(Aus) Angry travellers lash out at Metro

[Pakenhamtrain]

From the Herald Sun:

Angry travellers lash out at Metro

Ashley Gardiner From: Herald Sun June 22, 2010 12:00AM

 

MELBOURNE'S angriest commuters have been revealed in a survey of our struggling train service.

Train travellers have ranked Metro lines in confidential surveys for the Department of Transport.

 

The research confirms passengers from the western suburbs are getting the worst service. Commuters on the Sydenham line between Footscray and Sunshine are fuming more than most.

 

During the morning peak, the train is virtually full after Sunshine, leaving no room for passengers at Tottenham, West Footscray and Middle Footscray.

 

Those in the eastern suburbs are generally more satisfied with their trains.

 

The happiest commuters are between East Camberwell and Ringwood, and on the Glen Waverley line.

 

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the level of travellers' satisfaction was linked to overcrowding.

 

"Crowding, delays, cancellations and infrequent services all plague the rail system. A single cancellation or delay can result in chaos," Mr Bowen said. "Stations such as Hawksburn and Middle Footscray have some of the worst crowding, with passengers regularly unable to squeeze aboard trains."

 

Mr Bowen said overcrowding problems were not confined to peak hours.

 

"It is increasingly common to face long delays, and to have to stand for long periods at off-peak times" he said.

 

"It underscores that we desperately need more train services, seven days a week, and that Metro and the Government need to work harder to make the system run reliably."

 

A spokesman for Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula said train services in the western suburbs would be improved by the Regional Rail Link project, which will be completed this decade.

 

"It will provide a major improvement for passengers in Melbourne's west, especially between Sunshine and Footscray," spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.

 

New tracks would allow regional V/Line services to run separately, providing room to run more Metro services.

 

 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/angry-travellers-lash-out-at-metro/story-e6frf7jo-1225882454032

 

It's a bit of a problem. Because of a lack of investment the past 10 years the system has been left to decay.

[MTR Admiralty]

This issue sounds eeringly familiar...

[GojiMet86]

I've heard this happens in Sydney, too, with CityRail.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[Pakenhamtrain]

Wow, that is worse than NYC and China (in comparison), guess their service is very not frequent, but I do wish they increase the frequency...

 

The service in the Peak periods is frequent in parts. But it's really all over the place. In a couple of places it's 3 mins between trains But in others it's out to 20 minutes. With about 5 express trains during peak periods. The rest of the peak trains express 1 station. In the off peak it's every 20 minutes.

 

Increasing the frequency of trains. Almost impossible.

1. Shareing with V/Line services. Should be reduced with RRL.

2A. Trains. Only 3 types(out of the 4 spark fleets) of train are allowed to use that part of the Network.

2B. The lack of trains. A good bit of the fleet is used(somewhere in the 90 percent area. With the addition of trains being out of service for the new livery, collision damage, faults and impounding.

 

A new timetable was released(mainly affecting the Caulfield Group) trying to get some sort of standard which for the most part has worked well.