Re: The Ultimate Challenge - Travel by CityRail for a Week !

[Glenn J-B <grjb@ihug.com.au>]

David,

Did I say express (as in NO stops) or essentially express? I am aware of the
signs you are talking about. I appreciate the need for trains to stop at
selected major junctions or business centres on the way to pick up passengers.
That always has and will be the case. The point I am making is this:- the
passengers out the outer ends of the suburban networks (Penrith, Waterfall,
Hornsby) do nothing but complain when the intercitys don't stop at their
station. In the 1980's the move was made to run trains express through these
stations to free up seats for people who genuinely need them. This should be the

practice now. I work with people from the Central Coast, the South Coast and the

Blue Mountains and they often complain that they have to stand at least to the
outer ends of the suburban network because the seats are taken by suburban
travellers who have many alternative services to choose from and don't have to
pay as much for a weekly ticket.

Glenn

Dave Proctor wrote:

> "Glenn J-B" <grjb@ihug.com.au> wrote in message
> 391DE7CF.E86CCEE0@ihug.com.au">news:391DE7CF.E86CCEE0@ihug.com.au...
> > They could solve the whole problem by doing what they did in the 1980's
> (and
> > currently do on the south coast) and run the intercity trains essentially
> non
> > -stop to the end of the suburban network (Emu Plains, Berowra, Macarthur,
> > Helensburgh) with a suburban train preceding this express. That way the
> seats go
> > to those who travel the furthest and don't have a greater selection of
> express
> > trains to choose from (Parramatta to Penrith - 4 fast and 2 semi fast each
> hour).
>
> This is NOT what the do on the South Coast at the moment. There are very
> large signs at Central advising people that certain trains (16-6, 1636, 1706
> and 1736 IIRC) are pick up only at Hurstville and Sutheralnd and that people
> risk fines if they travel to those stations on those trains.
>
> Dave