"Late Bird" train travel - free after 8pm

Speed · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:07 pm

My belief was that the Early Bird scheme was still confined to a trial on the Frankston and Sydenham lines. I believe that it has increased patronage before the morning peak but has been less than successful in that it has not brought about a reduction in morning peak usage.

Were a Night Owl (sounds better than Late Bird) scheme to have the same effect, the new patronage would consist of many "revellers" as opposed to workers. It could also include people who are willing to collect a free ticket but are seeking to loiter on the train rather than to travel between work or pleasure and home.

Promoting travel on the shoulder-peaks would still help to redistribute load on the system but discounting travel on shoulder-peak periods would serve better to allay concerns about undesirables travelling on free tickets.

drwaddles · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:50 pm

If one catches a bus from the station on their trip home, there is no saving. Not to mention there's probably no buses to catch either.

If one decides to come into work late and go home late via park and ride - will they be able to find a parking spot at 9am or 10am? Perhaps if hell freezes over.

Brumby, you are a dead-set goose.

People who talk out their asre usually have bad breath.

ParkesHub · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:06 pm

The whole idea is a lot of BS designed to suggest that the idiot Brumby is doing "something" whereas he's doing nothing. Nice try at the 'spin', idiot!

Dare I say...we should give Ted Bailleau a go...

alstom_888m · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:23 pm

The libs are a risk, they'll either fix the damn thing or screw it over even more (if that is possible?). I don't even remember what Kennent did wrong with the network, I'd be interested to see The Met's punctuality statistics actually.

Labor will, on the other hand, sit on their little seats, twiddling their thumbs going "do-do-do-do", waiting for some divine life-form to suddenly lay more tracks and give us new sparks from the heavens...

And yes, that is a serious comment. But enough yapping, the best solution would be to ensure Brumby and Kosky don't get another term.

Reliable, Economical, Safe, By Rail.

Away for Summer. Won't be on RP.

574M · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:06 pm

574M · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:29 pm

I don't think this idea is all spin. Its probably going to be the reverse of the early morning scheme for late workers. Face it, when I was working in St Kilda Road, most peak services had departed before 6PM and services reverted to 20 minute, 30 minute frequencies. Many train-sets docked out of Jolimont, ran to their destination, and either shunted or came back to the City empty cars.

Not so now, I can recall my shock getting on an express to Box Hill around 7PM at night at Flagstaff, some years ago. Uheard of way back, 30 years ago. Sometime in the 80's, Flextime arrived and everything changed. So I will hazard a bet that this late-ticket scheme will be a goer for passengers with periodical tickets.

mjja · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:54 pm

There is plenty of justification for early bird and late bird/night owl (thanks Speed, sounds much better) tickets to apply to buses and trams as well as trains. Grab a bus just about anywhere in the suburbs in peak time - it will be standing room only. But my daily commute on the 6:36am on Route 733 is considered well loaded if it has 20 people on board. The problem isn't as critical as it is with trains - but we need to emphasise and enhance the connectivity of the system rather than creating barriers.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

Scottie_theNerd · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:03 am

In my opinion, free late travel sounds more appealing than early travel. It seems easier to "stay behind" for a later train than it is to get to where you want to be 1-2 hours earlier.

6-car trains have a total of 18 doors. Don't feel obligated to use just one.

Limited_Express · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:00 am

The government should have better spent the money to run a few more trains into the night, such as minimum 20-minute frequency (similar to arrangements during Saturday day-time) on all lines until 10pm, intermixing with down expresses on busier lines like Belgrave/Lilydale, Werribee/Willamstown and Pakenham/Cranbourne. Belgrave/Lilydale already operates something similar until 8:30pm-ish IIRC. There should be not much stress on rollingstock or network bottlenecks, just a few more drivers would fix the job.

I could only imagine places such as Ringwood, Lilydale, Noble Park etc would be like if free travel is allowed at night. Unless accompanied by staff presence at all trains during the night, some quiet train travels at such time of the day could simply become history.

ZH836301 · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:57 pm

Knowitall · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:03 am

[quote="ZH836301"]
The Frankston line needs four tracks to Mentone - that's it. [quote]

Mordiallic would be better suited than mentone but I do agree all the way to Frankston is overkill

Banned

Natronomonas · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 10:14 am

A few letters in The Age today about how "well" early bird tickets are functioning...

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/letters/missing-freebies-in-the-west--20080908-4c7e.html

mjja · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:34 am

Frankston is the busiest station outside the CBD. On top of which, the entire peninsula is getting populated so it's going to get busier.

Nobody is going to take the train while it's an hour journey from Frankston to the city. There's a perfectly good freeway you see...

Frankston deserves four tracks and all-day expresses second only to Pakenham.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

melbtrip · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:20 pm

What the Frankston railway line need is the following:
• A two tier train service
.........o Express services Flinders Street stopping all stations to South Yarra and then express to Caulfield and then express to Southlands (new station) and stops all stations to Frankston
........o Stopping all stations from Flinders Street to Southlands (new station)
• Some Direct services from Flinders Street( not travelling via city loop)

route14 · Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2008 6:38 pm

It's Southland actually, don't get it mixed up with Sutherlands.

A true friend will see you through when others see that you are through.