Re: Swanston Trams & W-Class

[Chris <csinn@netlink.com.au>]

W-Class wrote:
> 
> >I work at the Malvern depot and I have never heard drivers being
> >instructed to drop sand. A driver will use the sand if it is felt that
> >that traction is going to be lost or when adhesion to the rails is lost
> >when braking due to mainly poorly cleaned rails. The use of sand and the
> >problems with the Ws have nothing to do with each other
> 
> So swanston just does not want to clean the tracks?   It will be
> interesting to watch what happens over the next 3-5 years once the
> fallout from the cutting in manintance in tracks and trams starts to
> show up (such in Qantas which has had safety problems because of  cuts
> to maintance)
> 
> Has Swanston done any major track reconstruction since they went
> private?   Actually silly question, because they would rather cream
> off the profits  and leave a very old, unsafe system left once they
> finish their contract.
> 
> Has anybody heard the rumours that National Express are having money
> problems (or is it just me?)


I think they are having money problems, all things considered such as
the 1.16 million in fines. A person informed me that the revenue
clearing office? that divides up the ticket revenue its like a cat fight
up there over whos going to get the most.

Things have not improved on Swanston, they still run late, cancel trams
and short shunt. This must be costing them a heap. I wonder what the
penalty for the Ws off the road would be beacuse they are not running a
full service