They say 'Big Brother' is watching! Well, with Public Transport is the Greater Western Sydney is 'Big Brother' is Transport For NSW, whilst 'Big Sister' is the Minister of Transport overlooking 'Big Brother'!
In Parramatta Yesterday, 'Big Brother' - NSW for Transport Officers were overlooking the jobs of Transport Ticketing Officers, who were gladly in great numbers, doing their job by checking tickets and implementing fines!
NSW for Transport Officers spotted at Parramatta Train Station - center left of photo in white shirt!
This is unusual as normally as the Transport Ticketing Officers mostly are unseen, except for CC TV's that are around! Do you think NSW for Transport should be watching all these Transport Ticketing Officers? Let us know!
Last Friday, Western Sydney commuters faced 4 to 5 hours delay to get home, due to delayed train services, caused by lightening strikes on Sydney Trains signals. I heard at first heard that some commuters were able to get off at Strathfield and have family members and/or friends pick them up and take them home. The issue that was created, a lightening strike on a signal , is something that no government should be held accountable or responsible. With so many signals on the railway lines, it was pleasing that Sydney Trains officials attended to the blown out signal as quick as possible. This lightening created a natural disaster, holding up train services and delaying trips for commuters to reach home. Do you think that it was a reasonable amount of time for commuters to wait for to get home? Click Here for Sydney Morning Herald details
Reported by Andrew Dickson on the Western Sydney Public Transport Users Face Book Forum Click here and join a well There is a young woman who frequently pretends to collect for charity on the Penrith to Central line. Do NOT give her any money!
She carries a bucket for donations which bears a blue logo, and she wears a convincing ID badge. The charity does not exist.
I first spotted this scammer about 4 weeks ago, and told her that soliciting for money on the train was illegal. She thanked me but continued regardless. She was back again on Sunday just gone. Same act.
I called her out again, and pointed out that I'd seen her before. This lady is completely brazen. She said that she'd forgotten (!) and continued on. I rushed to the guard's carriage to report her, but she confronted me first, accusing me of harassment (!).
At the next station, another lady and myself asked the guards to make an announcement, which they did. The woman *still* kept going regardless.
The other lady said she'd seen the scammer doing the same thing the week before, and confirmed that she was a regular on the Western Line.
A trio of young boys were angered by the announcement. They'd given her $10 and wanted it back. They declared they would give chase. I told them to not hurt her, but to photograph her. They did catch her, but she refused to return the money and they didn't get a photo.
She's been sprung, and it would be good to think that she would now stop, but she has such front that I doubt it.
I made a report to a policeman at Central, and to the Station Manager there as well.
Some of us do not prepare ourselves for the unexpected rail work which normally happens on weekends and can also be during the week. Planning is involved to reduce the discomfort of extra travelling to commuters as railway buses replace Sydney Trains railway services. Even some of the repair and maintenance work gets done after hours, outside of peak hours. So the best idea is to prepare yourself for any destination you are travelling to and even leaving from. If you plan your day, you need to add a bit more time to be traveled by the railway bus as they do not travel on a direct route, yet they will travel on a similar route which extra streets and different directions taken to reach your final train station destination. Click Here For Track Work Information from Sydney Trains
When we all search at some we search for something and something else comes up that you like. So I stumbled onto website you can purchase train carriages and some are fairly cheaper. When would you keep yours if you purchase it? I think we have to discuss with the WSPTU Committees to see if we can meet i one of these! Click here for further information
Here is something that is unusual, for the first time that I know you can check out your new train time tables before the commence of the new time tables. You, as commuters will then be able to check to see if there is a positive affect to yourself or have you have have a negative response from the amount of train services supplied by Sydney Trains? We need all of you to let us know! Click Here for New Train Time Tables
One thing we commuters don't like is when there is an incident that causes delay in train services. And that what has happened this evening. At Seven Hills around 6pm, a person had jumped a bridge and landed on the top of a train carriage - causing the high wires to attended to by maintenance and the fatality of the bridge jumper. No matter what the incident was that happened, we feel for the people that do this and the people they effect. In saying this, trains were delayed and although station assistant's announcements advised people that Sydney Trains will be doing their best to ensure services are not delayed that much, commuters were advised to catch normal buses to destinations like Blacktown and further to Penrith. Some people who were talking not listening to these announcements, went to the the stations office immediately and were asking when are the 'Railway buses' coming. Little did they know the announcements were relating to regular bus services that run in and out of that train station! It took about 2 hours for train to get back in regular service heading out on the Western Line.
This i your chance to check out patronage of your train stations based on barrier counts. This it is where it is important to register your current electronic ticket,when entering and exiting your train station - these statistics can plan for the future of public transport. So therefor if you haven't been registering your ticket do so from now as this will register REAL COMMUTERS FIGURES! Click here to check out your train station!
MP angry as state budget omits funding for railway station lifts at Doonside and Rooty Hill
By Nick Soon
Lift please. Carol Israel(fourth from the left) with other campaingers and Ed Husic at Doonside train station.
Commuters are angry that funds for the installation of lifts at Doonside and Rooty Hill railway stations have not been included in the latest state budget.
Edgewood Residents Association president Carol Israel said she set up a petition after receiving a complaint from a young mum and seeing many people with disabilities struggling up the ramp at Doonside.
She said it was very unfair for these people to suffer while there are lifts at other stations.
‘‘I also find it very hard when taking the train with luggage at Doonside train station,’’ she said.
Ms Israel, who also sought the help of federal MP for Chifley Ed Husic, will present the petition to Blacktown MP John Robertson.
Mr Husic criticised the NSW government for once again not including the funds to install lifts at Doonside and Rooty Hill stations in the 2013 budget.
“I’m disappointed that the residents around Doonside and Rooty Hill have again been overlooked,’’ he said.
“The plans and money for the lifts were set aside in 2010/11 but the incoming NSW government cancelled their construction.
“People have been raising with me the accessibility of these railway stations from the last federal election and I have been campaigning for them since.
“The Coalition has had many opportunities in the last two years to correct this situation, even when the Auditor-General found funds overlooked by the NSW government.’’
Mr Husic said he would continue to press this issue until the lifts were installed.
Copies of the the Doonside and Rooty Hill lift petitions are also available from Mr Husic’s electorate office on 96254344.
Here is a Channel 7 News Item on Graffiti costs for the NSW Government. The costs over 2 years would allow for the purchase of 1 years supply of Waratah Trains. Both Western and Northern line have had high incidents of graffiti, within the last year! Click here for the Channel 7 News Report! One of the issues facing NSW Government is preventing graffiti by the young who want to be known but yet not their faces shown. Talking to a few commuters, this is one of the hardest issues to control, although I know if I wasn't worried about funding issues, how to try to rid the issue, with multiple measures introduced.
I would like to see implemented 24 hour Police Transport Command Officers, on all train stations and platforms, ensuring that all avenues are blocked for these artists to mess up the trains.
Offenders be charged to clean the trains with strict supervision of their parents/guardians watching as well as Police Transport Command Officers, for periods starting from a week and repeat offenders extended time as well.
A Sydney Rail Website where videos/photo's of commuters catching graffiti artists on trains can be viewed by the NSW Police and investigated to late theses offenders.
NSW Government runs a graffiti competition that their pictures can be seen on real pictures and properly exhibited, with a prizes awarded, as along as they are not still being graffiti artists on Sydney Rail Trains.
WSPTU as a representative of Transport community groups, within 14 Local Government Areas always are advocating for the good of public transport for all and want to see improvement for commuters, transport officers and to the general public. Here is our Letter to the current NSW Minister of Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, with solutions to problems, mostly size of the tunnels and that only single trains will fit in the tunnel only. You can make your own decision as well! Letter From WSPTU President, Susan Day - RE: NWRL
Yes, can you believe it? With modern technology compared to 20-30 years ago the words; mobile phone, e-mail, text message, Facebook messaging and even Skype were not even heard of. So what has changed? As individuals have changed and grown with the new introduced technologies, we are all learning to be more accustomed with these new technologies, in due time.
It is pretty common today for the average Australian to have access to 2 or more of the above new technologies mentioned above. Even the elderly are starting to 'get into and participating with the new generation of technologies', coming in. For example my God-mother who will be 99 this year, does 'Facebook Messages and uses Skype', quite easily by herself. She is not afraid of the future. In fact it keeps her going to communicate to families all over the world, without picking up a single phone! She loves it!
Now Hugh Worrall, WSPTU Steering Committee Member yesterday was on the platform 1, Parramatta train station, opposite myself and called out to me, on platform 2, Parramatta train station. There could have been a dozen 'John's' on my platform but there was only one he was interested in, talking to 'Me!' (Or screaming out to!)
Startled as I was, I responded and we continued on having a conversation for a bout 2 minutes and came to a conclusion to meet next week. No, we were not standing next to each other, there would have been a distance of two railway tracks difference approximately 12-15 metres difference. Now is this modern communication?
Next Steering Committee: 29th April 2014 (to be confirmed)
Next Policy Committee: 7th June 2014
Who is the WSPTU?
The WSPTUis an independent voice for public transport users in Greater Western Sydney. The WSPTU supports the work of local people and groups to improve public transport in their area.
The Steering Committee, elected on June 1st at a Special General Meeting: * Sue Day, President/Media Spokesperson * John Svoboda, Secretary/Treasurer * John Seedsman, Vice President * Chis Pandilowski, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer * Leonie Clark, Committee Member * Paul Turner, Committee Member
We'd love to have you, or your local group, as a member. The WSPTU now allows individuals as members. You can find a membership form here, or email us and we'll send you a form (get the membership while it's free!).
Contact us: wsbustop@gmail.com phone 9689 0114 and leave a message. Post: C/O PO Box 208, Parramatta, 2124
Give us your contact details and we will keep you up to date with the activities of the WSPTU. We can also put you in contact with local people working on public transport issues in your area. Email us at wsbustop@gmail.com
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