Re: throwing out perfectly good trains and trams

[Vaughan Williams <ender2000@my-deja.com>]

> You cannot plan with any certainty exactly how many will call in sick.

Thats one reason why multi-skilled crew is a good thing (eg. driver-
conductors - tram people who could both drive and conduct). A system
with a bit of redundancy in it will be more reliable. Operating costs
will go up a bit but the increased reliability will attract choice
patrons.

> Where is MCE?

melb.cent

> How does that tie in with the statement made before that an
extraordinarily
> high number of Melbourne trains (I think it was around the 10 to 15%
mark)
> sit totally idle during the peaks? If the cancellations are as high
as you
> say, then surely it would be a simple matter to have a train waiting
at
> North Melbourne sidings witha  driver in it, and as soon as a train is
> failed, get it out of there to Flinders St.. It would save a lot of
money in
> terms of fines for cancelled services.

Its closer to the 20 -25 mark but 15 is probably reasonable after
allowing for some to be in maintenance and so on.

Yes, it would be a simple matter as you say. The problem is that
Hillside and Bayside are allowed to cancel a certain number of trains
each day without getting fined. Clearly, the standards are not
stringent enough to force them to fix the problem. Although I don't
catch trains at that station every day, someone who catches that Mordy
train informs me that if they are lucky it runs three days a week.
Thats consistent with what I see - its cancelled about half the time
and I have seen people on the platform reciting the announcement in
unison... "Due to a defective train at Flinders St, the 5.XX to
Mordialloc will not be running today, passengers are advised that the
next train to Mordialloc is the 5.XX Frankston, Bayside Trains
apologises for any inconvenience caused"

It wears thin very quickly.

vaughan


Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.