Newcastle - Melbourne trip just completed

["Al" <alpout@optusnet.com.au>]

Morning all,
After catching the train from Newcastle to Melbourne and bumming around that
neck of the woods for a few days, here's my impressions:

For the first time in a long time, a Cityrail train we were on actually
arrived early.  We caught the 4:37 from Newcastle to Sydney, scheduled to
arrive at 7:00pm, actually arrived at 6:58.  An extra 2 minutes of drinking
time in the pub!

Then on to the economy XPT for the overnight to Melbourne.  Whoever designed
those seats obviously never had to sit in them, let alone sleep.  When they're
upright, they're too upright, giving you the ejector seat feeling, while they
don't recline enough to give you a chance to get comfortable.  For the money,
next time I'll fly.

Onto Connex out to Boronia where we dumped our bags (older Melbourne trains
not good on cooler mornings), then back into the city and out to Fishermans
Bend to catch up with some old work buddies.  My timing was out, I'd just
missed one train into the city and had to wait 20 minutes, and then missed the
bus to the Bend so had to wait another half hour for that.  Melbourne's ticket
system a lot easier to use than Sydney's.  One ticket covered me all day for
everything.  From a pub in Port Melbourne, onto the Light rail, then back to
Connex out to Box Hill.  I was happy with that one, I left the pub at 5:35pm
and was in Box Hill Plaza at 6:15 (the train I was on ran around the loop,
then Richmond, then Camberwell, then Box Hill).  How fast do the trains get on
that line (Richmond to Ringwood)?  It feels like about 80 or 90, but I
couldn't see any speed markers.

Next day, back to Southgate (another Daily 1-2-3 ticket) for the food and wine
festival.  The people I was with all came in by train, all reckoned that 24
hour transport ("to match the shops") would work, although they did favour the
one-system only tickets (1 person had a yearly Baysider, reckoned it was
better and cheaper for her).  Refurbed train out to Ringwood.  Obviously the
signs and messages on them don't work too well, there was one girl on the
train who was asking where the train stopped (all except Flagstaff and East
Richmond to Lilydale - calling that a limited express is a bit misleading,
methinks), then got up and looked at the map at every station.  Again, seats
designed by someone who never had to sit in them.

Finally, yesterday, back on the Daylight XPT.  Same prob as coming down, seats
not all that comfortable, but at least I could see out the window.  What's the
fastest trains in Victoria?  Is the XPT allowed to get up to full speed there?
I saw curve speed signs rated at 125km/h, but again, no outright limits.
Then, between Junee and Cootamundra, there's a nice confusing array of train
lines (I saw at least 3 lines on 3 levels in one place.  I also saw another
XPT heading off in the distance, but to another direction (either north or
north west).  Finally, back into Sydney where we had a bit of confusion with
our luggage (we also had a bike booked through to Newcastle).

Then Cityrail back to Morisset last night.  And glad to be off trains for a
while.
--
Al

No matter where you go, there you are