A TOTAL of 32 extra weekly train services started on Monday, adding 14,000 seats to south-east Queensland's rail network.
Redlands MP Kim Richards said the services included a Friday 5.32pm Central to Cleveland train, a Monday to Friday 6.39am Cleveland to Central train and a Monday to Friday 5.09pm Central to Cleveland train.
In August the train service to Cleveland was dubbed the Misery Line by commuters frustrated that services were not frequent enough and unreliable.
Responding to the announcement of the new services, Opposition transport spokesman Steve Minnikin said that 440 further services were still needed to fully restore the transport system.
Ms Richards said that the additional services had put more trains back into service when customers needed them the most.
"Queensland Rail has listened to customer feedback and analysed patronage data, customer wait times and operational efficiencies to identify 32 priority weekly services we know will benefit our customers right now," Ms Richards said.
She said the move came after 46,000 weekly seats were added to the rail network last year with the upgrades of 193 three-carriage services to six-carriage services.
"Queensland Rail is on track to deliver further timetable improvements later this year, following the largest driver recruitment and training campaign in its history," Ms Richards said.
She said that delivering a new timetable was a complex task that involved managing train crew resources and rostering, planning, stabling and maintenance of trains and scheduling daily train movements.
She said further service improvements would be announced later in the year.
Mr Minnikin said it was taking the government too long to get train services back on track.
"The Palaszczuk Labor government is giving themselves a pat on the back for restoring 32 train services," Mr Minnikin said.
"But make no mistake, Labor's rail fail is still very much alive.
"Thirty-two services down, only 440 to go.
"Based on the current projections of 32 services being restored in two and a half years, it will take more than 36 years to give Queenslanders a fully restored schedule."
