Re: [NSW]CityRail guessing games, 21 November

["Graham Smith" <dysonsmith@hunterlink.net.au>]

In reply to Bill, one of my acquaintances is an engineer with RSA in the
Newcastle district. He has often commented to me about the amount of risk
management which now has to go into any project which requires an occupation
of the track.

The result of this is that where a couple of decades ago, we would trains
single line past trackwork, the new worksafe environment requires a complete
shutdown. The comment has been made to me that in the metrop area of Sydney,
this may require the closing of four tracks to allow work to be carried out
on one.

While this may not completely explain the major shutdowns, I feel that it
may be a significant element.

Regards,
Graham Smith

Bill McNiven <wmcniven@gunzel.ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
p4LZ3.6385$MZ.51809@ozemail.com.au">news:p4LZ3.6385$MZ.51809@ozemail.com.au...
> The approach of CityRail to
> * providing clear advice to customers
> * scheduling track shutdowns so that a maximum amount of work is done with
a
> minimum number of shutdowns
> * providing adequate replacement for train services
> is, IMHO, progressing from a Guessing Game to a total farce.
>
> That universal font of information, issued both as
> http://www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au/upgrading/SUM991115-991121.htm and in
printed
> posters at suburban stations, told us a whole lot of stuff which is
appended
> below.
> Visiting Sydney Central Sunday morning, I read a collection of posters
which
> ADDED the information
> * EAST HILLS LINE COMPLETELY CLOSED - bus from Sydenham to East Hills, bus
> from Belmore to East Hills, travel via Granville (earlier deparures?) for
> Southern Highlands connections.  No information displayed at Central on
how
> one would get from East Hills to Glenfield (maybe by train?).
> As I worked out later, This was a real trap!  The info is at
> http://www.cityrail.nsw.gov.au/upgrading/eh991120-991122.htm but there's
no
> link from the weekly summary page!
> Possibly whoever does the printed posters only looks at the weekly
summary!
> * WOLLONGONG / DAPTO TRAINS DEPARTING PLATFORM 25 - OK, this is a minor
> diversion but it's previously rated a mention in the public information
> * BLUE MOUNTAINS TRAINS DEPARTING PLATFORM 18 - OK, this is a minor
> diversion.  The 0902h train actually departed Platform 2.
>
> Intercity services were running from Sydney Central ("Intercity
Platforms")
> to Epping.  But the main indicator directed Newcastle passengers to a bus
> service departing Wynyard for Newcastle!
>
> PROVIDING CLEAR ADVICE TO CUSTOMERS isn't working very well.  The idea of
a
> 'weekly summary' that isn't suggests that the posters and internet pages
are
> pretty window dressing.
>
> I'm a little suspicious about the need to close 145Km of track from Epping
> to Newcastle at once.  Other posters have provided details of work at
> Normanhurst, Cardiff and Islington.  Epping / Cowan / Gordon has was shut
> down for two weekends in October for Hornsby resignalling.  It would seem
> more sensible to do civil work such as Normanhurst platform demolition
> during one of the signalling shutdowns!
>
> Another thread discusses the Blacktown resignalling, which apparently
> requires not only two weekends (same as Hornsby) but also five week days
of
> reduced train services.  As I recall it, the Sydney resignalling in 1978
> required four weekend shutdowns - basically one each for Station East Box,
> Station West Box, Illawarra Jct (Main Lines), Illawarra Jct (Illawarra
> Lines).  Have advances in technology over 20 years made resignalling
> projects more complex?  Or has separating the rail maintenance business
> (RSA) from train operations (SRA) made the planners of engineering
projects
> less conscious of operational customer needs?
>
> So, I'm not convinced that CityRail / RSA are SCHEDULING TRACK SHUTDOWNS
SO
> THAT A MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF WORK IS DONE WITH A MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHUTDOWNS.
>
> Rgds
>
> Bill
>
> Rail Upgrading Summary
> Monday 15 November until Sunday 21 November 1999
> <snip>
> NEWCASTLE & CENTRAL COAST LINE  11.00PM FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER UNTIL 2.00AM
> MONDAY 22 NOVEMBER
> Buses will replace trains in both directions between Newcastle and Gordon/
> Strathfield. Buses will replace Citybound trains between Berowra and
> Eastwood. Trains from the City will be replaced by buses between Epping
and
> Berowra.
> Please listen for announcements and check station indicator boards.
> Please allow for an additional journey time of 30 minutes.
> <snip>
> NORTH SHORE LINE  11.00PM FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER UNTIL 2.00AM MONDAY 22
NOVEMBER
> Buses will replace trains in both directions between Berowra and Gordon. A
> rail service will operate between Gordon and the City.
> Please listen for announcements and check station indicator boards.
> Please allow for an additional journey time of 30 minutes.
> <snip>
> NORTH LINE  11.00PM FRIDAY 19 NOVEMBER UNTIL 2.00AM MONDAY 22 NOVEMBER
> Trains from the City will run to Epping. Buses will replace trains between
> Epping and Berowra. Buses will replace Citybound trains between Berowra
and
> Eastwood. Trains to the City will commence from Eastwood.
> Please listen for announcements and check station indicator boards.
> Please allow for an additional journey time of 30 minutes.
>
>
>
>