Increase in SEQ train disruptions as 50¢ fare trial looms

An increasing number of train disruptions caused by signal faults and train faults has been reported by Queensland Rail only weeks before a trial of 50 cent fares begins.

An analysis of service updates posted by Queensland Rail on social media shows the number of monthly disruptions jumped 60 per cent between January and June when 734 were reported.

Commuter group Rail Back on Track did the analysis, finding the biggest increase was in “train faults,” of which there were 97 in January but 139 in June.

Queensland Rail has defended ongoing disruptions to services, saying it still meetings targets.Credit: Tony Moore

“Signalling disruptions” increased from 100 in January 2024 to 191 in June 2024, while disruptions caused by vehicles “hitting level crossings” has increased from 1 in January 2024 to 24 in June 2024.

Queensland Rail disputes the analysis, with a spokeswoman saying their social media posts were based on initial information and sometimes changed after investigation.

Rail Back on Track’s Robert Dow agreed it was “not an absolute analysis of the number of actual faults” but said current problems were not adequately explained in official running time figures.

Queensland Rail tweets service disruptions, often via Translink, to their 47,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dow said he was concerned 40 per cent of disruptions were attributed to train faults and signal issues.

“June was the worst month we have on record since I started monitoring this in March 2023. It is over 700 disruptions, which is enormous really,” he said.

Queensland Rail counts bridge strikes and events where vehicles strike level crossings as outside their control.

Train disruptions on the SEQ CityTrain network based on daily Translink data.Credit: Translink data compiled by Rail Back on Track.

Head of SEQ rail services Neil Backer said Queensland Rail was meeting its target of having 95 per cent of trains run on time.

“In May 2024, 95.58 per cent of SEQ trains arrived at their destination on time,” Backer said.

“When factors outside Queensland Rail’s responsibility are included, this figure was 93.33 per cent.”

Dow said the customer experience would deteriorate further due as more people used public transport to take advantage of the 50 cent fares.

“We think people who don’t normally use public transport are not going to have a very good experience and if trains and buses get overwhelmed – and Brisbane City Council has concerns here – so, you can see why we are concerned,” he said.

“We are not making this stuff up.”

Dow said unless improvements were made, there could be impacts on Brisbane’s underground Cross River Rail project when it started in 2026.