CityRail NYE 2000

["Dongbert" <nospam.dongbert@start.com.au>]

Once again, Cityrail is doing its best to commend itself to potential
off-peak rail travellers.

An appointment today (New Year's Eve) at Parramatta at the 9:30 service
meant I could catch the Campbelltown train at 8:48 from Toongabbie or the
city train at 8:58 and get to Parra in time for breakky before church.

Arrived at the station. Found there was a hitherto unadvertised NYE
timetable (I had checked the day before). Trains at 8:45 and 9:15 and then
every 1/2 hour after that. This is their 'enhanced' service!!!! Good thing
I'd decided to get the 8:48 and get there a few minutes early - else I'd
have had to wait until the 9:15 service.

At 9am the 'service canceled for TODAY ONLY' announcment came through.
Ironic, as the train was to have run for TODAY ONLY!

A 9:15 service would get to Parra station at 9:24, so I wouldn't be too late
and I had a book to read, so no big stress. Just a nuisance. Hmmm. Three
'express' (ie suburbans) services came through - surely one could have
stopped in light of the cancelled train (amusingly called a 'service')?

At 9:08 we were told the '9:01' service was running 8 minutes late. This
'service' was not shown on either the special NYE service or the regular
weekend job!

At 9:14 the "9:01" came through.

I got to church on time but somewhat confused! I was given a lift home as my
lift didn't trust Cityrail. I'm shortly to try my luck in getting to the
city, still on my 'Federation Day pass'. Wonder will I make it before the
firecrackers? Perhaps I should walk the 7km to Parra and get an interurban?
As one who had left the world of commuting to return to tertiary study
full-time, I've shifted from cattle-class lack of service to off-peak lack
of service. The message of this morning (as it was when I was commuting) was
"Stay away from our trains.You'll get around much quicker and more reliably
if you clog all of Sydney's already clogged roads."

At least one positive - the station assistant at Toongabbie did a marvellous
job considering the lack of information she was receiving from Cityrail and
the annoyed 'customers' she had to face!

G.