Extra Train Service Required at Doonside Train Station!

From Doonside Issa catches Sydney Trains from Doonside to Town Hall train station.

By  providing a Commuter Car Park at Doonside, there would more people jumping into or using public transport. Train timetables are still a problem. 7.36am trains service from Doonside is completely packed in the morning, leaving standing room only at Seven Hills (if lucky). Maybe add another train service in the middle of the following train services: 7.18am to 7.36am.

This would provide better train service to Donside trains commuters and place more people with comfort.

Commuter Left Standing - No One Gives Up Their Seats For The Elderly!

Brian from Whalan catches Sydney Trains from Mount Druitt to Central train stations claims from his experience Melbourne has train services every 5 minutes, better on time running service.

On one Sunday the train heading back to Mount Druitt was running 20 minutes late and then announcement was made at Central train station that there was a further waiting time of thirty minutes. By the the time the train arrived, it was chock-a-block full, his wife and himself got a seat.

Standing up on trains is an issue for him, more carriages or more train services required. He is over fifty years no one lets him sit down  or even his wife. Young ones should let him  and/or his wife sit down. Compulsory publicity should be provided by through the media. IT is just plain old common sense, when he was a kid he was giving seats up for the elderly.

More Space And Comfort In future Seating!

Bernard from Prospect, parks his car at Blacktown Commuter Car Park and then travels by Sydney Trains from Blacktown City trains station to Wynyard train station and  return - on weekdays.

His main improvement he would like  to see is improvement in carriages and  seating, it is sometimes so squeezy, tight and uncomfortable. In a three seater (In a carriage) he is caught in the middle of the seat, most of the time!

Now whenever there is  a redesign of carriages Transport for NSW  should at configurations of seating arrangement, allowing extra seating to have spacing between seats. This is so everyone feels O.K. with every seat they are sitting, leaving everyone with comfort.

Happy To Travel In 'Peaceful' Public Transport Country!

Siwa from Mount Druitt (originally from Sri Lanka), travels by Sydney Trains to Toongabbie and return.

Siwa arrived in Australia on a boat from Sri Lanka in Darwin, Northern Territory and was held for 15 days. He is very thankful to the Australian Government  for the provision of food, water, medical, sports activities and also English classes.

He is now  working as a cleaner and is seeking to extend his stay in Australia. He has left his country behind eighteen months ago, with one wife and 4 children: aged 18 16 14 and 9 (3 daughters and 1 son). He has lost his housing with flooding in Sri Lanka and  one of his daughters has been shot by men is his country. He does believe in 'Peace' not 'War-torn' Countries!

Thus he is so happy travelling in public transport in Australia in such a peaceful country!

More People Should Use Public Transport - Mount Druitt Commuter!

Prabha from Mount Druitt, walks 10-15 minutes to Mount Druitt train station from his home and then catches Sydney Trains from Mount Druitt to Parramatta and return on weekdays.

He  does see any improvements with using public transport as he says. 'All is good!' He is actually says train services have improved at Mount Druitt as there are more delivered services provided by the New train time table.

He says more people should be using public transport as it does cost less than using a private car. Yet he says no one can be forced to use public transport as it is an individual decision. Talking about public transport can among people can create  the individuals  people to chnage their mind and catch public transport.

Traffic Lights Required And Issues With Turn Around Times!

Bus drivers requires traffic lights to replace the round about outside  Mount Druitt Bus interchange.

It has been brought to my attention, by a Busways bus driver that the roundabout exiting and entering Mount Druitt bus interchange, is a hazard for bus drivers as they leave the Mount Druitt bus interchange, at North Parade, Mount Druitt. 'There have been so many near misses, in the time I have been a bus driver!' quoted the bus driver.

A recommendation is to replace with  traffic lights which will provide a safer way for drivers to exit the intersection

Although a lot of bus drivers are reserved by raising the issue at Busways Management in Glendinning, they feel that their request be not adhered too. At then end of the day there would be more than 30,000 cars & buses passing through the intersection and this is one the prerequisites for a traffic light to be installed there and approved.

H e and other Busways bus drivers are not happy with the 3-5 minute turn around time for the  end of each trip and  some drivers are speeding over the required limit to catch up with time table as  the bus stops and this is added to the travelling time. He said of the buses being more than 5 minutes late, there is no chance for a break for the bus driver!

Maybe this could be looked into by NSW for Transport, to ensure bus drivers are getting their required  breaks after trips are completed!

Doonside Commuter Passionate About New Train Time Tables For Doonside & Rooty Hill Train Stations!

The new  Sydney Trains time table, launched last month has made a Doonside commuter so passionate about caring for commuters at Doonside and Rooty Hill. He uses  Sydney Train services from Doonside to Parramatta and North Sydney pending on job requirements. Also his daughter travels to North Sydney Monday to Fridays to work - so he advised the improvement he is seeking for for is also represented by his daughter as well.

New time tables for Doonside/Rooty Hill train stations have not improved and met population  increase over the last 20 years, except than placing back time tables by 5 minutes, whilst  more trains are stopping  at major train stations like Mount Druitt and Blacktown.

Examples are previously 7.07 am train leaving Doonside, now time tabled  to leave 7.12 am or 7.37 and now time tabled 7.37 am. There has been no consultation or survey done to ask commuters or commuters providing suggestions at Doonside or Rooty Hill train stations.

Trains leaving 7.23 am and 7.46 am are not patrolled.

In Doonside the population has tripled in the last twenty years incorporating new suburbs like Glendinning,Woodstock, Dean Park and Bunya, new housing estates. Significantly compared to Marayong area this area has a stable population and they have increased services.

Fast trains in from Mount Druitt are running  half empty and have lots of seats and standing room in peak hour in the weekday mornings.

Patrolling by Safety/ Security Officers show issues are present: children taking seats and not allowing elderly to sit - this needs to be solved by Transport for NSW to provide education programs to children at school so they under of being courteous to others requiring seating.

He has been writing to Blacktown City Council for a Commuter Car Park for Doonside - the only thing hold this up is available land for this improvement to happen this will cater for the increase of future population.

He says if the real time tables are fixed for Doonside and Rooty Hill. 7.42 am from  Doonside to North Sydney is  is 5 minutes late when it reaches Mc Mahons Point. No one is doing  something  in Doonside and he is taking great interest.

Off-Peak Train Services - Require More Security On Journeys!

Just on a week ago, I met Rick who is moving with his wife  from Doonside to Ropes Crossing - catches  Busways bus 750 and 761 to Doonside from Mount Druitt, also Sydney trains to Doonside and Penrith.

With trains he finds a lot of people are doing anti-social  behaviors: like shouting and making trains dirty on off-peak times. He would like to see more improvements in these areas by expressing comments and concerns (like providing information to myself, so I can publish more blogs), which the NSW Government and Public transport stake holders take note and provide further improvements.

He has notice the the new train carriages that he has been travelling on, are quite comfortable but hardly any safety/security officers are present so far to be seen on these journeys.

In other countries if you are caught vandalising trains, you have to financially pay for the damage. There is no deterrent to kerb bad behaviour and things like that happening , except  to pay for it!
If these are fixed there will be  more commuters catching trains.

Busways 758 became Busways 755!!!

This could be a sign for the future! This evening I experience a Busways 758, mistakenly turn left into Bulolo Drive, Whalan.

What is special about this is we are looking at extra 755 bus services to reach to Shalvey and this action supports it.

Commuters on the back of the bus were relaxed and  notified the bus driver nicely. He reversed the bus carefully back into Belmore Road, with the help of  all commuters who had told him, when it was clear to reverse into  Belmore Road. 

What was so good every was pleased the bus driver had done this and then travelling back onto Belmore  Road and  then into Woodstock Roads.

A lady, 'Thanked' the bus driver as she left the bus and later commented to myself as how all  people on the bus were well behaved as sometime people can become upset. I checked how the driver was and said, 'We are all not perfect!'

Lost Bus Driver Drops Off Commuter!

A St Clair commuter Jeanette  had told myself of why has happened on a recent bus trip, since the new time tables have been put in place. a friend of hers told her.

There were bus commuters, one day, that travelling from Penrith through to Cambridge Park  and then went off-route to streets where the bus was not suppose to go. Commuters on the bus advised him of this error and took commuters to Werrington shops, then commuters were asked to get off the bus and walk to the train station.

It appeared that the bus driver was confused and  may have been stressed for taking commuters to the wrong street. Maybe he needed time out - I'm not sure how commuters treated the bus driver, yet I would have treated him with extreme calm respect!

Editors Notes:  Do Busways properly train  bus drivers on each individual  bus route for new bus drivers or are they expected to study the routes and  take commuters around. I do know they  are training them on routes in one 2 days - bus does it cover all routes in  NSW Bus Region 1

Busways Bus Driver With Early Morning Depot Issues!

I have just heard of something that is creating issues for Busways bus drivers picking up buses in Glendinning Bus depot.

Not Busways Glendinning Depot  -
yet it is a State Transit Depot

So although we see traffic jams with buses in Mount Druitt bus interchange, bus upon bus driver waiting for moments for a bus to move and allow the other bus to pass. This is is just a start to chaos that is presented to bus drivers at Glendinning bus depot.

When bus drivers arrive early in the morning to pick up buses. they are not designated the buses in the front of the depot, they are sometimes designated buses 4 or 5 buses behind the front of the first depot.  So that means buses cannot leave early to commence their trips, they have to wait for other bus drivers to move out 4-5 buses before they are ready to commence their trips.

This can cause delays. Have you been waiting early in the morning and your bus has arrived late? Let us know of any story you have that the world needs to know.

Bus Stop Exercise Number 1

I have decided now I am trying to become a healthier person, that  exercises can be done on bus stops, while waiting for bus. Some people may think this is odd but as long as you are comfortable in doing so, do it.

The is the First  easy exercise I am doing at present, I hop you enjoy it!

Check Out My Bus Stop Exercise Number 1 - Click Here

Possible Future Of Mount Druitt Train Station!

My vision of Mount Druitt Bus Interchange for the future is  probably going to shock you. Yet, as I have been growing up, I have developed a belief for the future. A belief that forward thinking is required to cater for our future and our children future and so on.

A lot of people that  know myself knows that I was born and lived in Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for a majority of my life, so far. I have lived in many suburbs in Eastern Suburbs from Paddington, Bondi Beach, Bronte, Bondi, Bondi Junction and Kingsford. I remember how the built up housing areas were basically single dwelling housing or terrace style housing and some places had 4 - 6 stories of units.

Now, when I look at these places some have turned to high rise residential dwelling to median residential dwelling.  So it has changed from being comfortable living to  becoming overcrowding and not  to forget to add 'Property Expensive'.  After years of living  in Mount Druitt and within the Greater Western Sydney, I will not be moved  to move outside the area and would feel uncomfortable to live in the Eastern Suburbs - otherwise known ''Not in my comfort zone'!

Yet people that live out Eastern and South Eastern Suburbs are prone for more higher development to happen, as developers buy up resident blocks and  create high rise living areas. Some areas have not had  sudden increases in density dwellings but in time the demand will outweigh the supply of land to crease the density dwellings.

There will be a bigger push out west to increase residential dwellings from single to median density and then later, high density density dwellings (hopefully not in my lifetime)! So how does one think  Town Planners will plan for Mount Druitt, this is easy!

 High rise  residential housing  over Mount Druitt train station and all other trains along the  North Shore/ Western Line T1. You may not think it is impossible, yet it  is happening in Sydney - here is a  picture of Bondi Junction bus interchange: The train station is underground and high rise development dwellings right on top of the bus interchange. Also there is Edgecliff train station as well. So what ever happens out East will happen out  West!

Bondi Junction Bus Interchange could be the vision
for Mount Druitt train station future

The entrance to Edgecliff train station

Watch Out For 'Tap & Go Opal Cards'

This is how easy it will be swipe you Opal Card, once you are issued with one by the end of 2015, on train stations:

Do you think you will be ready for it? There is so much positives to come from this new innovation: less queuing for purchasing tickets, more chance to catch your train, get home early or get to work early, friends or family.

What are your thoughts. let us know?

No East or West Electronic Indicator Boards In Mount Druitt!

Check out Commuters on West side
(Pictured left)
 of Platform - No electronic  indicators

We have discussed before on previous blogs how have one one set of electronic indicator boards on Mount Druitt platforms will not cover all commuters that are stand and waiting for the next train on the spread out platform.

While we appreciate having one set other train stations have 3 sets, one  east, one west and one in the middle. In Mount Druitt train 
station we have no East or West electronic indicator boards which is required and vital to cover all commuters.

Especially when Mount Druitt train station will be a major junction train station, when the 2nd Stage or the North-West Rail Link is completed.

Blind and Vision Impaired Commuters With Sydney Trains Announcements!

Dan from Mount Druitt Village trans by Sydney Trains to City of Sydney and Penrith.

Most of the time I talk to able commuters, who do not have any disability in their livelihood. Yesterday, I was glad to meet Dan who is an vision impaired or blind commuter, need  limited assistance to get to destinations by trains.

With Time table information, he advised in Perth there are Information boxes for buses on bus stops - all you have to do is pres it and it tells you when the next time the bus is arriving with the route number announced as well. This is also on train stations in Perth. This is not something that could be done now on bus stops and train trains all over Sydney or the Greater Western Sydney, yet it could be something  to be considered for the future.

Announce on trains for vision impaired and blind commuters is generally good,  yet sometimes make him unsure when the next train station  of his destination is coming up. Mostly he finds the announcements are clear 50/50. They come out  distinct, clear and a good volume. 

The newer train carriages released on the T1 Western and North Shore Line are pretty much perfect, unless they are out of synchronization. In fact his experience one day was coming back from the City to Mount Druitt it was announced on the train carriage was 'Mount Druitt but' actually the next train he got off on was 'Rooty Hill'. It wasn't too bad as he waited 10 minutes for  next train to pick him up from Rooty Hill and then get off one train station later at Mount Druitt.  It really inconvenienced himself  on that day.

he doesn't get buses as he cannot read the bus route numbers/signs on the buses. We both thought that Transport for NSW could look at  developing a system where  vision impaired or blind commuters could be sent a text  a voice recorded message of the phone, indicating when the next bus arrives, route number etc. This would be  a special announcement that could be pre-arranged prior to catching the catch  via the website 131500 or contacting 131500. 

This was just one of many ideas that could be done to improve services for the vision impaired and blind commuters.

Proper Scheduling Of Buses - Whalan Commuter!

William from Whalan  has a choice of catching Busways 755, 764 & 780 buses to Mount Druitt and walks to Mount Druitt TAFE (Technical and Further Education) and return. If lucky, one of his classmates will drive back home sometimes.

Scheduling of buses is important to him as sometimes in the corner of Waikanda Crescent and Luxford Roads, Whalan when 2 buses arrive together. He would prefer if the scheduling of buses were arranged properly to have alternate arrive of buses, which will provide a better choice  of servicing, when arriving at this bus stop at different. This will prevent 15 minutes waiting time, if missed both buses.

We invite responses from the community, do you agree? Do you have the same issue that needs to be resolved?

Great Public Transport Add At Mount Druitt Train Station!

A few months ago this add appeared on the Billboards at Mount Druitt train station  this is a great way to advertise and get more people on the trains but it was facing commuters  who were already  travelling on public transport:

755 Busways Singers!

A few months ago - these singers did a short song on the Busways 755 bus I hope you like it! I wished they kept on singing - it was entertaining!

Click Here for it!

Does Sydney Trains Clean Out Light Fitting Covers - Health & Safety Issue!

To myself, a former chairperson of a Work Health & Safety Committee health and safety is an important part of everyone's life, which I am concerned about in all facets of public transport.

Even from tiny cigarette butts on  bus interchange or bus stops to left over foo wrapping on Sydney Trains.

I don't know how often Sydney  Trains conduct a Work Health & Safety  Audit but this  picture shows the light fittings on trains have been neglected. Let's hope that all light from today this is cleaned up appropriately making healthier for all commuters:

More Trains At Mount Druitt Stopping And Less IN Smaller Train Stations - Shalvey Commuter!

Well how will public transport improve for the future is very simple. We need to talk to our neighbours, families, friends politicians,  business owners, workers, retirees, young, middle aged people, all politicians, all transport workers, NSW government  representatives and importantly.......................commuters!

So as I take time out to talk to all commuters available to speak to myself, then comes the ideas, suggestions and motions to change public transport services and/or infrastructure  to be improved and better. It is the old Australian saying, ' Have a go mate!'

If we are giving the opportunity to have a  'say' or 'go' then comes  the power to spread your own idea. I am so proud of each commuter that has spoken to me, they are the real people that can change public transport , they way they want to have it.

So a man called Shuai from Shalvey travels by car to Mount Druitt and parks in a car park, from there he travels by Sydney Trains  from Mount Druitt to Central.

he is pretty satisfied with the new time table changes. He has been travelling for  8-9 years and for him the new time tables are better for Mount Druitt commuters as more trains are stopping and less trains stop at smaller train stations like Wentworthville. 

Before the new time table changes, more trains stopped at smaller train stations. Suggestions are that commuters catching trains with reduced stopping trains may not be that that happy, yet he does agree it is hard to the NSW Government to please everyone!

 The ideal situation would be subway trains all around sydney arriving every 5 minutes,  at every train station. This will please everyone maybe  not being that realistic.

With buses he doesn't catch 755 Busways bus early in the mornings as  to catch the Sydney Train at Mount Druitt around 7 am, he would need  to leave home at 6.10 am - walk for 20 minutes to get the bus at Shalvey. He leaves home at 6.30am drives his car to the car park at Mount Druitt as he finds it more efficient and more reliable than catching the bus.

Editors Notes: So this is a good example where the commuter is prepared to catch trains because of the  services provided and because of the services provided by Busways  buses  the commuter does not find it attractive to catch. It goes back to have better bus services on the 755 bus service, every 15 minutes,  back to what it was before, a few years ago!

Minor Leaks On Buses In Mount Druitt!

For a long time in Sydney and Greater Western Sydney there has been dry weather and when the wet weather comes it comes suddenly and with notice.

As I was travelling on the bus, a bit wet myself I noticed on the front internal screen of the bus that it had rain drops. Not from commuters shrugging themselves and ridding the water off their bodies. 

I am pretty sure buses are checked for leakage and inspect from time to time. This is a minor leakage but could lead to a major leaks if continued. 

On the other hand the wipers of the bus were making pretty annoying screeching sounds for the driver, he said he would be able to try to  adjust the wipers as not used for a  not rime - and if can't fix will  report as a defect.

More Electronic Indicators on Train Carriages - Ropes Crossing Commuter

A few days ago, Eish from from Ropes Crossing travels by private car to St Marys and then Sydney Trains from St Marys to Blacktown and return.

This Singapore Train carriage,
the lights
 light up as you
reach the train station

She would improvements to be made on inside trains, where there should be electronic indicators, displayed on each end and level of carriages. 

In Singapore all trains have electronic indicators. She knows of people arriving from Singapore to Sydney Australia and when they were using Sydney Trains, they didn't understand train announcements along the journey. 

This was a one-off train trip to Lidcome where she works, normally she drives a car to work - claims she would use public transport, except to her it is expensive!