Re: Re: [Melb] Airport Heavy Rail Connection Needed!

["Derick Wuen" <cullend@webone.com.au>]

David Johnson wrote in message ...
>On 20 May 2001 00:38:10 +1000, spammers-will-die@austux.net (Jeremy
>Lunn) wrote:
>
>>In article <3b05cf8b@iridium.webone.com.au>, Derick Wuen wrote:
>>>> I haven't seen anything about whether it will be part of the multimodal
>>>>ticketing system.  Or if it'll be another scam like in Sydney where it's
>>>>something like $10 each way.
>>>>
>>>
>>> $10 for rail in Sydney compares favourably with $7 (??) for PTC Airport
>>> Express bus when time, predictability and comfort are taken into
account.
>>> Who's scamming what here?
>>
>>Come to think of it.... the Skybus from Melbourne Airport to the CBD is
>>more expensive than the Sydney train!  I was really pissed off when the
>>driver said $11 or whatever it was.  I couldn't beleive that a service
>>that doesn't quite substitute a train could be more expensive than a
>>train that has the same purpose in a different city.
>
>In all fairness, Tullamarine is a lot further from SSS than Mascot is
>from Central, therefore, I would expect the price to be higher.
>

Sydney PTC Airport Express is about one third the taxi fare to CBD;
Melbourne Skybus significantly less than a third of taxi fare to CBD. So
does not seem way out of whack.

The general problem with public road transport solutions is that they are
unreliable when most needed. Try to get either taxi or Airport Express bus
in Sydney on a rainy Friday pm peak. Through bitter experience I used to
book Friday pm flight ex Sydney for after 8pm. Made for long days. Not so
with Sydney rail link.

Therefore it was a bit of a shock to come back to traffic congestion
contingency planning on my recent trips to Melbourne, even though the
"getting in" problems seems worse than the "getting out".

>
>David Johnson
>trainman@ozemail.com.au
>http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/
>------------------------------------
>These comments are made in a private
>capacity and do not represent the
>official view of State Rail.
>C.O.W.S. Page 11.