Let's Go Adventuring with CityRail

[David & Julie Donald <dsjmd@hermes.net.au>]

Living in the Blue Mountains, I basically have two options of getting from
Springwood from the City under the current "trackwork" arrangements relating to
the commissioning of the new signalling, and related activities, at Blacktown.
I decided to exercise the rail option, as a change from catching the Express
Coach, this afternoon.
WHAT A MISTAKE !!

My intention had been to catch a Suburban service that is scheduled to depart
Wynyard at around 1642 (Redfern, Parramatta, and all stations), which should
then connect with the 1810 departure from Penrith (the replacement for "The
Fish").
I caught the first Penrith service from Wynyard, following my arrival on the
platform, but the stopping pattern at Town Hall was different to that advertised
at Wynyard, and it looked like a very slow trip, so I decided to change at
Central, and catch a more suitable service (and more than likely the one
intended).  It departed Central at roughly 1650, and I was able to get a seat at
Redfern.  I was half asleep for the next ten or so minutes, but something drew
my attention, as we were heading out of Flemington, that something a little
unusual was happening, with this being heightened by the fact that we crossed
over at Flemington (the old Car Sidings) to the line that can only lead to
Olympic Park - well, at least I have been there now.  Well, the next thirty
minutes or more was pretty interesting, and exceedingly boring, going around the
Olympic Park loop (including a stop at Olympic Park), and finally into
Lidcombe.  Information was filtering through that there were problems in the
Lidcombe - Granville - Parramatta area, allegedly associated with a
mid-afternoon storm; one on-train announcement indicated that there had been a
lightening strike on Granville Signal Box.

After sitting at Lidcombe for nearly fifteen minutes, due to preceding traffic,
we finally left at 1816 (already 86 minutes travelling time from Central), and
proceeded at a very slow slow pace, making unofficial station stops (let alone
worrying about the mid-section stops) at Clyde, Granville, and Harris Park.  We
finally departed Parramatta at 1851 (a further 35' after leaving Granville, and
over two hours from Central - normal running time for an express service from
Central to Parramatta is under thirty minutes, with most InterCity services
doing it in 23 or 24 minutes), and, following some slow speeds early, and then
having to "dodge" the Blacktown "trackwork, we finally reached Penrith at 1936
(some 2 hours 45 minutes after leaving Central).  Fortunately, the 1935
InterCity service was held for a couple of minutes, and I finally arrived
Springwood at something like 2008, having been "on" trains for roughly three and
a half hours.

Anyone want to better that situation tonight.  I understand, for whatever
reason, but presumably related, buses were being used between Granville and
stations on the Liverpool line.

Of additional interest:
    8152  was on a down trip train (looked like a load of cement hoppers) on the
Down Goods at       West Junction, Lidcombe
    Clyde Yard:  8040    8243
    NR34  on PS7 (Trailerail) on the Up Main at Doonside -= running at least
five hours late
    Train 8162 (engine was an 81-class) running around four hours late through
Blaxland.
--

Regards

David Donald
Springwood, NSW

dsjmd@hermes.net.au