Re: [NSW] Tempe - Incorrect Signage?

["Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au>]

Optus <ds_ready@usa.net> wrote in message
Wnhg6.11691$KY1.34171@news1.rivrw1.nsw.optushome.com.au">news:Wnhg6.11691$KY1.34171@news1.rivrw1.nsw.optushome.com.au...
> "Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
> Lgag6.3254$sS4.115232@ozemail.com.au">news:Lgag6.3254$sS4.115232@ozemail.com.au...
> > Optus <ds_ready@usa.net> wrote in message
> > x3Rf6.11616$KY1.33828@news1.rivrw1.nsw.optushome.com.au">news:x3Rf6.11616$KY1.33828@news1.rivrw1.nsw.optushome.com.au...
>
> > > The 5:08pm ex Central not only goes to East Hills but Redfern, Sydenham,
> > > Riverwood and Padstow as well, as well as all the stations in between
> East
> > > Hills and Campbelltown. So strictly speaking the 5:08pm train goes to
> East
> > > Hills. :) And btw the 5:08pm today was held up behind a "banker" outside
> > > Sydenham for a minute or so and did end up at East Hills 7 minutes late
> > > again.
> > Yeah, I get the point, I wrongly assumed that Tezza would have written
> "The
> > 5:08pm from Central to Campbelltown never arrives at East Hills less than
> 5
> > mins late." to describe the situation.  Sorry Tezza!
> > I'll post some reasoning behind why the 5:08 is a likely regular late
> runner
> > tomorrow.
>
> To provide some reasoning why the 5:08 from Central down the East Hills line
> consistently runs 7 mins late would also provide reasoning why other trains
> consistently run 7 mins late. Even in the early afternoon it happens.

{warning: Sydneycentric and long}

Here's some of the reasoning (below) but in essense it comes down to sector 2
being too complex  It has 8 junctions (Central [3-way], Wolli Creek,
Glenfield, Cabramatta, Sefton Park [3-way] Lidcombe, Sydenham & Y-Link).
Sector 1 has 1 (Sutherland) and Sector 3 has 4 (Hornsby, Strathfield, Y'link &
Blacktown [exc C'ford]).

Worse perhaps is that sector 2 trains run nearly every conceivable permutation
of lines - not much consistency.

>From 4:50pm to 5:14pm, 9 trains leave Central platform 22 all at 3' headways
(ie, there's precious little latitude for lateness).  They go to:
4:50    Run 26    East Hills via AL
4:53    Run 59    Macarthur via Sydenham (overtakes 4:50)
4:56    Run 53    Regents Park via Bankstown
4:59    Run 44    Macarthur via AL
5:02    Run 55    Campbelltown via Bankstown and Sefton
5:05    Run 52    East Hills via AL
5:08    Run 30    Campbelltown via Sydenham (overtakes 5:05)
5:11    Run 45    Regents Park via Bankstown
5:14    Run 24    Campbelltown via AL

There are 6' headways (buffers?) before and after this group.

The makings of the lateness problem for these trains lies with where they come
from.  Almost as good as pre-sectorisation of the network.  In the same order
as above:

Run 26 leaves Glenfield at 3:36pm after a 21' layover and travels via
Granville/Strathfield.

Run 59 starts from Flemington CS at 2:07pm.  It runs empty to Strathfield, 5'
later empty to Rhodes, 10' later empty to Strathfield, pass to Circular Quay
and on to Regents Park via Bankstown.  It then travels to Circular Quay with a
7' layover at Strathfield.

Run 53 leaves East Hills at 4:05pm after a 10' layover and runs to the
Circular Quay via Tempe and Town Hall.

Run 44 leaves Macarthur at 2:01pm after a 9' layover.  It runs to Circular
Quay via the AL and onto Ashfield for a 7' layover.  Then onto Strathfield (4'
layover) then via Regents Park to Bankstown for a 4' layover.  It then
proceeds to Circular Quay via Sydenham and Town Hall.

Run 55 leaves East Hills at 3:16pm after a 10' layover and travels to Ashfield
via the AL and Circular Quay.  It returns to Circular Quay after 7' layover
(to form the infamous Banker that delayed the 5:08 ex Central).

Run 52 (the shocker) leaves Flemington CS Jct at 2:42pm.  It travels to
Circular Quay via Regents Park, Bankstown and Town Hall.  It then proceeds to
Regents Park via Bankstown and then onto Circular Quay again via Starthfield.
All this and no more than 1' layover anywhere!

Run 30 commences from Liverpool's storage sidings at 3:36 and runs to Circular
Quay via Regents Park.

[the next two are less important]

Run 45 leaves Glenfield at 3:52pm after a 7' layover and travels to Circular
Quay via Granville and Strathfield with no layovers.

Run 24 leaves Liverpool at 4:12pm after a 8' layover and travels to Circular
Quay via Granville and Strathfield with no layovers.

Lengthy but it provides a good idea as to why the above departures from
Central often run late.  If there's a problem somewhere in sector 2 in the
afternoon, there's a good chance one of these services will hook into it and
spread the problem.  This sort of variety is what helps regularly spice up
CityRail's afternoons.

It's a huge challenge to simplify the timetable aspect by maximum service
segregation but things will remain bad until its done.  Couple that with some
strategic infrastructure works costing some $ and I think the sector will then
improve.

Chris