Re: throwing out perfectly good trains and trams

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

Long journeys are a different story. Comfort becomes more important.
The new V-line trains *are* needed - for comfort and for speed and for
capacity. That said, the seating on the sprinters isn't particularly
comfortable - less so than the older loco-hauled trains IMHO.

If money is spent on new trams and trains, that is money that isn't
spent on line upgrades, extensions, fixing up the feeder bus networks,
and so on. Or for that matter on public health, or education, or tax
cuts. There are many demands on the public purse and its a matter of
selecting which ones offer the most benefit to people with the least
amount of money spent.

I don't find the current fleets particularly slow, or drafty, or
uncomfortable. The newer air-conditioned vehicles I actually think are
the most uncomfortable in hot weather because the air conditioning
always breaks down and the windows won't open!

The W's are better than the Z's in hot weather because they have better
ventilation, and they also have higher capacity, and use less
electricity due to being lighter.

I don't mean to pour shit on new rolling stock - I just would have
spent the money differently. And I do object to throwing out trains and
trams that are still serviceable.

Vaughan

> The PTUA has this silly politically correct line, as if the traveling
public
> want to ride around in slow, drafty (or hot), uncomfortable rolling
stock -
> while the latest cars have every creature comfort (of course, I
shouldn't
> mention cars, that's politically incorrect too).
> The public for the fortune in taxes they pay should get the comfort
they
> expect, at least on longer journeys. On shorter journeys they should
get
> comfortable, but high capacity (read fewer seats) vehicles.
> The evil roadocrats of the 1950's and 60s who opposed public
transport were
> supported in the mind of the public by the proliferation of doggies,
taits,
> evans cars, end-platform cars and so on which characterised the time.
> Bring on the new rolling stock.
>
>


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