Re: [V] Bloody Hillside

[Roy Marshall <marsh@zip.com.au>]

Great to see that our privatised cousins from Mexico are doing so much
better than CityRail in Sydney!!

Cheers Roy

Mick Stock wrote:
> 
> 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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