Wed 7-May:
4:53pm Mooroolbark (this one seems to get cancelled on a regular
basis),
5:07pm Upper F-T Gully (also cancelled on a regular basis), and
5:17pm Mooroolbark
- all cancelled 'defective trains'
Why so many cancellations on the Lilydale/Belgrave lines, when as
far as I can tell, no other lines had any?
5:04 Lilydale - running nearly 10 mins late (this happens nearly every
time I catch it). Due to cancellation of the other trains,
this one was hopelessly overcrowded. Even thought it was a cold
& wet afternoon, it was excessively hot & stuffy inside. Also
lost another 5 minutes at Richmond station (problem with doors????).
Even though the train was stopped halfway out of the platform,
idiots were still trying to get in!
Thu 8-May:
7:34pm Lilydale train (announced as 7:35pm by station staff - they
can't even read their own timetables!)
arrived Flinders St stn 7:47pm, departed 7:50pm (16 mins late)
arrived East Ringwood 8:56pm (30 mins late - what a crappy service!)
At no time was any explanation given for the extremely late running
of this train, and no-one at the Met seems to want to talk about it!
How can a train which is already running 16 mins late lose another
14 mins for no apparent reason? If there is a problem, the driver
could at least let passengers know via the on board PA system.
For that matter, why is it that 9 out of 10 trains that I catch
FROM Melb are running AT LEAST 5 mins late, and yet most trains
heading TO Melb depart my end on time, and usually arrive within
2-3 minutes of the correct time??
And YES, I did try the 'Customer Service' line several times during
business hours - it alternated between not answering & me being put on
a holding queue.
It seems to me that although the Met claims that they are improving
services, they don't have the rolling stock & necessary maintenance to
actually provide a decent service. The actual timetables do not allow for
any delays, and even when trains are at the platform at FS station on
time, it is normal for them to leave a few mins late.
The MET claims passenger numbers are increasing (which from my own
observation, at least on the Lilydale & Belgrave lines is correct), but
without enough trains to actually provide the service, they will only
start losing passengers as cancellations become more frequent (and running
3-car trains when there are enough passengers to justify a 6-car train
doesn't help).
Maybe privatising MET services will improve things, but then again,
I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.
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| email: mzs@eastwood.apana.org.au |
| WEB: http://www.eastwood.apana.org.au/ |
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