Re: VIC/ALL Power strike impact on rail?

[usenet.spam@gunzel.net (Michael)]

OgO <quentisl@leaves.ihug.com.au> wrote in article
<8FE1622E4ogo1mynxwowaustcom@203.2.194.51>: 

>As those of us in Victoria (and some in SA as well) know we had a
>blackout last night.

<rant>
I support unions. The union that caused this mess however, are bastards. 
There are better ways of making your point. 

Jeffism of the electricity industry did far from help the problem though.
</rant>

>When it happened my housemate was on the train, the train kept stopping 
>every 10 seconds or so and eventually made it to the next station (home)
>which was pitch black, and apparently kept going.

In general, trains kept going. I believe some services may have been 
stopped at some locations though, down trains past Ringwood being one.

It would help if you mentioned which station...

Flinders St only seemed to be mildly affected last night, although the 2058 
arrival ex. Upfield never arrived, unless it did sometime after that.

>When we wandered down later (wondering if we could get a train anywhere)
>the only light at the station was from the metcard ticket machine 
><sarcasm>yay!</sarcasm> and the pedestrian boom gates were down, but 
>powerless.  The level crossing nearby had the boomgates down and bells
>and lights going, although all the traffic lights nearby were dark.

The ticket machine was the only thing still alive at Alphington. It was the 
only thing alive though. I'd have been very annoyed if my monthly Metcard 
got eaten up by the validator had I validated less than about 5 seconds 
later. Don't think I'll go near the validator until this power strike is 
over now...

>What I'm getting around to asking is, *do* the trains keep running in a 
>blackout like this?  Obviously the one my housemate was on kept going
>for at least some way, not sure if it made it to the city or not...  and
>we didn't see one at the station later, although we decided the better
>option was to go back home and crack open a couple beers before they got
>warm :) 

Providing that all safeworking and train electricity supply systems are 
running, which they appeared to last night, then the trains will keep 
running. Provided that only safeworking systems are running, and no sparks 
are in the way, any non electric trains will still run too.

M.

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