Re: Sydney trip

[crookesp@aol.com (Crookesp)]

In article <6laoqq$4k@news.tbsa.com.au>, "peter berrett <pberrett@"
<"remove-this-spambait>tbsa.com.au"> writes:

>I went down to Box Hill station to check out the availability of
>sleepers. Then whilst discussing the cost etc with the station attendant
>the realisation dawned on me - the only sleepers are twins. This means
>that I would have to share with a stranger!

Our experience last month suggests that you missed little. The XPT sleepr is
charged as first class, but by European standards it's not.

Thing 1. In first class I expect my own toilet and shower. XPT made me share
with the next cabin.

Thing 2. In any sleeper other than a couchette (2nd class, where you sleep in
your day clothes) I expect the bed to be made up by the attendant. Not by me.
And I expect air conditioning and temperature controls in my cabin. Not at the
end of the car.

Thing 3. I expect a tea and refreshment service in my cabin. Not in some remote
restaurant car.

Thing 4. At breakfast I expect either a full restaurant car breakfast service,
or a hot service on china plates in my cabin. Foam cups, lukewarm coffee,
cardboard trays are not a first class breakfast service.

Thing 5. I expect a sleeping car to be positioned in the train and so sprung
that it minimises the noise and sideways motion of travel. Not just shoved at
the end of the train regardless.

We were very disappointed with the shoddy quality of the Melbourne-Sydney XPT
sleeper. The compartment was too small, not clean and poorly equipped. I could
not complain about the service because there wasn't any. Food from the buffet
car was badly presented, very expensive and not enjoyable. And all this in
Australia, home of some of the best food and finest wines in the world!

Technically the sleeping car is badly sprung and poorly positioned at the aft
end of the train, next to the trailing power car, where it swings and shakes
enough to keep Sandra awake all night (I can sleep anywhere so I don't count).
It's also astoundingly noisy. It's crap design to have two cabins share one
toilet, and the idea of a pull-down toilet and basin in a shower cabin just
sucks. Look at the Talgo, look at Wagons LIts, look at the ICN in Germany to
see how to create a first class cabin with the facilities the passenger wants.
I paid the rate for a first class stateroom. I ended up in steerage, which
wasn't what I expected.

I've never before been in a 'first-class' sleeping cabin with no handbasin. No
drinking glasses. No bottle-opener and corkscrew. No po. No drinking water. No
cabin service.

I wonder whether the people that market the XPT understand why their market
chooses their service - and what they need to do to enure repeat business.

*Philip*

(the whole point of going by sleeping-car  train is that it has to be better
and more comfortable than the faster method of travel)