Disruption Management (Events, Planned Closures, Track Work, etc...)

[Ozbob]

[Axilya]

I think we should be careful who to place blame on here. To my understanding, ETU workers have been implementing partial work bans, and QR has responded by locking them out completely. Seems to me like the government wants to blame unions exclusively (no surprise there), when QR is at least partially to blame.

[ari]

Yeah it definitely comes off to me as QR/the government escalating a partial ban into a full lockout for point scoring reasons. Would not surprise me at all given this happened not even a month ago with the network controller ban on coal trains turning into a full lockout

[MossPickle]

Optimistically bold from Translink only updating Journey Planner with the new schedules until May 8.

[Axilya]

Or perhaps pessimistic, as they’re expecting things to get worse?

[MossPickle]

Let’s not hope for that…

[MossPickle]

I’m really hoping it’s an error, but although Cleveland line still has trains every 15 minutes… the expresses seem to have been axed both in peak and in counter peak. All services are now all stops, every 15 minutes.
Not happy QR

[ClevelandLine]

The expresses are generally what make the frequency better than 15 minutes so are somewhat the “Odd ones out” when it cames to cutting services. It also makes sense - if it is only 15 minute frequency it would be unfair to make some of those expresses and consign people heading to missed stations to a 30 minute frequency.

[MossPickle]

I believe Springfield & Ippy may also have lost their expresses

[Axilya]

@MossPickle

Springfield & Ippy may also have lost their expresses

Springfield doesn’t have any expresses, but yes, it sure looks like no express trains on the Ipswich line. I guess they’ve done that to improve frequency at the non-express stations between Darra and Milton.

[MossPickle]

That seems to be where most of the savings are, removing express services on the south side.
Northside and Beenleigh weren’t so fortunate

[Ozbob]

Yes, no express services with the putative Saturday timetable.

Our transport Minister is demonstrating failed leadership.

[rowangray]

@Courier-Mail

Queensland’s rail network could shut down in a matter of days, the transport union claims, with maintenance workers told not to turn up to work during strike action.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union’s wage war with Queensland Rail has exploded after the union accused the government of purposely wasting bargaining time by offering a “carbon copy” wage deal rejected weeks ago.

Both the RTBU and Queensland Rail have been summoned to an urgent Fair Work meeting this Thursday to finalise a pay deal that will return the rail network to full capacity.

The union has been striking for nearly two months during the wage dispute.

RTBU secretary Peter Allen has maintained that his members have only engaged in “low level” strike action, not intended to impact commuters.

However, Queensland Rail has argued that the scatter-gun industrial action undertaken by all seven unions has led to a significant maintenance backlog, affecting 20 per cent of its train stock.

It led to a decision by QR last week to cut all services down to a Saturday timetable, and reduce some regional and freight services.

Mr Allen on Monday said that move was unnecessary and only served as a punishment for commuters.

He revealed that Queensland Rail had since issued more return to work notices to RTBU members, telling them to not show up to work if they intended to partake in strike action and not perform full duties.

“I can’t imagine who in their right mind would think that shutting the network was a good way to get people around the network,” he said.

“We’ve said time and time again our action will be low level and measured paperwork bans.

“We don’t live in a perfect world where we can take industrial action in a public network that somehow puts pressure on government, that has absolutely no impact.

“We’re trying to minimise the impact here, whereas Queensland Rail and the government have said flat out, well, don’t come to work if this is what you’re going to do, and they’re crashing this network.”

Mr Allen declared the RTBU would not back down and warned that locking out more maintenance staff would exacerbate the current strain on the network, potentially forcing Queensland Rail into a shutdown before the weekend.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-rail-network-faces-shutdown-in-days-union-warns-amid-strike-chaos/news-story/eef77ddb46e626c51c02b98a1bd11da1

[MossPickle]

Why would it force the network into a shutdown?
Hypothetically speaking - if there’s NGRs couldn’t you split the fleet of 75 and have:

10 NGRs Cleveland-Sandgate
15 NGRs Ipswich-Caboolture
15 NGRs Springfield-Redcliffe
15 NGRs Gold Coast-Airport
2 NGRs Doomben Line
1 NGR Rosewood Line
10 NGR Beenleigh-Ferny Grove (and have the doors lock at the Ferny Grove stations where the guard can’t see them)

And keep the rest aside so then if there’s a train fault they can use them?
It’d be a really crappy timetable but some trains is better than no trains

[Verbatim9]

They are just headlines focusing on fear and scare tactics to get people to read the article.

CM is in the category of being a tabloid paper.

[rowangray]

Except it isn’t… the union Spokesperson said that the network may need to be shutdown. It’s in the quote.

The Courier-Mail can have its issues, but it’s important to not let our preconceived biases inform our opinions before reading the article.

[MossPickle]

I just wanna put it out there, ringing the Translink phone number now gives you a new pre-recorded message about the train timetable changes to visit the service updates page. The voiceover sounds quite annoyed. I wonder how many calls they got before they added that

[Beerwatcher]

Hypothetically what will happen if there’s a full shutdown? Mass mobilisation of rail buses or “bad luck guys”….

[austin]

I guess it’ll just mean more working-from-home (WFH), and if things start looking terminal for Queensland Rail, hell maybe high schools will start offering Zoom meetings and online-schooling again to their students.

Ross Newth announcement(?): “Customers are reminded that Queensland Rail may shut down for an undetermined period of time in the following days. Railbuses will only be provided at certain stations, due to limited bus operators from interstate. Station staff will not be available to assist. We advise that you instead catch a rigid, TAG axle, artic, or Metro at a high frequency busway station at the South-East, Eastern, or Northern busways. We apologize for any inconveniences. Now arriving at South Bank busway station. Change here for the high frequency South Bank busway station, with turn up n’ go frequencies to the City, Roma Street, Herston, QUT Kelvin Grove, UQ Lakes, Woolloongabba, southern, eastern, western, and northern suburbs.”

[MossPickle]

Mmmmm I love these new announcements
Was this on-board a South Bank train tonight