Re: "Due to defective trains at Flinders St"

[Stacy <sjudin@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au>]

I can understand that at times a train may need to be stabled due to
vandalism - in these cases however this is really what should be broadcast
to customers as the reason (it sometimes is).

However someone wrote that they don't have enough trains or drivers as
back-up if a train really is defective, or that the replacement would take
too long to reach the city...Surely if this is the case more drivers need
to be rostered on, and some back-up sets should be kept all day and night
at Melbourne Yard / North Melbourne? (where they would only take a few
minutes to reach FSS).

I would have thought that allocating a few drivers and sets for back-up
purposes would be well accepted by the private operators, given the fines
they now face for delays/cancellations.

Stacy.

DL <D_Lindstrom@bigpond.com> wrote:

> "DJ" <someone@optus.com> wrote in message
> news:kihD6.48324$Xx3.269691@news1.eburwd1.vic.optushome.com.au...
>> When a train has a defect which requires it to be removed from service, a
>> stand by train will usually replace it, unfortunately there are not enough
>> trains to cover these or not enough drivers. If they did have a train
>> available then it would take too much time to prepare it and get it into
>> town. You are right, it is annoying when they say cancelled due to
> defective
>> train, but it is very common for vandalised trains too, which for some
>> reason they say defective trains. There are reasons for delays, and there
>> are very very few people who want to delay the trains as it ultimately
> comes
>> back on them.
>>
>> "Stacy" <sjudin@yallara.cs.rmit.edu.au> wrote in message
>> 3add919e@mercury.its.rmit.edu.au">news:3add919e@mercury.its.rmit.edu.au...
>> > Why is the reason: "Due to a defective train at Flinders St" used SO
> often
>> > when explaining late/cancelled trains??? I understand a defective train
>> > may finish its run at Flinders St and then be taken away to a yard, but
>> > surely the driver would radio a defect to Metrol as soon as it became
>> > known, giving control enough time to organise a replacement train so
> that
>> > there would be no need for a delay/cancellation of a planned service for
>> > that train later???
>> >
>> > I get so sick of hearing the same message for most trains which are
>> > delayed or cancelled - I have heard it since I was a kid and heard it
>> > again when waiting for the 8:20pm Frankston from Flagstaff this evening.
>> >
>> > By the way, the 8:32pm Sandringham from Flinders St was also delayed -
> was
>> > there some issue that caused these delays??
>> >
>> > Stacy.
>>
> How does vandalism make a train defective?
> They may break a window, jam a door, rip a seat -- the train can still run
> with these small problems.
> My point is that (and by all means correct if I'm wrong), but I'm presuming
> vandals don't mess with the brakes or the motors or the pantograph.
> Regards,
> David Lindstrom
> D_Lindstrom@Bigpond.com
> 19 April 2001