Commuters Frustrated by Extended Bus Replacement Delays in Brisbane
Commuters in Brisbane have expressed their frustration after facing long waits for bus replacement services at several train stations. The disruptions are a result of track closures across the city’s rail network, which have been ongoing since April 10. These closures are due to a combination of major track works and industrial disputes.
This morning, buses replaced trains between Northgate and Bowen Hills, as well as between Boggo Road and the Gold Coast’s Varsity Lakes. However, the situation has left many commuters stranded and struggling to reach their destinations on time.
Joanne McCarthy shared her experience of a commute from Caboolture to Roma Street, which typically takes one hour but stretched to two-and-a-half hours this morning. She mentioned that passengers were forced to disembark at Geebung and join a line of hundreds waiting on the rail bridge just before 7am.
“There were no buses there waiting for us,” she said. “I waited 45 minutes before I was able to get on a bus in the hot sun.”
McCarthy also highlighted the lack of communication regarding the delays. “I was thinking about jumping in an Uber, but you couldn’t even get to the front of the line to get down the stairs to get an Uber.”
Another commuter reported waiting 40 minutes at Eagle Junction station, with long queues still behind them. They described how two buses to Helensvale stopped, with only a few people boarding while hundreds continued to wait for a bus to the city.
“The journey to work took 90 minutes instead of the usual 35,” they said.
At Geebung station, some commuters noted that there were not enough replacement buses heading to the city. “Geebung had at least 100 people waiting for the bus to the CBD,” one commuter explained.
Imogen Buckley, founder of the South East Queensland Transport Association, commented on the situation. She pointed out that while similar track closures have occurred in previous years, the current disruptions have been worsened by the fuel crisis.
“The fact that there are commuters waiting on the platform for a line that stretches outside of the station is embarrassing; it makes public transport look terrible,” she said. Buckley suggested that more frequent rail buses are needed and emphasized that the track closures are a “necessary evil.”
“We need better infrastructure so we can have less track closures in the future and have a frequent and reliable network,” she added.
A spokesperson for Transport and Main Roads (TMR) stated that the department continuously monitors service levels and is investigating options to deliver more services where demand is high. They mentioned that TMR works closely with delivery partners to maximize rail replacement capacity for planned track closures, including sourcing hundreds of drivers from interstate.
Track Closures to Continue
The government had previously announced that track closures from April 3 to April 26 were scheduled since July last year to allow for critical works on multiple rail projects. Last week, Queensland Rail extended the closures to April 30, citing protected industrial action by unions.
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Queensland Rail confirmed that closures from Bowen Hills to Eagle Junction and Northgate will continue for four extra days, reopening on April 16. Despite the planned nature of the track closures, Treasurer David Janetzki blamed union actions for the current situation.
“We are in this position because of the union actions that are straight out of the CFMEU playbook,” he said.
However, Labor’s Shannon Fentiman denied any connection to union action. “This is an incompetent government that decided to shut down trains at one of the busiest times of the year and then can’t organise replacement buses,” she said.
“I am completely shocked that the transport minister isn’t fronting the cameras today to apologise to Queenslanders and explain what went wrong.”
A TMR spokesperson attributed the longer than normal queues for rail replacement buses to protected industrial action by unions over Easter. The transport minister has been contacted for comment.
