NSW Railway Observations - January to June 2018

[Bjwh86]

T1 not stopping Doonside to Kingswood this afternoon, shuttle buses Blacktown to Penrith.

BMT trains are supplementing all stations services between Penrith to Blacktown.


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[Jurassic_Joke]

Constance is apparently sick in Bega, so convently missing out on the action.

I think he got sick from all the laughter he had when he saw the meltdown the network is in today.

The old witch meanwhile is conveniently off on annual leave, so that’s the two main relevant key figures down to avoid facing the media.

I recommend catching an equivalent STA bus if possible, if you need to go to town tonight. I think it’s better to pay the higher fare and deal with road traffic than risk something else breaking down or getting stuck between stations. I don’t know. I’d rather not take a train at the moment

Another comment by a driver on Reddit stating that this isn't going to get better:
https://www.reddit.com/r/sydney/comment ... ng_to_get/

Once again, Train driver behind a VPN and throwaway account.

Seriously, this is not going to get better, dump any hopes you have right now, the weekend will help but, come Monday, this situation is just going to get worse as Hornsby reopens, they will not have the spare Hornsby drivers to help prop up driver numbers in other areas.

Also thanks to Mr Collins remarks about how this is all train crews' fault, a lot of us have decided that we don't wish to continue with the mass overtime that we have been putting in, therefore wont do overtime from our next roster which starts on the 21st.

Good luck to you all, Sydney Trains staff does not want to inconvenience you, but the railways have been stretched as far as it can by bureaucrats whom have never caught a train in their lives.

We only ask that you reserve your anger for those who caused this, and not the poor bastards on the frontlines who are doing their best to try to get you home and then have to use the system to get home themselves.

I really hope the media continues to investigate and expose the Tories for who they are, including those at TfNSW in management positions.

[boronia]

Six months advance notice of new timetables with extra trains and services in November; two months on and Collins is boasting about how they are training new guards and drivers now.

[rogf24]

The intercity trains aren't bad and seem to be running to timetable despite the suburban chaos. I'm using in place of the usual suburban service I catch. Hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon or I'll stick the intercity's for my otherwise suburban trip.

[Fleet Lists]

I dont think there have been any significant increases in intercity services operated by NSW Trainlink compared with the Sydney Trains changes which are causing the problems.

[burrumbus]

Six months advance notice of new timetables with extra trains and services in November; two months on and Collins is boasting about how they are training new guards and drivers now.

The same thing happened in Brisbane before the commencement of the Redcliffe Peninsula line.Poor planning and imolementation by the relevant authorities.

[boronia]

Didn't they cut a lot of services a few years back because of crew shortages?

[burrumbus]

I think that was correct,Boronia,Some of out rail experts may be able to date that.I see on another thread that the Carlingford line has been subsituted by STA,Ryde depotNo doubt related to the crew shortages.

[Scott4570]

In April 2002, a Timetable was pulled just a fortnight prior to commencement. At this time, Carl Scully (NSW Labor) was the Transport Minister.
At that time, the then CEO, Howard Lacy, had advised that there would be a higher than normal number of Drivers retiring in the forthcoming 12 months.

[boronia]

Didn't they cut a lot of services a few years back because of crew shortages?

IIRC at this time, the Cumberland line was cut back to peak hours only, and West was cut from 15 min to 30 min day time frequency, among others.

Again, not sure of the date.

[Fleet Lists]

I think that was correct,Boronia,Some of out rail experts may be able to date that.I see on another thread that the Carlingford line has been subsituted by STA,Ryde depotNo doubt related to the crew shortages.

Current alert on the Carlingford Line

Due to staff availability and earlier incidents at Gordon, Sefton, Penrith and Yagoona, trains are running at reduced frequency. Allow plenty of extra travel time, listen to announcements and check indicator boards as stopping patterns may change. Buses may supplement trains between Clyde and Carlingford.

Earlier it stated that only every 2nd train would be running.

On the Olympic Park Line

Due to staff availability and earlier incidents at Gordon, Sefton, Penrith and Yagoona, trains are running at reduced frequency. Allow plenty of extra travel time, listen to announcements and check indicator boards as stopping patterns may change. Buses are replacing trains between Lidcombe and Olympic Park.

Earlier it stated that train frequency had been cut from every 10 minutes to every 20 minutes.

[Frosty]

Some of the bus replacements occurring & changed stopping patterns.

On the T1 Line

Buses may supplement trains between Richmond and Blacktown, between Emu Plains and Penrith, and between Chatswood and Epping via Macquarie Park.

On T3 Line

Buses are replacing trains between Bankstown and Cabramatta, as well as between Lidcombe and Cabramatta.

On T4 Line

All trains will make additional stops at Erskineville & St Peters

Noticed the T8 line many Revesby all stations services have been cancelled but it appears the T8 Campbelltown/Macarthur trains aren't stopping between Wolli Ck & Revesby to fill the gap. Along with very overcrowded CBD train stations with police at Central doing crowd control. Also out at Gordon quite bad people with nowhere to go.
Plus SMH article on the mess
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/staff-shortag ... 0fkni.html

[swtt]

TfNSW did the TTs this time, not Sydney Trains. If the current TT is basically poop, it'll be TfNSW's responsibility.

[Glen]

In April 2002, a Timetable was pulled just a fortnight prior to commencement. At this time, Carl Scully (NSW Labor) was the Transport Minister.

I think that was to be their first attempt at slowing down the running times, when they realised very late in the piece how many extra crews that would cost.

They subsequently implemented a similar plan in 2005 (most lines) and 2006 (Illawarra/ESR).

Imagine how many spare crews they'd have now if the trains weren't so slow!

[tonyp]

In April 2002, a Timetable was pulled just a fortnight prior to commencement. At this time, Carl Scully (NSW Labor) was the Transport Minister.
Then CEO, Howard Lacy, had advised that there would be a higher than normal number of Drivers retiring in the forthcoming 12 months.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/ ... d89d45d590

Isn't it normal for the train service to come unstuck more readily when a more rigorous timetable is introduced? I think they've proved sufficiently by now that, like the bus system, the system won't work under any sort of pressure or high demand. Let's leave it in the dumbed-down state that works at a basic level and wait to see if the metro and trams can help make everything work better. If they do, then we should head off down those paths. Meanwhile private cars are there to take up the slack - where would we be without them?

[Linto63]

So TfNSW should take the 'do nothing' approach for the next 6 years? With 10% annual growth, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't really. Unfortunately this is the comeuppance from decades of dithering by governments of both persuasions.

[tonyp]

So TfNSW should take the 'do nothing' approach for the next 6 years? With 10% annual growth, they're damned if they do and damned if they don't really. Unfortunately this is the comeuppance from decades of dithering by governments of both persuasions.

I don't think there's anything they can realistically do without major capital investment and governments are busily building more and more motorways to "take the pressure off" (for now).

[boronia]

TfNSW did the TTs this time, not Sydney Trains. If the current TT is basically poop, it'll be TfNSW's responsibility.

That part of ST was transferred over to TfNSW, so probably the same people involved. But no doubt a lot more political interference is now possible.

[matthewg]

TfNSW did the TTs this time, not Sydney Trains. If the current TT is basically poop, it'll be TfNSW's responsibility.

That part of ST was transferred over to TfNSW, so probably the same people involved. But no doubt a lot more political interference is now possible.

I knew someone in timetabling when that transfer happened. Senior management thought it would be good to 'broaden the experience' of the 'tablers, so they mixed the rail and bus people together and people with years of rail experience found themselves doing bus schedules and bus people were doing rail.

It appeared they were following a management strategy I've seen elsewhere - when someone gets to know their subject matter to well, transfer them to a different product/section of the company they know nothing about.

[andy_centralcoast]

Monday we had "operational issues"
Tuesday it was "staff availability issues"
Today they are using "unexpected train crew changes"

[Jurassic_Joke]

ICAC anyone?

https://www.hit.com.au/news/sydney/turn ... irect=true

[burrumbus]

It certaintly seems a combination of TFNSW doing the timetabling and a lack of adequate planning in recruiting train crews by Sydney Trains is responsible for this debacle.Surely 6 months notice of new timetables is adequate notice.Were they talking to each other ?? Same scenario as with QLD Rail late /early 2016/2017.
The centralisation of service changes running through TFNSW does not appear to work well.

[Linto63]

No silver sets are tabled on T1 services, since November 26. However, nothing is guaranteed and what happens on the day can be a different story.

Saw 3 K sets on the T1 today, and a Tangara on the City Circle, so stock is still moving between sectors.

ICAC anyone?

No, ICAC's charter is only to investigate corruption, as it found out when it tried to go after crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen. This is just a cock up that has now turned into a blame game. Hard to work out who is really at fault, give that all sides are at best being lose with the truth.

If it drags on into next week the calls for a head will grow. The QR fiasco saw the chairman, ceo and the transport minister all walk the plank.

[Transtopic]

Monday we had "operational issues"
Tuesday it was "staff availability issues"
Today they are using "unexpected train crew changes"

Whatever anyone's opinion on the new metro may be, it will do bugger all for existing services other than freeing up some paths on the City Circle for T2 and T8 services, which will be quickly taken up. It will do absolutely nothing for T1, the most congested part of the network. In fact it will be further exacerbated by redirecting more Northern Line trains via Strathfield, as they will no longer be able to use the ECRL which will be converted to metro.

Their response is to run more Western Line T1 services into Sydney Terminal which will only add to the interchange congestion at Central, particularly in the interim period between the opening of Metro North West to Chatswood in 2019 and its eventual extension to Bankstown in 2024. That's potentially 5 years of disastrous platform congestion on the Central Suburban platforms. It will make the current congestion look like a cake-walk. Even when the metro is extended through the CBD, there will still be an unnecessary amount of interchange required for commuters travelling further into the northern CBD, when it could be substantially avoided if the previously proposed City Relief Line to Barangaroo was built. That of course would mean a commitment to greatly increased funding for the upgrade of the current network, which is a no-go area for this ideologically driven government, despite the measly contribution proposed compared with the spending on the metro expansion.

The situation is only going to get worse over the next few years as the chickens come home to roost because of the government's indifference and lack of investment in the current network. A segregated metro system has its place, although I don't agree with the way the proposed system is being implemented, but it's not the be and end all of resolving all of Sydney's rail network deficiencies.

Anyone who questions the metro option, particularly on that other forum, is branded a heretic when there is legitimate criticism, not in the concept itself, but to the way in which it's being implemented.

[boronia]

ICAC anyone?

https://www.hit.com.au/news/sydney/turn ... irect=true

Election anyone?