http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4953396/fast-track-new-service-slashes-newcastle-to-sydney-trip/
The new service will be 20 minutes quicker heading south and 11 minutes quicker heading north.
This is made possible by eliminating three stations - Cardiff, Fassifern, and Eastwood.

I have a questions about this:

 -How can the service be 20 minutes quicker by eliminating only three stations? Especially when you consider that an all-stations service is only around 30 minutes longer than an express service.
 -Why cut Cardiff? Eastwood and even Fassifern I can understand, but Cardiff is a popular Staton for people in the area (myself included), but the bigger question is:
 -Why not stop at all between Broadmeadow and Morriset, but still stop at Hamilton and Broadmeadow after leaving Newcastle Interchange, and why stop at both Wyong and Tuggerah? these stations are very close together.

I think a better stopping pattern would be:
 -Newcastle Interchange
 -Cardiff
 -Morriset
 -Wyong
 -Gosford
 -Hornsby
 -Strathfield
 -Central
Opinions?

Tuggerah has the Westfield Shopping Centre close by, which is why I believe it was added to express services as an additional stop.  I agree with you re. Cardiff being a popular station for the Southern Newcastle suburbs based on my visits to the area over the years.

In the Sydney area, I have often wondered why Eastwood and Epping were on many stopping patterns. Based on the NW rail link interchange I think Epping would still be a good stop.

Tuggerah has the Westfield Shopping Centre close by, which is why I believe it was added to express services as an additional stop.  I agree with you re. Cardiff being a popular station for the Southern Newcastle suburbs based on my visits to the area over the years.

In the Sydney area, I have often wondered why Eastwood and Epping were on many stopping patterns. Based on the NW rail link interchange I think Epping would still be a good stop.

Eastwood was for most of history the interchange point for trains that had an interchange on the northern line.  Prior to 20 years ago, most newcastle trains didn't even stop between hornsby and strathfield.  Prior to epping-chatswood line, eastwood was the far more logical stop, as it serviced a greater number of people.    As more northern line suburban trains were added, it became needed to stop newcastle trains at more stations, simply because they would catch up to other services, so stopping at stations didn't lose time, but it did benefit people.   Now epping is the more logical interchange point.

Maybe its 20 minutes faster because its scheduled as a 4 car OSCar.   The express services sit on the speed limit for most of their journey and that is frequenter only 115 for v-sets.   The benefit of being able to sit at 130 and the better acceleration might add up.  There is also a stupid amount of padding in the timetable anyway.

The new service will be 20 minutes quicker heading south and 11 minutes quicker heading north.
This is made possible by eliminating three stations - Cardiff, Fassifern, and Eastwood.

I have a questions about this:

 -How can the service be 20 minutes quicker by eliminating only three stations? Especially when you consider that an all-stations service is only around 30 minutes longer than an express service.

The new express service is a current all stations service that will be altered to skip most of its stops thereby "saving 20 minutes". An all stations Newcastle-Gosford service will run ahead of this service to fill the gap.

Spin spin spin.

What are they doing using those hard butt suburban seat sets on long distance trains anyway?
Everything should stop at Fassi and the Cardiff people picked up by the all stations.

What are they doing using those hard butt suburban seat sets on long distance trains anyway?
Everything should stop at Fassi and the Cardiff people picked up by the all stations.

Unfortunately not much because those seats are vandal proof.  I have seen what the ferals on the central coast and newcastle can do to a V-set and sadly the vandal proofing is needed.   I was impressed by how much people could manage to vandalise a train though.  

Are you using the regular all stops to for cardiff or are you starting another service at gosford or wyong?

A stopping Train runs slower than an express for obvious reasons but you have to have an overview of the timetabling for the WHOLE area including Freight concerned to see where each Train fits and make adjustments accordingly.
By changing a stopping Train to a non stopping Train can pick up between 3 and 5 minutes which soon adds up.

Opinions?

It ain't a new service, as Andrew Constance would make you believe with his political spin. You will find the same service in older timetables.

BUT how can skipping just three stations be 20 minutes quicker?

I have been using Cardiff for years now. This omission is obviously a decision made by a bureaucrat that knows nothing of the local logistics. If Cardiff is so unpopular try getting a car park, or watch how many cars line up out of the car park to pick passengers up.
Idiots!

I have been using Cardiff for years now. This omission is obviously a decision made by a bureaucrat that knows nothing of the local logistics. If Cardiff is so unpopular try getting a car park, or watch how many cars line up out of the car park to pick passengers up.
Idiots!

It isn't that Cardiff isn't popular. It is that fassifern is an interchange station for toronto.

Having gone through this new timetable it is starting to look like a hodge podge with more complications built into the system. Travel times are significantly down all over the place.

It isn't that Cardiff isn't popular. It is that fassifern is an interchange station for toronto.

Same goes for Broadmeadow for CountryLink/Trainlink Regional.

Opinions?

It ain't a new service, as Andrew Constance would make you believe with his political spin. You will find the same service in older timetables.

BUT how can skipping just three stations be 20 minutes quicker?

I think that would be the time saving compared to the former all stop service.

More sneaky PR from the government with headlines that trick people into believing there's a new express 20 minutes faster than the previous express.