Mount Druitt 'Cold-Train' Commuter!

 A freezing cold young Milton from  borderline of St Clair/Erskine Park catches the Westbus 776 to and from Mount Druitt and then catches City Rail train to the city. He finds that he has a chance to catch a  bit of sleep  in the carriage, which you cannot get if driving a private car to and from the city and the stress of high costs of private transport, which can be very uneconomical. 

Today he only got a chance to sleep from Parramatta as I was talking to him.

Milton would like to see his cold winter train in the morning the 6.31 leave Mount Druitt warm as he travels in the so called 'Cold-Train'. He finds rarely the train carriages are comfortably warm when entering.

THANK GOD IT WASN'T LIKE THIS MORNING BUT IT
FELT LIKE IT!

Tangara trains are normally being used in other areas of City Rail  around the Sydney airport area and this is what  he requires to keep him and other commuters warm. I did suggest to him that also there was no heating on the train the more commuter bodies sit in the carriage, the more heated the carriage gets and he agreed.

Milton would like the NSW Government to look at the funds that they have in their coffers, they then should allocate funds to  provide improvements in new warm time table train carriage, which will meet the needs of their winter freezing commuters.

Polite Commuter Takes A Stand And Wants Cooler Trains In Summer!

Politeness is sometimes not recognised by each one of us, every day in our  public transport commuting life. Even the 'polite'  word seems to be heard or even unsaid in  daily conversations.

I'm not questioning how we all live our lives but if most of us want to be polite, we will be polite and others may not want to be or see politeness from us. Politely, what I am saying is today I saw a very young polite and courteous man on the train today, who spotted a short young pregnant lady, covered with bags in her hand enter the over-crowded carriage.

Darren from St Marys did not hesitate to give her a seat and  struggled to stand on the bumper to bumper train carriage with standing commuters (myself being one of them). Darren advised me that he doesn't really need to sit - he is young.  If medals were awarded for commuter politeness he would be very high up on the list.

Darren also advised that the only issue he has about public transport is that going home in trains in summer we need air-conditioned trains. The reason is that we are a world class city and if we are a world class city, being Sydney ( Western Sydney is a large part of Sydney), we need to have a world class City Rail trains out west - we should not be neglected. Other parts of Sydney have it why not us?

Below is what shouldn't happen with ladies who are pregnant:

Youths In Whalan 'Blinded By The Light'

A true story from our former  Hon. Secretary:

I have another story to share with you about some bus idiots, today this evening, I was cathcing the 755 Bus (7:18pm bus, busways bus driver ID GO5654), as the bus drove down through Whalan shops, a group of teenagers, (about 4 of them, and they would have been around 13-15 years old, possibly even younger), started to shin torches at the bus driver in an attempt to blind him. 

I later spoke to him and he told me it has been happening more frequently and they are starting to throw rocks again. If this sort of thing leads to bus drivers boycotting the area, I will not be surprised. I will definately feel sorry for the other residents in the area. It will not affect me as much as I plan on buying a car soon .

Wayne

Editors notes: I feel for Wayne and others that experience these nonsense - not required anti-social methods against  against any transport officers. Accidents can be caused  and then the community will  be made to suffer. 

This is where youths do not see the light  but after the event they should be able to see The light' Ifnfact anyone that knows anyone doing this can prevent this from happening!

More Waiting Time For Buses Then Travelling Time!

More and more every day, commuters are not becoming strange to me. On train and bus rides, people I speak too, they are anticipating that I may be selling some business, yet I am not.

This brings me to today's commuter who I met, Phillip from Plumpton catches the  Busways 754 home from Mount Druitt and he has special interest in trying to rid the out of time table services. Sometimes up to 20 minutes late -  reducing his time to reach home and to enjoy life at home.

 We require to provide  more bus services, especially in peak time  which should be servicing the commuters in a more efficient way.  For example every 10 - 5 minute services . This would be a great improvement for more commuters to reach jobs and job interviews, reducing our chances of having a high level of unemployment. thus providing more opportunities for the unemployed. 

He spends more time waiting for the  bus at Mount Druitt interchange then travel time on the bus to home from Mount Druitt.

Train Time Tables Quicker To Mount Druitt Before!

A elderly gentleman ( who didn't want to be mentioned by name) who lives in Mount Druitt was talking to me on the bus  going home last Friday when he really showed his knowledge of  City Rail and former  train services from city to Mount Druitt.


He actually claims over the last 30 years ago the standards of train service has dropped down dramatically in relation to time services. He started,' Even the Steam trains would have been a faster service to Mount Druitt from the City compared to the modern trains we have!' 


At first I thought this comment was a little non-sense but at the end of the conversation I could see where he was coming coming from.


He said compared to around the world our time tabled services are not properly suited for  improvement  for rail commuters. Claims the 'Red' Rattlers (the old train carriages we had)' were a single-decker carriage services allowing less time for commuters to enter and thus allowing fast 'drop and go service' at train stations. these services used to go up to 2am in the morning. Now our train services stop around midnight.


In the UK underground, Melbourne and Adelaide they have a 5 minutes train service - why can't we meet their train standards of service as well? He stated  that in the older days train services would have reached Mount Druitt within 45 minutes. Now it takes from an hour or so or more to reach Mount Druitt - why are going backwards in time?







Editors note:
One thing I can say s a 22 year old commuter to and from Mount Druitt travelling to Parramatta, City, Artarmon and Chatswood ( over that space of time), the train service provided to Mount Druitt as the fastest service was First stop Blacktown, Stathfield and then city as NSW Governments came 'on board' the fast train has decreased to a slower train - Parramatta and Blacktown has been added for  as train station stops!

Commuter Questions/ Bus Driver Answers!

Commuters that need assistance to know which bus services that will take them to their destinations, especially new comers, this is where we might need to rethink how bus drivers are trained.


What I am trying to say is bus driver working for one bus operator will  generally know about the bus service routes for that operator - yet where you get cross operating  bus operators - and the bus driver from one operator doesn't know the  routes of the other bus  operator - the solution is simple.


All bus drivers are provided with a computer that they can input street and suburb and it pops up with the  bus services in that street or even a 3 kilometer radius. Transport for NSW should look into this  for the future.


Commuter asks the questions - bus driver will provide the answer!

Train Time Tabled Services Required To Be On Time!

Maylin from Kingswood catches Western Line  trains every day during the week to and from Kingswood and Parramatta. 


She has only one main issue of public transport trains to be improved & that is more on time table train services. At present they seem to be running between 10 minutes to 30 minutes late, especially heading to Parramatta in the mornings for work.


Just lately Maylin had a  delay of 30 minutes catching the train going home. Maylin is unsure of how this can be improved but just requires this to be fixed  up by Transport for NSW to ensure  more accurate time table train services are running , so that especially in the afternoon she can have a more enjoyable home life!

Commuter Nearly Told To Go On Wrong Bus!

Tonight I found a bus driver was given a little bit wrong details to a commuter who wanted to go to Holy Family Emerton, Luxford  Road.


Yes it is good for the driver to promote their bus operators services but they also need to direct commuters to the other operators bus services when it is more convenient and that goes on local bus network training  that Transport for New South Wales will have to ensure bus operators comply with.


So rather than being on the 758  bus and being told to catch the 755 Busways bus I advised the driver to catch the Westbus 780 that will take him right opposite his required destination. The 755 (reduced bus service) would have been a  bit of a longer wait for him and   send him off track a bit from his original destination.


Any way I'll let you guess who told the commuter to catch the Westbus 780 service. No not the bud driver! Keep on going....!

Rooty Hill Residents Want Elevator Access To Station - Mount Druitt Standard 25th July 2012

PREGNANT, elderly and disabled residents and mothers with prams have limited access to trains and the suburb's shopping areas at Rooty Hill.There are no elevators at the station and residents must use ramps or steps to access the platform and to cross the station concourse.

TELL US: Do you struggle accessing Rooty Hill station? Comment below.

Mt Druitt state Labor MP Richard Amery said the station divided Rooty Hill's shopping areas and he has called for elevator access. "Elderly people can't cross the railway ramps to get to the north side of the station," he said. Mr Amery said the station was a vital link between both sides of Rooty Hill.

Blacktown and Districts Older Women's Network president Coral Littlewood said station access was limited. "We've complained for eight years about getting a lift," she said. Anthony Pace, of Rooty Hill, said he had been asked for help by elderly residents and mothers with prams using the steps. A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said: "Improvements to Rooty Hill station will be considered based on evidence-based criteria. "Residents can sign a petition at Mr Amery's office. Mr Amery will present the petition to Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.

Notes from the  blog editor: The understanding I have received from an  from an Transport spokesperson late last year - that the upgrades for Rooty Hill train station and Doonside train station have been approved  but  they are placed on a queue. I can understand why state members are  jumping up and down now - why wasn't it done in the last NSW Parliament - only they know. In time, stations are going through upgrades.  It will happen it is but when I will sign the petition and I hope others do as well!

Kathryn O'Neill and her young son William, pictured with Anthony Pace, Pam Dawes and Pauline Conti at Rooty Hill station. DAVID MARSHALL

4th WSPTU Free Transport Symposium For 2012

Every year, in the last three years, Western Sydney Public Transport Users has a free Transport Symposium inviting interested commuters from all parts of Western Sydney to openly discus public transport 'Hot topics' for that year!


This is where commuters can listen, learn and understand what it takes to run various areas of our public transport network and system. If you want to make a change in your community, this is a good chance for you to come along and meet other commuters that are also talking a stand for public transport in our community.

This years topics are Bus contracting, and passenger relations & Local Government Elections and local transport.


Click here for further details