Re: [Melb] Hillside Trains takeover: farce?

[Jennifer Richmond <richmond@melbpc.org.au>]

Paul Dwerryhouse wrote:

> MTE claims it will upgrade four stations to "premium" status (ie, it will
> put the staff back at these stations for the whole day, and re-open the
> toilets), refurbish and improve waiting rooms and add 130 services per week.

20 other (non premium) stations will also receive improved staffing levels
(probably from 0 to 1 staff member for 4 hours in the morning peak).


> Now, let's see... 130 extra services per week. Let's be generous, and assume
> that all 130 services will be added on working days...

MTE have said that these will be added on weekends.


> that means 26 extra
> services a day. Now, divide this across five railway lines (Ringwood,
> Glen Waverley, Hurstbridge, Epping, Alamein) ... that brings us to an
> average of 5 extra services a day per line.

Cut out Alamein. This gives us at least 6 per line. An extra service on Sunday
morning, Sunday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night and a "shopper special"
express each Sat and Sun could vastly improve the system!


> Not much, is it? Probably doesn't even bring us back to the service levels that
> we had pre-Kennett.

No, but is that MTE's fault?
Is it MTE's fault that we haven't had any new trains for almost 2 decades? (I don't
count the white elephant/4D, because it isn't in service enough to be considerd a
real train)
Is it MTE's fault that stations have been de-staffed?


> Did anyone in MTE or the Victorian Government consider that if they upgraded
> the frequency of rail services considerably, they wouldn't have to spend extra
> money on refurbishing the waiting rooms because PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT
> THERE!!!  (Please excuse my shouting. I'm rather worked up about the way
> marketing keeps pulling the wool over people's eyes).

Just calm down and give them a chance. MTE have been in the seat for 2 minutes and
you are already bagging them.
How are they pulling the wool over people's eyes?
MTE already have a shortage of trains. They are building another 29 to be in
service in 2002. They can't improve  immediately as they don't have the stock.

> Honestly, I couldn't
> give a rats' about the state of the the railway stations.  If the trains ran
> more often, we'd all have to spend a lot less time there...

So you'd rather no station be open, rubbish strewn about everywhere, all trains in
service, with a train every 10 mins. The 10 min frequency would be kicked to the
shizenhouse with all trains being in service as they would invariably break down as
there would be no time for regular maintenance.

> I would like to see a frequency of 3 minutes between trains in peak times and

An you imagine the chaos at FSS/In the loop if that were to occur? Some lines
couldn't handle a 3 min headway. Even if they could, trains would creep along,
checked at signals.

> 10 minutes during non-peak times. Cut the trains in half, if need be, but

15 mins? that is realistic. The Epping line has a 12 min frequency in the afternoon
(before the peak). 6 car trains are run there and they are crowded.

I'm not saying that your ideas are bad, they are very good. They just need a bit of
refinement. My personal dream is a 30 min service to every location between 0000
and 0430 every day. I have been in the city when the last train leave and with all
night shopping/crown/nightclubs, the nightriders are just not good enough any more.