NSW Railway Observations 2020

Sydney / New South Wales Transport Discussion
Post Reply
User avatar
Fleet Lists
Administrator
Posts: 23803
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:49 pm
Location: The Shire

NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Fleet Lists »

Welcome to 2020.
Living in the Shire.
tonyp
Posts: 12348
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:31 am

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by tonyp »

A Sydney standard electric car being used as a cafe burnt out in Cobargo:

Image
User avatar
rogf24
Posts: 1186
Joined: Thu May 09, 2013 4:20 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by rogf24 »

Carlingford Line closing tomorrow night/early morning. Hoping there to be a crowd, I probably won't go to the last service though.
User avatar
BroadGauge
Posts: 3740
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 1:20 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Car
Location: NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by BroadGauge »

ARTC have announced that the rail line between Macarthur and Goulburn will be suspended until further notice from 9am Saturday due to forecast weather conditions and extreme bushfire risk in the area.

NSW TrainLink are stating that Southern Highlands services will be replaced by buses from 8am onwards, though what I'm more surprised by is that the Bomaderry service hasn't been suspended yet, given the rather grim outlook for Nowra on the fire spread predictions map... :shock:

I hope tonyp is staying safe! ;)
Linto63
Posts: 2809
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:44 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Linto63 »

rogf24 wrote:Carlingford Line closing tomorrow night/early morning. Hoping there to be a crowd, I probably won't go to the last service though.
Made a final trip today in the early afternoon today, while not overly busy there were plenty of others doing likewise. Plenty of shutterbugs out throughout the journey. Heritage set F1 will be operating between 09:00 and 15:00 on Saturday with last journey being the 01:15 from Clyde before the set returns empty from Carlingford.
tonyp
Posts: 12348
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:31 am

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by tonyp »

BroadGauge wrote:ARTC have announced that the rail line between Macarthur and Goulburn will be suspended until further notice from 9am Saturday due to forecast weather conditions and extreme bushfire risk in the area.

NSW TrainLink are stating that Southern Highlands services will be replaced by buses from 8am onwards, though what I'm more surprised by is that the Bomaderry service hasn't been suspended yet, given the rather grim outlook for Nowra on the fire spread predictions map... :shock:

I hope tonyp is staying safe! ;)
Thank you. It's harrowing. I don't know what will happen today but I think the south coast line will be OK for quite some time. The Currowan fire is generally tending in the direction of the southern highlands and you have a pincer fire coming down from the north on Mittagong so especial good luck with that.
User avatar
boxythingy
Posts: 3891
Joined: Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:48 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Anything not 'B-set' w/problms

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boxythingy »

Linto63 wrote:
rogf24 wrote:Carlingford Line closing tomorrow night/early morning. Hoping there to be a crowd, I probably won't go to the last service though.
Made a final trip today in the early afternoon today, while not overly busy there were plenty of others doing likewise. Plenty of shutterbugs out throughout the journey. Heritage set F1 will be operating between 09:00 and 15:00 on Saturday with last journey being the 01:15 from Clyde before the set returns empty from Carlingford.
Last minute tweet at around 9pm mentioning that the return trip from Carlingford, first stop Clyde only will convey passengers.
tonyp
Posts: 12348
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:31 am

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by tonyp »

BroadGauge wrote:ARTC have announced that the rail line between Macarthur and Goulburn will be suspended until further notice from 9am Saturday due to forecast weather conditions and extreme bushfire risk in the area.

NSW TrainLink are stating that Southern Highlands services will be replaced by buses from 8am onwards, though what I'm more surprised by is that the Bomaderry service hasn't been suspended yet, given the rather grim outlook for Nowra on the fire spread predictions map... :shock:

I hope tonyp is staying safe! ;)
Well, looks like it's your turn now as Bundanoon and Wingello are getting hit. That'll hit rail freight as well as passenger. I wouldn't wish this on anybody. The area around Moss Vale-Bowral has a lot of open pasture and, while fire will burn across pasture, it's not with the ferocity with which it goes through gum trees. I hope this doesn't join up with the Green Wattle Creek fire. As Morrison suggested, I hope the lesson from this will be a complete revisit of how Australia interacts with the bush. In respect of transport, there needs to be a complete clearing of significant rail and road corridors of eucalypt (except where it's needed for slope stabilisation) back to a distance beyond the height of any trees so that they don't fall on these corridors, as is done for power lines.
Linto63
Posts: 2809
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:44 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Linto63 »

Platform numbers and departure times on station monitors have been changed from orange to black. Seems somebody has finally worked out that orange on white was never a great idea.
User avatar
boronia
Posts: 21567
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:18 am
Favourite Vehicle: Ahrens Fox; GMC PD4107
Location: Sydney NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boronia »

Not sure why you need platform numbers on platform PIDs anyway.

Guess it just repeats what is on the external displays?
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
Petarkco
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:58 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Petarkco »

There is also new wayfinding on top of the platform stairs at Central.

And new interchange DVAs on the A/B/M(?) sets for Light Rail at Town Hall and Ferries at Wynyard (Barangaroo).
User avatar
boronia
Posts: 21567
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:18 am
Favourite Vehicle: Ahrens Fox; GMC PD4107
Location: Sydney NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boronia »

Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
User avatar
CityRail
Posts: 2560
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2011 6:23 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by CityRail »

Petarkco wrote:There is also new wayfinding on top of the platform stairs at Central.

And new interchange DVAs on the A/B/M(?) sets for Light Rail at Town Hall and Ferries at Wynyard (Barangaroo).
If M has it, then certainly H would also has it then.
idontknow556
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 4:30 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by idontknow556 »

There's a good chance we might see 3801 at the Transport Heritage Expo this year.
User avatar
boronia
Posts: 21567
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:18 am
Favourite Vehicle: Ahrens Fox; GMC PD4107
Location: Sydney NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boronia »

^^ TH's FB page today showing 3801's first steam trial run
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
User avatar
boronia
Posts: 21567
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:18 am
Favourite Vehicle: Ahrens Fox; GMC PD4107
Location: Sydney NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boronia »

Old trains, repair backlog pile pressure on Sydney's rail network
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/old ... 53nwg.html

TfNSW can't manage to get a couple of simple tram lines to work efficiently; really, what hope have they got with a full size railway?
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
Petarkco
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:58 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Petarkco »

Free wi-fi now available at Ourimbah, Narara, Hawkesbury River, Berowra and Asquith.
https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1 ... 1379753990
User avatar
Fleet Lists
Administrator
Posts: 23803
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:49 pm
Location: The Shire

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Fleet Lists »

That was announced on Transport Info on 13th December. https://transportnsw.info/news/2019/fre ... t-stations with a few more
You can now access free Wi-Fi at Tuggerah, Ourimbah, Lisarow, Narara, Hawkesbury River, Berowra, Mount Colah and Asquith stations.
Living in the Shire.
User avatar
ScaniaGrenda
Posts: 1118
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 1:46 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Scania,Volvo or Mercedes Buses

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Looking at it, I think 60 minutes is a fair time limit. You really wouldn't be at the station for more than 30 unless your train is delayed or you get there early. Trains are pretty frequent on the CCN Line anyway.

I was interested in their privacy policy so I looked it up on the included link above;
We will not collect any personal information about you in connection to the Transport NSW Free Wi-Fi service.
Which I find questionable even if they say they won't collect personal information. Perhaps I'll wait for the more technical experts to weigh in before I comment further on this part

So I wonder how exactly this is getting paid / funded because as the saying goes "If it's free, you're the product".
Transport enthusiast & photographer / videographer since 2016, documenting & preserving our local Transport History through videos & photos.
jaseee
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 4:50 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by jaseee »

Platforms 1 and 2 at Sydenham now closed for metro works. T3 trains departing from platforms 3 and 4.
User avatar
Fleet Lists
Administrator
Posts: 23803
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:49 pm
Location: The Shire

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Fleet Lists »

Is this permanent or just temporary?
Living in the Shire.
jaseee
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu Jun 29, 2006 4:50 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by jaseee »

Apparently permanent until it's converted and opened for metro.
Transtopic
Posts: 1490
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:10 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Transtopic »

boronia wrote:Old trains, repair backlog pile pressure on Sydney's rail network
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/old ... 53nwg.html

TfNSW can't manage to get a couple of simple tram lines to work efficiently; really, what hope have they got with a full size railway?
What's missing in this report is any reference to major investment in upgrading track infrastructure with junction remodelling, including grade separation, amplifications and extensions to the existing network to allow more trains to run efficiently. Trying to squeeze more out of the existing infrastructure with upgraded signalling (ATO) can only go so far. They boast about ordering more trains to meet the demand, but what's the point when there isn't the track capacity to run them? Perhaps this was mentioned in the sections of the report which were redacted.

The prospect of future privatisation also rears its ugly head. If that's the case, it depends on which form of "privatisation" is envisaged. It's unlikely that it would be a complete sell-off to a private operator, who would be responsible for all operating costs, maintenance and upgrades, as they would never make a profit. Even if it's a franchise model, where the government owns the assets and pays the operator to run the service, there is some risk to the operator if the government doesn't upgrade the infrastructure to an acceptable level to allow the service to be run efficiently, as happened in Melbourne I believe. Adding more metro lines at significantly greater cost, compared with more modest expenditure in bringing the current network up to scratch, isn't the answer. Think of what a $10 billion investment in upgrading the existing network could achieve.

The government should step carefully before committing to privatising the Sydney Trains network, in whatever form, the pitfalls of which are demonstrated in the latest saga of the British rail privatisation agenda with the prospect of South West Rail being renationalised as the current franchisee, which includes Hong Kong's MTR, has suffered significant losses. I understand that even Boris Johnson has committed to renationalising the British rail network.
Linto63
Posts: 2809
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2016 3:44 pm

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by Linto63 »

Transtopic wrote:The prospect of future privatisation also rears its ugly head.
Although for what its worth, Constance stated it was not on the agenda as recently as October. Constance rules out privatising Sydney Trains despite outsourcing buses
Transtopic wrote:...with the prospect of South West Rail being renationalised as the current franchisee, which includes Hong Kong's MTR, has suffered significant losses.
The UK government is not seeking to renationalise, but should an operator hand back the keys, then it would end up operating the franchise as it is legally obliged to do. There is a general acknowledgment that the current UK franchising system is broken and a review under way.
Transtopic wrote:I understand that even Boris Johnson has committed to renationalising the British rail network.
No, that was Labour Party policy who ran in the recent general election on a renationalisation agenda and were thumped. Conservative Party policy is to continue with privately operated operators, although ironically many of these are actually subsidiaries of other European governments. Boris Johnson to reform current rail franchising models
User avatar
boronia
Posts: 21567
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2004 6:18 am
Favourite Vehicle: Ahrens Fox; GMC PD4107
Location: Sydney NSW

Re: NSW Railway Observations 2020

Post by boronia »

Linto63 wrote:
Transtopic wrote:The prospect of future privatisation also rears its ugly head.
Although for what its worth, Constance stated it was not on the agenda as recently as October. Constance rules out privatising Sydney Trains despite outsourcing buses
Transtopic wrote:
Well Constance "ruled out" privatising the remainder of STA a few months back, didn't he?
Constance "ruled out" paying compensation to Acciona for their claims of increased costs.
Gladys "ruled out" increasing the cost of rebuilding SFS

Somehow, I just don't trust today's promises to hold good past next month.
Preserving fire service history
@ The Museum of Fire.
Post Reply

Return to “Discussion - Sydney / NSW”