Good things Fri 22 Jan 10

GOOD THINGS: Train travel
I hear people complain about public transport ... it’s late, it’s dirty, it’s unsafe.

But my experience must be different ... or at least different enought because I love train travel.

The suburban train network ... those trains often turn they can turn up late or not at all. Often people have conversations you can hear half a train away ... and so many times I end up hearing the distorted music of people' iPods because of crappy earphones. These things drive me crazy!

But thankfully these are the exceptions and there are so many pluses ... especially to country train travel.


The old board at Ballarat train station ... this isn't used any more and I hope they don't take it down.

It’s cheap; it only costs $10 off peak to travel from Melbourne to Ballarat ... tick.

It’s a chance to read or stare out the window ... tick.

It’s quick; it would take me longer than an hour and a half to drive the same distance ... tick.

It’s convenient; I can leave from work on Friday night and return to work on Monday morning ... tick.

It’s comfortable; the carriages are all new, air conditioned and there are generally enought seats to go around ... tick.

Did I leave anything out?

Project 365 Mon 25 May 09

ONE WORD FOR TODAY: CONNEX!
I arrived at work today later than I usually do, but at least it was my own fault.

That wasn't the case last week when on 2 entirely different days (Monday and Thursday) I raced down to catch a particular train and missed that one, the next train was cancelled which was followed by a train that ran late by about 5 minutes. Both times it meant I arrived at work a full 30 minutes later than I planned.

Oh, and get this, you can't set your clock to the time used by the trains because they run 2-3 minutes ahead of regular time. That makes it interesting catching a train and being somewhere else on time.

And the perpetrator of this is, of course, our beloved train operator Connex.


I love this photo of a train in the railway siding, a few minute's walk from home.

Now Connex is a French company specialising in rail transport. I don't know if they have a reputation for efficiency in Europe, but they are complete crap in Melbourne. They couldn't run the proverbial piss up (in Australian slang that's a beer party) in a brewery!

Their efficiency level in Melbourne is around 93-94% and that's against rules that don't counte cancelled trains and a train has to be running more than 5 minutes late to be considered at all! That should give you an idea of how bad 93-94% reall is.

Connex manipulates the statistics by cancelling as many trains running over 5 minutes late as possible and that worked at first. More recently we've become short of trains in general, and if Connex cancelled as many trains as they used to we'd be lucky to get to work at all!

Do I seem bitter ... not really, but it definitely annoys me. Will I stop catching the train and drive ... no, I believe too much in my right to a public transport service and its value over private transport.

But do I wish it was better ... hell, yes, and wonder when I'll get the train service I deserve. (Or do I already?)

UPDATED 2 JUN 09: Check this article in the The Age, Melbourne's newspaper, for 'proof' if you need it of how bad our train service is and possibly why: http://www.theage.com.au/national/brakes-on-timetable-as-one-in-10-city-trains-late-in-may-20090601-bt0b.html.

Project 365 Mon 27 Apr 09

TRAIN DRIVER AND HUMOUR
Melbourne's train service sucks. Trains run late constantly and are cancelled even more frequently. Too many times people have to stand.

So ... as you might understand, humour is generally in short supply when even thinking about Melbourne trains.

This was the case when I turned up to catch the train:
1. I just missed the 8:12 train I was running for (my fault of course but not really relevant!)
2. The next train (the 8:21) was cancelled
3. The next train (the 8:27) was running late and arrived about 5 minutes late.

Anyway, at least I was on my way, and I settled in a window seat and started reading.

Some time later the train driver made an announcement: "The train was running late this morning because blah, blah, blah(I can't remember wh!). Connex probably apologises for that".

The carriage burst into laughter, and that must have been case all along the train.

Sure they apologise for it. Apologising for every cockup is tacked onto the end of every cancellation and delay. But does it ever improve the train service?


My monthly train ticket. Look how much I pay every month for the privilege!

Project 365 Day 9

MELBOURNE TRAINS
I'm a great believer in public transport. And given the world's reliance on fossil fuel and global work; it's an increasingly important asset that can only become more important in the future.


Looking down three carriages of the train.

Don't get me started about how bad Melbourne's public transportation is generally. I've been catching trains for more than 20 years, and just when I think things can't get any worse, the operator, Connex, proves me wrong.

My pet peeve is the state of the seats. Not the older trains, which are generally good, but the seats on new trains are disgusting; I don't know if it's the fabric they use but the stains turn my stomach!