November 2008 timetable changes

alstom_888m · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:37 pm

70mph (112kmh) is nothing special in the UK. Many suburban services have a speed limit of 60mph (97kmh) significantly faster than Melbourne. On a major line in a city it would be reasonable to expect 90mph (144kmh) services.

Having large patches of 65kmh is embarrassing. The whole network should be upgraded to at least 80kmh running on all lines where humanly possible.

Reliable, Economical, Safe, By Rail.

Away for Summer. Won't be on RP.

BMTA511 · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:58 am

Greatfox · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:10 am

I believe it's actually a train shortage, exacerbated recently by the withdrawal of the Hitachis

route14 · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 2:12 am

I believe you don't need the whole fleet to run off-peak and weekend services.

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

xtrap_heaven · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:03 am

Yes, but off-peak times, weekends, night are "peak" hours for train maintenance, cleaning etc.

"The next station is Royal Park, passengers for the Inner Circle line, please change trains at Royal Park. From Royal Park, this train runs express to Coburg..."

Nexas · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:16 am

Nexas · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 8:20 am

Gwiwer · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 9:43 am

fullofrubbish · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:21 am

Edith · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:33 am

Without a big strategic fix, just how many options have we got left for additional services and additional capacity ?

In the last 3 years we have seen Connex patronage growth of: 9.7%, 12.2% and 12.7%. If the latest timetable changes add about 20% to peak hour capacity on certain lines and possible 7 car trains adds another 15% per train (if we can get the extra carriages in time). This might buy us 2 more years of growth.

What is the strategy beyond that ? Force people into off-peak ?

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

Kerpal · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:01 am

There is an interview on YouTube where the CEO of Connex Melbourne talks about the new timetable (which was originally planned for introduction in October).

One of the things mentioned was the removal of Frankston trains from the loop. I guess this got canned for political reasons?

I think that we should be through-routing the Werribee line to the Frankston line and the Sandringham line to the Craigieburn line (utilising that under-used overpass at North Melbourne).

Gwiwer · Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 11:08 am

ClydeGM · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 8:14 am

Let's get this right.

The November Timetable is a crock.
It has the unmistakable odour of manure about it.
And it's not even fresh manure. We've all seen and heard many variations of it before - and not just from connex. Think Telstra, gas, electricity and water supply. Think banking, crime statistics, unemployment and the economy generally.
It's tinkering at the edges, fiddling while Rome burns, deckchairs on the Titanic stuff.
It won't work because it can't work.

Connex trumpeted at the outset that they would "grow the business" by 83 or 84% (IIRC) during the term of their franchise.
Q. How were they going to do that?
A. They never were.
They couldn't, they can't, and they wont.

They haven't "grown the business" at all - fuel prices and the economy have done that, and with an recent increase of just 30% connex are floundering. Gee, what a surprise!

Only three things are missing from heavy rail public transport in Melbourne. They are, or should be, obvious to anyone with an IQ above 25.

1. Massive amounts of capital investment.
Equipment, infrastructure, personel, training, maintenance to a standard rather than the current "run to failure" mindset and building for the future, which has for so long been neglected in favour of doing nothing at all in the hope that it will somehow fix itself, and road funding.
When I say massive, I mean multiple billions of dollars every year for the forseeable future.

2. A 'management structure' from the Premier and Minister, through the DoI/DoT and the franchise holder, all the way on down to the middle levels of connex that understands what they are doing, what level of funding and forward planning due to long lead times and furthermore, unrelated to the electoral cycle - is required, and the determination to implement it.

3. Making a start on 1 and 2 RIGHT NOW, because it should have started 20 years ago, and we should now be building for 2020, 2030 and beyond, not scrambling to catch up with the 1980's

Personally, I don't think it's possible to recover from the present situation.
I don't believe we'll ever have either 1 or 2, either alone or together. And without a sustained input of both, in concert with 3, the war is lost.

And if you think it's bad in metropolitan Melbourne - and it is - contemplate the current state of interstate rail freight vrs road transport.
But that's another story, for another day, and another forum.

Meanwhile back on the crowded trains and platforms, surrounded by late and cancelled 'services', breakdowns and equipment failures and debilitating - to the point of being crippled - levels of management incompetence (See item 2 for my definition of 'management'), we see the unarguable laws of physics at work.

"The closer that matter comes to the tail of the vortex, the higher the speed of rotation, and the more difficult escape becomes"

And behind this, the stated expectation of another million people moving into the world's (formerly) most liveable city in the next decade or so!

Understand this very basic fact;
It doesn't make any difference what the 'matter' is called, or who 'owns' or operates it.
It's still going down the plughole.
Like it or not, agree or not, that's where we're at.

Just wait and see.

Jay.

"At this height, why they might harpoon us, but they dang sure ain't going to spot us on no radar screen."

Gwiwer · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:37 am

kuldalai · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:25 am

Like those who ride in front of train get there sooner, those who ride in back get longer ride for their money, and those who ride in middle will have equally far distance to walk to barrier on alighting !