One man's train journey

[Guest]

I am not sure how this will come across but a mate of mine had to catch the train home yesterday evening as he had a few during the cup. He rarely catches the train and as he went along, he was texting me providing updates....


This is a re-enactment of one mans journey on City Rail on a hot Tuesday afternoon after a few schooners:

As he waits at Central station he wonders if all of the people on the platform will actually be able to fit on the train. He sees the train pull in and concludes that they will not. He boards the train and finds it a somewhat tight squeeze.

He then begins to comment on the whole experience via text messages:

Should I be happy that I am actually on the train even though I didn't get a seat?

Why is everyone so sweaty?

How far into the journey do the hostesses start serving the meals?

I informed him that the air conditioning vents are like the "Free offer" emails you get. A little misleading....

Yes. It is very deceptive. My eyeballs are sweating, Is that a normal reaction to train travel?

**** it is hot in this train

The meagre air leakage through the crack between the doors is cooler than that coming from the air conditioning vents. Is that normal?

The train has stopped at Strathfield. They just let more sweaty ****s on. This is a joke. I am about to expire.

It is hot, bullshit hot. The train is full. Why does it stop to let more people on?

I got a seat. We just left Hornsby.

I made it. Why does the express train take 2 hours 15 mins from Central to Tuggerah?


I read a number of these texts in one hit and I had tears in my eyes and my head was hurting. Even typing this out I had to take a break so I didn't look like an idiot at work..

JL

[Guest]

I am not sure how this will come across but a mate of mine had to catch the train home yesterday evening as he had a few during the cup. He rarely catches the train and as he went along, he was texting me providing updates....


This is a re-enactment of one mans journey on City Rail on a hot Tuesday afternoon after a few schooners:

As he waits at Central station he wonders if all of the people on the platform will actually be able to fit on the train. He sees the train pull in and concludes that they will not. He boards the train and finds it a somewhat tight squeeze.

He then begins to comment on the whole experience via text messages:

Should I be happy that I am actually on the train even though I didn't get a seat?

Why is everyone so sweaty?

How far into the journey do the hostesses start serving the meals?

I informed him that the air conditioning vents are like the "Free offer" emails you get. A little misleading....

Yes. It is very deceptive. My eyeballs are sweating, Is that a normal reaction to train travel?

**** it is hot in this train

The meagre air leakage through the crack between the doors is cooler than that coming from the air conditioning vents. Is that normal?

The train has stopped at Strathfield. They just let more sweaty ****s on. This is a joke. I am about to expire.

It is hot, bullshit hot. The train is full. Why does it stop to let more people on?

I got a seat. We just left Hornsby.

I made it. Why does the express train take 2 hours 15 mins from Central to Tuggerah?


I read a number of these texts in one hit and I had tears in my eyes and my head was hurting. Even typing this out I had to take a break so I didn't look like an idiot at work..

JL

Funny shit.

As a regular train traveller that's a pretty fair and accurate review of a typical trip. Some days it really is the voyage of the damned!!

I've seen everything from out and out fights, to sexual harrassment, been flashed and some chick howling down the phone at her cheating soon to be ex-boyfriend.

Gotta love the human race!

[Guest]

Yep it isn't much better for me either.

I live in Bella Vista, which is an absolute shocker for public transport as it isn't close enough to either Castle Towers OR Seven Hills/Parramatta station to be any good.

To get to university by, say, 11.00am, I have to either:

- catch the 9.05am T62 to Castle Towers (20 minutes, takes this extremely long and unnecessary detour down Tuckwell Road where NO-ONE gets on), and then the 9.25 Citybus 610, which can take anywhere between 50 minutes and 80 minutes depending on traffic

- catch the 9.25 T62 (going the other direction) to Parramatta via the Old Windsor Road/Westmead T-Way, which takes around 25 minutes, then sit around at Parramatta Station waiting for a train, which ends up taking upwards of 40 minutes in peak hour when loads of people are hopping on

Absolutely terrible, but while I don't have access to a car, this is what I have to deal with. The ONLY good thing is that in the morning (between 6.00am and 7.30am) there are 4 buses that go straight to City from Bella Vista, and in the afternoon (between 4.20pm and 5.45pm) there are 4 buses that return from the City to Bella Vista. These are meant for 9 to 5 workers, but since my University times are often sporadic, I don't often get the pleasure of hopping onto these =\

Oh, and now they are spending the money that could have put a train line through the isolated Hills District on some goddamn train line extension through Leichhardt and Rozelle - there is already a friggin' tram line there! Give us a break!

A big middle finger to public transport!

[novice chook]

The Western Line yesterday afternoon was a real joy - NOT!

First, because of some problem (never sufficiently explained) all Western bound trains were starting from the country platforms at Central. So first you had to pack on at Wynyard or Town Hall to actually get to Central and plod your way to Platform 5, which both Penrith and Richmond trains were departing from.

Then you had to pack yourself into a train. I then had to contend with an overweight git who had decided that his large arse and backpack were entitled to hog 3 seats on a crowded peak hour train. It was one of those long seats in the corridor of the carriage.

He was quite put out when I said quite pointedly said to the poor bloke next to him struggling to make room "Well once he moves his bag and you move up a bit I should be able to squeeze in". Bag was reluctantly moved but not without a few huffs and puffs. As if I gave a shit about his displeasure. All I wanted was a seat and I was damned if I was going to miss out on one so he and his backpack could travel in bloody comfort. I was damn uncomfortable as it was due to the inconsiderate placement of a one of those damn poles.

The train was absolutely packed and then you have more people trying to get on at Strathfield and every station it stopped. Talk about a nightmare and not what you want on a stinking hot Melbourne Cup Day when there are extra people on the trains as it is.


NC

[horrie hastings]

Sydney is a third world country when it comes to public transport and roads.
Why haven't we got any rail infastructure out to the north west which is a huge growth area and which has had a corridor of land reserved for it to be in place for many years now? and i'm not going to start on more of the incompetence of NSW State Government or i would be here till next year typing away

[Guest]

There was supposed to be a train line that was to run from Epping or Cheltenham that would trail across through Cherrybrook to service the Hills District, including Castle Hill, Norwest Business Park (near where I live), Kellyville and Rouse Hill.

Us poor sods have to sit on the bus for years just to get into the city. I feel worse for the Rouse Hill-ians too, the 610 that starts at Rouse Hill takes 1 hour from Castle Hill to City, plus another half and hour to forty minutes when it starts from Rouse Hill.

[horrie hastings]

My how things change in the space of a couple of years


http://www.nsw.gov.au/pdf/NW_Rail_Link_FastTrack.pdf

[supermario]

our rail system was built for a population of 2 million, we now have a population of over 4 million.

now all we have is political infighting and points scoring over whether a metro style line would be able to service sydney.

If it is done correctly, and intergrated well with the existing system then we will see some relief on the Rail system.

they did well with the link between epping and chatswood, but they should have stuck to the plan and linked it to parra, that has to be one of the worst desicions made by the state government !!!

[North_East_Rooster]

We now have the north west rail link operational, but I am not sure if things are much better TBH. The light rail is about to start - we had a perfectly good tram network, it got ripped up and then replaced again. Very smart. Sydney is now over 5 million in population. I have work colleagues who cannot wait to get out of the Sydney metro area once they retire:- mainly because of the congestion and poor transport. We should be doing better for a so called global city. Not good enough!