Re: Countrylink website.

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

>I am absolutely astonished that this company stays in business. Most
>business's will do almost anything to improve their service. These people
>couldn't give a damn. At least that's the attitude they demonstrated to me.
>
Err...they aren't actually a company, they are a government corporation at
best and statutory authority at worst. Therefore they don't need to try to
stay in business, in fact that is an optional extra for them. Compulsory
pre-requisites are more being able to suck up to the politician who pays
their wages, don't lose more money than necessary and run trains in marginal
seats of the present government.

Of course, not all government passenger railways are run like this, Vline
have always provided excellent service. In all my journeys by train past the
electrified limits of any city, good service on a Countrylink service
appears to be exception, bad service by Vline staff - I don't know of any
personally and from anyone I've spoken to.

West Coast Rail are quite good too. There were a few niggles with some
aspects of their service the time I travelled but the experience is still
quite worthwhile in general and especially so when compared to the likes of
Countrylink.

<preparing to be flamed by Countrylink employees (like the last poor sucker
who dared to criticise the service) who I am certainly sympathetic to the
poor conditions they work under but still can't accept poor service as the
expected norm>