Re: Airport Line Lack of Patronage? (NSW, the only state to have one open in Australia at the moment)

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@spambait.ozemail.com.au>]

"David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au> wrote in message
3936f569@newshost.pcug.org.au">news:3936f569@newshost.pcug.org.au...

> There are quite a few factors in this.  Some of which I am aware from the
> local press and my brother's recent experience on the line:
>
> 1.  It costs more than the airport bus to use the link

I can't see them keeping the access fee at its current level for very long.
Perhaps they will drop it to match the current KST fares.

> 2.  There is virtually no publicity at the airport that the line has
opened
> for arriving passengers

And none on the planes either. The international terminal is well
signposted, but the domestic terminals are appalling.

> 3.  The lack of baggage facilities on trains

People often don't know about this until they show up, so this would not be
discouraging patronage. Discouraging repeat custom possibly.

> 7.  CityRail's present unreliable timekeeping is becoming legendary - if
> you've got a flight to catch the plane won't wait

People generally arrive well before their flights are due to depart, so a
train being 10 or even 30 minutes late often will not have an impact. I for
example often arrive at 1500 for a 2230 flight (but this is because the bar
in th Golden Wing lounge opens at 1500).

> 8.  Security (or lack thereof) on trains/platforms at night

At the airport stations?

Dave