Re: XPT service ? Jack.

["David Proctor" <daproc.spambait@umpires.com>]

Jack wrote in message <75a5rv$8di$1@reader1.reader.news.ozemail.net>...

>To service the pple of the Clarence?

But they are already well serviced by NT1 and NT3 - and, according to 4
PSS's and 6 SPA's, all of whom regularly work NT25 and NT26, the numbers
that travel north of Coffs Harbour is miniscule. You may as well argue "Why
not run it to Lismore, why not run it to Murwillumbah, etc.

> For
>>historical reasons? The major population centre on the North Coast os
Coffs
>>Harbour. By truncating this service at Coffs Harbour,
>
>tell me how u crew it..... where do they stay?  motel?

They used to - when the train previously left Sydney at 1205, there was
insufficient time at Grafton to give the crew adequate rest - so they took
them off at Coffs Harbour. There is also precedent for the use of hotels -
the Sydney based SPA's that work ST1/2/3/4 stay at a hotel in Melbourne, and
the Sydney based PA's on ST1/2/3/4 stay at hotels in Albury. With
Countrylinks purchasing power (guaranteed, 4 rooms, every night, hotels
would be falling over each other to get the contract) they can guarantee a
great deal.

  Ok 6 crew by 365
>days a yerar in a motel.... mate there is no money to maintain em and ya
>want to blow more on accomodatio for the crews

Okay, now that we are on the subject of money, what about wages saved from
reduced working hours? A departure from Sydney of, say, 90 minutes later, is
90 minutes less working time. An arrival in Sydney 90 minutes earlier - that
is 3 hours saved per crew member - a crew of 6 - driver, PSS, SPA, 3xPA - 18
hours saved per day over the course of a year - plus diesel fuel saved, and
more maintenance time in Sydney for the set between ST2 and NT25, and
similiarly the next day between NT26 and ST1 - this all looks like it could
add up to a lot of bucks over time.

.... while I'm there where
>would u stow the set?

It would be a relatively simple and not inexpensive task to reinstate a
storage siding - after all, it would not have to be up to high-speed
standards.

>Cant's argue with getting it home earlier
>
> Several friends who are PSS's
>
>Must be Taree PSS's coz syndy don't work NT25.... and there is only 4 of em

But Sydney PSS's work NT26. I am aware that Taree PSS's work NT4, return on
NT25.

> and SPA's have told me that
>>the minimal loading on NT25/26 north of Coffs could easily be placed on a
>>bus (and a small one at that!)
>>
>>All it takes is a little bit of lateral thinking.
>
>
>And an understanding!


I do understand - more than you probably realise. I have a lot of sympathy
for Countrylink management and staff who are trying to do an impossible task
with inadequate assets. However, I have had discussions (face to face) with
Kim Finnimore (when he was GM), Tim Poulter and Roger Mica, and they wish to
be seen as a credible transport operator. They cannot be taken seriously in
this given the current unreliability of services, the lack of courtesy of
some of the staff, the state of the rolling stock, etc. The type of
customers they need to attract, in order to be a credible trasnport
operator, won't stand for it.

David Proctor
daproc.spambait@umpires.com