source : the age
Hundreds of Brisbane commuters have been left queueing on suburban streets while waiting for buses, as scheduled rail closures bring further delays to popular public transport routes.
Brisbane commuters were warned of disrupted travel earlier this month, with key rail lines across the city to be closed until the end of April for maintenance.
Queensland Rail said this had been extended by at least four days because of an industrial dispute.
On Monday morning, commuters on Brisbane’s northside expressed frustration at poor planning to mitigate the effect of rail line closures, with complaints of inadequate bus services and lengthy waits.
One passenger travelling from Narangba to Bowen Hills said they disembarked the train at Northgate Station and joined about 300 passengers to wait for a bus.
As of 9.15am, they had been waiting in line for over half an hour.
“There are not enough buses. They [Queensland Rail] know what time the trains get to Northgate but have no buses waiting,” the commuter said.
“Terrible planning, considering they had the same problem last week so knew what to expect.”
In a comment on Queensland Rail’s Facebook post, another passenger said one bus every 10 minutes was insufficient to meet demand.
“If the train is almost full at Caboolture it’s obvious how many buses are needed.
“Queensland Rail is responsible for logistics for rail disruptions, not Translink. No communication for those who need a seat and can’t stand for long.”
Another commented at 9am that the buses were “packed beyond belief” with no air-conditioning, and said they had been travelling from Strathpine since 7am.
“Got to Bowen Hills at 8.50am. Nearly [two hours] and yet to get a train to my destination on the southside.”
A spokesperson for Queensland Rail said passengers had been warned to allow extra time for their commute during the period of disrupted service, and that “customer feedback was being taken on board”.
“[We] are working with Translink to work on those routes and allocate extra buses, based on availability.”
Buses will replace trains between Northgate and Bowen Hills stations, and Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road stations, from Monday to Wednesday this week.
Trains on the Sunshine Coast line will run between Gympie North and Caboolture, and Doomben line trains will run between Doomben and Eagle Junction.
From Thursday to Sunday, buses will replace trains between Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road stations.
Track closures and disruptions are expected until April 30.
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