Re: City Rail Problems 27/11

[Wollongong Quokka <quokka@zipper.zip.com.au>]

On Fri, 26 Dec 1997, Peter Neve wrote:

> On Fri, 28 Nov 1997 00:18:17 +1100, in aus.rail you wrote:

(Wow... an OLD quote)

> > Most of the people in my carriage who
> >had left cars at Sutherland, Helensburgh or Thirroul will not be using
> >CityRail as of tomorrow.

Just as a side note, I've noticed that the Waterfall carpark appears to
have had a surge in popularity, but I don't know if this has anything to
do with anything else.  It's certainly a good hybrid option if you have to
go to the city from Wollongong.

> would remind those new car commuters that the previous evening (I
> think it was), both the Princes Highway and the Illawarra Freeway were
> CLOSED ALL NIGHT.   Bushfires.   Apparently, the northbound freeway
> was re-opened early the next morning.   The alternative routes would
> have been via the Coast road or vias Campbelltown.   I haven/t hear
> any complaints about that episode - also I did not hear any advice on
> the news broadcasts about road diversions in place.

Presumably people would have been diverted down the coast as I think
Heathcote Road was probably closed at that time which would have made
things difficult.  It's also something which is a little more obvious.  I
was driving to Sydney a few weeks later, and the smoke that was rising
behind Mount Keira was a bit of a giveaway.  When I was going past, they
were getting in early and backburning both sides of the road for some
distance.  The road never closed. 

As for complaints - it's all about the public's perception of the
situation, how it started, and what is being done about it.

I was miles away in the Central West of NSW at the time, yet I knew that
these roads were closed, I knew it was due to bushfires and I was (at
least) under the impression that many firefighters (many, if not most, of
them volunteers) were already battling it and more people and equipment
were being directed into the area. 

When I have this impression, I have no cause for complaint at all.  If
anything it's quite the opposite (ie. praise).

The following day (after much travelling obviously), I found myself stuck
on a train going nowhere, with no explanation offered.  After the first 20
minutes the guard could do nothing but state the obvious ("This train has
been delayed indefinately"), because he knew as much as we did - the
scenery hadn't changed in a surprisingly long time.

You can see the difference.

> The basic problem, as stated  in the main story is simply lack of
> cummunication to staff and passengers.   

That's it in a nutshell.  After the full story came out here in aus.rail,
it *still* leaves me unsatisfied with the handling of the situation, but
nothing compared to my reaction immeadiately after the event.  You only
need to follow my posts starting on the night of the incident to see my
change in opinion.

How many CityRail customers were ever told of all the information
discussed here?  How many still don't know much more than they did on the
night?  Almost none and Most of them I'd say.  It was briefly mentioned on
WIN News the following night, but most people are still travelling when
this is broadcast. 

> The rest of the network was also stuffed - Bankstown I am told failed.

The story goes that Sefton Park went out first, so that's where the
appropriate repair crews ended up.

> Surprisingly, CityRail has not come out with any major public apology.

No surprise to me.  When the Illawarra goes, it tends not to take anything
else out with it, so you never seem to hear about problems, no matter how
large.

> Certainly, Martin Place had a small A4 size notice this afternoon, but
> most passengers would have missed it.   I would have had p.a.
> announcements at the stations in between the train announcements, plus
> a full page ad in the main newspapers apologising.

The Wollongong City Council took out full page advertisements to make an
apology recently... what did they do?  Their phone system went down for
one day.  Most local radio stations were warning people by lunchtime.  I
suspect the inconvenience caused is uncomparable to the incident that is
the subject of this thread. 

I have no idea how CityRail handled it in Wollongong, but I certainly got
no apology from them (apart from the guard on my train taking it upon
himself to apologise on behalf of all of State Rail on the night - even
though, as I say, he had no idea of what had caused the fault and what
was and wasn't done to rectify it).

> Certainaly, possibly a bit early for the last mentioned, but Saturday or
> Monday at the latest! 

In my experience with CityRail, if they can ignore it, they will.

I couldn't be bothered complaining about having to wait in the rain with a
couple of hundred others in the Waterfall carpark for over 30 minutes
during the last closedown, despite the fact that the two buses which
continued our journey were parked there for the entire time.  It just
seems pointless.  I am sure CityRail would have blamed Westbus who would
have blamed CityRail, etc.  As far as I could see, we were the only 200 or
so who may have been unduly affected.

Just out of interest, for the first time in a long time, my trip home from
Sydney on Christmas Day was completed without a single hassle... ignoring
the usual air conditioning problem... that's just a part of travelling by
train now it seems.

--
Robs the Wollongong Quokka
http://www.zip.com.au/~quokka/