[V] Bloody Hillside

[Mick Stock <mzs@nospam.bigpond.com>]

Bloody Hillside and late trains (again)!

This morning, the 9:16 Heathmont to City train (ex 8:56 Belgrave) didn't
turn up until 9:38am.
However at about 9:29, an extremely fast-moving empty went through
towards Ringwood.  It almost appears that the empty movement was given
priority over the revenue service. The (9:16 eventually turned up at
about 9:38, and managed to lose even more time on the trip into the
city, including unscheduled stops at Surrey Hills (for about 3 mins,
actually at the platform), just outside Chatham, and between Burnley &
E. Richmond (a minute each).

What I found extremely annoying was the fact that AT NO TIME, no
explaination (or apologies) were offered, either over the staton's PA
system or the on-board PA by the driver, as for the reason for such late
running (the train eventually arrived at Melb. Central at 10:25 - it
should have arrived at 9:55!).  This train should have also been altered
to run express Ringwood-Box Hill-Camb-Richmond to help make up for lost
time, as the 9:15 (ex Lilydale) would have left Ringwood only minutes
before my train arrived (very few people got on at all from Ringwood
onwards).

Fortunately, I was given a ride home tonight - if I had to catch a train
home and it was late (again), all hell would have broken loose when it
arrived at Ringwood!

Does ANYONE know what the reason for the late running this time was?  It
is obvious that Hillside couldn't give a stuff any more!  During the
last 3 months, approx. 90% of trains I've travelled on have been running
5-10 mins late, with several exceeding 10 mins, and is getting worse
(especially "services" between 6 & 7pm). The 18:04 Lilydale usually runs
around 6 mins late, the 18:14 Belgrave rarely leaves on time (and almost
always arrives at Ringwood 5 mins late, so I miss my bus connection),
and the 18:22 Lilydale also usually arrives at Ringwood 5 mins late. And
NO, I normally can't catch earlier trains to meet up with bus
connections, due to work commitments. When the trains run late, it OFTEN
means up to 40min wait for the next bus, or a 20-30 min walk home from
the station (which may be OK in summer if I have nothing better to do,
but is totally unacceptable this time of the year).

To add insult to injury (and in this mornings case, LOSS OF WAGES! -
Hillside take note!!!!),
on the news tonight was a segment on improving customer service &
reliability of services....

And while I'm at it, are they ever going to finish installing the
escalators at FSS (Plat 2/3)? I seem to remember reading somewhere that
it was supposed to take about 6 weeks, starting mid Feb and finished by
the end of March. It is now almost the end of May (12 weeks since they
started the work), and still no sign of the job being finished.

"Hillside - a better train of thought" - you gotta be kidding!

Mick - one very pissed off traveller.


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