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>]

"Rob McDonald" <robert.mcdonald@kilo.uws.edu.au> wrote in message
news:393DBACB.5144E0@kilo.uws.edu.au...
> I've travelled with Ansett and Qantas over the last week (all this and
CityRail
> too - am I a glutton for punishment or what). Tried the new airport line
three
> times. Here's why I won't again.
>
> 1. No tickets available from vending machines at Central. Had to queue to
buy
> ticket yesterday. Queue so slow I gave up and caught usual bus to airport.
> Ticket-buying time longer than journey.

This was due to lack of planning by CityRail (I know, hard to believe, isn't
it) and will be rectified by December (they didn't say which year though).

> 2. Coming back I got in from Brisbane a few minutes early and thought that
if I
> was fast I'd get the next Blue Mountains train from Central. Train
indicators
> suggested a train would leave in 2 mins. Went to ticket vending machines.
> Several of them available but man there told me to buy ticket manually at
> window. Bought ticket, ran down escalator, and waited.
> 3. And waited.
> 4. Passed the time trying to determine expected time of arrival of next
train.
> Confusing display which was out of synch with the reality, and made it
hard to
> determine which was the time now, which was the time the train was
scheduled to
> arrive, and which was the time the train would really arrive. Train
eventually
> pulled in while display said it would be here in 2 mins, and I gave up
trying
> to work it out.

This is one of the problems with giving information about when the next
train is going to arrive - it has to be tied in with the signalling system
for it to work properly, and even then it often doesn't. What they probably
need is a screen in the control room repeating the signal box indications
(like on the City Circle stations), with staff trained in how it all works -
so that if they can see there is a train at International, they can advise
passengers at Domestic that the train will be there in about 3 minutes. This
*should* work automatically, but practice has shown that it doesn't.

> 6. Tangara from airport, which is supposed to be attracting business
daytripers
> (that's the official excuse for the lack of luggage space), had usual
dusty,
> dirty seats. Black suit, which I had put on clean for job interview that
> morning, was filthy.

This is a system wide problem.

> Some positive points.
> 1. Signage is in place at Ansett and Qantas domestic terminals.

I didn't see any at the QF Domestic terminal on Sunday.

> 2. Plenty of seats except on free days. Got an entire carriage to myself
last
> night. Guess the lack of luggage space isn't really a worry in these
> circumstances.
> 3. Entrances well located so you can zap from Arrivals and Baggage Claim
down
> to station.
>
> Some questions.
> 1. Why do all the trains stop at Green Square when it looks like the final
> scenes from "On the beach" from inside and outside? Except on free day
nobody
> gets on or off there.
> 2. How long before that station is closed down?
> 3. Who was the bright spark that planned for a station nobody wants to
use?

There are plans for residential redevelopment in this area. For once, the
transport actually preceded the development.

Dave