Re: Horrible Hillside (Melbourne, Vic.)

["Michael Walker" <walker@hotkey.net.au>]

>Once we have a loop, all trains should use it.


I disagree!

The 7.55 (Greensborough time) up used to run express from Heidelberg to
Ivanhoe to Clifton Hill to (Jolimont in later days to) Flinders Street
DIRECT. Then when the timetables got rearranged, all trains went round the
loop and added 8 minutes to the trip. Given I had to continue my journey on
a tram down Sturt Street, that added 8-15 minutes (8 advertised, up to 15 in
reality depending on how long you were stuck on the viaduct for) to the
trip. It made the trip more unreliable and added time unnecessarily. The
train was well frequented, indeed standing room only from about Watsonia (I
used to save a seat for my girlfriend at Greensborough) and packed from
about Clifton Hill. Obviously there was a demand for this train to run
direct so why run it via the Loop?

Direct trains from Hurstbridge / Epping should be reinstated. All trains
should not use the Loop. I agree Sunday evening trains should though which
was your point. What's the point of having a 24 hour 7 day a week city if
public transport is till running as though we were in the 70s and 80s? I get
equally annoyed that there are no real bus services on Sundays too despite
the fact that it is a busy shopping day. It would probably be cheaper to
introduce weekend bus timetables than weekend rail timetables too.