Re: Re: [NSW] CityRail ticketing query.

[Hubert Lam <hubert@imap4.com>]

Do it like they do in Hong Kong (and many other places)-- Have prepaid
"stored value" tickets (now contact smart cards that can be used on many
buses, rail and "metro") and charge whatever distance you travel instead
of being limited to two points on the network.

Anyone that wants to see what that contact smart card looks like I can
scan it.



Rod Gayford got bored on Wed, 14 Jun 2000 13:47:39 +1000 and so wrote
the following:
 
          The ticketing system in Sydney is not only hopeless but can
lead passengers
          to unknowingly break the law since they are not aware of the
arcane
          ticketing system.  For instance:  Every week I used to
purchase a City
          Weekly from the ticket machine at Cheltenham.  Now I know the
fare for a
          weekly is the same from Pennant Hills and on occasion I drop
my car off for
          servicing at Pennant Hills and catch the train to the city. I
do not see why
          I need to purchase a ticket from PH to Cheltenham as the
weekly fare is the
          same, however, if I was caught by a ticket inspector no doubt
he would cite
          me for traveling without a valid ticket between PH & Cheltnm.
Solution to
          the problem, purchase a weekly from the ticket window at
Cheltenham and you
          receive an Asquith to City weekly. With that ticket you can go
via either
          Shore or Main North for the same price. The ticket office at
Wynyard told me
          a similar result can obtained by asking for a weekly
McDonaldtown ticket.
          My view is why should you have to have inside knowledge to
obtain a ticket
          that enables you to have better traveling options and avoid
breaking the
          law.  Its about time zone fares were bought in to avoid this
madness. I
          realise this issue has been canvassed before on this group and
a
          disadvantage of it was the possibility of traveling long
distances within
          the one zone (I think an example was traveling from say
Liverpool to
          Parramatta) but so what.  The other thing that needs to be
brought in is a
          the travel ten idea used on busses since many travelers do not
use a weekly
          on the weekends and some times waste a weekly if say you may
use a work
          place motor vehicle to do a job and garage it at home
overnight, also public
          holidays are a waste. I wouldn't use the trains on the weekend
as it takes a
          month of Sunday's to get anywhere other than directly to the
City. eg
          Cheltenham to Parramatta, 20 minutes by motor vehicle, over an
hour by
          train.
          Cheers
          Rod Gayford
          "David Johnson" <trainman@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
          39464559.16FCAF1A@ozemail.com.au">news:39464559.16FCAF1A@ozemail.com.au...
          > Hubert Lam wrote:
          >
          > > hmm...I haven't tried this before, but say I got a Burwood
& Hornsby
          weekly, would I be able to get
          > > off at Central or Chatswood (although it only takes half
an hour to go
          via main north but via
          > > City/Shore it takes up to 1 hr)
          >
          > No.  Not unless you got a Burwood to Hornsby via North
Sydney weekly.
          >
          >
          > --
          > David Johnson
          > trainman@ozemail.com.au
          > http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
          > ------------------------------------
          > These comments are made in a private
          > capacity and do not represent the
          > official view of State Rail.
          > C.O.W.S. Page 11.
          >
          >