Re: Timings for Adelaide to Melbourne (was GSR's new Brochure)

[markbau1@aol.com (MarkBau1)]

<<<<<<Why?  The crew would check the manifest to see if there is anyone booked
for the
stations.  If not, the driver would see if there was anyone on the platform. 
If
not, the train would not stop.  Quite easy.  Countrylink and CityRail manage
conditional stops at unattended locations without too much trouble.>>>>>

Conditional stops on branchlines/lower speed lines is a bit different to
conditional stops on 60 or 70mph mainlines.

1/ conditional stops wreck good scheduling, you have to pad the timetable to
allow for the possibility of having to stop at all conditionals, if the train
does not have to stop it is hanging around at some point waiting for the clock
to catch up to it.

2/ in this day and age a red flag or red light displayed by a passenger is not
feasible, (vandals, pranksters etc)

3/ crew checking manifest, ok in theory but what if someone buys a ticket from
wherever just before the train is due? they will not be on the manifest. And
what a waste if the train stops and the passenger doesn't show up.

4/ Amtrak has been wrestling with this problem, one possibility is to have a
device at the station, the passenger inserts the ticket into it and the device
broadcasts a radio message telling the crew that it has a passenger to pick up.


The bottom line is that The Overland makes stops at places that don't pay, why
extend the journey time of say 200 passengers to pick up 5 or 10 passengers at
5 or so stations? I'd like to hear any argument justifying stops at places like
Murtoa, Stawell or Ararat when Geelong gets ignored!

Mark.


THE ROCK is dead
Long live THE ROCK!