BrisbaneTimes Tirade on BNE Airtrain

[tuppaware]

I love it when a newspaper goes to task on an issue.

Airport Train Covered in Rubbish
Brisbane Airport Train Covered in Rubbish

Commuters on the train - of which this reporter was one - said while messy, filthy conditions were reported as front page news from Delhi, in Brisbane it barely attracted shrugs from staff.

Fruit scraps, abandoned newspapers, tampons, junk food containers jammed into seats, beside seats, under seats, on seats and then strewn across the floor of the first five carriages

Airtrain rip-off a ticketing 'anomaly
Brisbane Airtrain Tickets Cost More from Suburban Stations

Brisbane train passengers travelling direct from suburban stations to the airport pay up to $5.70 more than those who break their trip in the city.

Night flight? Guess you'll be catching a cab then
Brisbane Airtrain lacking services after 8pm

"The cost of operating additional train services is quite extreme," he said. "To run those extra services, there would not be enough passengers to offset the cost of providing the trains.".

I find if there is two or more people going to the airport its cheaper to drive and park, then catch public transport for a weekend away! Since when was public transport about making profit?

 

[markis10]

I find if there is two or more people going to the airport its cheaper to drive and park, then catch public transport for a weekend away! Since when was public transport about making profit?

The Airtrain is not "public owned" transport, its a private service hence the need for a profit. I have used the airtrain once since it came into existence purely because its hours stink, during non daylight saving an 8PM close means you cannot get later than a 6PM flight ex Sydney or 5PM ex Melbourne and you still have to hope there are no delays. Practical for business travellers - no. It also has very limited morning departures, no service will allow you to get the airport before the 6AM flight to Sydney closes for baggage checkin, which of course is an 8.30AM arrival, forget about the first flights of the day!

 

[medhead]

Even little old adelaide has public transport (a bus) from the north east of the city that gets to the airport at 5:10am and last one leaving at 10:45pm.

 

[thewinchester]

Heavens above, sounds like another News Limited rag searching for a story when there isn't one.

Yes, trains do get messy - sometimes more than others. However you can't position attendants or enforcement staff on every train to make sure people behave. You also can't have cleaners spruce the train up constantly as that becomes too costly.

As I understand it, Airtrain is operated using QR Cityrail rollingstock, which connects off other lines. So the untidiness isn't a result of just airport line users.

On the price issue, these services are always going to cost a little bit more. Personally, I don't mind the AUD15 fare. I think it's reasonable during the day for the time saved and convenience.

With all transport options it's about the break even point. They have to find a level which gives them the desired level of service that ensures the service doesn't run at too great a loss.

Historically, most state public transport agencies operate antiquated timetable systems, don't survey pax needs frequently enough, and/or fail to use massive data warehouses that give them deep insight into service demand/efficiency/timetable performance.

So yes, airport rail is there in Brisbane, and it's one of many options to get to/from the airport. You don't have to use it, and if do then you should know how, when, and how to get the best price.

Right, my public transport rant is over.

 

[samh004]

My dad was actually wondering out loud the other day if they had a contract or lease on the service, when it would be up. Not that I think the new QR would care to fight for customers.

From the Gold Coast it's $25 one way. These days my dad catches a train to Brisbane and a taxi in. Not because of the price mind you, but because at 9 the only services are anywhere but BNE.

I do hope they get better services and run cheaper at some point. They should be part of QR. And QR should have the balls to renegotiate and not let them use their stock or tracks if they're just ripping us off.

 

[medhead]

I would guess it's a PPP and that the life of the arrangement is something like 25 years.
I think sydney's M4 recently reverted back to public ownership after about that sort of time frame.

 

[TanyaGordon]

Heavens above, sounds like another News Limited rag searching for a story when there isn't one.
.

Brisbane times is a Fairfax paper.

 

[tuppaware]

Heavens above, sounds like another News Limited rag searching for a story when there isn't one.

Its Fairfax company ... I generally find it better then the 'curious'mail .

Although I understand its a privately owned company (and the same company that runs Mel Skybus and Syd Airtrain), but its still public resource and I believe if the company can't run the service correctly then the government should step in.

 

[thewinchester]

Brisbane times is a Fairfax paper.

I stand corrected on its ownership, the point was to suggest that News reporting 'standards' are being mirrored by the paper in question.

 

[Mal]

Seems like Minister Nolan has a bee in her bonnet about the service:

Minister questions Airtrain's monopoly

Transport Minister Rachel Nolan could break Airtrain's public transport monopoly of direct airport services if the private company does not add extra services.

Ms Nolan will meet with Airtrain officials next week to discuss their failure to provide rail services from Brisbane Airport after 8pm.

Between 30 and 40 flights arrive and depart from the airport after 8pm on any night of the week.

 

[markis10]

Seems like Minister Nolan has a bee in her bonnet about the service:

Minister questions Airtrain's monopoly

LOL more likely she has just woken up to the fact the contract her government put in place has issues for the past 7 years that are starting to really bite.

Its slightly OT but I think the airportlink tunnel will be the next one, first it was the share issue debacle, now the same company decision makers decided to put their equipment lockup in the Toombul shopping centre car park. Those of you local would know that they are located in an area that used to have a sign - "carpark floods during heavy rain", that sign was removed to make way for the storage area for airport link.

Nice pictures on the news Monday night of their buses, excavators and trucks, well just their roofs as the rest was under the water after a weekend of rain :mrgreen:.

 

[docjames]

Nice pictures on the news Monday night of their buses, excavators and trucks, well just their roofs as the rest was under the water after a weekend of rain :mrgreen:.

That'll add nicely to the economic viability.

Oh, and dont doubt that the minister is only kicking up a stink being worried about re-election.

 

[samh004]

Oh, and dont doubt that the minister is only kicking up a stink being worried about re-election.

Perhaps, but there is a lack of services when a LOT of flights are arriving. It makes no sense not to have any services at these later hours.

 

[markis10]

Perhaps, but there is a lack of services when a LOT of flights are arriving. It makes no sense not to have any services at these later hours.

Common sense is not in operation here, they used to have a last service at 7.30PM, and as I mentioned its impossible to get to the airport by train for a day trip to Sydney where yo need to be at your first meeting by 9AM (even if that is at the airport). Thats assuming you live at Eagle Junction!

 

[Groundfeeder]

One report in the BT states about 33 BNE Dom arrivals after 8pm weekdays.

Now if we could get all those pax on the Airtrain, it should instantly alleviate the kerbside collection fracas.:!:

 

[Joshua]

Regardless I have given up on the damn service, now renting cars most of the time. No point paying $50 for a taxi but if the train was at least extended from 8pm to at least 10pm it would help a lot. Of course there are also JQ arrivals later but I guess it's a matter of economics. Here I thought it was actually a profitable service, surly those few hours in the day wouldn't see such a dramatic pax drop off.

 

[BAM1748]

My dad was actually wondering out loud the other day if they had a contract or lease on the service, when it would be up. Not that I think the new QR would care to fight for customers.

From the Gold Coast it's $25 one way. These days my dad catches a train to Brisbane and a taxi in. Not because of the price mind you, but because at 9 the only services are anywhere but BNE.

I do hope they get better services and run cheaper at some point. They should be part of QR. And QR should have the balls to renegotiate and not let them use their stock or tracks if they're just ripping us off.

The new QR excludes passenger service which will remain as is.

 

[BAM1748]

My dad was actually wondering out loud the other day if they had a contract or lease on the service, when it would be up. Not that I think the new QR would care to fight for customers.

From the Gold Coast it's $25 one way. These days my dad catches a train to Brisbane and a taxi in. Not because of the price mind you, but because at 9 the only services are anywhere but BNE.

I do hope they get better services and run cheaper at some point. They should be part of QR. And QR should have the balls to renegotiate and not let them use their stock or tracks if they're just ripping us off.

There would be a performance contract on QR to deliver X trains over Y period. What it actually is I don't know.

 

[markis10]

The new QR excludes passenger service which will remain as is.

Sam is trying to say that QR and not a private company should be running it, nothing to do with the float AFAIK.

 

[BAM1748]

Its Fairfax company ... I generally find it better then the 'curious'mail .

Although I understand its a privately owned company (and the same company that runs Mel Skybus and Syd Airtrain), but its still public resource and I believe if the company can't run the service correctly then the government should step in.

I think the Sydney service is CityRail contracted to provide services for the station operators, which is a bank!