Media Releases
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Airtrain is encouraging all Brisbane businesses to take advantage of its offer of free train departure count-down monitors and discounted tickets to the airport.
Airtrain departure countdown monitors are on offer for businesses that want to save time, money and the environment on behalf of employees and visitors travelling to Brisbane Airport.
Busy executives can use the countdown monitors to ascertain exactly when the next train leaves their closest CBD station, and when that train will arrive at the international and domestic terminals.
Already businesses are getting on board with Airtrain, including Hatch, a global engineering, consulting, and project delivery firm based in the CBD.
After recently becoming the first Brisbane firm to receive an Airtrain countdown monitor, Hatch are now encouraging all staff to take the Airtrain to and from the airport - a journey which takes no more than twenty minutes. Hatch has saved 51.60kg of C02 already this financial year by adopting Airtrain.
Phillip Bangerter, Hatch's global sustainability director said introducing the Airtrain countdown monitor and ticketing at our Brisbane office reception is great from both an environmental and business perspective.
"We are a global company and people are always travelling to and from the airport. This new service saves us time, money, reduces our CO2 footprint and is far more predictable than Brisbane traffic" says Mr Bangerter.
Airtrain offer businesses discounted books of ten Airtrain tickets valid for travel between the Airport and city. Hatch have taken advantage of these discounted tickets and the Co2 tracking service that Airtrain provide to monitor Co2 savings achieved by using Airtrain.
With the countdown monitor at Hatch reception outlining Airtrain departure times from each station, there is no excuse for employees to miss out on this fantastic scheme.
Contact Alison Lake on Alison@airtrain.com.au for information on Airtrain installing a free countdown monitor in your business.
Airtrain's CBD commuters will not be affected by today's increase in Translink fares.
The cost of an Airtrain headline ticket for commuters between the airport and Brisbane City will not be affected by the increase.
However, passengers travelling beyond the CBD and through Queensland Rail stations will be affected as a result of the Translink fare increase.
Airtrain is a privately owned and operated railway that operates between Brisbane Airport and the CBD and is not subsidised by the Queensland Government.
With a 99% on time running rate, Airtrain remains a simple, cost-effective and reliable means of transport to and from the Airport, especially when compared to the costs of long- and short-term parking.
With school holidays now in full swing and Christmas almost upon us, Airtrain would like to remind travellers that kids travel free on Airtrain.
Children aged 5-14 travel free between the Airport and City stations when accompanied by an adult.
This promotion helps families to significantly reduce travel costs this Christmas, especially when considering money spent on airport tolls, parking and petrol.
Commuters will also avoid congestion and extended waiting periods over the holiday season, as both the domestic and international stations conveniently drop passengers directly to the terminal.
Airtrain also has free wifi at both the domestic and international stations and activity packs for the kids.
Queensland's newest rail station opened at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast yesterday.
An extension of the current Gold Coast line, Varsity Lakes makes travelling to and from the Airport even more convenient for Gold Coast commuters.
Services to Varsity Lakes commenced today, with 56 trains operating between Gold Coast and the Airport daily.
Minister for Transport
The Honourable Rachel Nolan
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan today announced that passengers travelling on the Gold Coast line would enjoy extra peak hour services from next month when the Queensland Government opens the new Varsity Lakes train station.
Ms Nolan said the new timetable would be effective from Monday 14 December 2009, when services start operating on the new railway line between Robina and Varsity Lakes stations.
"The amended timetable will deliver an extra 868 passenger seats each weekday from Monday to Friday," Ms Nolan said.
"From Monday 14 December, there will be an extra morning and an extra afternoon peak hour service each weekday, increasing the total number of inbound morning peak services to eight and outbound afternoon peak services to nine."
"This is the seventh new service we've added to the Gold Coast line in the past two years, confirming that the Bligh Government is delivering for the Gold Coast community."
Gold Coast MPs Peter Lawlor (Southport), Margaret Keech (Albert), Christine Smith (Burleigh), and Peta-Kaye Croft (Broadwater) welcomed the new services.
Southport MP Peter Lawlor said the new timetable was evidence that the State Government, QR and TransLink recognised the Gold Coast's increasing demand for public transport.
"The Bligh Government is continuing to improve services and meet the growing public transport needs of this growing region," Mr Lawlor said.
Member for Albert Margaret Keech said the new timetable was made possible because of more trains and the new rail infrastructure, ultimately boosting rail capacity along the Gold Coast line.
"The new 4.1km of electrified track from Robina to a brand new station at Varsity Lakes has paved the way for increased services," Ms Keech said.
"The track duplication is part of the $324 million Robina to Varsity Lakes Rail Extension project that also involves constructing a 300 metre tunnel, three new road-over-rail bridges and 3.2km of new roads in and around Varsity Lakes station."
Member for Burleigh Christine Smith said Gold Coast residents would also be impressed by the new $25 million station.
"The architecturally designed station has an inviting open plaza, security coverage, lighting, real-time passenger information systems and a new car park accommodating around 300 cars," Ms Smith said.
"It is partially powered by solar energy and uses the coastal breezes to provide natural ventilation."
"All station facilities have been designed to meet Disability Access Standards with lifts, accessible toilets, tactile paving and hearing aid loops."
Member for Broadwater Peta-Kaye Croft encouraged Gold Coast residents to attend the free breakfast for commuters at Varsity Lakes station on the morning of 14 December 2009 to celebrate the launch of the new station.
"This is a great way to celebrate the new station and additional services for the Gold Coast community and I encourage everyone to come out and participate," Ms Croft said.
"Projects such as this confirm that the Bligh Government is committed to delivering for the Gold Coast."
Ms Nolan said the new morning service would depart Varsity Lakes at 6.02am, arriving at Central station at 7.23am, while the new evening service would depart Central station at 5.39pm and arrive at Varsity Lakes at 7.03pm.
The amended Varsity Lakes timetable will follow the current Robina timetable, with all outbound (Gold Coast) trains arriving at Varsity Lakes station five minutes later and inbound (Brisbane city) trains departing Varsity Lakes station five minutes earlier. The first inbound service will depart Varsity Lakes at 5.18am each weekday.
Under the Queensland Government's $124 billion South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan, over $30 billion has been committed to building a better rail network.
The new station opening at Varsity Lakes will also mean additional stops for Airtrain Gold Coast.
Brisbane's Airtrain has won the Queensland Small Business category of the Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA) for the third time running.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said the awards, which were held in Sydney last night, demonstrate Airtrain's ongoing commitment to providing top-tier customer service.
"Airtrain strives to provide commuters with a level of service that exceeds all their expectations, particularly when it comes to public transport" said Mr Basche.
"Airport passengers are not as familiar with South-East Queensland as regular commuters, and naturally require assistance to ensure they have correct ticketing and travel information."
Airtrain also provides Gold Coast commuters with an additional service, AirtrainConnect, which includes a chauffer from a Gold Coast station to any destination.
"Airtrain's passion for providing a pleasant airport experience is reflected through a combination of new innovations and customer service monitors," said Mr Basche
"Recent innovations include free wifi for the domestic station, a Co2 tracker on our website and free kids packs for Gold Coast travellers."
At the end of 2008, Airtrain introduced a trial "kids travel free" period, which, due to feedback from customers, was made permanent in 2009.
Airtrain conducts a range of customer service monitoring including passenger satisfaction surveys, staff satisfaction surveys, defined customer feedback process and a staff innovation register. These processes deliver a consistent level of customer service as well as ensuring Airtrain has well trained and motivated staff.
Airtrain has won this award the previous two times it nominated, in 2005 and then again in 2007.
The awards are judged on a range of business criteria, including company philosophy, management and leadership, innovation and improvement, responsiveness and customer satisfaction.
Airtrain is managed by an alliance between Airtrain Citylink and Transfield Services, with Queensland Rail contracted to operate train services.
A record 1,889,549 people travelled on Airtrain the last financial year thanks to patronage increasing by 15% or 250,000 passengers.
Airtrain Chairman Mike Pelly said these record numbers mean Airtrain was on track to exceed two million passengers this financial year (2009-10).
"Patronage on the Airtrain continues to grow each year and we hope to see numbers climb to two million before July next year."
"Such a healthy growth has seen Airtrain's share of the market exceed 10% for the first time, meaning a greater proportion of travellers use Airtrain in Brisbane than the Heathrow Express in London."
"This is a significant milestone, as the Heathrow Express is the international benchmark by which airport rail links gauge their performance," he said.
"Airtrain has started the new financial year strongly, with July 2009 patronage tipping 173,000".
As a result, Airtrain will now pay shareholders a dividend of $2.50 per share, which is a 28% increase on the $1.95 paid last year. Mr Pelly said this increase is just one way of expressing gratitude to shareholders for their unending commitment to Airtrain.
"As an unsubsidised railway, Airtrain experienced a turbulent entry into the marketplace, and now shareholders are being rewarded for their loyalty."
During the 2008-09 financial year, Airtrain launched "Kids Travel Free" which has been a tremendous success, with more than 25,000 children travelling on Airtrain since December 2008.
Over the past year, Airtrain passengers have collectively saved 1.397m kg of Co2, reflecting the Airtrain commitment to reducing Brisbane's carbon footprint.
This year Airtrain also celebrates its ninth year of lost time injury free, which demonstrates Airtrain's commitment to delivering a safe railway for passengers and staff.
Despite experiencing record operating profits in the 2009 financial year, all Airtrain director fees have been frozen to ensure the company controls costs during the global financial crisis.
Park Road Station will soon be part of Airtrain's ever expanding transport network.
From this Sunday 2nd August, commuters will have another reason to travel Airtrain with the introduction of stops at Park Road Station, Dutton Park.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said the introduction of the Park Road stop reflects Airtrain's commitment to providing a convenient and efficient method of transport to the Airport for all Brisbane residents.
"Those living in the Dutton Park area will be able to board the Airtrain from Park Road station, and travel directly to the airport in under 35 minutes," said Mr Basche.
"It's all about servicing areas that were previously not captured by Airtrain."
"Park Road Station also allows for ease of access to the new Boggo Road Busway, and a smooth transition between other train and bus services."
"This new stop enables Dutton Park residents to save time and money by leaving their car at home and taking the Airtrain to the airport, knowing we arrive on time 99.7%," said Mr Basche.
Dutton Park residents will also reduce their carbon emissions by taking Airtrain to the airport, rather than a car or taxi.
"Not only do Airtrain passengers have a reliable service, but they are helping save the environment by reducing CO2-equivalent emissions," he said.
"The Airtrain is 3.9 times more energy efficient than a car, and on average removes 22.8 million vehicle kilometres off Brisbane's congested roads."
The University of Queensland's Green Bridge and Dutton Park State School are both close to the Park Road Station.
Brisbane Airport precinct employees have saved 41,215kg of greenhouse gases by taking the Airtrain to work - all ahead of the official launch of the Brisbane Airport Tripper!
In the 2008-2009 financial year Airport precinct employees made almost 96,000 trips to and from work via the Airtrain - which is 3.9 times more energy efficient than a car.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said the Brisbane Airport Tripper partnership encourages employees to utilise methods of sustainable transport, including Airtrain.
"Encouraging Brisbane Airport staff to use the Airtrain alleviates traffic congestion on Brisbane's roads, particularly during peak periods, and reduces staff carbon emissions."
"The partnership also benefits staff, as they now have a cost-effective, convenient and stress-free method of travelling to and from work at the Airport - one of Brisbane's busiest areas," said Mr Basche.
Staff weekly tickets save 4.3kg of greenhouse gas when compared with driving a car, and staff ticket books (20 tickets) save almost twice this amount.
On average, Airtrain takes 22.8 million vehicle kilometres off Brisbane's busy roads.
Carbon emission savings by Airtrain passengers from all stations and across all networks in 2008 totalled 2,659,225kg - the equivalent of 483 return flights between Brisbane and London.
When the Brisbane Airport Tripper program officially launches tomorrow, Brisbane Airport precinct employees will already have saved 41,215kg of greenhouse gas.
The pilot BAT program tracks the trips of Brisbane Airport precinct workers who carpool or catch a train or bus to and from work, providing rewards to participants through ongoing monthly prize promotions. The BAT program went live in April 2009.
The Brisbane Airport Tripper "eco-car wash" launch will occur on Thursday 23rd July at 10am, at the Brisbane Airport Corporation's carpark.
Attending this launch will be Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Julieanne Alroe and Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey, and representatives from the Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads.
Catch the Airtrain to Brisbane's Direct Factory Outlet (DFO) and Airtrain will shout your trip home.
Bargain-hunters this end of financial year can beat the traffic and take the train to Airport Village, all for the price of a one-way ticket.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said the Airtrain Shopper Special is a convenient, reliable and cost-effective method of transport to Airport Village.
"With over 120 specialty shops at DFO, as well as selected stores at the Airport Village precinct, bargain-hunters will enjoy saving money on the trip in, allowing for more spending at the sales," said Mr Basche.
"Kids now travel free on the Airtrain, so Mums and Dads can make it a family-day-out to DFO for the price of just one return QR ticket to the Airport."
"The Airtrain Shopper Special also removes the hassle of fighting congested traffic to and from Airport Village."
Mr Basche said Airtrain passengers were also doing their bit for the environment, as well as saving time and money.
"Not only do Airtrain passengers have a reliable service and save money on parking, tolls and petrol, they are helping save the environment by reducing CO2-equivalent emissions."
To take advantage of the Airtrain Shopper Special, buy a one-way ticket from your local QR station to the International Airport and then catch the airport courtesy bus to the shops from the departures level.
Upon returning to the station, present your original train ticket and any receipt from the Airport Village, and Airtrain will provide you with a train ticket for your journey home at no charge.
Airtrain services depart from twice an hour seven days a week, with additional services in peak hours.
This offer is only available for paper tickets purchased from QR stations and is not available for use with the go card.
The courtesy bus is a complimentary service operated by Brisbane Airport to transfer people between the International Airport and DFO. The service runs every 20 minutes between 6:30am and 6:30pm.
For more information on catching the train visit www.airtrain.com.au
To see the full range of shops available at Airport Village, visit www.airportvillage.com.au
To take a look at what's on offer at DFO visit www.dfo.com.au/brisbane
Almost 800 children have traveled free on the Airtrain since school holidays officially commenced last Saturday.
The recently launched "kids travel free" initiative offers travelling families a more convenient, reliable and cost-effective option for travelling to the Brisbane Airport these school holidays.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said "kids travel free" appeals to families because of its cost savings and reliability.
"Airtrain appeals to families, particularly over the school holidays, because our passengers value reliability and savings compared to delays and traffic congestion travelling to and from the airport via other means of transportation."
Terminating at the heart of the domestic and international terminals, the Airtrain also takes the hassle out of getting the kids and luggage to and from the Airport terminal.
"When travelling with Airtrain, there is no need for Mum and Dad to get a park, pack and unpack the boot and get to the airport," Mr Basche said.
"Airtrain stops at both the domestic and international terminals, dropping passengers right where they need to be."
Mr Basche said families travelling on the Airtrain also drastically reduce their carbon footprint when compared to other methods of transport.
"The children who have traveled free on Airtrain to date have saved the equivalent of 8.6 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions."
"Not only do Airtrain passengers have a reliable service and save money on parking, tolls and petrol, they are helping save the environment by reducing CO2-equivalent emissions."
"The initiative has also encouraged children, with their families, to use public transport at a young age - resulting in increased confidence in the public transport system, brand loyalty and the potential for life-long patronage."
To be eligible for a free ride to the airport, children must be aged between five and 14 years and accompanied by a paying adult.
Children will continue to travel free on Airtrain after record numbers took up the six-month trial of "kids travel free".
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said since December last year, almost 20,000 free tickets were issued to children travelling between the City and Airtrain's Airport stations at the Domestic and International Terminals.
"Child tickets as a proportion of all passengers using Airtrain doubled during the six-month trial. This is an outstanding result, but children account for only 3% of all passengers on Airtrain and we have decided to keep the "kids travel free&quo; offer", Mr Basche said.
Mr Basche said the "kids travel free" initiative had been a huge success.
"It has strengthened Airtrain's appeal to families. Our passengers value the reliability and cost savings compared to delays and traffic congestion travelling to and from the airport via other means of transportation."
"The initiative has also encouraged children (with their families) to use public transport at a young age - resulting in increased confidence in the public transport system, brand loyalty and the potential for life-long patronage."
"With kids travelling for free on Airtrain, a family can save even more by leaving the car at home and taking the Airtrain to the airport knowing we arrive on time 99.7%," he said.
"Not only do Airtrain passengers have a reliable service and save money on parking, tolls and petrol, they are helping save the environment by reducing CO2-equivalent emissions."
"The children who have travelled free on Airtrain have saved the equivalent of 8.6 tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions."
"The "kids travel free" promotion has benefited families across the region - 41% of children who travelled free boarded Airtrain in Brisbane's CBD. 38% travelled from the Gold Coast, and 22% from suburban stations. The most popular suburban line was Ipswich with 818 trips."
The kids-free promotion was most popular over the school holidays, with 5300 tickets distributed in January 2009.
Airtrain expects patronage will rise again over the following weeks, at the start of the mid-year school holidays.
To be eligible for a free ride to the airport, children must be aged between five and 14 years and accompanied by a paying adult.
Figures recently released have shown travellers using Airtrain instead of a car to travel between CBD stations and Brisbane Airport last year saved over 397,500kg in Co2 emissions - the equivalent of flying Brisbane-London return 72 times.
The Co2 savings from stations including Roma Street, Central and Fortitude Valley represent a 24 per cent increase in savings from the previous year.
Carbon emission savings by Airtrain passengers from all stations across the network in 2008 totalled an incredible 2,659,225kg - the equivalent of 483 return flights between Brisbane and London.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche said Airtrain's green credentials were an added incentive to catch the train.
"Airtrain is not only a simple, cost-effective and reliable means of travelling to or from Brisbane Airport, but it's beneficial to the environment as well", Mr Basche said.
"Increasingly, air travellers are opting to offset the emissions of their flights, but they might not necessarily consider the emissions being produced on their way to or from the airport. With Airtrain, they can rest assured that they are doing the right thing by the environment from the start to the end of their trip."
In 2008, over 1.8 million passengers travelled on Airtrain, a 21 per cent increase from the previous year. More than 160,000 people use Airtrain every month, with one in 10 Brisbane Airport users now travelling by Airtrain.
For further information on Airtrain's carbon emission savings, go to www.airtrain.com.au/emissioncalculator.php
NB: These figures are calculated by analysing every ticket sold and the track distance between the airport and the QR station. Co2e savings are based on emissions produced if each passenger travelled the same distance by a car.
Airtrain has had huge success with the introduction of the Translink go card to and from the Airport.
Over the past fortnight hundreds of travellers have successfully beaten the traffic and boarded the Airtrain using go card.
Airtrain General Manager Chris Basche says large numbers of airport travellers are already embracing the new initiative.
"Since the introduction of the trial loyalty scheme a fortnight ago, over one quarter of all Airtrain go card users are travelling for half the standard fare."
"The initiative is encouraging new travellers to board Airtrain and experience for themselves the cost effectiveness, convenience and most importantly the exceptional reliability offered by Airtrain."
"Our guarantee of reliability is backed up by a seven year track record of running 99 per cent on time."
The trial loyalty scheme applies to go card holders who have travelled at least six times from Monday to Sunday on Translink bus, train and ferry services and then use their go card to travel to the airport within that week. The trail loyalty scheme will operate until at least 31st August 2008 on Airtrain services.
With Brisbane traffic at its worst, Airtrain will next week step up with extra seats and additional services.
Travellers will be pleased to know that from Monday 31 March, Airtrain will provide a new 8pm service from Brisbane Airport. Gold Coast patrons will also benefit, with trains from the Gold Coast increasing from 30-minute intervals to run every 15 minutes in the morning peak period.
An additional six services each day, along with the upgrade of all Airtrain services to six-car sets, will see an overall daily increase of 4,950 seats, an 18 per cent increase on current levels. Gold Coast services will increase by 4,725 seats, which is also an 18 per cent increase.
Airtrain General Manger Chris Basche said the increased services are needed now more than ever due to the Brisbane traffic crisis.
"As commuters become increasingly frustrated with congestion on Brisbane roads, demand for Airtrain has never been stronger", Mr Basche said.
"More and more people are recognising that Airtrain is an efficient, cost-effective method of travelling to and from the Airport."
"With more seats and more services morning and night, Airtrain is now an even better option for Airport travellers."
Airtrain has sustained strong passenger growth over recent years. Patronage has increased 16 per cent this financial year alone, outstripping the Brisbane Airport's growth rate of 6 per cent.
With South East Queensland roads more congested than ever, Airtrain will next week step up with additional services and Gold Coast residents stand to benefit the most.
From Monday 31 March, Airtrain services from the Gold Coast to Brisbane will increase from 30-minute intervals to run every 15 minutes in the morning peak period. Airtrain will also provide a new later service at 8pm from Brisbane Airport.
An additional six services each day, along with the upgrade of all Airtrain services to six-car sets, will see Gold Coast services increase by 4,725 seats, which is an 18 per cent increase on current levels.
Airtrain General Manger Chris Basche said the increased services are needed now more than ever due to the Brisbane traffic crisis.
"As commuters become increasingly frustrated with congestion on South East Queensland roads, demand for Airtrain has never been stronger," Mr Basche said.
"More and more people are recognising that Airtrain is an efficient, cost-effective method of travelling to and from Brisbane and the Airport."
"With more seats and more services morning and night, Airtrain is now an even better option for Airport travellers."
Airtrain has sustained strong passenger growth over recent years. Patronage has increased 16 per cent this financial year alone, outstripping the Brisbane Airport's growth rate of 6 per cent.
Airtrain fares will increase to $13 (including GST) as of 1 July 2007.
This is the first time Airtrain has increased its fares in 18 months. It is expected that tickets will not go up again for at least another two years after 1 July.
The price of pre-purchased tickets will remain the same. Passengers can buy a book of 10 tickets for $100 ($10 per trip) offering a $3 saving for every trip. These tickets are available at Airtrain stations and online.
Airtrain's popularity is growing as Brisbane's traffic situation worsens. Major road upgrade projects coming online in the South-East this year will mean congestion is at its worst ever in 2007 with that trend continuing for the next few years. Over 1.5 million passengers are expected to use Airtrain in 2007.
Airtrain's express service is fast and reliable, running to schedule 99 per cent of the time. The equation is simple - if you want to make the plane, catch the train.
