[Lamont Cranston]

Could anyone in Austin TX, or elsewhere in the USA who follows these things, explain why the opening of this tram has been placed on 'indefinite hold'?

[floatingslowly]

always ask google before SYG.

http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...svc=7&cxcat=52

I searched "metrorail austin indefinite hold".

I hope this helps.


note: texas has always been behind on public transportation. dallas got trains right about the time I was leaving (13 years ago). they are still making stations in order to try to make it connect to more than just a few places.

[Lamont Cranston]

I already that, still couldn't figure it out

[phoenix]

You live in Melbourne, Australia.

Are you a..... tram buff.. of sorts? Public transport lover? ... ?

[floatingslowly]

it sounds like the line wasn't ready when the french drivers were expected for on-track train (train training!).

also, it seems like there's a problem with the crossing arms not lowering fast enough....

my guess is they found the cheapest contractor for the job and are getting what they paid for.

I'll ask an austinite if I talk to one.

[Lamont Cranston]

Phoenix - partly, but Veolia also operate our trains.
floatingslowly - you hit the nail on the head in regards to cheapest contractor.

[phoenix]

Are they the same as connex then?

[Lamont Cranston]

Connex is their former transport subsidiary, they've gotten rid of the name in all their transport operations except Melbourne. Presuming they get the renewed contract (and they're the favorite) they'll do away with the name here too, and then it'll be a bad memory. Although they'll still be a shit corporation.

[phoenix]

I wish the japanese ran our trains.

[Lamont Cranston]

the Hong Kong company MTR is another one of the three bidders for our renewed contract.
But it wouldn't matter who runs it though.
The way the franchises are set up with each aspect run by a different company and the government responsible for works - means nothing gets done, especially with the Brumby government sticking to the same calculated anti-public transport policy thats been maintained for 40+ years now.

[phoenix]

mmhmmm. Melbourne trains, buy a ticket or we well get you! $2934 fine now in place for not buying a ticket. You might even get to ride a train!!*

*purchase of overpriced ticket does not guarantee yr scheduled train will turn up, or even the next one, or the one after that. Timetables offer a guide only, to the vast amount of trains we have... sitting at other stations, stopped between stations, and in repair. HA HA HA.

[Lamont Cranston]

well they dont have a vast amount of trains, thats why they're overcrowded and have cancelled services and had to buy back seven Hitachi trains to rush back into service

 

another reason would be the Siemens trains are always breaking down, and their breaks are faulty requiring speed restrictions on the lines they operate on

[hat and bread]

Oh Lord, I hate Capital Metro so much. If their trains run anything like their buses they should just give up now.

-- exaustinite

[phoenix]

They have enough trains imho. They choose to not run them efficiently.

I've been stopped in trains for 15 minutes between stations. I've been on empty trains running 10 minutes late. Then said 10 minute late train sits at station for another 5 minutes.

They also don't run them late enough. Most of our CBD late night violence and BS would be stopped if they chose to run at least once an hour through until first peak hours. Bars close.. drunken people spill onto street.. no trains.. no one can afford taxi/no taxi will take drunks... City full of fucked up people with no way to get home until morning.

[Lamont Cranston]

They dont have enough. Passenger numbers have been going up since the mid 2000s, and they have been lax in addressing this issue and thats why they brought those Hitachi back into service, but 7 geriatric trains hardly make up for what ought to have been 10 a year since 2004 or there abouts.
When they increased services at the end of 2008 without actually getting new trains, that simply meant there were fewer in reserve - and we saw what that led to when there were a massive number of breakdowns during the heat wave: the entire system colapsed.
But yes there are a number of external problems that make it worse:
time tables are based on the speed of the ancient Tait and Harris trains - all the current trains are faster than them but stick to their schedules, unless its waiting for a train up ahead to clear the line this will be the reason why a train is sitting at a station when its meant to go, making up the difference so it doesn't arrive early;
old signals & old tracks and tracks that need duplication - old signals or single tracks will be why it'll be slowing to a crawl or stopped waiting for another train up ahead to clear the line, old tracks mean slower and less frequent services;
the viaduct between Southern Cross and Flinders St - regardless of how many trains the Loop can handle (and that can spark a debate lasting hours), the bridge connecting these two major stations is too old and too narrow for any more trains and the development too close around it and under it prohibits tearing it down and building a new one.

[phoenix]

I'm sorry that is a pile of shit. agree there is not enough infrastructure, but more people used to catch the train in melbourne in the 50's than now. But if you really think that is the case, maybe they should employ less fucking ticket inspectors and buy some more trains then.

If the ticket inspectors didn't work for one day, I could catch the train every day for 11 years. What about the automated ticketing? It's here in brisbane... It works fine in London ( though yes without the buses, or didn't when I was there) but Melbourne? still no... years late and over budget..

Anyone think that maybe we could have built an underground line linking northern suburb to all eastern lines... whilst building ringwood/frankston freeway? no? didn't think so...

[Lamont Cranston]

oh yeah, heres the two franchises Veolias old subsidiary Connex lost in England in 2000 and 2003:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/988016.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3024804.stm

[Lamont Cranston]

Yes I know about the '50s record high: 200 million passenger trips. And that was despite the network receiving no major works since before the depression, many more single tracks, operating a lot of shorter lines (like the two stations on the Kew Line-supposedly you'd be lucky to see half a dozen people on the train), etc.
But guess what: 2006-2007 was 201.2 million. And its still increasing.

 

Dont misunderstand, a big issue with this is the DoTs (lack of) management.

[phoenix]

Originally Posted by Lamont Cranston

oh yeah, heres the two franchises Veolias old subsidiary Connex lost in England in 2000 and 2003:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/988016.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3024804.stm

I think I vaguely remember reading/hearing about this but didn't know the Veolias name. I knew that connex were associated with numerous fuckups before they were given the opportunity to come tinker with our trains.

[phoenix]

I just don't believe in blaming passenger numbers for ANYTHING to do with the current condition of melbournes rail network. Numbers are irrelevant, it is how you handle them.