Fw: Mon.6.5.19 daily digest
  Roderick Smith


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To: Tdu Transportdownunder transportdownunder@...>
Sent: Saturday, 18 May 2019, 13:57
Subject: Mon.6.5.19 daily digest

Roderick
190505Su 'Belfast Telegraph' - Brussels tram bowling.
190506M Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - cbd cars.
190506M Melbourne Express - Brussels tram bowling.
190506M Metro Twitter:- Craigieburn 8.26.- Cranbourne 17.46.- Upfield 17.58..
190506M Melbourne 'Age':- letters (road, rail, energy).- Melbourne 'Age' - campaign issues (inc. immigration boats)

Mon.6.5.19 Metro Twitter.
7.49 Craigieburn line: Minor delays (an equipment fault between Glenroy and Oak Park). Trains may operate at lower than normal speeds through this area.
- 7.58 Not sure I’d count a 10+ minute delay as “minor” during the morning peak. Is there any plan in place to address the woeful reliability of trains/equipment on the this line?
8.01 There are currently delays up to 15 minutes. Our maintenance team is en route to the issue. Minor delays are considered when trains are between 5-15 minutes. More details in the "legend" section of our online health board.
- 8.35 clearing.
- The 8.38 citybound never arrived at Glenroy. You are cancelling services without notice. These surely classify as major delays. This is really extremely poor service.
- 9.13  Five packed trains and 45 min wait so far at Kensington. Still waiting. I could have walked to the city faster. How about running an inner city service from the racecourse on days like today to clear the loaded platforms.
- Might take you 17 mins to get home instead of 13.
- When I FINALLY got on a train it was so packed and hot, with people nearly passing out. You replied to other tweets, but not mine. When will you do something about disadvantaged passengers at Kensington? Perhaps free travel for a week?
- How is this a minor delay? I can't even get on the train at Glenroy. Then the next is cancelled.  Be lucky to get on the one after.
8.44 Cranbourne/Pakenham lines: Major OUTBOUND delays (an equipment fault in the Richmond area).  Issue is not affecting CITYBOUND services yet.
- Trains on the Pakenham line to the city are delayed again. You fix it whole weekend? What else have you done on weekend?
- Any train running to Cranbourne this afternoon I come from Dandenong.
- Our maintenance staff are on the ground working to fix the issue. Do you have the metroNotify app? We send more detailed info by the app and website [because they can be wiped without leaving a permanent trace].
- Not sure how to allow extra time when already on the train. Please advise..
- So funny when you say issue is not for inbound and my train from Lynbrook was cancelled.
- this message has since been updated.
- 9.25  More like 50 min delay.
- We have one train running 35 minutes with most other trains up to 15 minutes behind schedule.
- 10.17 Inbound is also affected, judging by the amount of time until the next train to the city departs from Carnegie.
- 10.20 clearing.
12.47 Werribee line: Minor delays (police between Newport and Laverton).
- 13.02 clearing.
13.28 Sandringham line: Minor delays (police attending to a trespasser near Balaclava).
- 13.37 now major.
- 13.47 still major, but clearing.
17.13 Cranbourne/Pakenham/Frankston lines: Minor delays (a track fault at Flinders Street). Trains will run direct to Richmond.
- 17.26 Cranbourne trains are currently running direct to/from Flinders St.
- That is dishonest - we were sent by your staff on a train which has now gone back to Southern Cross.
- Why is this train going back to Southern Cross? Lies. It is packed and nobody could get in.
- It is too hot on the train!
- There was no info at Southern Cross, boards simply said ‘trains not departing from this platform’. When asking a metro employee for advice the response was ‘I have no idea’. Thanks Metro! Keep up the great work as per usual
- Major delays you trashbags.
- Big thanks to the fantastic Caulfield station staff. Frequent updates and useful info.
- Minor delays?
- Minor delays? Hahah. I am stuck on a train near Flinders St. Driver not sure when when will be able to get there. Something about a points failure?
- Two platforms were closed at Parliament. Thousands cramming on Belgrave/Lilydale trains to get to Richmond. Standard metro.
- Yes and then you get to Richmond and your service is too overcrowded to get on a train.
- PTV app and metro telling two different stories doesn’t help either. Not sure how they don’t talk to each other.
- Zero trains running through the loop at peak hours is a minor delay? How do you still have a contract to “service” Victoria?
- Go attempt sydney trains, then try complaining.
- The announcer at Southern Cross said to board the Flinders St train but once on the train I saw you've advised to board a Belgrave, Lilydale or Glen Waverley train and change at Richmond.
- I followed this advice...then couldn’t even get on at Richmond as the trains are so overcrowded. Been waiting for nearly 20 minutes now.
- I took a train from southern cross to Flinders which took 15 minutes and am now on a train from Flinders going back to Southern Cross and through the loop. Like I have nothing better to do on a Monday evening but ride the trains around the loop.
- Welcome to Metro.
- Now on a Pakenham train at Flinders. Packed with people and the AC is on heat. Make it colder! Suffocating in here with lots of body heat.
- Chaos at Flinders Street - no one knows where Cranbourne trains are.
- After all the drama from the city to Dandenong, my Cranbourne train is getting terminated there.  Wow, for no reason.
- Disgusting, third world service.
- Dillusional.
- This is why the Pakenham line was shut down for 3 weeks. Upgrade hey, what a joke.
- This is a BIG Joke. I was asked from Southern Cross to go to Flinders St to catch CRANBOURNE and now this train is bringing me back to Southern Cross. Are you serious? Please understand the pain which customers are going through.
- What a day, morning  and now signal issues. Thank you for great service and clue for my money; thumbs up Metro.
- You guys are real shit; Metro sucks badly. Why you terminate a packed Cranbourne train at Dandenong? Already delayed by at least an hour. This is testing our patience.
- Not minor! Major delays. Went to Parliament and was told to walk back to Flinders. Such a third rate train service. How about letting your passengers know of this issue before the entrance! And not walk all the way to the platform to find out.- Are you ever going to run a service to Armadale? Nothing through the loop and now you’ve cancelled the 17.34 Carrum. I managed to get to Richmond but expresses seem to be the only trains running. You made me late to work and now you’re making me late home. Thanks idiots!
- Where’s the wisdom in telling everyone to go to Flinders St and then sending trains through the loop anyway? Trains are full leaving Flinders St. Why waste more of our time by sending us through a loop where no one will be able to get on?
- Love it.  Advice = trains not working, catch a tram.
- Trams are overcrowded because of your shutting down three of the city’s busiest lines during peak hour. Any advice? Probably not.
- And when you finally do make it to Richmond station the trains are so overcrowded you won’t be able to get on. What a joke once again
- Do we go to Flinders Street or Richmond as per the earlier tweet?
- 17.39 Outbound passengers at Southern Cross and loop stations should make their way to Flinders Street by tram. [Why not to Richmond by Burnley group trains: much faster].
- 17.47 No trains for 20 minutes, you morons.
- 17.51 Trains are on the move, and are resuming loop running, but with major delays.
- Everyone in the loop got told to get on trains to go to Flinders Street. Now trains have resumed and we have been stuck on a Flinders Street train for 15 minutes with another two trains between us and a platform. Can you reimburse my gym membership since I never make it on time?
- Good to see that Melbourne’s public transport system is running as efficiently and punctually as ever since I’ve being away on several weeks holiday.  Metro out.
- When will you fix the train lines! Ever day there is a fault yet you charge premium price to travel. This needs to be fixed or at least give the customer a free travel day due to all the pain you cause. This is why people drive!
- We can just complain. The premier listens only when elections are taking place.
- Went from minor to major delay in the space of 13 minutes.
- This after an announcement 42 minutes prior.
- So after sitting on a train between Southern Cross and Flinders St for 15 mins I’m going to be put on a city loop train and sit between Flinders St and Southern Cross for 15 mins?
- Time to give up Metro and its third rate service.
- This is fucked. I just spent last 60 minutes getting to Flinders St from Southern Cross, now the trains are going back that way.
- Thanks for ruining our Monday evening. Why do you have disruptions when the track equipment keeps developing faults? Have you taken people of Melbourne for granted?
- The train at Richmond is packed.  Have you organised extra train?
17.16 Craigieburn/Sunbury/Upfield lines: Minor delays (a track fault at Flinders St).
- 17.56 Now major.
- 17.59 It's comical how terrible your customer service is.
- Agree Metro is terrible at customer service
- One Craigieburn train in half an hour at Melbourne Central. Too packed for anyone to fit. When is frequency going to increase? We've seen numerous Upfield and Sunbury.
- Is this what you mean by 'clearing delays'? I may as well walk home.
- Thanks Metro. Will now miss my daughter's singing concert. Been at Melbourne Central for 45 min and one Craigieburn train has come through. Impossible to get on it.
- Now it appears that the 18.02 Upfield was cancelled; we're back to third world train travel on this line.
- What a great day with Metro: delayed getting to work, delayed getting home.  Thanks for charging us full price for this service.
- Sydenham Watergardens or Sunbury trains are so crowded that people have given up.
- 100 announcements about platform 12 at Southern Cross; how about one update on what’s going on with these lines?
- Forget Sunbury or Sydenham Watergardens trains: too crowded; most people have given up.
- It's not minor, whole hour is wasted because of this.
- 18.10 An absolute joke; you can’t even get on the platform at Flagstaff, let alone train! FIX YOUR ACT.
18.13 Belgrave/Lilydale/Glen Waverley lines: Minor delays (an earlier track fault at Flinders St).
- If that’s a minor delay, I’d hate to see a major one. Your stations are dangerously overcrowded on the loop and your staff are not in control. It’s an accident waiting to happen.
- Except these weren’t ‘minor’ - delays as long as 90 min or more. People could not get on trains. Same night Premier Andrews put out an obscene Facebook post saying they were doing this & that! What about you run the trains reliably and on time?
18.49 Werribee line: Minor delays (an ill passenger requiring medical assistance at Laverton).
- 19.03 still minor.
- 19.06 No good for the passengers concerned, but delays are not clearing yet. Stuck in the queue to run wrong way past the incident on the down at Laverton.
- 19.11 How about opening the level crossing to avoid the flow on effects?
Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Upfield from 20.20 (maintenance works).
- I can't wait for the day a person with hearing impairment sues you for skipping the loop at Richmond and they don't know about it.
Buses replace trains Newport - Williamstown from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: All trains will run direct to/from Flinders St from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Sunbury line: Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Sunshine from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Melbourne Express, Monday, May 6, 2019
9.05 Delays throughout the train and road networks.
8.51 There are major outbound delays on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines due to an equipment fault in the Richmond area. The issue is not currently affecting citybound services.  On the Craigieburn line, delays are clearing after an earlier equipment fault between Glenroy and Oak Park, which left boom gates down.
8.06 There are long delays along Pascoe Vale Road and Glenroy Road around Glenroy train station with boom gates down for extended periods. Also major delays on the Stony Point Line due to a faulty train. The buses are out. This will add up to 30 minutes to travel time.
7.26 There are short delays on the Hurstbridge Line after a trespasser incident near Dennis. The issue is clear and delays are expected to clear quickly.
5.49 All clear on the trains so far except right at the end of the network. There are buses replacing trains between Frankston and Stony Point.
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-express-monday-may-6-2019-20190506-p51kcw.html>
Tram bowling <www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CDjug0jgkU>

Sun.5.5.19 Tram bowling: Hundreds gather in Brussels for European Tram Driver Championship.
Teams from across Europe including Manchester and Dublin congregated in Belgium for the contest.
Hundreds of people have gathered in Brussels this weekend to attend the European Tram Driver Championship 2019, as the city celebrates 150 years of tram travel.
It is the eighth instalment of the championship, which includes events such as relay races and “tram bowling” – the footage for which has gone viral online.
Scottish teacher Dannielle White has lived in Belgium for eight years and filmed the “fantastic” and “quirky” contest’s bowling event, which she said was attended by around 300 people.
“This is typical of the unique and quirky nature of the place,” Mrs White told the Press Association.
“Fantastic to see such a quirky Europe-wide event, but definitely one of the stranger things to witness!”
The 40-year-old said around 300 people were in attendance for the bowling event.
The home team, the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB), won the overall contest, with teams from Moscow in Russia and Oradea in Romania taking second and third respectively.
The individual awards were won by Laurence Meert from Brussels in the female category, with 1930 points across all disciplines, while Tiabo Ferreira from Luxembourg won the male category with 2,450 points.
Britain was represented by a team from Manchester, who took seventh spot with 2,650 points.
Meanwhile, the Dublin team from the Republic of Ireland came 20th out of 25 teams, garnering 1,420 points.
<www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/tram-bowling-hundreds-gather-in-brussels-for-european-tram-driver-championship-38080895.html>

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