Great meeting this evening. 3 Ferny Grove locals are on this Community Reference Group along with a keen ‘train spotter’ from Enoggera who is passionate about time-tabling.

Queensland Rail do a great job with these CRGs. The meetings are every 2 months in the CBD. There is very frank open discussion about a wide range of issues to do with rail and public transport. More importantly Queensland Rail actively follows up suggestions and complaints and acts to make a difference.

The quiet car on trains and the train courtesy program came out of the CRGs.

Queensland Rail also uses the CRGs to get immediate feedback on its new program ideas. Presentations have been given on rail security facilities for disabled access station upgrades.

Queensland Rail has Facebook and Twitter websites.

You can also register on the Queensland Rail website to receive e-Rail Updates which give you status reports on any train delays or timetable changes.

A lot of complaints rail customers have are with Translink not Queensland Rail.

Points from today:

[ul]
[li]With 1000 parking spaces at Ferny Grove Station surely feeder buses to the station are justified.
To let rail customers know there’s an active CRG – Suggestion Boxes on platforms and details of meetings put up on station noticeboards.
New attendees who can come regularly are wanted.
Timetables
Fare rises infrastructure capacity building population growth
Sources of information about public transport (routes timetables bus links what is located near stations – potential to provide much more access to easy to use information about public transport and zones around transport hubs
Bus links to trains. Agreed we need a whole different paradigm around buses
Need for cross-hatching of transport routes rather than all having to go through CBD.
Brisbane’s public transport design not nearly as good as Melbourne’s[/li]
[/ul]

Some APPs of interest: GoBrisbane and Yellow Cabs

A few trains are now WiFi enabled. go onto QLD Rail website to see how to connect to it. You have to be on the train to connect.