Re: [NSW] Post Olympics

[Boris <Team@Telstra.com>]

Hubert Lam wrote:

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> Another Berala/Regent's Park shut down??? (sorry to those living there) I
> wouldn't mind, it really does get rid of late running Bankstown trains.

Brilliant Hubert, many thanks. Just the excuse I need to accept an AWA
with company car, drive to work and supplied parking is equal or faster
than rail, don't care how much gas (petrol) I use as all my company's
customers pay for it so it is cheaper for me too.

You should also suggest this to Auburn Council, they have been lobbying
for alterations to Vaughan Street underbridge so that truck drivers
don't test the height of their vehicles on the bridge. You have the
perfect, almost nil cost solution - close the line and remove the
bridge. This would also be very popular with the developers and estate
agents on the council as the ex-railway land could then be levelled,
sub-divided and sold - they may have a problem pushing for medium/high
density housing, however, as it would now not be near a station.

But wouldn't it be better to treat the root (cause) rather than just lop
off the branches and play into the hands of the National Express and
similar empires?

You seem to be grouping Liverpool via Regent's Park (LvRP) and Bankstown
trains, the L'pool trains are almost as bad in timekeeping as Banko's.
Up trains are regularly held at ST412 waiting for both Down and UP late
and not so late L'pool via Granville (LvG) and Western Line trains.

Regularly, the Bankstown -> Blacktown morning service is delayed on
Lidcombe Loop waiting for a late down LvG which also has a habit of
knocking on to the following Up LvRP when the train is tripped by the
approach timing on ST412 if the driver has approached too quickly for
the signal, even though the train is under safe control. Only once have
I witnessed a true case where this trip was required and then after
getting going, rolled through ST429 at stop (exit from Loop) and started
along the catch points until stopped again as a result of being tripped.

In the reverse direction, it is "normal" to crawl from Auburn to ST428
and ST422 (release timing on the latter) to wait lateish running Down
Lvg and West services.

Is this all attributable to Bankstown trains? I think you are
generalising without looking deeper.

> More generous standing times at major stations? (again wouldn't mind)

This (recovery time) is partly the solution, but the reason must be
clear, Sydney trains are notoriously slow to load and unload (too many
bodies, not enough doors) so station dwell times do need increasing.
Certain groups within our community have failed to work out that
standing in front of the doorway or pushing on as soon as the doors have
opened only increases the dwell time further, apart from being extremely
bad manners.

Other options are:
	* More realistic train 'spacing' would help to avoid continuing
	  knock on from a conflicting train 1 or 2 minutes down at a junction.
	* Be a bit more flexible and not hold on/near time services in
	  preference to late running services just to keep the sequence ok.
	  This does require improved customer information.
	* Improve the ability of 4 and 6 car sets to stop at a consistant
	  point along the platform - perhaps it is about time the stopping
	  position was made clear to the travelling public and perhaps
	  standardized as the end or middle of the platform.
	* Better displays on platforms the new plasma screens are so-so but
	  why are they sighted so badly? (Lidcombe 2,3 & 4 are very bad
	  unless you are on the western 1/3rd of the platform.
	* Revised, consistant, stopping patterns.
	* Intercity services for intercity passengers only to speed up
	  stops at Strathfield, Granville, Parramatta, Epping, Hornsby etc.
	* Measure on time performance at more points other than Central, eg
	  Granville, Strathfield, Liverpool, Hurstville etc.

> 
> Perhaps even more bustitution and CityRail starting to buy buses to run from
> Mt Victoria to Bathurst,

More likely a contract for Jones.

>  permanent bustition of Macdonaldtown and Homebush?

Why not re-arrange the junctions at Illawarra Junction - move closer to
Redfern and closer space signals to reduce headway. And Homebush? Lots
could be done here but we are never likely to see it. Hmm, lets close
the northern line from Strathfield, then there will be no holdups on the
South and West from those pesky Hornsby trains! Buses should do fine!
 

Now, how about this (it works in LA and San Francisco) - the public
timetable only tells you how frequent the service is not the times. Eg
between 0600 and 0900, every 15 mins. Then, as far as the public knows,
as long as 4 trains show up every hour - they must be on time!

> 
> Your turn to have your say!

Just did!

Boris