2017 Train & Bus timetable changes

[quaidy]

It does seem rather pointless that they built the 4 tracks and don't use them. But I only go there on weekends.

The problem of course is the city circle, one can build as many tracks as one wants but they need somewhere to go.

[Glen]

It does seem rather pointless that they built the 4 tracks and don't use them. But I only go there on weekends.

They do use them. In the new timetable T8 fast trains overtake stopping trains at all times on weekdays and weekends.

[mandonov]

It does seem rather pointless that they built the 4 tracks and don't use them. But I only go there on weekends.

They do use them. In the new timetable T8 fast trains overtake stopping trains at all times on weekdays and weekends.

That they are using them is why Padstow and Riverwood passengers are complaining about the timetable. They can't win.

[Glen]

They do use them. In the new timetable T8 fast trains overtake stopping trains at all times on weekdays and weekends.

That they are using them is why Padstow and Riverwood passengers are complaining about the timetable. They can't win.

Indeed they may, especially when they realise that the off-peak running time from Macarthur to Wynyard is now 2 minutes slower in spite of their being 2 fewer stops.

Hmmm..........

[Free Lance]

If it is same in opposite direction, using "Gladys Speak" that a whopping 20 minutes each week

[Jurassic_Joke]

Sigh.... built in dwell times again.

When you get on a train about 20 minutes before midnight at Museum and want to make a quick trip to Town Hall Woolies (and have an almost elapsed transfer on Opal). Train to Homebush made a dwell at Circular Quay. Not 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 3 - 4 minutes of sitting still at circular quay are you serious?

That is so ridiculous and unnecessary unless its for changing crew.

On the other hand - im very pleased that there are M sets operating much more frequently on T2. In the old timetable, they'd stop service on the inner west line at around 9pm to boringly make way for A sets only, but now its dispersed nicely between M and A sets all the way till midnight eg the above mentioned service was an M set

[boronia]

You can walk from Museum to TH quicker than a train takes, even without dwell times.

But according to Sydney Trains, the train "terminates" at Circular Quay, so maybe the crew get a rest break there.

[Glen]

You can walk from Museum to TH quicker than a train takes, even without dwell times.

But according to Sydney Trains, the train "terminates" at Circular Quay, so maybe the crew get a rest break there.

Not really, just ridiculous dwell times.

As I mentioned in the Observations thread:

In 2001 the running time around the City Circle was 16 minutes and I regularly timed PM peak trains that only needed 14.5 - 15 minutes to do the trip.

In late 2001 the running time was extended to 18 minutes.

Today, even in the off-peak, it is 20 minutes.

Has the track got longer?

[Liamena]

Sigh.... built in dwell times again.

When you get on a train about 20 minutes before midnight at Museum and want to make a quick trip to Town Hall Woolies (and have an almost elapsed transfer on Opal). Train to Homebush made a dwell at Circular Quay. Not 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 3 - 4 minutes of sitting still at circular quay are you serious?

That is so ridiculous and unnecessary unless its for changing crew.

On the other hand - im very pleased that there are M sets operating much more frequently on T2. In the old timetable, they'd stop service on the inner west line at around 9pm to boringly make way for A sets only, but now its dispersed nicely between M and A sets all the way till midnight eg the above mentioned service was an M set

Even without the exaggerated dwell, you could walk from Museum to Town Hall quicker than the train would get there,

[Jurassic_Joke]

Yes but as I said I did it to hold onto a transfer about to expire. Wouldn’t have needed to have done it if we still had free trips

[Fleet Lists]

Yes but that does not man that was a good thing.

[Glen]

Sigh.... built in dwell times again.

When you get on a train about 20 minutes before midnight at Museum and want to make a quick trip to Town Hall Woolies (and have an almost elapsed transfer on Opal). Train to Homebush made a dwell at Circular Quay. Not 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 3 - 4 minutes of sitting still at circular quay are you serious?

Even without the exaggerated dwell, you could walk from Museum to Town Hall quicker than the train would get there,

Spare a thought for people travelling further!

[molybtek]

Spare a thought for people travelling further!

Or those people who needs to change trains and will miss their connecting trains by 2 minutes...

[GazzaOak]

Well, except for the heritage building. I think they've done this at Newtown.

Ahh okay.... i think they can build a second concourse on the other side instead.... rather than 1 giant concourse in the middle.

[andy_centralcoast]

The dwell time on this new weekend timetable is a little excessive for the CCN line - arrived at Hornsby a full 5 minutes early, then another 3 early at Epping.

Waited so long at Hornsby I initially thought there was some sort of delay, but we were just waiting for the timetable to catch up.

Also arrived at Strathfield a minute early despite having to slow down from about Concord West following behind a suburban service. Even after all that waiting we still pulled into Central about 3 minutes ahead of schedule.

The travel time from Gosford to Central could easily be 15 minutes faster if it wasn't timetabled with so much padding.

[jpp42]

andy_centralcoast, with the previous timetable wasn't there a huge problem with CCN trains missing their slot at Berowra or outside HMC and being routed behind suburban services? I seem to remember it was extremely tight before, and this caused big delays for CCN commuters. It seems like the extra recovery time is probably meant to mitigate that?

[andy_centralcoast]

andy_centralcoast, with the previous timetable wasn't there a huge problem with CCN trains missing their slot at Berowra or outside HMC and being routed behind suburban services? I seem to remember it was extremely tight before, and this caused big delays for CCN commuters. It seems like the extra recovery time is probably meant to mitigate that?

That issue was for the weekday morning peak services via the North Shore, and ironically none of those timings were altered at all in the 2017 timetable changes - it's still exactly the same as the previous timetable.

The increased dwell times were added into the weekend timetable.

[Newcastle Flyer]

Surely this can't be correct. According to the train timetable website AND the trip planner, Australia Day is to be a weekday timetable?? I thought Australia Day was a weekend timetable with additional trains plus the Saturday only trains.

[Fleet Lists]

https://transportnsw.info/news/2017/sum ... -transport clearly shows that the Australia timetables are either Saturday for trains, mainly Sunday for buses and various arrangements for Ferries. Certainly NOT weekday timetables.

'The trip planner only goes up to 19th January at this point in time so I dont knows how you got results for 26th January. And the timetables on Transport Info only go up to 18th January.

I dont know about the timetables on the Sydney Trains website which do go beyond the 26th January. They may still need to be adjusted.

[Newcastle Flyer]

I went to the Sydney Trains website timetable & use Friday 26th Jan 2018 first. And for some reason it comes up as a normal weekday times. That must be an error.
I adjusted the date on the trip planner by changing the date & time at the end of the URL from 201801040200 to 201801260200.

[andy_centralcoast]

The website probably just isn't up to date that far in advance.

It's not even up to date for today's trackwork. The travel alerts and trackwork page on transportnsw.info currently says there's "normal service" on the Central Coast & Newcastle line despite the line being closed from Berowra to Central.

[Fleet Lists]

I went to the Sydney Trains website timetable & use Friday 26th Jan 2018 first. And for some reason it comes up as a normal weekday times. That must be an error.
I adjusted the date on the trip planner by changing the date & time at the end of the URL from 201801040200 to 201801260200.

It definitely would not be far enough ahead to cater for people who fiddle with URL's. It only works for two weeks ahead.

[Tonymercury]

The travel alerts and trackwork page on transportnsw.info currently says there's "normal service" on the Central Coast & Newcastle line despite the line being closed from Berowra to Central.

It used to say 'normal service' on the Cumberland line at weekends.

[Fleet Lists]

Normal service in that case means "No service"

[Tonymercury]

Or it might mean 'meeting the published timetable'