Re: CityRail ticketing urgrade?

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>Thanks God someone finally said this!  A typical Melbourne station has
>tickets available (and via EFTPOS which is very good) and online train
>running details when unstaffed.  In Sydney - although I hate to say it -
with
>an unattended station (like in the PM with my local station, North
>Strathfield) chances are the ticket machine will be down, or accept notes
>only, or coins only, or not give change even though all three facilities
are
>capable by the TVM's it is rare to find all working at the same time.  And
as
>for train running details - rub a lamp, you've got no chance of that!
>
Sydney isn't the only one with machines that continuously break down! At
Camberwell last week, I tried to purchase a Metcard 10 using EFTPOS. I
punched in the ticket I required then the machine said to insert my card,
which I promptly did. It didn't see it so I inserted it again. I then turned
it round to insert it in case the picture wasn't as intuitive as I had
thought. Still no luck. By this time the machine had automatically cancelled
my selection so I entered it again and tried to EFTPOS. You guessed it, no
comprehendo! I gave up after having my selection cancelled twice and went to
the window to buy my ticket. The EFTPOS there worked perfectly and I had no
hassles whatsoever with the BOM. Whilst it is great having the facilities,
they are no use if they don't work as you point out. With EFTPOS, it just
means something else is there not to work.

I agree our passenger information systems are much better than Sydney's. We
have the push button information system on all stations, passenger
information displays (PIDs) on most of the busier stations and the trains
have the destination on the front. If after all that, you still catch the
wrong train or don't have enough information, I suspect you are the one
found wanting, not the PTC. The only downside is that not all stations have
the locality maps yet (although most seem to) and a public transport map
displayed prominently would be helpful too although there are usually large
signs out front of each platform telling you where the local tram and bus
services depart and where they go and their route number.