Re: Sydney people movers.

[Ross Walker <rawalker@tac.com.au>]

"< Tell >" wrote:
> 
> I caught a glimpse of a TV news article from Sydney
> last night with thousands of people waiting to catch a
> train after a couple of shows.  The "meejar" (media) as
> usual took a negative view point with lots of people
> complaining that if this was bad, then the Olympics
> will be hell.  I do not know where the station was or
> what arrangements were in place, but a couple of things
> came to mind.
> 
> If these people thought they were hard done by, just as
> well they were not in another capital city, they would
> have still been waiting.
> The crowds were enormous and I watched an electric set
> very slowly run into the platform, I would imagine the
> drivers would be cutting washers, because all it would
> take, is a couple of clowns to start pushing and people
> could finish up on the tracks.
> 
> Whatever the short comings of urban rail in Sydney
> there is one indisputable fact, these are heavy duty
> people movers and nothing else gets close.
> 
> ----Terry Burton

By now you probably know what the problem was, but for those who don't,
here it is: 

It was reported in this morning's DTM newspaper that ORTA had admitted
that they had miscalculated the amount of people going to the western
suburbs. They thought, based on past ticket sales, that most people
wwould be travelling east. Anyhow, ORTA has accepted full responsibility
for the error in judgement & is treating it as a learning experience.

Regards,
Ross