Airport line and G23

[kv1kv1@aol.com (Kv1kv1)]

Come on folks, lets be serious.

G23 on the airport line on weekends is only a by-product of the real reason
behind the transfer of G23 to sector 1. It is to make up for the lack of V-sets

on the south coast. With the bulk of the V-set fleet going up the Central Coast
in the peak, that doesn't leave much for the south. The problem is so bad that
in addition to the 7 G-sets running express services to Dapto/Pt Kembla -
Sydney Terminal increasing numbers of T-sets are being used for south coast
services during the peaks and even off-peaks. 

Typically, the peak express services during the afternoon have many G/T-sets.

ie A typical afternoon peak for South Coast services:

4.19 Central	Thirroul    8 car T-set always
4.22 Central	Pt Kem	4 car G-set OR 4 car T-set
4.36 Syd Term	Dapto	4 car G-set OR 4 car V-set OR 4 car T-set
4.52 Central	Pt Kem	8 car G-set/T-set OR 4 car T-set OR 4 car G-set
5.06 Syd Term	Dapto	4 car G-set OR 4/6 car V-set
5.22 Central	Pt Kem	Always an 8 car mixed G/T-set. Sometimes an 8 car      
                      T-set.
5.36 Syd Term	Dapto	4 car G-set normally but can be V-set
6.06 Syd Term	Dapto	4 car G-set always (almost always G7)

Generally if an V-set is typically used on a service but is not avalible a
G-set will be used in instead. Probably Mordale has 3-4 spare G-sets resting in
the off-peak.
When these are used down the coast to replace V-sets it has an knock-on effect
on peak services in the afternoon. 

You will then see some empty 4 car Campbelltown/Flemington T-sets rushing to
Mortdale just before the afternoon peak in preparation for south coast
services. Obviously this scenario happens often enough for T-sets to feature
regularly in the afternoon
peaks.

The point is, people are going to notice there are too many T-sets doing the
interurban services and will start to complain. Probably the guy running the
Mordale depot is pissed off about having to run so many of his T-sets (Mordale
only has 12x4 car T-sets) on the South Coast. So Cityrail has decided to cover
this problem with the swapping of G23 and T11 to quell the complaints.

Thus South Coast passengers are finally partially compensated. However you look
at it, South Coast passengers have been shafted and Sector 1/2 passengers are
paying for it. The real losers are of course are the Campbelltown passengers,
having one less T-set avalible for their use. Why can't Cityrail just transfer
G23 to sector 1 and have Mordale transfer a S-set to sector 3?

Now with the transfer of G23 to Mordale I have noticed that the 4.52
Central-Dapto has now become a 8 car G-set instead of the normal 4 car G-set,
although I don't think this arrangement will last long. By next week this
service will become an typical G/T-set combo.