We have received this comment from a train user on the South Line:
Just wanted to say that now there are two services from Macquarie Fields to the City via Granville on the South Line between 7am and 8am. There is a 7.23 Cumberland Line to Blacktown but of course it will always be the first to be cancelled. This leaves me either coming to work 30 mins early or 30 mins late! For anyone who lives in south-west Sydney and works further north it is very frustrating.I sent my concerns to CityRail before the new timetable started and never received a response.
There has also been concern about the level of service on the Inner West Line which goes between Cabramatta and Lidcome to the Sydney CBD. This line has very poor accessibility - there are no disability access stations between Carramar and Sefton - and very poor frequency of service. Analysing the timetable for this line compared to others shows the lower level of service for the people wanting to use this line.
See the Action For Public Transport timetable analyser - here
http://www.aptnsw.org.au/cgi-bin/cityrail2009oct.cgi?line=bankstown&station=Chester.Hill&up=+inbound+
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Invitation to Sydney Metro Evironmental Assessment
Invitation to Community Information Sessions - Sydney Metro
Dear Sir/Madam,
An Environmental Assessment is currently being prepared for Sydney Metro Network Stage 2 (Central – Westmead). As part of this process, a number of Community Information Sessions are being held to provide local residents and businesses with more information about the project and an opportunity to comment.
Members of the project team will be available to answer questions related to the project. There is no need to make an appointment to attend - simply drop in:
Saturday 17 October
Parramatta RSL – Linden Room, Macquarie Street, Parramatta, 10am – 2pm
Thursday 22 October
C3 Church Conference Centre, Cnr Silverwater Road and Egerton Street, Silverwater, 3pm – 7pm
Saturday 31 October
The Russian Club, 5 Albert Road, Strathfield, 12pm – 4pm
Thursday 5 November
Burwood RSL, 96 Shaftesbury Avenue, Burwood, 3pm – 7pm
Thursday 19 November
Club Five Dock – Mirrors Room, 66 Great North Road, Five Dock, 3pm – 7pm
Saturday 28 November
Leichhardt Town Hall, 107 Norton Street, Leichhardt, 10am – 2pm
The Environmental Assessment is scheduled to go on public exhibition early next year, during which time written submissions will be invited. Further Community Information Sessions will be held during the public exhibition period.
For more information about the project, please call 1800 636 910 or visit our website at
www.sydneymetro.nsw.gov.au . We hope to see you at one of the Community Information Sessions.
Sincerely,
Rodd Staples
A/Chief Executive
Dear Sir/Madam,
An Environmental Assessment is currently being prepared for Sydney Metro Network Stage 2 (Central – Westmead). As part of this process, a number of Community Information Sessions are being held to provide local residents and businesses with more information about the project and an opportunity to comment.
Members of the project team will be available to answer questions related to the project. There is no need to make an appointment to attend - simply drop in:
Saturday 17 October
Parramatta RSL – Linden Room, Macquarie Street, Parramatta, 10am – 2pm
Thursday 22 October
C3 Church Conference Centre, Cnr Silverwater Road and Egerton Street, Silverwater, 3pm – 7pm
Saturday 31 October
The Russian Club, 5 Albert Road, Strathfield, 12pm – 4pm
Thursday 5 November
Burwood RSL, 96 Shaftesbury Avenue, Burwood, 3pm – 7pm
Thursday 19 November
Club Five Dock – Mirrors Room, 66 Great North Road, Five Dock, 3pm – 7pm
Saturday 28 November
Leichhardt Town Hall, 107 Norton Street, Leichhardt, 10am – 2pm
The Environmental Assessment is scheduled to go on public exhibition early next year, during which time written submissions will be invited. Further Community Information Sessions will be held during the public exhibition period.
For more information about the project, please call 1800 636 910 or visit our website at
www.sydneymetro.nsw.gov.au . We hope to see you at one of the Community Information Sessions.
Sincerely,
Rodd Staples
A/Chief Executive
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
IPART Bus Fare Increase Recommendations
IPART have recommended a series of small increases to bus fares of 1.5% per year above the expected rate of inflation over the next three years - a total rise of 14.6% over 3 years.
They have used a very rigorous and transparent process to explain the increases which relates to the 'efficient costs' of running the buses and providing the infrastructure such as buslanes.
IPART also provide the logic of why they have allocated about half of the cost of running the bus system to be paid for by the passengers through ticket sales (excluding concessions) and half to be paid for by taxpayers through the Government; this half share paid by the Government equals the 'external benefits' derived by everybody, including non-bus users, from reduced traffic congestion and reduced air pollution when people use the bus instead of drive a car.
For the full IPART draft report click here: IPART Draft Bus Fare Determination
Critique
It appears that while short distance single tickets on buses will remain fairly good value, even with a rise from $1.90 to $2 in the first year and maybe up to $2.30 over 3 years, the people who travel greater distances of more than 5 sections, and don't have access to multi-trip tickets or flexible time-based tickets, will feel the increases much more. A single 3 - 5 section ticket is likely to increase from $3.20 to $4.50 and the 6 - 9 section tickets are likely to increase to more than $5.50. These are large increases and make regular return trips very expensive - particularly if you are trying to combine this with other train or bus trips.
Some of the main issues that have been pointed to by various transport advocates have been largely ignored. In particular IPART has disagreed that it is worth considering a shift to a zone/time-based integrated ticketing, which offers discounts for trip bundling.
It appears that we are going to be stuck with a flag-fall / distanced based ticketing system, even if we achieve an integrated ticket: ie the ticket will be integrated but many of the fares will not. This has the potential to be very bad for people in Western Sydney because of the greater reliance on the private bus system and the greater distances travelled. It is also not very 'family-friendly' because of the multiple transport needs of people trying to manage a family.
As an example, using the current fares, one return off-peak trip between St Clair and Castle Hill is likely to be $19.00. There is no potential for any integrated fares or multi-trip discounts (although you could get separate discounts for weekly bus tickets and train tickets if you are a regular commuter). A Cityrail day tripper ticket, however, which allows you unlimited, all-day travel on all STA buses, CityRail trains and Sydney Ferries is $17 (ie $2 less to travel from St Marys to Brookvale and return via the Manly Ferry and unlimited travel in the Sydney CBD).
This is an example of how an 'integrated fare' (the day tripper) compares to simply an 'integrated ticket' (several fares combined on a single ticket). The integrated fare provides additional discounts and the flexibility to travel multiple trips and stops whereas the integrated ticket simply makes it easier to pay the fare (even though they are expensive). It seems less likely that public transport will effectively compete with private cars, and the flexibility that they offer, without this kind of change. It is like having a toll on every road - it would be interesting to see how road users would react to that ....
They have used a very rigorous and transparent process to explain the increases which relates to the 'efficient costs' of running the buses and providing the infrastructure such as buslanes.
IPART also provide the logic of why they have allocated about half of the cost of running the bus system to be paid for by the passengers through ticket sales (excluding concessions) and half to be paid for by taxpayers through the Government; this half share paid by the Government equals the 'external benefits' derived by everybody, including non-bus users, from reduced traffic congestion and reduced air pollution when people use the bus instead of drive a car.
For the full IPART draft report click here: IPART Draft Bus Fare Determination
Critique
It appears that while short distance single tickets on buses will remain fairly good value, even with a rise from $1.90 to $2 in the first year and maybe up to $2.30 over 3 years, the people who travel greater distances of more than 5 sections, and don't have access to multi-trip tickets or flexible time-based tickets, will feel the increases much more. A single 3 - 5 section ticket is likely to increase from $3.20 to $4.50 and the 6 - 9 section tickets are likely to increase to more than $5.50. These are large increases and make regular return trips very expensive - particularly if you are trying to combine this with other train or bus trips.
Some of the main issues that have been pointed to by various transport advocates have been largely ignored. In particular IPART has disagreed that it is worth considering a shift to a zone/time-based integrated ticketing, which offers discounts for trip bundling.
It appears that we are going to be stuck with a flag-fall / distanced based ticketing system, even if we achieve an integrated ticket: ie the ticket will be integrated but many of the fares will not. This has the potential to be very bad for people in Western Sydney because of the greater reliance on the private bus system and the greater distances travelled. It is also not very 'family-friendly' because of the multiple transport needs of people trying to manage a family.
As an example, using the current fares, one return off-peak trip between St Clair and Castle Hill is likely to be $19.00. There is no potential for any integrated fares or multi-trip discounts (although you could get separate discounts for weekly bus tickets and train tickets if you are a regular commuter). A Cityrail day tripper ticket, however, which allows you unlimited, all-day travel on all STA buses, CityRail trains and Sydney Ferries is $17 (ie $2 less to travel from St Marys to Brookvale and return via the Manly Ferry and unlimited travel in the Sydney CBD).
This is an example of how an 'integrated fare' (the day tripper) compares to simply an 'integrated ticket' (several fares combined on a single ticket). The integrated fare provides additional discounts and the flexibility to travel multiple trips and stops whereas the integrated ticket simply makes it easier to pay the fare (even though they are expensive). It seems less likely that public transport will effectively compete with private cars, and the flexibility that they offer, without this kind of change. It is like having a toll on every road - it would be interesting to see how road users would react to that ....
New Train Timetables - New Bus Timetables
This week saw the introduction of the new CityRail timetable and the introduction of the new bus timetables for Region 1 (Blacktown and Penrith).
We would be very interested to get any feedback, positive or negative, about these changes so we can inform the readers of the WSPTU blog of your experience and knowledge.
If you have feedback about these changes please comment below or send an email to wsbustop@gmail.com .
If you would like to make a formal comment about the changes to the train timetable or the bus timetables, you can use the feedback section of the www.131500.com website or www.nswbusnetwork.com.au or you can contact your bus company directly. See the the list on the left of this website for links and phone numbers.
We would be very interested to get any feedback, positive or negative, about these changes so we can inform the readers of the WSPTU blog of your experience and knowledge.
If you have feedback about these changes please comment below or send an email to wsbustop@gmail.com .
If you would like to make a formal comment about the changes to the train timetable or the bus timetables, you can use the feedback section of the www.131500.com website or www.nswbusnetwork.com.au or you can contact your bus company directly. See the the list on the left of this website for links and phone numbers.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Train Connection at Clyde from Carlingford
This week I changed from the Carlingford train for the first time in several years. I was surprised to find none of the new indicator boards had been installed at Clyde and that no old fashioned indicators were in use on any platform.
Many years ago I recollect the guard on the branch train informing passengers of the platforms they could catch various trains. Guards today should have access to much more data but on this occasion we were not even told to change platform despite the fact out of town visitors would be among those from the bus show at Rosehill.
One old practice could be resurrected to overcome some of these problems. This is stopping the next express on the Western Up Main at platform 2 whenever a crowd has just alighted from the branch train.
Many years ago I recollect the guard on the branch train informing passengers of the platforms they could catch various trains. Guards today should have access to much more data but on this occasion we were not even told to change platform despite the fact out of town visitors would be among those from the bus show at Rosehill.
One old practice could be resurrected to overcome some of these problems. This is stopping the next express on the Western Up Main at platform 2 whenever a crowd has just alighted from the branch train.
Friday, October 9, 2009
WSPTU Meeting Notes from Sept 26
Representatives from local groups met as WSPTU on Sept 26 (a cold and windy day).
The topics discussed were:
If you would like to participate in WSPTU activities please let us know. WSPTU is for people and groups who are interested in public transport issues in their local area and are working with other local people to solve the issues (or would like to work with people in their local area). Please contact us at wsbustop@gmail.com or ring 02 9633 5068.
The topics discussed were:
- how to better connect with EcoTransit
- creating a vision statement for WSPTU
- the SMH Independent Transport Inquiry
If you would like to participate in WSPTU activities please let us know. WSPTU is for people and groups who are interested in public transport issues in their local area and are working with other local people to solve the issues (or would like to work with people in their local area). Please contact us at wsbustop@gmail.com or ring 02 9633 5068.
WSPTU Submission to the SMH Independent Transport Inquiry
WSPTU have collected ideas from members (as best we could in the time available) to create a submission to the SMH Independent Transport Inquiry. You can read the WSPTU submission here: WSPTU Submission
The main topics covered are:
The main topics covered are:
- Integrated Ticketing
- Increased capacity of the 'trunk' routes
- Improved off-peak services
- Planning issues
- Local service planning
- The North West and South West rail links
- Feeder services and local transport options
- Social inclusion and public transport
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
