Re: Platform O at Lidcombe

[Malcolm Purvis <malcolmp@abc.gov.au>]

>>>>> "David" == David Proctor <daproc@spam_this.umpires.com> writes:

David> If so [Platform 0 is 4 cars long], isn't this MADNESS on SillyRails
David> part?

If there are sufficient people to fill an 8 car train on the shuttle platform,
you might as well let it run from platform 1 and be done with it.  Most people
going through Lidcombe to Olympic Park would have got there by train anyway
and if there are a lot of people (and 8 cars holds a lot of people), why make
them change trains of it isn't necessary?  Changing trains, I understand, is a
big disincentive to use public transport.

I would guess that Platform 0 would be used for taking people from lines that
don't have sufficient volume to justify a direct connection (such as the lines 
through Regents Park) and for occasions where frequency of service is more
important than volume.

On the subject of Platform 0, yesterday I noticed that along the spur, halfway
between the platform and where it joins the line to Olympic Park, is what
seems to be a set of lights, which may be signals (they look a bit different),
for trains going to the platform.  Given that you can see to the end of the
line at that point, and that there is no point having a train on the spur if
there is already another train at the platform, I can't see why you would want
to stop a train there instead of at the platform.  Any ideas anyone?  Note:
there is another set of signals for trains going to Olympic Park.

-- 
Malcolm Purvis (malcolmp@abc.gov.au) - ABC Technology Research and Development

"I don't want it to be practical, I want it to be *expensive*."
	-- my wife.