Re: A strange event

[David Johnson <trainman@ozemail.com.au>]

Jonathan Lau wrote:

> A strange event occurred this morning on the CityRail service I was on
> this morning. The service was the 7:16am (Strathfield)  that goes to Emu
> Plains.
>
> After leaving Strathfield we were on the Down local? (I think) line,
> when we crossed over to the Down Main, just before Homebush Station.
> Immediately after passing through Homebush, to my surprise, we crossed
> back to the Local line! There was no other service in the platforms at
> Homebush and no other trains on the Down Main all the way to Granville.
> To complicate matters, after passing Auburn station, the service was
> diverted back on to the Down Main!!!

The train would have been on the down suburban line (platform 6 Strathfield)  It
is timetabled to travel on the down suburban line to Auburn, and then cross to
the down main and run to Emu Plains on that line (which becomes the down west
suburban, then the suburban, then the main again).  The points at the country
end of Homebush see few movements.  The country trains are all tabled to use
them, but they invariably cross near Flemington Car Sheds.  There is an empty
movement at 0943 that is tabled to use them too

> Why is this so? A rail derusting excerise or CityRail efficiecy?

Probably de-rusting.  All tracks must be used once every 72 hours, or the track
is to be booked out of use.  Perhaps they were getting close to the limit.

--
David Johnson
CityRail Guard
trainman@ozemail.com.au
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~trainman/