New peak hour rail services for busy Caboolture and Ipswich lines

New morning peak hour rail services on the Ipswich and Caboolture lines starting in two weeks will cater for an extra 15,000 passengers each week.

Transport Minister John Mickel said today four new weekday services would start from February 23 on the two busy rail lines, providing an extra 1800 seats and room for 1200 standing passengers each weekday.

“We are serious about tackling traffic congestion by investing in public transport and that’s why the Queensland Government is introducing two new six-carriage services to both the Caboolture and Ipswich lines,” Mr Mickel said.

“The Queensland Government is also investing in new trains to deliver extra rail services - a total of 102 three-carriage trains are scheduled to be rolled out by 2016 to boost the total urban rail fleet by 70 per cent.”

Mr Mickel said one of the new services would depart Caboolture station at 6:01am and arrive at Central station at 7:05am.

“To further alleviate pressure on morning services on the Caboolture line, another new service will leave Petrie station at 7:58am and reach Central station at 8:43am,” he said.

On the Ipswich line, a new service would depart Ipswich station at 5:55am and arrive at Central station at 6:55am, before another service left Corinda station at 7:49am and reached Central at 8:11am.

“Ipswich commuters will also be pleased to hear another service currently departing Darra at 7:51am will be extended, now leaving earlier from Ipswich at 7:24am before reaching Central at 8.21am,” Mr Mickel said.

He said the introduction of the new services would further address growing passenger demand.

The latest services follow the introduction of a new morning peak hour service from Darra to Ipswich on January 12 this year.

“These are also in addition to the early-bird train services introduced on both the Ipswich and Caboolture lines in mid-October last year, which have proven very popular," he said.

Mr Mickel said roughly one train was being rolled out a month as part of the government’s $586 million investment in 44 new trains – the first of the additional 102 three-carriage sets.

“An extra 58 three-carriage trains will be procured as part of our commitment to ramp up capacity across the urban rail network,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Mickel said an extra 64,000 commuters a week would be able to be carried on Brisbane buses after a record $6.8 million investment by TransLink for new buses and more frequent services.

He said the improved bus services, also due to start from February 23, would benefit commuters in Brisbane city and Brisbane’s northern, southern and north-western suburbs.

Mr Mickel said the State Government, through TransLink, would fund the record bus improvements with services delivered by Brisbane Transport.

He said this bus improvement package was TransLink’s single biggest investment in bus services with 26 new buses to service the new and improved routes.

“Buses carry about two thirds of all passengers on the TransLink network so adding new buses and services are part of meeting the growing demand.”

The improved bus routes will include 66, 124, 140, 141, 142, 150, 153, 156, 157, 161, 162, 199, 343, 345, 363, 365, 366, 368, 369, 372, 373, 377 and 378.

Mr Mickel said some of the new enhancements included a new limited stop service (363 - Herston to Brisbane) and two new prepaid bus services (157- Runcorn to Brisbane and 343 - Aspley to Brisbane).

He said there would be significant improvements along the 140 (Browns Plains to Brisbane) corridor with 10 to 15 minute frequencies all day, seven days a week.

Mr Mickel said public transport patronage across the TransLink network had soared almost 40 per cent in the past four years.

“We are working hard to boost public transport services through extra trains and buses and major improvements to infrastructure amid this unprecedented growth,” he said.

Mr Mickel also encouraged commuters to familiarise themselves with the rail service enhancements and other minor timetable adjustments due to come into effect on February 23.

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.

Media contact: 3237 1944
9 February 2009