Buses following train lines aren’t necessarily problematic if they are intended to serve a last mile purpose. So close stop spacing, entering into suburban streets rather than sticking to main roads exclusively, and having frequent interchange points to faster modes.
The issue we see particularly in Brisbane is that many BUZ routes follow train lines. BUZ routes have wider stop spacing and follow main roads, so they aren’t really the best for last mile journeys. They also often completely bypass train stations which are only a block or two away.
Brisbane seems to execute this poorly IMO aside from maybe the 224/225 service.
A route that most bus routes with train lines is the 255. Runs between Birkdale Station and Cleveland however does a fantastic job at going to suburban streets as well as passing shops and other amenities.
The concept I’m talking about is more akin to intercity coaches used for commuter/regional routes like those found in Toronto, Montreal, parts of the US, Europe or Chile.
Those usually complement rail operations and offer a different service. The closest analog we have in Australia is V/Line coaches operating alongside their rail corridors.
Yes, I went there yesterday. It’s a new station. Nothing particularly special, IMO, although I did notice that the DG platform is on a considerably lower level than the other two. Not sure why this is.
Saw what I assume was a Westlander consist going on the dual gauge through Park Rd-South Bank around 10:45 this morning. I didn’t see where it went any further, because I got off at South Bank. Only going by memory here, but it was 2414 2490(H?), something that looked like a car carrier wagon, and two passenger cars. No power car, though.
Anyone know what the purpose of this was? Driver training, maybe?
Gosh, the frequency diagrams for trains REALLY need a lot of work.
Heading northbound, the diagram only shows trains heading for Bowen Hills with no info about trains continuing to Ferny Grove. Heading southbound, they only show the trains heading to Beenleigh, and only shows the frequencies for Beenleigh terminators only. What about the Coopers Plains and Kuraby trains that basically double the frequency of the inner Beenleigh line during weekdays?
Beenleigh only. With no regard for trains that terminate before Beenleigh.
In fact, the northbound and southbound diagrams don’t even line up! The northbound diagram shows the all-day weekday frequency to the city is 15min, while the southbound diagram shows the trains run every 30min. It creates a very skewed representation that citybound trains are twice as frequent as southbound trains which is just pure idiocy (unless there are trains that terminate at Salisbury station which is absolutely not the case)!
I had the [unfortunate] experience of taking a bus from Upper Mount Gravatt to Springwood during the middle of school peak travel time this afternoon, and made a few observations:
There were two State Government Protective Services guards (not Police, not Translink, and neither BCC nor Clarks employees) supervising the southbound platform, and ensuring people got on and off the bus safely, and buses weren’t overloaded.
A 555 artic packed to the gills stopped, a half a dozen people got off, so the PSGs allowed the same number to get on.
The next bus to Springwood was a 581, which I boarded. The driver made a complaint about people boarding too slowly. This was probably true, as almost everyone was using the reader directly next to the driver. I used the one inside the door a bit to the right, but I can understand why some people might be reluctant to do so—I’ve been accused of fare evading when using this reader, as I’ve walked past the driver without tapping on. Anyway, the loading could’ve also been made much faster if Clark’s would get rid of their ridiculous front-door boarding only policy.
Legendary Beenleigh line run find - assuming these aren’t done very often at all.
Wonder how they’re working alongside the usual Gold Coast line and Cleveland line runs? Doesn’t Boggo usually get pretty crowded with trains usually on a standard peak day?
Anytrip shows a couple Roma Street starters going to Ferny Grove & Airport - guessing they’re making up for the usual ones being used from Robina
I noticed that a couple runs were actually running express from Beenleigh to Roma Street (arriving on Plat9) with the usual stops at Loganlea and Altandi, so I’m pretty sure those were sent via Tennyson and Indro instead.
4.05pm Robina to Kippa-Ring that was a Plat. 9 train went via the usual route according to AnyTrip, so I guess that would be the Platform 9 one you saw. No others as far as I can tell went to Platform 9 - anything to FG went via the usual route of Boggo Road.
