Re: derailment and train management

[Jonathan Lau <jonlau@ozemail.com.au>]

They probably stopped trains at Gordon because it has 3 platforms that could
deal with 2 or more trains. Lindfield has 3 platforms, but the entrance to the
platform road is facing the city end and I don't think there is a proper
crossover at this location. Shunting would have to be carried out. I wish they
would put the points in at the Hornsby end!

The emergency crossover at Chatswood is power operated & wired for electric
traction. Trains could arrive from Hornsby on the up platform, then be sent back
on the down towards Hornsby. It doesn't see much use at all, so it may have been
"booked out of use". I was told once that because no train has run over the
crossover for more than 72 hours, it could be booked out of use for safety
reasons.

The St. Leonard crossover still has not been commissioned (after about a year).
It's wired for electric traction, but is manually operated, so turning back of
trains would be a lot harder and it would require staff with safeworking
knowledge to operate it.

Jon Lau


nobody wrote:

> I'm not entering the debate about safeworking and all that, but couldnt
> Cityrail at least think economically and properly?
> I caught a train from Pennant Hills with the news ringing in my ear that
> there might be delays due to a derailment. On arrival at hornsby, where I
> changed to get to st Leonards, I found out the trains were being replaced by
> busses between Gordon and North Sydney.
>
> I question the logic of CityRail (Dad calls it Sh..y Snail and I'm beginning
> to see why) in this move. The RSA recently replaced the crossover at
> Chatswood so trains on the up line could travel over to the down line
> platform.
>
> Could CityRail have operated trains to Chatswood and Hornsby on a Point to
> Point operation, therefore requiring fewer busses on a shorter route @ less
> cost and time waste? On arrival at Chatswood a train could be directed into
> the down platform, then go back the other way. Excess trains could be held
> at Gordon or Lindfield or Hornsby. They have the infrastructure to do it -
> why did they congest traffic and increase delays by stopping trains at
> gordon?
>
> Can someone inform me as to whether this can be done?
>
> Brendan