Re: Country(link?) - try walking instead

["Dave Proctor" <daproc@sd5.mailbank.com>]

Switched On <yaropolk@hotmail.com> wrote in message
eYLT3.194$ky4.5522@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net">news:eYLT3.194$ky4.5522@nsw.nnrp.telstra.net...

> Which brings me to the other problem... why have that stupid Murwillumbah
> service which people from Brisbane have to connect via coach with?

Politics - the politicians will not countenance it.

>The
> coaches are _ALWAYS_ booked out and half the Brisbane passengers have to
> wait for the daylight service.  Murwillumbah is a tiny insignificant dot
> compared to Brisbane, so where is the market? Why not connect to
> Murwillumbah by coach instead and be a bit more realistic? It's not only
the
> North Coast travellers who are stoned, by the looks of it, but the train
> planners too! ;-) If they did a nighttime XPT from BNE, they could add
> another two or so sleeper cars and have 'em full to the brim with revenue
> customers.

Except they do not have the carriages to do so - they have 8 XAM's, and they
have 7 sets - so they only have one spare.

One "potential" problem with replacing NT3/4 with a Brisbane service would
be the consequently late arrival time back in Sydney off the overnight
Brisbane train - as this train would have to form NT1 at 1624, the servicing
time would be reduced (although the introduction of Train Order Working
(stop laughing!) north of Casino has the potential to reduce at least 30
minutes from the timetable, possibly more, enabling a later departure of
NT1.

I wonder how they will actually work  it - assuming it *is* 30 mins, will
they put back NT2 from Brisbane to depart at 0800, retain the 90 minute
turnaround (meaning NT1 arrives at 0630) and therefore have a Sydney
departure of around 1730?

Or will they just put back NT1 departure by 30 mins, and have NT2 arrive 30
mins earlier in Sydney.

> This maybe the case now, but it's a sad situation which needs to be
changed.

Indeed - the level of on board service is actually driving full fare
passengers away - see my other post in this thread regarding tennis umpires.

The XPT is actually ideal for Sydney based tennis umpires - in 2000, we have
the final of the adidas Internation on Saturday 15 January, and we are
required to start umpiring in Melbourne on Monday 17 January.

If we were to fly down, it involves mucking around on the Sunday, checking
in at accommodation, going to the tennis centre, checking in there,
collecting uniforms, etc., etc. It is a big hassle.

What 10 of us did in 1999 (but only 2 of us in 2000) is to take our gear
with us on Saturday (if we are selected for the final), and then leave that
night - gives us all day Sunday to do all of that at a more relaxing pace.

Of course, if they had decent service, we could book the whole sleeping
car - there are about 40 NSW officials going to the Australian Open.

> They shouldn't get rid of sleepers. There are lots of people who travel by
> train because of the sleepers (15 hrs to Sydney from Brisbane is no joke
in
> a CountryLink seat!) What they should do for the economy side is what you
> say, but the first class end of the train should be improved. Maybe have
> _more_ sleepers and a proper dining car, as well as a buffet. I really
think
> the Brisbane Limited was a better service all up because it catered for
all
> levels of passengers.

I would like to see pensioners on vouchers placed down the back in economy,
make the XBR an economy carriage (turn it around so that the buffet
compartment is at the country end) and then you would have the sleeper and
the XL for first class - would need to have decent seats fitted, and provide
at-seat service (like was originally intended). Proper marketing would have
to happen. Oooohwa, waht is that flying past the window...looks like a pig!

--
DaveProctor
thadocta AT dingoblue.net.au