Re: Changes in Melbourne

[Chris Gordon <c.gordon@ugrad.unimelb.edu.au>]

Michael Walker wrote:
> 
> Roderick Smith wrote:
> >
> > Another solution would be to run six-car trains splitting at Ringwood.
> > This is what Scharfenburg couplers were designed to make easy.  Try
> > visiting Netherlands to see effective and efficient use of this technique.
> >
> 
> Yes but I am sure the Netherlands also look after their couplers
> properly. If I am not mistaken, Scharfenburg couplers come with covers
> under normal circumstances. In Victoria's case, to save money, we bought
> them without the covers. Indeed about a year or so ago, all lines except
> Upfield ran 6 car trains off peak purely because the Scharfenburg
> couplers weren't seperating with any reliability. All of them urgently
> underwent maintenance over a period of roughly 6-8 weeks (am not sure
> exactly as it was a while ago now) and when enough were overhauled to be
> vaguley reliable, the services went back to normal. Having said all
> that, I doubt they are reliable enough to seperate trains regulalry with
> eg at Ringwood (or Dandenong possibly for that matter). And I am sure
> passengers would prefer to change trains than have no train at all.
> 

If they ever bring in the new timtealbe (after closuer of the Flinders Street
Yard) they say that between the peek periods (9:30am - 4:00pm M-F) they will
have 6 car trains at 15 minute intervals on 'almost all lines'.


> > Passengers would be more inclined to change trains if Melbourne stations
> > were designed for cross-platform interchange.  Box Hill, Blackburn and
> > Ringwood would all benefit from having three tracks served by two island
> > platforms (ie the centre track has platform faces on each side).  This is
> > common practice overseas, and there were two examples in Adelaide.  At
> > least the current government has stopped used the phrase 'World best
> > pracice', something which has not been adopted in any phase of our
> > operations.
> >
> > --
> > Regards
> > Roderick Smith
> > Rail News Victoria Editor

Yes they could have a stopping all stations train to Blackburn followed by an
express stopping, Richmond, Gelnferrie, Camberwell, Box Hill, Blackburn and all
stations to Belgrave/Lylidale.  And the other way around for city bound trains. 
This for all off peek Trains.

Chris Gordon
cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au
http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~cmgord