QR Tilt Train and repercussions from 6th Nov 98

[Graham Duffin <duffin@dyson.brisnet.org.au>]

QR Tilt Train set 301/302 is currently on a promotion tour between
Brisbane and Rockhampton:
Sun 1 Nov  Was at Roma Street, Brisbane (and was packed out with long
           long long queues).
Mon 2 Nov  Was at Nambour & Gympie North.
Tue 3 Nov  On display at Maryborough & Bundaberg
Wed 4 Nov  On display at Gladstone
Thu 5 Nov  On display at Rockhampton
Fri 6 Nov  First revenue service Rockhampton (dep 7.40am) to Bris
           arr 2.40pm.  Set 303/304 is expected to work the first
           northbound service Bris dep 10.30am arr Rockhampton 5.30pm.

As a result of the Tilt Train services the following repercussions will
occur:

1) The Sunday and Wednesday night ICE trains Bris - Rocky will no longer
   operate.  This means a reduction in the number of passenger services
   on the Bris - Rocky corridor.
2) Seven of the eight 2 car ICE units will now operate on Bris - Nambour -
   Gympie North services (plus the Saturday Bris- Rocky Sunday Rocky -
   Bris service). In other words some of the existing suburban EMU
   units will be withdrawn from Nambour services.
3) A 6 car ICE set (2x2 power pairs & 2 trailers) will be on standby in
   Brisbane each morning in case of a tilt train failure.
4) The eighth 2 car ICE unit will most likely go into the workshops for
   overhaul.  I suspect the whole ICE fleet will be overhauled in due
   course.
5) Some Nambour services have been re-timetabled to provide crossings
   with the tilt trains (there is a new Sunshine Coast timetable being
   issued effective 6th Nov 98).
6) An extra Caboolture-Nambour-Caboolture shuttle operated by an ICE
   set will run Mon-Fri ex Caboolture 9.55am and ex Nambour 11.19am.
7) On Sundays all Citytrain services between Caboolture & Gympie North
   will be operated by IMU or ICE sets.  The only exception is that the
   6.56am Nambour - Roma St will remain a 3 car EMU.

At the Roma Street display day last Sunday (1 Nov) QR were handing out a
blue covered timetable leaflet headed "Coastal Services timetable - Tilt
Train Effective 6 November 1998" showing the wrong days of operation of
the Tilt Train.  This blue brochure shows the Tilt Train operating
Rocky to Brisbane Sun - Fri when it is actually Mon to Sat.  The Spirit
of Capricorn ICE train is shown as operating Saturday ex Rocky when it
is actually operating Sunday ex Rocky.

Graham Duffin,
Salisbury, Qld.