I must say, I've almost had it with CityRail, its timetable changes and its shenannigans (sp?). I left work at 5 on the dot today, so I could walk up to Pymble station in time for the 5:17 train. In previous days, I've gotten to the station after that, and have had the option of waiting another 20 minutes for a train that will go to Waverton (since the others express past Artarmon and Wollstonecraft and Waverton) or catch one of the trains, get off at St Leonards and wait for one to go to Waverton.
So… I get to the station in time for the 5:17, sit down, and wait for it to come. … and wait some more. Finally, it comes, but it screams past the station, obviously not intent on stopping. I curse to myself, and wait for the next train, hoping it will take pity on the poor souls that live in the grouping of stations commonly regarded (by CityRail) as the "No-Go Zone" and stop at Artarmon, Wollstonecraft and Waverton.
My hopes are lifted when we go past Chatswood, and I think "Hooray! It will stop at Waverton." However, as fate would have it, the train expressed right past Wollstonecraft and Waverton, leaving me at North Sydney station bitter and cursing.
Now, I've been stuck in this position before, and every time I have had to wait about 15 minutes or so for another train, because for some utterly stupid reason, CityRail has decided to schedule a train that goes up to the North Shore (and stops at Waverton) to stop at North Sydney at the same time that my express train arrives. Only problem is, it's on the other friggin' side of the station. Coupled with the fact that I have to make my way up one flight of stairs going with people that act like they've had a frontal lobotomy, and down one flight of stairs against the grain, it's a pretty safe bet that I'm not going to make the train. … and that would be right.
So I waited patiently on the other platform, while two trains went past that expressed Waverton. After waiting for 15 minutes, a train that was graceful enough to stop there came and I hopped on. Luckily, the driver didn't have any last minute qualms about stopping in the hell-hole station that is Waverton, so I was able to get off.
The time it took me to get home? About an hour.
How long should it have taken? About 20 - 25 minutes.
Hmmm… I'm catching the train to work in Pymble not because parking would be a problem (it isn't), not because I want to save petrol (the train ticket would cost more), but because I think it's probably a bit better for the environment and a bit less wasteful. However, if it's going to take me twice as long to get home than it should on the train, I might as well just give CityRail the finger and drive. What's the point?!
Cityrail: You suck.
Ah, my heart bleeds, Come to Cherrybrook for a lesson in relative deprivation!
I live in Penrith and frequently have to catch the train to stations on the Blue Mountains Line. Since the Blue Mountains line is a single line that ends at least 10 stops from Penrith if not more CityRail deems the line un-important and the service there is horrible despite the fact that large numbers of people live in the mountains and catch the train to work in Penrith and further. On weekdays the regular timtable has non-express trains every hour both ways up and down the mountains thats before factoring in cancellations and delays, express trains are very few and only stop at a hand full of staions which I unfortunatly i don’t want to go to. Many times I have been stranded at Faulconbridge for over an hour longer than i was supposed to be because the darn train isnt coming after all. And many times i have hopped on an expresss train when i wasnt supposed to due to lack of infromation at stations about the trains and watched through the doors as it whips past my stop. CityRail should clean up thier act and start giving the service I pay for through my ticket
Hey Josh,
That’s pretty abysmal… I’ve had the problem with express trains (and a lack of notification) as well, but I suspect it’s a much larger inconvenience for you than I.