Re: [NSW]CityRail guessing games, 21 November

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

There has been some fun with the buses too!

The coaches have been hired from all over NSW to cover the shutdown. On
Saturday afternoon my wife was driving through the Glendale Crossroads near
the Cardiff works, and noted a coach from a company based in Cowra. It had a
fire engine in attendance! The rail passengers had been offloaded, but no
replacement vehicle in sight at that stage.

Graham Smith

Hoges <pghogan@NOSPAMbigpond.com> wrote in message
_1MZ3.24390$we.40643@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:_1MZ3.24390$we.40643@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> > 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.
> <remainder snipped.
>
> Some trains crews must have called in sick on Friday night. The
*advertised*
> last Central Coast and Newcastle service before the total shutdown was the
> 9.17 pm from Central.  This was due Epping at 9.39pm. At 9.55pm, an
> announcement was made at Epping that "owing to essential track maintenance
> work and technical difficulties, the 9.39pm Intercity service has been
> cancelled.  Passengers for this service are requested to proceed to the
> ticket barrier for further information, while we try and work out how to
get
> you to Gosford and Newcastle" !  (That's almost verbatim how it was
> announced).
>
> After we all trecked up the stairs, we were advised that the last local
> service for Hornbsy was departing in 10 minutes, and that at Hornsby, they
> should await "further instructions" on connecting buses to Berowra or
Cowan,
> from where "your connection  further north will be arranged. "  Fine by
me,
> I was only catching it to Hornsby anyway, but I pitied people travelling
> further. Bear in mind the replacement bus services weren't scheduled to
> commence until 11pm.  When we arrived at Hornsby, naturally none of the
> station staff knew that there were stranded passengers on the local
service.
> As I left, staff were being besieged with frustrated passengers, many of
> whom had *deliberately* aimed to catch the 9.17pm, knowing this was the
last
> through service before the shutdown.
>
> Just another Friday night on Cityrail....
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul
>
>