Re: Horrible Hillside (Melbourne, Vic.)

[cmgord@ecr.mu.oz.au (Christopher_Martin GORDON)]

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

Sorry but I have to agree that not all train should use the loop,
sure in the off peak and weekends all trains should use the loop but
in the peak periods there should be a split of 60/40, that is 60%
of trains around the loop and 40% direct, and it should be a mix, ie
some express trains go direct, some stopping/Alamein trains go around
the loop.  Same with Sandringham trains change a few Dandenong and 
Frankston trains to direct and put a few Sandringham trains around
the loop, put a few Williamstown trains around the loop, and a few
Werribee/St.Albans/Upfield/Broadmeadows trains out direct.  Put
a few Eltham/Epping trains direct and the rest around the loop.

Make it so what ever city station you go to you can catch your train,
that means adding Sandringham, Alamein, Box Hill, Blackburn, Williamstown
trains to the loop in peak period.

: 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.



--

Chris Gordon
http://www.ecr.mu.oz.au/~cmgord