Shorncliffe resident welcomes return of 7.39am train

Queensland Rail’s decision to add an extra 32 weekly services at peak times is very welcome news for a north Brisbane resident who petitioned for the return of one of those services.

The 7.39am service from Shorncliffe to Central Station will run Monday to Friday from May 13.

QUEENSLAND Rail’s decision to add an extra 32 weekly services at peak times is very welcome news for Shorncliffe resident Sharon Westwood, who petitioned for the return of one of those services.

Ms Westwood started a campaign about a year ago calling for the return of the 7.39am train from Shorncliffe to Central Station.

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It had been a regular weekday service but was changed to only run on Fridays when the Redcliffe Peninsula line opened in October 2016.

Sharon Westwood collected more than 1000 signatures on a petition calling for the return of the 7.39am train from Shorncliffe to the city.

This week Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced the 7.39am Shorncliffe service (among others) would return, running Monday to Friday from May 13.

Ms Westwood said she was very happy with the decision.

“Removing the 7.39am service reduced the number of services on the Shorncliffe line to three between the peak times of 7am and 8am, in comparison to the Redcliffe line of six services for the same time period,” she said.

“There is a 30-minute wait between peak services in the morning which is a terrible public transport service for an Australian capital city.

“The removal of the 7.39am train increased the number of passengers on the trains on either side, particularly the 7.24am train, causing a risk to public safety. It was a real crush on the trains.

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“There were not always enough hand holds for commuters to hold which makes it unsafe if the train stops or starts suddenly

“The crowding, particularly on the three-car carriages, meant that school kids in particular were often pushed around and found it difficult to get off the trains at the stops required.

“There was not enough ventilation to cope with the additional passengers and I saw an increase of people fainting on the train during the summer months.”

Ms Westwood started a petition and collected more than 1000 names in just nine days.

“I was seeking support from those commuters directly impacted by the cancellation of the Monday-Thursday 7.39am service, so the 7.24 and 7.54.

“I didn’t make it all the way through the carriages on those days as the numbers of passengers increased the closer we got to the city, making it impossible to move through the carriages.

“I notified my local member, Stirling Hinchliffe, and he was supportive. I sent the petition and a letter to the chief executives of Queensland Rail and TransLink and to the Minister of Transport and Main Roads.

Shorncliffe resident Sharon Westwood and Member for Sandgate Stirling Hinchliffe are excited that the 7.39am train from Shorncliffe to the city will return on May 13.

“Mr Hinchliffe facilitated a meeting with these executives and the minister’s advisers in June 2018. I didn’t receive a written response until months after, however, I did speak directly with the Minister earlier this year.”

Ms Westwood said the response from other commuters was “overwhelmingly positive”.

“It was actually great to see the generation of much chat between commuters about a common issue for them,” she said.

“I had people raising their hands all the way down the carriages waiting for me to get to them so they could include their signature to the petition.

“I had passengers telling me of their particular issues including the access problems for people with disabilities on crowded trains such as the Shorncliffe 7.24am.

“The community and I were not asking for anything additional, just one critical service to be reinstated.

“I am pleased to see that politicians do listen and that together communities can make change happen.”

Member for Sandgate Stirling Hinchliffe said the reinstatement of the 7.39am Shorncliffe service was welcome.

“This announcement is particularly welcome news for the many commuters in my electorate, like Sharon Westwood of Shorncliffe, who have spent many hours of their own time campaigning alongside me for the reinstatement of this popular peak-hour service.”