Re: State Rail - No, State Joke. [NSW]

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

"Bill Bolton" <billbolton@computer.org> wrote in message
dl97htgc9drus628pfgr407rooho9jur22@4ax.com">news:dl97htgc9drus628pfgr407rooho9jur22@4ax.com...
> "David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
>
> > Insert the word "third" between "by" and "world" and then I'd agree with
> > you.
>
> Have you tried travelling into Francisco by rail over the same
> distance you travel from the Southern Highlands to Sydney?

Yes, presume you mean Caltrain from San Jose. Trains quite comfortable,
though the tracks are a bit ropey and the gallery bi-level cars are of
hopeless design.  Trains very clean, crews friendly and quite humorous.

 How about
> a similar journey is Los Angeles?

Yes Metrolink to Fullerton and AMTRAK Fullerton to San Diego

Metrolink has really clean and comfortable bi-level cars, friendly on-board
crews.  Even V-set cars are primitive by comparison.  The new AMTRAK
services to San Diego employ the California bi-level cars, these are even
better than the Metrolink cars.

Haven't done the east coast services you mention, so can't really comment on
them except to say that Florida has quite new equipment similar to LA
Metrolink..

I've ridden a lot of trains around the world, my personal favourite is the
Paris Metro.  Trains are clean, fast and frequent.
They almost never stop in tunnels between stations.  New York used to have
the grottiest system, and it was unreliable.  Now it's been cleaned up.
London Underground always seems in a mess.

Actually CityRail's services to and from the Southern Highlands are quite
comfortable in an Endeavour, when they run to time and aren't overcrowded.
The services around the city however leave quite a lot to be desired in
terms of train presentation, staff attitudes, and general management.
There's a take-it-or-leave it approach.  The system is capable of working
quite well,
as proven during the Olympics.

Regards

David Bennetts










>
> Cheers,
>
> Bill
>
>
> Bill Bolton
> Sydney, Australia