More Brisbane peak hour trains cut from six carriages to three as Queensland Rail staff strike

No, it’s not your imagination - there is a good chance your local train service is more crammed than usual. This is why.

A packed three-carriage peak hour train on Tuesday morning

Frustrated commuters who have spent the past two months crammed on overcrowded trains during the morning and afternoon peak hour have slammed Queensland Rail.

The rail network provider has confirmed there have been more three-carriage services, instead of the usual six carriages, during peak periods for the past two months.

Queensland Rail said industrial action was to blame for the service cuts and while the staff strikes have now ended, the usual six-carriage services are not expected to be fully restored across the network until the end of the month.

Commuter Andrew Morrison said for the past two months, his Ferny Grove/Beenleigh train in the morning and afternoon peak hour has “mostly” been reduced to a three-carriage service.

“It is shoulder to shoulder. Thankfully I only go two stops and then I get off at Yeronga station, so I don’t mind standing,” he said.

“But last week I saw a (three-car) Cleveland train come through and it was packed to the rafters, you couldn’t get anyone else on. One poor guy had a bicycle and was trying to get on at the end carriage, but he couldn’t fit on.”

Other commuters have voiced similar concerns via Queensland Rail’s social media pages – the Ferny Grove line is the main source of complaints, but passengers on the Ipswich/Rosewood and Cleveland lines have also reported the same issue.

“What the hell is going on with the Ferny Grove lines? Why are they all 3 car units in absolute peak hour? No one can fit on these tiny trains,” one Twitter user wrote.

“So good watching a virtually empty 6 car service heading to Northgate as I’m crammed into someone’s armpit on yet another 3 car service in peak hour on the Ferny Grove line,” another commuter posted on Twitter.

“Is there a chance the Ferny Grove line might get a few trains longer than 3 carriages in the am/pm rush times? During flu season #socialdistancing is impossible,” another tweeted.

“Hey @QueenslandRail 3 car trains suck. You know that right?” another wrote on Twitter.

Standing shoulder to shoulder has become the new norm for many Brisbane train commuters twice a day for the past two months.

Queensland Rail head of SEQ Scott Riedel confirmed a deliberate increase in three-carriage peak hour services in recent weeks and apologised to commuters.

“We have experienced some impacts to our maintenance schedule, as a result of staff availability due to some limited protected industrial action, requiring the use of more three-car units,” he said.

“The industrial action has now been lifted and we are working hard to return to normal operations.

“In times of reduced unit availability, the decision to operate three car trains will remain the preference over cancelling the service altogether.

“Our customers are already seeing the return of six-car sets and we are targeting the end of the month for this issue to be resolved.”

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman said the industrial action at the centre of the issue was related to ongoing enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations.

She also confirmed the Ferny Grove line had been the worst affected line in the past two months in terms of having three-carriage peak hour services instead of the usual six cars.

The spokeswoman said Queensland Rail has made “significant progress” in recent days to restore six-carriage services across the network.