Queensland Rail defends decision to run train 12 minutes ahead of schedule

IT’S been dubbed the ‘misery line’ and now fresh issues on this Brisbane train line have been highlighted with Queensland Rail defending a decision to run a train 12 minutes early — leaving commuters stranded.

THE reliability of services on the Cleveland rail line through Wynnum and Manly has been highlighted again, with a train reportedly departing 12 minutes ahead of schedule.

Public transport watchdog Rail Back on Track revealed the 6.39pm Cleveland to Central service on Monday departed at 6.27pm because of an “earlier rollingstock issue”.

The unusual problem happened just days after Queensland Rail defended the service against claims by commuters it was the city’s worst rail line and was known as the “misery line” by many patrons.

While Rail Back on Track’s Robert Dow described the situation as “tragic”, a Queensland Rail spokesman said the train was run early as an express service after a technical fault with an earlier train left Cleveland with only one platform in operation instead of two.

Queensland Rail has defended its decision to run a train 12 minutes ahead of schedule on the notorious Cleveland line.

“To prevent further impacts to Cleveland-bound peak services, a decision was made to depart the 6.39pm Cleveland to Central service 12 minutes early from Cleveland station and run the train express through the two stations of Ormiston and Birkdale,” the spokesman said.

“The train arrived at Manly and departed on schedule.

“Had this decision not been made, all Cleveland-bound services that departed Central after 5.30pm would have incurred a 20 minute delay at Wellington Point.

“Impacted customers were able to be accommodated within 15 minutes on the 6.54pm Cleveland to Central service.”

The spokesman said that when an unplanned disruption occurred, network controllers may make a decision to alter the running of a train service in order to keep the network moving, minimise compounding delays and ensure the best possible outcome for the majority of our customers.

“Queensland Rail has the most strict on-time running target in the country, with a target of 95 per cent of metropolitan trains expected to arrive at their destination within 3 minutes and 59 seconds of the schedule.

“In the 2017-18 financial year, Queensland Rail exceeded this target with 95.89 per cent of trains running on-time.”