4 more 3-car sets which are
> currently on order are going to be able to provide a 15-min service if seats are
> to be provided.  As it is, on school holidays when 6 car trains are run all day
> on the line to Robina, SMUs and even EMUs are forced into service on the line.
> The 6 car trains in the usual morning and afternoon peaks run at 30 min
> intervals but have standees in every carriage most days now.
> 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> Leigh John KIRWAN  L.Kirwan@mailbox.gu.edu.au
> Lecturer in Japanese
> School of Languages & Linguistics, Faculty of Arts,  Griffith University Gold
> Coast Campus
> Parklands Drive, Southport  4215.
> PMB 50 Gold Coast Mail Centre, Queensland, Australia 9726.
> +61 7 5594 8612   Mobile 0403 169 445
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++