"Late Bird" train travel - free after 8pm

Natronomonas · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:20 am

Brumby is proposing a late bird scheme, free travel after 8pm to relieve afternoon peak crush.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/plan-for-free-evening-rail-trips-20080905-4aqn.html

Do they not get that they could probably get paying pax on the trains later in the evening, if they actually had decent frequency then? At least the PTUA got that one right (in link).

If the govt wants PT to be a sustainable alternative, they can't just make things free to make it work. If it's that bad you've got to give it away, there's a problem...

scottydl · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 8:41 am

I couldn't agree more -

Yet another example of window dressing by the spin doctors without addressing the real issues at hand.

Given the projected population growth even blind freddie can predict the pressure on our public transport system at peak times will only increase.

Start making the tough decisions NOW. Where are the sign-offs on all the infrastructure improvements that are desperately required NOW. Stop holding endless enquires and forums and start the infrastructure upgrades NOW. Stop procrastinating. These improvements and massive upgrade projects need to start happening NOW. The longer they are delayed, the worse it is going to be.

The way things are going all public transport at off-peak times will have to be free. What the spin doctors do not realise is the vast majority of people in the workforce and attending employment & schools have to travel at peak times. You can window dress and even try to manipulate work & school starting times all you like but at the end of the day, the pressure on travel at peak times is still only ever going to INCREASE with the population growth - it will NEVER DECREASE - in other words, you either make the tough decisions or you do not. In this state, it seems the latter always applies. Take the easy option at all times and hope the public swallows it. Spin doctors rule.

Given no-one in this state or country ever talks about trying to limit population growth and policies required to ensure growth does have it's limits, there is only one decision possible out of all the spin doctors enquiries - IMPROVE the infrastructure and start making decisions to ensure it starts happening NOW - NOT LATER. More trains, more tracks, better infrastructure. Build the new lines and tracks - and start building them NOW - NOT LATER.

scottydl · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:01 am

alstom_888m · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:15 am

Why don't they just use the peak hour roster 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday. If the system can hold peak traffic for a few hours a day (although barely) it can hold it all day. That will distribute passengers more.

Reliable, Economical, Safe, By Rail.

mjja · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 12:59 pm

This is a reasonable idea for trying to spread out the peaks. However when you start thinking about the knock-on effects it loses some of its lustre. Not sure whether on balance it's worth doing or not - I'll have to think about it.

Deep Throat · Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 2:36 pm

The same concept of encouraging extension of peak-hour out forward and backward has been around since the 1930's. It was suggested by Clapp in 1938, and is in itself a good idea and while is being used to avoid spending money to a large extent, the concept to have people start at different times makes a lot of sense.

Bear in mind any company that deals with two island to the right of us and a massive mining state to the left gets an advantage business-wise by being on site and available from 7am to 7pm to cater with their business days...

Anonymous - and proud of it.

DalyWaters · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:16 am

You would have to be fairly cheesed off by now as a peak hour commuter, wouldn't you?

There is a serious problem with overcrowding, so the Governments only solution is to give free travel to people who can travel at either extreme of the day.

So the feral traveller can get on for free in the evening, wreck a few seats, graffiti the walls and have the train knocked out of service by the morning peak, thus adding to the overcrowding.

The best medicine for the suffering peak hour commuter would be for them to at least know that everyone else that travels pays their bit to help prop up the system.

The cynic in me sees a sinister plot to reduce station staff and AOs in the evening. I hope it idoes not turn out to be the case.

HcoteJunct · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:47 am

MelbourneCity · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 12:16 pm

I think it's an alright short term solution. What in affect we'll get is free travel except for peak hour - pay to use the busiest times.

The long term decisions should of been made years ago - and those decisions pre-date Kennett.

Additional trackwork on the Dandenong, Frankston, Sydenham and Werribee lines should of been done progressively since the 1970s.

Unfortunately now we've got to play catch up (eventually) in order to add new services - that much I agree with the government. But that's where the agreement ends. This mob have been in power since 1999 and have already released 3 transport plans, all now deemed to be a failure. This one for November will be the fourth. In the time they have been around they have only undertaken small metropolitan rail works - Watergardens and Craigieburn and have dragged their heels on every other promise.

The Dandenong corridor upgrade was announced the same day as the M1 upgrade. One of those projects is well advanced, the other has disappeared into bureaucratic jungles of rubbish. By the time any work starts on that it'll be insignificant - that corridor needs 4 tracks - not 3.

Frankston needs a 3rd track.
The line to Newport needs a 3rd.
Watergardens should go to 4 tracks.

I suppose the Government is hoping they do proceed with the Tarneit corridor, therefore removing the need for V/line services to go via Newport and avoid that upgrade - but that's just another cop out.

MELBOURNE CITY

http://melbournecity2004.fotopic.net/

awsgc24 · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:37 pm

If pax do not buy a ticket when travelling after say 8PM, then the ticket machines will not compile useful statistics about how many travel when and where. Thus late travel should be reduced price and not completely free.

route14 · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:01 pm

If it works the same way as the Early bird, passengers will be required to validate a "late bird ticket".

Not the black cat
nor the white cat
but the right cat

Gauntlet · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 4:51 pm

This reminds me of that summer when they had free public transport on Sundays. I guess it was 1981/82 because they had the first three-zone system and were giving away the outdated tickets. I think it was quite successful, but I was a bit too young to remember much about it.

Somebody in the WWW · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:29 pm

Edith · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:42 pm

I do not care what Brumby says about: "what he might do". All this talk about free services, trains to the airport, etc. They are just distractions for us to debate and think that something might happen.

Even when his government says they will do something they later change their minds. We will not fix PT without some big spending. All the timetable changes, additional scheduled services, and new carriages are just the stuff you do every year to cope with rising demand. We have hit the wall and now have to tunnel under it or go around it.

Dreams are not something to wait for
They are something to work for

alstom_888m · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:44 pm

Pointless? No, but then I'm thinking of places where they have 200kmh express trains mingling with 100kmh local pax and freight.

Reliable, Economical, Safe, By Rail.