Clarification of train service punctuality data methods
Michael Brown made this Official Information request to Wellington Regional Council
The request was successful.
From: Michael Brown
Dear Wellington Regional Council,
In March of this year, you kindly responded to an OIA request regarding punctuality of trains on the Wellington network, as noted in the monthly reports on the Metlink website. I refer you to the request here: https://fyi.org.nz/request/12336-train-p...
I have since had a chance to analyse the data you provided and have some followup questions.
You provided data for November 2019 on the HVL, with patronage and timeliness/lateness information for every service. I then compared this to the report provided on the Metlink website here: https://www.metlink.org.nz/assets/Upload....
The official Metlink HVL report for Nov 2019 states that 88.4% of services ran on time. The spreadsheet you provided, on the other hand, indicates that only 76.1% ran on time. The difference of 12.3% matches (to within 0.1%) the number of bus-replaced services. It appears, therefore, that bus-replaced services are being counted as "on time" train services in your statistics and reporting.
My questions are:
1. Can you confirm that bus-replaced services are being counted as "on time" train services?
2. Is this being done for data on all Metlink train lines?
2. Why are you combining the two types of services for statistical purposes (if this is indeed what is happening)?
I see several problems with counting bus-replaced services as "on time" train services. They are not the same type of public transport and face different issues relating to punctuality: they are not comparable data sets and should not be simply added together. Two, the stats count all bus-replaced services as "on time", when in fact the buses are frequently - if not always - behind schedule in my experience. Lastly, combining such statistics is highly misleading in terms of your monthly reports and posters at train stations.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Brown
From: Darrell Young
Wellington Regional Council
Dear Michael,
Acknowledgement of Request for Information under the Local Government
Official Information and Meetings Act 1987
Thank you for your email dated 3 June 2020, requesting information
regarding clarification of train service punctuality data methods.
Your request is being followed-up and a reply will be sent to you within
20 working days of the request being received.
Yours sincerely,
Darrell Young
for
Luke Troy
General
Manager
Strategy
Greater Wellington Regional Council
ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named
recipient(s) only. If you are not the named recipient and receive this
correspondence in error, you must not copy, distribute or take any action
in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the
sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions
expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of
the organisation.
From: Alice Clark
Wellington Regional Council
Dear Mr Brown
Attached please find the response to your recent request for information.
Kind reagrds
[1]makaurangi Alice Clark
Kaiāwhina Matua ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka
Executive Assistant to General Manager Metlink
Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao
15 Walter Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Follow us online: [2]Facebook | [3]Twitter |
[4]gw.govt.nz
ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named
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in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the
sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions
expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of
the organisation.
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From: Michael Brown
Dear Alice Clark,
Thanks for passing on Scott's response to my OIA request.
To me, it begs more questions about the GWRC's analysis and presentation of the data. The initial followup queries I have are: Is the punctuality of the bus replacements measured and if so how? The previous data you have supplied simply had the category "Bus replaced", with no further granularity around "On time", "5 to 7 mins late", etc.
The only conclusion one can draw is that the bus replacements are always on time or are assumed by GWRC to be always on time (as per their separate timetable) . If stats on the punctuality/lateness of the HVL bus replacements is available for Nov 2019, can you please supply it?
I am appending this to the current OIA. If you would prefer me to make a separate OIA request, please advise.
Given these OIAs are merely seeking clarification on standard procedures around how operational data is gathered and analysed, I would not expect them to take nearly the full 20 working days to answer and would appreciate quicker followup in future.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Brown
From: Alice Clark
Wellington Regional Council
Dear Mr Brown,
Thank you for your email. You will not need to lodge a further OIA. We are currently gathering some information to form a response to your email below.
Kind regards
Alice Clark
Kaiāwhina Matua ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka
Executive Assistant to General Manager Metlink
Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao
15 Walter Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Follow us online: Facebook | Twitter | gw.govt.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Brown <[FOI #13013 email]>
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2020 2:20 PM
To: Alice Clark <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to request for information
Dear Alice Clark,
Thanks for passing on Scott's response to my OIA request.
To me, it begs more questions about the GWRC's analysis and presentation of the data. The initial followup queries I have are: Is the punctuality of the bus replacements measured and if so how? The previous data you have supplied simply had the category "Bus replaced", with no further granularity around "On time", "5 to 7 mins late", etc.
The only conclusion one can draw is that the bus replacements are always on time or are assumed by GWRC to be always on time (as per their separate timetable) . If stats on the punctuality/lateness of the HVL bus replacements is available for Nov 2019, can you please supply it?
I am appending this to the current OIA. If you would prefer me to make a separate OIA request, please advise.
Given these OIAs are merely seeking clarification on standard procedures around how operational data is gathered and analysed, I would not expect them to take nearly the full 20 working days to answer and would appreciate quicker followup in future.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Brown
-----Original Message-----
Dear Mr Brown
Attached please find the response to your recent request for information.
Kind reagrds
[1]makaurangi Alice Clark
Kaiāwhina Matua ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka
Executive Assistant to General Manager Metlink
Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao
15 Walter Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Follow us online: [2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]gw.govt.nz
ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named
recipient(s) only. If you are not the named recipient and receive this correspondence in error, you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of the organisation.
References
Visible links
2. https://www.facebook.com/GreaterWellingt...
3. https://twitter.com/greaterwgtn
4. http://www.gw.govt.nz/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #13013 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
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ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named recipient(s) only. If you are not the named recipient and receive this correspondence in error, you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of the organisation.
hide quoted sections
From: Alice Clark
Wellington Regional Council
Dear Mr Brown
Thank you for your email. Below please find the response to your question: " Is the punctuality of the bus replacements measured and if so how?"
The punctuality of bus replacements is not measured. We are unable to consistently track bus replacements as Metlink buses are not always used – for example, the Wairarapa Line bus replacements (by far the greatest number of buses that are used to replace train services) are usually coaches which do not have the required software.
Kind regards
Alice Clark
Kaiāwhina Matua ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka
Executive Assistant to General Manager Metlink
Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao
15 Walter Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Follow us online: Facebook | Twitter | gw.govt.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Brown <[FOI #13013 email]>
Sent: Friday, 3 July 2020 2:20 PM
To: Alice Clark <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to request for information
Dear Alice Clark,
Thanks for passing on Scott's response to my OIA request.
To me, it begs more questions about the GWRC's analysis and presentation of the data. The initial followup queries I have are: Is the punctuality of the bus replacements measured and if so how? The previous data you have supplied simply had the category "Bus replaced", with no further granularity around "On time", "5 to 7 mins late", etc.
The only conclusion one can draw is that the bus replacements are always on time or are assumed by GWRC to be always on time (as per their separate timetable) . If stats on the punctuality/lateness of the HVL bus replacements is available for Nov 2019, can you please supply it?
I am appending this to the current OIA. If you would prefer me to make a separate OIA request, please advise.
Given these OIAs are merely seeking clarification on standard procedures around how operational data is gathered and analysed, I would not expect them to take nearly the full 20 working days to answer and would appreciate quicker followup in future.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Brown
-----Original Message-----
Dear Mr Brown
Attached please find the response to your recent request for information.
Kind reagrds
[1]makaurangi Alice Clark
Kaiāwhina Matua ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka
Executive Assistant to General Manager Metlink
Greater Wellington Te Pane Matua Taiao
15 Walter Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Follow us online: [2]Facebook | [3]Twitter | [4]gw.govt.nz
ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named
recipient(s) only. If you are not the named recipient and receive this correspondence in error, you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of the organisation.
References
Visible links
2. https://www.facebook.com/GreaterWellingt...
3. https://twitter.com/greaterwgtn
4. http://www.gw.govt.nz/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #13013 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ATTENTION: This correspondence is confidential and intended for the named recipient(s) only. If you are not the named recipient and receive this correspondence in error, you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it and you should delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately. Unless otherwise stated, any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author, and do not represent those of the organisation.
hide quoted sections
From: Michael Brown
Dear Alice,
Thanks very much for forwarding this information and so promptly. I really appreciate it.
Just as an addendum, I am well aware of the challenges the train network faces and the various factors that are causing train lateness/cancellation. It is also grea to see the various track upgrading going on at present. My inquiries have not been concerned with the lateness issues per se, but are more focused on the quality of the data measuring the impact of these issues, as it is reported.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Brown
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