We were invited to meet a friend in town and continue on to
Watsons Bay for lunch and a walk around the Sydney Harbour National Park. We
thought it would be nice to travel by public transport despite my experiences
travelling to and from work recently (see #cityfail #cityrail #shityrail
hashtags).
The TransportNSW website suggested that, after changing at
Parramatta and Central, we would meet our friend at Circular Quay a little
before 11.30am. We changed at Parramatta and waited the 20min for the next Hornsby
service from Platform 3. With 7min until the train was due, we were told it
would be departing from Platform 1. So over we went, and as we reached the top
of the stairs, the same announcer told us that our train would be departing
from Platform 3. So back we went, only to be told that the train would be
leaving from Platform 1. My travel-mate refused to move, which I understood,
just as the Hornsby service approached Platform 3.
The train was all-to-Lidcombe, then Strathfield, Redfern,
and Central, which meant we’d have to change at Central for Circular Quay. But
as we left Lidcombe, the stopping pattern changed to include Flemington and
Homebush.
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| Justin |
In the meantime Justin and his mate were bored. They had been on the train since probably Penrith. They were playing rap music on an iPhone (without earphones), dropping all swear-bombs despite the family audience, lounging despite the need for seating on an already overcrowded train (and the signage asking passengers not to), and smoking. Yes- lighting up, dragging, exhaling; the mate even tried to light the window! I got their photos, and tried tweeting the details with the carriage number but, for whatever reason, the tweet didn’t go through. I hope this blog entry is sufficient.
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| Justin's mate |
Anyway, the issues continued through Town Hall and Wynyard
stations with signal failures at both stations affecting all services around
the City Circle. We really could have alighted from Wynyard and walked the 300m
to Circular Quay- it would have been quicker. But our 8yo would not have
enjoyed it as much as a train trip under the city.
The rest of the day was beautiful- a gorgeous day in the
sunshine by the most beautiful harbour in the world. But we returned to the
wharf at 16.10, only to be turned away from the ferry for safety reasons. On
such a beautiful day with the huge crowds travelling to that part of the world
surely a half-hourly service could be revised?
We caught a private ferry to Rose Bay, a bus to Edgecliff,
and a train to Central, where the mayhem from the morning continued. We arrived
home after 19.00!
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| Central Platforms 18-19 on Sunday 15/7/2018 around 6pm |
The
Berejiklian-Liberal Government in New South Wales has much to answer to. The
rail services are akin to a third-world country’s, and this was on a Sunday! It
has taken me 2hr to travel home from work; and I have stood on Blacktown
station platforms 1-2 while four Richmond and Schofields services were cancelled:
my son was waiting at after-school care for a paid-for swimming lesson we
eventually missed. Meanwhile they took delivery of new carriages during this
week; carriages akin to those used in Brisbane and Melbourne which will limit
the number of seated passengers on new rail lines. This on top of intercity
trains on order that don’t fit platforms on the lines on which they’ll be used-
so they are remodelling the stations!
To be continued, I’m sure.
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