AT has it’s board meeting today and as usual I have gone through the open reports to find out what new information is available. Probably the most interesting thing in this months report is an update to the board on both rail and bus performance issues, many of which have been raised on here before.
Rail
We see just how complex things are and with so many different parties and potential points of failure it is not surprising the amount of finger pointing that seems to go on.
Rail services operate on a fixed network with multiple interfaces and strict operating rules.
There are multiple parties involved in the delivery of passenger rail services in Auckland:
- Veolia Transport operates the trains and has the direct interface with customers for service delivery;
- Auckland Transport owns rolling stock except the locomotive stock which is leased from KiwiRail;
- Auckland Transport owns infrastructure on stations platform and manages the stations (cleaning, maintenance and security);
- KiwiRail Network owns and maintains the tracks and signalling system and controls train movements on the network;
- KiwiRail also maintains the rolling stock;
- KiwiRail freight and long distance passenger services (Tranz Scenic) have running rights on the network shared with Auckland metro services
There are a couple of key reasons that have been identified that cause poor performance
- Network upgrades – upgrades of track and signalling to support ten-minute peak services and preparations for electric trains has a major impact on service operations particularly over the summer construction period by the imposition of temporary speed restrictions through line work-sites and across track recently constructed; this will continue until mid-2013.
- Failures of signals, points and equipment used for the safe control of train movements. KiwiRail is currently upgrading all signaling and train control equipment; to be complete by 2012;
- Operations – variable passenger loadings that result in extended station dwell times to ensure everyone has an opportunity to safely board and alight the services (e.g. due to special events). This is also influenced by a mixed fleet with different capacities.
- Train faults – reflects the age of the equipment in use and demands placed on the equipment to maintain the planned service levels; steady improvement in performance has been seen recently through enhanced maintenance;
- Other causes include weather events, actions of other parties (including public trespass on tracks) and conflicts with freight trains.
The update also gives a breakdown of performance based on each line along with some of the key issues. Speed UM and Speed DM refer to the amount of minutes trains on the line are delayed as a result of speed restrictions due to works on or around the lines (UM – Up Main or trains travelling in a northerly direction, DM = Down Main or trains heading in a southerly direction).
I would still like to see this information broken down by at least peak and off peak services so we can get a better picture of where things are going wrong but I suspect that it won’t look pretty for those peak services. Most important though is what is being done to improve performance.
- KiwiRail has been requested to review trends of signaling and points failures to increase route cause identification and corrective action including enhanced pre-planned maintenance
- KiwiRail has been requested to review the failure of freight trains and advise improvements to be implemented.
- The introduction of EMUs into service from 2013 will result in a much improved service with fewer delays and cancellations. The maintenance contract includes a performance regime reflecting these expectations. The work that is being progressed to upgrade the network in preparation for the introduction of EMUs from 2013 has potential to impact on service delivery. However, a review of reduced speed restrictions or “permission to progress” processes on live sites is being urgently progressed by Veolia and KiwiRail to lessen this impact on punctuality. While a rebase of the timetable for extra travel time due to track works up to mid-2013 is not ideal, rail timetables need to reflect actual operating conditions and this may be needed.
- Much of the existing diesel rolling stock (trains) is at or past design life, particularly the motive units, and some equipment is no longer supported by the manufacturers. While it is important to acknowledge these factors, actions have been taken that are aimed at managing the impacts to customers. Delays due to train faults has reduced as greater preplanned maintenance has been undertaken.
- A new track access agreement is being finalised with KiwiRail Network that will be signed in April. For the first time this will include a performance regime linked to the impact on services caused by network failures and train control and therefore for the first time shares risk and reward of service performance with KiwiRail;
- A new passenger services agreement has been negotiated with Veolia Transport with the expectation that the operator will enhance the management of the track access and rolling stock agreements. A performance regime that reflects these priorities is included in the new contract; to take effect from 1 July;
- The upgrade of the signalling system being completed as part of the electrification project will allow safe bi-directional running on each line so that a blockage on one track (caused by, for example a disabled train) can be bypassed using the other track, albeit with a reduced level of service. This capability is expected to be fully available by mid-2012 across most of the network. However, Veolia and AT has been identifying where this can be implemented now to reduce delays due to train and infrastructure failures;
- The roll-out of real-time signs at stations, and linking these to real-time tracking, will improve information to passengers.
To be honest I am a bit blown away by the fact we have been paying huge sums of money to Kiwirail for access to the tracks and for maintenance and we haven’t yet had a contract with them that includes penalties for the network or train control not performing to set levels. Also interesting to see that we have a new contract with Veolia, I wonder how long that is for as I thought the old one still had time to run on it. Many of the other issues are things that we will just have to wait for things like electrification to be finished.
Bus
- Bus service reliability and punctuality is driven by a base timetable and schedule that reflects current and time based travel times and operating conditions (e.g. peak versus off-peak travel times), bus priorities through bus lanes and traffic signal phasing with pre-emption; also high frequency service to reduce the customer impact where services are delayed.
- The three year review and redesign of all bus services in accordance with the updated PTNP will improve bus reliability and punctuality by providing base timetables and schedules that are current and service routes that deliver on travel requirements of customers that reflect actual travel times and operating conditions. Bus lane and bus priority requirements per route will also be addressed as part of each bus service review and redesign.
- However in the short-term, existing bus service timetables must be corrected to reflect actual travel time and operating conditions. A project has commenced that is systematically reviewing all existing bus service timetables and schedules and correcting against actual measured travel times and operating conditions using the GPS tracking bus real-time system. This will ensure that all timetables reflect the average travel time for the time of day, improving significantly in the short-term existing bus service reliability and punctuality. Engagement with bus operators has commenced as revised timetables will require variation to existing service contracts and commercial registrations.
- A service performance measurement and monitoring system is under development on the back of GPS tracking of buses using the bus real-time system. This includes the monitoring of reliability and punctuality against schedules. The system compares GPS tracking of services against timetable schedules for use in continuous improvement of service reliability and punctuality with bus operators. The system is still under development, however, it is currently starting to be used on some routes in addition to the traditional on-road spot checks and monitoring.
- Currently, bus service reliability and punctuality measurement and reporting is undertaken by bus-operators. This is consistently stated in the monthly PT Statistics report, however, upon completion of the above system, using the bus real-time system, reliability and punctuality will be reported by Auckland Transport.
There are some pretty positive things in here and I am really pleased that we will be moving away from the current system where the bus companies self report their performance which leads to them all saying that buses are on time 99.99% of the time. It will be interesting to see how those figures change once some proper tracking is implemented.
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> A service performance measurement and monitoring system is under development on the back of GPS tracking of buses using the bus real-time system. This includes the monitoring of reliability and punctuality against schedules.
Buses have all had GPS for years, why wasn’t this a key delivery from the start? It’s actually much *more* important than signs people only read when they’re already at the bus stop and are unlikely to do anything but wait.
Wasn’t the Veolia contract due to expire next year? In any case, negotiation of a variation that makes Veolia responsible for managing the relationship with KR, which is what I took to be the change, would still be a “new” contract even if it has the same expiry as the last one.
In my view there is a big difference between train and bus performance.
Trains control the whole network. Unless it is caused by something out their control (memories from London with “there is a body on the track” to explain it is beyond their control) it is there fault (this includes switch errors, breakdowns etc).
For buses, the timetables are set by AT. As long as they start the first run of the shift on time, the rest of that shifts timetable is at the mercy of traffic. Some drivers are slow but the majority drive like a bat out of hell so they are not to blame. As with trains, breakdowns are the fault of the operator.
It may not be the bus operator’s fault that their buses get stuck in traffic, and that’s why AT are revising timetables to account for the fact that the current ones are, shall we say, “optimistic” in the extreme. Knowing where buses are getting delayed is vital if there’s to be any hope of getting priority measures installed in those locations. We know that Main Highway/Harp of Erin is a shit of a place for buses, but without hard evidence to quantify how awful it is nothing will be done to fix it.
I think the aim is not so much to attribute blame but rather to have accurate information about where the choke points are. This can for instance help them in determining where new buslanes should be installed, or perhaps unrealistic timetables. Simply reporting everything as 99% defeats the whole purpose of monitoring and prevents any sort of work to improve the overall function.
My concern is that AT are operating no differently to what they were when they were ARTA – outsourcing everything and effectively controlling nothing. AT need to operate the EMU fleet themselves and not have an operator like Veolia do it. For the money they spend on a Veolia contract annually, they should operate the rail network themselves (or jointly operate it with say a bus company like NZ Bus) as it will teach AT to be responsible for the network which right now, they are not. AT love to finger point when things go wrong and making them operate the rail network themselves will stop this bad habit. They own the EMU fleet so they should operate it, not hand it off to another outfit to run it like they are now.
If I were NZ Bus, I would be angling to at least jointly manage the AKL suburban rail service with AT as integrating the rail service with my bus network gives me control over my rivals. Sure NZ Bus do not run the entire AKL bus network, but they do run a large chunk of it and the rail service and their services operate often in the same areas thus AT and NZ Bus should come to an arrangement to collectively manage the rail network.
As has been described in other posts on this site, there are too many bus companies to which AT outsources the operation of the AKL bus network. Deliberately getting one bus company involved in the running of the rail network forces I believe, better integration between bus and rail and starts the reduction in the numbers of bus companies.
AT are not allowed to operate the fleet. Thanks, National, for establishing that particular bollocks-up of a transport operating framework. It’s the same reason Yellow Bus no longer exists and ARTA/AT contract private companies to run buses.
Yes National forced ARC to sell of Yellow Bus and is also the reason that for many years there was a holding company that owned Auckland station infrastructure as ARC/AC etc were not legally allowed to own that either. That’s what a blind faith in the free market doing everything better results in.
Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone knows if the KiwiRail Track Access Agreement referred to above has been made publicly available, and if so, where?
Thanks,
Kevin
Odd bringing up such an old post but no as far as I’m aware it’s not publicly available.
Yeah, my scouring of the internet brought me to a dead-end at this thread. Thought I’d try my luck and ask the forum for some help!
Thanks for your quick reply Matt L.
Does bus cleaning get included in performance standards?
Both my daughters have complained recently about the smell of the cleansing products on Metrobuses making them feel sick and worsening migraines.
Any others with this experience?
Not with the cleaning products, but I found when NZBus’ ADL I found the “new bus smell” to be very nauseating. Same with new cars for me, apparently it’s all glues, solvents and dyes used in manufacturing and quite toxic…