I see that Melbourne's train performance, by comparison, is impressive,
even though there's criticism about some lines. The average is still very
high. Of course, in Melbourne, the operator can be threatened with the
terms of their contract. Sydney's system, being government operated, can't
be penalised as an incentive to do better. It's just noted and we're
supposed to then move on.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-melbourne-train-lines-that-cop-the-most-delays-and-no-shows-20230915-p5e52q.html
"
The Melbourne train lines that cop the most delays and no-shows
[image: Patrick Hatch]
By Patrick Hatch https://www.theage.com.au/by/patrick-hatch-hvf90
September 16, 2023 — 1.53pm
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Commuters on Melbourne’s least reliable train lines are experiencing more
than three times as many delays and cancellations than those with the
city’s best performing services.
More than one in 10 trains on the Craigieburn and Werribee lines were at
least five minutes late or one minute early over the past year, data from
Public Transport Victoria shows.
[image: Some Metro train lines experience much worse delays than others.]
Some Metro train lines experience much worse delays than others.Credit: Simon
Schluter
Frankston, Sunbury and Belgrave trains were also delayed more than 8 per
cent of the time in the 12 months to August 31, with private operator Metro
Trains blaming a growing number of trespassers
https://www.theage.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5dv80 for disrupting
services.
Victoria pays about $786 million a year
https://www.theage.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p57376 under its current
contract with Metro. It includes a 92 per cent punctuality target, so less
than 8 per cent of trains can be delayed, and a 98.5 per cent reliability
target, meaning less than 1.5 per cent of trains can be cancelled, skip
stations or run short.
Metro has met those benchmarks over the past 12 months with a network-wide
average of 92.5 per cent punctuality and 98.7 per cent reliability.
But there is significant variation across the network. Only 3.2 per cent of
Glen Waverley line trains were delayed over the past year, compared with
11.9 per cent on the Craigieburn line and 10.7 per cent on the Werribee
line.
The Glen Waverley line also had the least outright cancellations at 0.6 per
cent. Almost four times as many trains were cancelled on the Pakenham line
(2.2 per cent) and more than double on the Frankston (1.5 per cent) and
Werribee (1.4 per cent) lines.
Metro’s performance has improved since 2019, when it missed its punctuality
target in every month of that year.
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said it was not
good enough for Metro to simply pass its network-wide average targets when
passengers on some lines experienced substandard service.
Related Article
[image: Train drivers are threatening to boycott Frankston, Dandenong and
Pakenham services next week.]
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/one-trespasser-can-delay-50-000-people-can-retrofitting-stations-fix-the-problem-20230809-p5dv80.html
Public transport
https://www.theage.com.au/topic/melbourne-public-transport-5zh
One trespasser can delay 50,000 people. Can retrofitting stations fix the
problem?
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/one-trespasser-can-delay-50-000-people-can-retrofitting-stations-fix-the-problem-20230809-p5dv80.html
“If as a passenger you’re getting constantly delayed on your journeys, that
can have a real impact,” Bowen said.
“The fact that some lines are suffering almost 12 per cent of services
being delayed and the best lines are only around 3 or 4 per cent does
indicate that more attention needs to be paid to the worst lines.”
A Metro spokesman said illegal activity such as trespassing, vandalism and
graffiti disrupted 1635 services in August alone and was the biggest factor
hurting its performance, causing more than one-third of delays and
cancellations.
“There are still incidents that affect our performance, particularly
trespassing which is illegal activity near the rail line – this behaviour
is highly dangerous and disruptive,” he said.
“We are working hard to minimise disruptions for our passengers and deliver
the consistent and reliable service that they expect and deserve.”
[image: Minister comments on the scrapping of new train lines in
Melbourne's west]
[image: Minister comments on the scrapping of new train lines in
Melbourne's west]
7:53
Minister comments on the scrapping of new train lines in Melbourne's west
[image: Two men in hospital after Brisbane stabbing]
Victorian Innovation Minister Ben Carroll was asked about the axing of new
electrified lines to Melton and Wyndham Vale.
Bowen said that overcrowding was also a major cause of delays as it took
longer for passengers to board and alight at stations.
Older trains still running on parts of the network were also more prone to
breakdowns, he said.
Rail Tram and Bus Union Victorian branch secretary Vik Sharma said
maintenance demands and understaffing were also putting stress on the
network. “Avoidable delays put unnecessary additional burden on staff who
are overworked to keep the network running,” Sharma said.
Related Article
[image: Essendon station is one of the busiest, but passengers face longer
waits between trains.]
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/busiest-stations-face-twice-the-wait-for-trains-20230301-p5col3.html
Public transport
https://www.theage.com.au/topic/melbourne-public-transport-5zh
Busiest stations face twice the wait for trains
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/busiest-stations-face-twice-the-wait-for-trains-20230301-p5col3.html
A Victorian Auditor-General’s Office report released in March this year
found that in November 2022, “external factors” such as weather, vandalism
and police operations caused about 3 per cent of trains to be delayed.
Infrastructure failures caused 2 per cent and passenger overcrowding caused
1.5 per cent, the report said.
Metro passengers are entitled to compensation if performance falls to 90
per cent punctuality or 98 per cent reliability in any one month. But to be
eligible a customer needs to have bought a myki pass for a month or longer
and must submit an application form within that calendar month to claim the
one or two days of free travel.
The Stony Point line, running between Frankston and the eastern side of the
Mornington Peninsula, was Metro’s worst performing service – 14.7 per cent
delayed, 5.4 per cent cancelled. However, it is an outlier on the network
given it operates with diesel V/Line trains on an infrequent timetable.
*
Tony P
On Wednesday, 13 September 2023 at 09:42:28 UTC+10 TP wrote:
> Not really news, because Sydney Trains has been like this for a long time,
> but anyway;
>
> *Sydney Train delays: New data reveals which lines have the worst delays*
> One in every seven train services across the Sydney Trains network is
> either delayed or cancelled, according to new data. See how your service
> stacks up.Jake McCallum
> https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/journalists/jake-mccallum and Elliott
> Stewart https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/journalists/elliott-stewart
>
> September 13, 2023 - 5:00AM
> Daily Telegraph, NewsLocal
>
> https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n.../e25971a09a60aaeabd12b37985172dfb#share-tools
> https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/sydney-train-delays-new-data-reveals-which-lines-have-the-worst-delays/news-story/e25971a09a60aaeabd12b37985172dfb#share-tools
> Commuters are experiencing the worst delays and cancellations on the
> Sydney rail network in recent history – with as many as one in every seven
> services impacted across the network.
>
> New Transport for NSW data has revealed combined services across the
> state’s public transport network have failed to meet their own
> month-by-month punctuality performance targets since May last year.
> In the 2023 financial year, 15.6 per cent of all services across the rail
> network were delayed or cancelled in a five-year high for Transport for NSW.
> The Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink performance reports reveal the
> Intercity and Western and Northern Lines have some of the worst track
> records for on-time services.
> In March, performance rating plummeted to a year-long low with 22.7 per
> cent of all services delayed or cancelled.
>
> [image: T1 train line train delays.]
>
> T1 train line train delays.
>
> The Inner West and Leppington line saw 18.6 per cent of all services
> delayed in the 2022-23 financial year, while 15 per cent of all services
> were either delayed or cancelled on the Bankstown line.
> The airport and south line saw 14.1 per cent of services run late or
> cancelled, while the northern line has a 14.9 per cent rate of reported
> delays across the last financial year. The Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra
> line saw the least number of delayed services with 11.5 per cent across the
> same period.
>
> [image: Performance data. Source: Transport for NSW]
>
> Performance data. Source: Transport for NSW
>
> Transport Advocacy Network spokesman Paul Nolan said the government has
> “cut to the bone” when it comes to surplus drivers – which were once used
> to plug delays and cancellations across the network.
> “Sydney Trains has stripped the network of available drivers waiting for
> something to go wrong,” Mr Nolan told *The Daily Telegraph*. “It is no
> surprise that one in every five trains are impacted.
> “A single 10-minute delay at a station in the morning can compound the
> number of impacted services tenfold, as there are not surplus drivers to
> address any kind of issue across the network.”
>
> [image: Sydney Metro runs at a 98-99 per cent punctual rate.]
>
> Sydney Metro runs at a 98-99 per cent punctual rate.
>
> Mr Nolan said Sydney and Intercity services could “replicate the success”
> of high performance results on the Sydney Metro – where services regularly
> run at 98 to 99 per cent on-time rates – if surplus drivers were installed
> at major stations.
>
> Immigration lawyer Zara Ghaddar said the Cronulla line is delayed “a
> couple of times
> a week”, while Carlton resident Moulins Roy said he experiences “lengthy
> delays, track work and cancelled trains regularly”.
>
> “Trains from Lakemba have long delays, 15 minutes or more, and they don’t
> tell you what it’s for they just announced over the intercom with no
> information – you just have to accept it,” he said.
> Hornsby student Ashton Maya said his train to Central Station is delayed
> “at least a couple of times a week”.
> “It is not really a surprise anymore,” the 23-year-old student said. “It’s
> annoying, when you are copping multiple delays a week it all starts to add
> up and for sure you get frustrated with it.”
> Optometrist, Iran Bookbinder, said delays at Parramatta were “very bad,
> long and leaves the platforms and trains very busy”.
> Transport Minister Jo Haylen said 48 per cent of major defects have been
> fixed since June 4, “but there is still a long way to go”.
>
> “We are still seeing too many instances of issues that should be confined
> to one part of the network affecting the rest of the network,” she said.
> ”We need to be better at dealing with the increase in human related
> incidents which an increase in patronage brings.”
> A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said more than 500km of rail has been
> repaired in the past four months.
> The spokeswoman confirmed intercity lines saw less than a one per cent
> rate of cancellations from January to July this year.
> The T1, T2 and T3 saw a one per cent rate of cancellations in the first 7
> months of this year, meanwhile the T4, T5 and T7 saw a two per cent rate of
> cancellations.
>
> "Driver sickness and absences are not an issue,” she said. “Sydney Trains
> has a detailed workforce plan with more than five years of data – and our
> current absences are running in line with sick leave forecast estimates.
> “We also have contingencies in place, including standby crew on roster.”
>
> Tony P
>