All aboard new train service on the Ipswich line

Transport Minister John Mickel and State Member for Mount Ommaney Julie Attwood have announced a new morning peak-hour service on the busy Ipswich line to help ease passenger demand ahead of further service enhancements early this year.

Mr Mickel said from Monday January 12, a new service departing from Darra station at 6.35am and arriving at Central station at 7.04am would be introduced to help alleviate pressure on early morning Ipswich line services.”

“This new six-carriage service will provide an extra 450 seats and further room for 300 standing passengers during the height of peak hour,” Mr Mickel said.

“This new ‘sweeper’ service will depart Darra station six minutes before a busy service leaves the same station at 6.41am.

“This new service is designed to pick up passengers beforehand to help ease demand.”

Mrs Attwood said the TransLink Transit Authority and QR were responding to passengers’ calls for extra services on the Ipswich line.

“We are introducing this new service before the holiday break winds up and people return to work and school,” Mrs Attwood said.

“If this new service is a success it will be here to stay, along with the early-bird train services introduced on both the Ipswich and Caboolture lines in mid-October last year which have proven popular.”

“We are listening to passengers’ feedback for extra services and we are confident upcoming changes will help address increasing passenger demand,” she said.

Mr Mickel said the new service preceded service enhancements to be rolled out early this year.

“Public transport patronage across the TransLink network has soared almost 40 per cent in the past four years.” Mr Mickel said.

“Amid this unprecedented growth the State Government is committed to boosting public transport services through extra rollingstock and major improvements to infrastructure.

“We are rolling out a total of 102 three-carriage trains – roughly one train a month – to boost the total fleet by 70 per cent.”

For further information about public transport services, please visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

8 January 2009

Media contact: 3237 1944