Wellington transport delays, breakdowns & stuff ups

[keg]

For all modes.

To start, from the other day:

Trains delayed because of congestion
The Dominion Post Last updated 13:01 23/03/2010

There have been more headaches for capital train commuters this morning, with 10-minute delays because of congestion in the Wellington junction area.
continues

This sort of problem should happen a lot less often after Easter.

Some of the comments are laughable for the ignorance they demonstrate. e.g. :

John #3 09:57 am Mar 23 2010
Well said John 1 Top brass in HO are scared to do anything as they are govened by the mighty $$$$$$ from government and scared of spending in case they loose there jobs

So there are no new trains arriving, no power upgrades, no new overhead, no third line to/from Wellington Junction. Right ...

[lcmortensen]

I'm guessing the traffic would have been different this morning through the Hutt Valley and the Wairarapa, with the Manawatu Gorge being closed due to a crash. The difference between heading down the west coast and heading down the east coast is only 10 minutes (4hr30 on the west, 4hr40 on the east) - using the Paihiatua Track or the Saddle Road would not be good for time management: an extra 10 minutes to SH2 at least.

[The King]

http://twitter.com/metlinkwgtn
This page run by Metlink notifies of bus delays, Valley Flyer seems to have the worst stuff ups

http://twitter.com/TranzMetro
Tranz Metro delay notification

[keg]

Valley Flyer seems to have the worst stuff ups

Do you know what the problem is at VF? The number of services that did not run or broke down is a bit high...

Do they get all NZ Bus's old bangers or something?

[The King]

Valley Flyer seems to have the worst stuff ups

Do you know what the problem is at VF? The number of services that did not run or broke down is a bit high...
Do they get all NZ Bus's old bangers or something?

Weird isn't it? VF does have a few old bangers and odd buses like the Hinos (being withdrawn), Volvos, Merc shuttles and various others over the years. However, they do have relatively new ones like 1301-1309 (yr 2002 buses), the 900s (2004, exclusive to VF), 2500s (2009, exclusive to VF) and their brand new Scanias introduced to operate route 110 this year (again exclusive to VF for now).

A couple of buses have been involved in accidents so some buses have had to be shuffled around = a bus shortage.

The Volvo B6s, possibly the worst buses in NZ are so bad that some of them are pretty much withdrawn or only used when absolutely required. I hear that some Merc shuttles are also in this condition.

Other reasons could be staff sickness or VF being a bad bus company...

[keg]

SPAD at Wellington Junction this morning.

Delays on Wellington rail network as train runs red light
Stuff Last updated 09:42 31/03/2010

A train driver who ran a red light caused delays of up to 15 minutes for Wellington rail commuters today.

KiwiRail spokesman Nigel Parry said the incident occurred in the bottleneck where the Upper Hutt and Paraparaumu lines meet.
continues

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The usual long weekend traffic jam in the usual place:

Easter break crawls to an end with 20km queue of traffic
By AMANDA FISHER - The Dominion Post Last updated 05:00 06/04/2010

Motorists returning to Wellington after Easter Weekend were confronted with a 20 kilometre queue of traffic that led to delays of up to two hours.
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I managed to miss all the fun by travelling back from Hawkes Bay via the Wairarapa...

Edit: Inevitable calls for action based on delays that only really happens on long weekends:
Easter traffic delays renew calls for Otaki solution, The DomPost.
Sort out things further south first, IMO.

[keg]

According to Google, you can walk through the Bus Tunnel. Not only that, but they suggest it as the most direct way. Pedestrian vs bus - Hmmm.
source

[keg]

Looks like Valley Flyer had a bad day. From Metlink's twitter:

Valley Flyer: #route130 leaving Naenae at 6.30pm will not run. #route130 leaving Petone at 7.10pm also will not run.
about 4 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #route160 services due to leave Lower Hutt at 1622 and 1742 will not run, neither will the 1705 service from Wainuiomata Mall.
about 7 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer:#Route170 due to leave Lower Hutt at 1510 will not run - neither will the service due to leave Sunny Grove at 1523.
about 7 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #route170 departing Queensgate at 15:45 will be missed
about 8 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #Route170 departing Sunny Grove at 07:23 will not run.
about 14 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #Route91 departing both Queensgate and Airport at 09:15 will not run.
about 14 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #Route91 departing both Queensgate and Airport at 08:15 will not run.
about 14 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #Route91 departing Airport at 07:15 did not run.
about 14 hours ago via web

Valley Flyer: #Route91 departing Queensgate at 07:15 did not run.
about 14 hours ago via web

Not really the best look for public transport. And they didn't have the power failure excuse ...

[The King]

Wellington bus drivers to strike

Wellington bus drivers have given notice of a strike next Wednesday morning so they can meet to discuss industrial action over dissatisfaction at progress in pay talks.

Represented by the Tramways Union and Manufacturing and Construction Workers Union, staff from City Line (Valley Flyer), Go Wellington and Mana Coach Services plan to strike from 10am.

Kevin O'Sullivan, of Tramways Union Wellington, said unions had requested initiation of bargaining two months ago with little progress.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/lo ... -to-strike

Is this serious? There is no notification from Metlink or NZ Bus website, I need the bus on Wednesday morning!

[kaiwhara]

Looks like youll be needing another way to get around on Wednesday morning then won't you...

Wellington bus drivers to strike

Wellington bus drivers have given notice of a strike next Wednesday morning so they can meet to discuss industrial action over dissatisfaction at progress in pay talks.

Represented by the Tramways Union and Manufacturing and Construction Workers Union, staff from City Line (Valley Flyer), Go Wellington and Mana Coach Services plan to strike from 10am.

Kevin O'Sullivan, of Tramways Union Wellington, said unions had requested initiation of bargaining two months ago with little progress.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/lo ... -to-strike

Is this serious? There is no notification from Metlink or NZ Bus website, I need the bus on Wednesday morning!

[keg]

Power failure this morning - apparently a problem between old & new.

Power failure delays Wellington trains
By TOM HUNT - The Dominion Post
Last updated 09:26 26/04/2010

Thousands of Wellington commuters were delayed this morning - some by up to 45 minutes - because of train failures.

KiwiRail spokesman Nigel Parry said this morning's delays were caused by an overhead power failure shortly after 6am.
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[The King]

The EO train caused problems today, I woke up to 9 unread Tranz Metro text alerts this morning!

1. The 7:04 "EO" svc is cancelled due to a mechanical failure
2. We are currently experinecing delays of up to 30 minutes on the Hutt Valley Line due to a disabled train
3. Svcs are suspended btwn U/Hutt & Taita due to a disabled train, Taita Svcs are currently experiencing delays of up to 5 minutes
4. The 7:04 "EO" svc will now operate with diesel locomotives. Expect delays to U/Hutt svcs of up to 45 minutes
5. Svcs are now operating on the Hutt Valley linee, svcs will be delayed by up to 45 minutes btwn U/Hutt & Taita
6. The 7:40 & 8:00 svcs btwn U/Hutt & Taita are cancelled, the Wairarapa Svcs will stop all station to Taita
7. The 7:04 "Eo" svc will now depart U/Hutt at 8:00am
8. Limited buses are assisting train services between Upper Hutt and Taita
9. All services on the hutt Valley line are now running up to 20 minutes late, normal services to resume at 9am

[The King]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3812348 ... ton-trains

Why is it that when there is an article about train delays, every time without fail someone calls Wellington third world?

I am seriously sick of these people's ignorance

Does a train service which suffers delays every couple of days make a city third world? I don't think so, have a look at proper third world places where people starve, have no clean water, no sealed roads and have people die as a result of falling off crowded trains.

[Chris Randal.]

Why is it that when there is an article about train delays, every time without fail someone calls Wellington third world?

Because it is?

[jarbury]

Interesting piece on Radio NZ this morning: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national ... il_network

Patronage down by 7%

[ka9102]

Interesting piece on Radio NZ this morning: http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/national ... il_network

Patronage down by 7%

its one of the biggest Tranz Metro Farkups,its Dominion posts' headline news today:

You call this service?--3 days of rail delay


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/4019606/Commuters-vent-over-rail-delays

[ka9102]

Its appears to me that the Evening post(AKA Dominion post) are also "fed up" with the rail delays Whenever there is a train delay or customer complains they put it up the headlines the next day......

I guess largely because their senior editors are among the victims of recent tranz metro farkups?

[Daniel]

Its appears to me that the Evening post(AKA Dominion post) are also "fed up" with the rail delays Whenever there is a train delay or customer complains they put it up the headlines the next day......

I guess largely because their senior editors are among the victims of recent tranz metro farkups?

Or more likely they're getting some kickbacks from the road transport lobby (which before you begin I don't include the bus company's in).

[param1974]

And there are those that argue that the Wellington railway is not so bad. Start investing in cars people.



Third World' train conditions

"It was like being in a cattle truck," Waikanae student Alice Petrie says of being herded into an overcrowded train headed for Wellington on Thursday morning, the third straight day delays had affected the Paraparaumu line.

The 7am train failed to arrive, delaying passengers 25 minutes and forcing extra commuters to pack into the 7.20am train.

"They couldn't actually check our tickets because they couldn't walk up the aisles, it seemed quite dangerous," Miss Petrie said.

"People were in disbelief, it shouldn't be like that." She said the situation was "Third World".

Paraparaumu man Byron Gill said the service had slowly deteriorated since he started commuting in January 2009.

"I always catch the 7.40am train. It's usually between five and 15 minutes late, but I plan ahead so that I can get to work on time." Mr Gill, an adviser at the Ministry of Health, did not think the new Matangi trains would put a stop to the faults.

"A lot of the faults are more down to track maintenance, only recently have I been affected by trains breaking down, and when that happens there is a ripple effect to the other services.

"I have usually had it pretty good because I know the train I am catching and when it should arrive, but when I had to catch an earlier train because I needed to be at an early meeting and it was late, there was a lack of communication."

He believes revised travel schedules could help by placing realistic timelines on journeys.

KiwiRail spokesman Nigel Parry said that had been discussed, but was difficult to implement.

"It's actually a very complex exercise, we can't just have a fiddle with it at the tip of a hat.

"We run three main lines and have to make sure everything runs smoothly, and we realise that with the work going on and the ageing railway system that is not easy to do."

Mr Parry said most of the issues with the Paraparaumu line were due to the age of the system.

"We are working with a very fragile railway system, we hope to have these issues all cleared up by the time [the new trains] arrive.

"It is very much like roadworks, they slow you down on the road, and to do this work we need to slow down the services at times."

He said delays would probably continue until the upgrades were finished in 2011.