NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

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Newcastle Flyer
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

If I wasn't in a hurry back from Penrith, I would've taken a picture or two of the last 06:04 weekday Wickham - Penrith via North Shore (that's a four hour Oscar ride!) before it's cut back to Blacktown.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by boronia »

I rode on the second last Emu Plains-Wyong service this afternoon (16:12 ex Penrith) to Central, without realising the significance.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by andy_centralcoast »

Also the end of the Wyong to Springwood via Gordon service, will now terminate at Blacktown also.

What's the dwell time like at Blacktown compared to Springwood/Penrith/Emu Plains? These Central Coast via North Shore services often run 15-20 late by the time they reach Central and continue their journey west and they would then be made to terminate early to recover the time.
Last edited by andy_centralcoast on Fri Nov 24, 2017 9:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by swtt »

boronia wrote:I rode on the second last Emu Plains-Wyong service this afternoon (16:12 ex Penrith) to Central, without realising the significance.
What is that significance?
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

Also bye to the only timetabled OSCAR on the ECRL - leaves chatswood at around 11:03 I believe on a weekday, towards Hornsby via Macquarie Uni. That's been removed in the new timetable.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by andy_centralcoast »

swtt wrote:
boronia wrote:I rode on the second last Emu Plains-Wyong service this afternoon (16:12 ex Penrith) to Central, without realising the significance.
What is that significance?
I'd say the Wyong to Springwood was significant as it was the longest trip on the network all the way from the Central Coast to the lower Blue Mountains via the city.

Not sure what the longest will be under the new timetable.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by boronia »

I thought the inference was that ALL Wyong -T1 services were to be truncated to/from Blacktown. It is not possible to tell now as the new TTs don't show any destination beyond Chatswood, and there will be no services with a similar stopping pattern.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by andy_centralcoast »

boronia wrote:I thought the inference was that ALL Wyong -T1 services were to be truncated to/from Blacktown. It is not possible to tell now as the new TTs don't show any destination beyond Chatswood, and there will be no services with a similar stopping pattern.
All except 1, the 6:35 from Wyong which will terminate at Penrith.

A few different stopping patterns after Central. Some only stop Redfern, Strathfield, Parramatta, Blacktown. Others additionally stop at Lidcombe and Westmead or Lidcombe and Seven Hills.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Scott4570 »

jpp42 wrote:Saw 2 S-sets at the same time at Redfern just now. Is there some kind of major Waratah problem still?
Today, Friday Evening, November 24:-

1 x 8S set replaced A set Roster 1065 (Sector 2).
1 x 8S set replaced M set Roster 1016 (Sector 2).
1 x 8S set replaced K set Roster 1140 (Sector 3).

S, K and C set Rosters mixed within Sector 2.

Otherwise A sets Rostered as normal (taking into account Altered Rosters for the work at Hornsby MC and Yard).
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Aurora »

Jurassic_Joke wrote:Also bye to the only timetabled OSCAR on the ECRL - leaves chatswood at around 11:03 I believe on a weekday, towards Hornsby via Macquarie Uni. That's been removed in the new timetable.
Interesting considering OSCARs operated the first revenue services on the line when it first opened.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Jurassic_Joke »

Aurora wrote:
Jurassic_Joke wrote:Also bye to the only timetabled OSCAR on the ECRL - leaves chatswood at around 11:03 I believe on a weekday, towards Hornsby via Macquarie Uni. That's been removed in the new timetable.
Interesting considering OSCARs operated the first revenue services on the line when it first opened.
Yup, I remember the days of the shuttle. It's truly the end of the era I would say, because you don't see OSCAR's covering other fleet on Sydney Trains, meaning theres pretty much no chance of finding one now on there (except diversions?). At least, assuming S and K sets will still be used to cover Waratahs that crap themselves, theres at least a minuscule chance to still find those removed trains on the ECRL from next week.

Also factor in mind, the ECRL itself, a year or perhaps slightly less from now, will be closed off for good to heavy rail. :|
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

At Andy, up until yesterday, the 06:04 weekdays Wickham - Penrith via North Shore (Gordon) Oscar would've been the longest run. Even though it's been cut back to Blacktown, I still think that train would still have the longest run. It was scheduled from Wickham as a 4hr 9 min journey! (And when it divered via Epping to Chatswood due to a delay, even slightly longer in distance)

Almost as long as Central to Canberra country service!
Last edited by Newcastle Flyer on Tue Nov 28, 2017 11:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by BanksfielderIdiot823 »

Okay, I was in Fairfield on Friday afternoon watching the demise of what I consider to be the proper Cumberland line.

- S74 was the last Campbelltown-bound Cumberland train leaving Fairfield at 17:32. (Because of reported "urgent track repairs" at Campbelltown, the one before this; the 17:02 train, was cancelled.)
- K98 (one of the 2 ex-Newcastle K Sets) was the last Cumberland train to leave Campbelltown, coming into Fairfield at 18:12

Another service doomed for the graveyard was the direct train to Macarthur, leaving Fairfield at 18:37. This train was K99 (the other ex-Newcastle K set) and K79.

The line that has been going Blacktown/Schofields to Campbelltown for 21 years and is now suddenly rerouted to a baby-aged Leppington Station and with WARATAHS rostered?!? The Cumberland well and truly is dead.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by swtt »

BanksfielderIdiot823 wrote:Okay, I was in Fairfield on Friday afternoon watching the demise of what I consider to be the proper Cumberland line.

- S74 was the last Campbelltown-bound Cumberland train leaving Fairfield at 17:32. (Because of reported "urgent track repairs" at Campbelltown, the one before this; the 17:02 train, was cancelled.)
- K98 (one of the 2 ex-Newcastle K Sets) was the last Cumberland train to leave Campbelltown, coming into Fairfield at 18:12

Another service doomed for the graveyard was the direct train to Macarthur, leaving Fairfield at 18:37. This train was K99 (the other ex-Newcastle K set) and K79.

The line that has been going Blacktown/Schofields to Campbelltown for 21 years and is now suddenly rerouted to a baby-aged Leppington Station and with WARATAHS rostered?!? The Cumberland well and truly is dead.
yeah and for around 10 (2004-2013) years totally butchered to only have a few trips during the peaks!

The "proper" Cumberland Line can disappear for all that matter - bring on a 15 min service all day in future timetables!
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by andy_centralcoast »

First day of the new weekend timetable.

A quirk I noticed was with the extra services that are running today on the CCN Line for the Supercars in Newcastle this weekend - they are using the old stopping pattern that still includes a stop at Eastwood, but get to Gosford faster than the new timetable trains that skip it!

Also appears most Newcastle trains have been downgraded from V sets to Oscars under the new timetable.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by MLVD »

Updated lines at Granville:
Image

Some T2 stations (like half of Granville's as pictured) are still showing the green T2 icon:
Image

Parramatta PID (located next to the stairs) showing Intercity services:
Image
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Scott4570 »

andy_centralcoast wrote:Also appears most Newcastle trains have been downgraded from V sets to Oscars under the new timetable.
At Weekends, from November 26, all North Intercity Services have been tabled for Oscar sets.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Linto63 »

Scott4570 wrote:At Weekends, from November 26, all North Intercity Services have been tabled for Oscar sets.
IIRC possibly around the time the new Intercity train replacement project was announced, the government admitted the OSCARs were not really suited to long distance travel, didn't stop them ousting the remaining V sets on the South Coast though. Yet now it seemingly is increasing the proportion of services that will use them while V sets sit on shed. :roll:
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by boronia »

The V sets went from South Coast long before the new trains were thought of. The motivation was being able to run Oscars through to Bondi Junction.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by ScaniaGrenda »

Scott4570 wrote:
andy_centralcoast wrote:Also appears most Newcastle trains have been downgraded from V sets to Oscars under the new timetable.
At Weekends, from November 26, all North Intercity Services have been tabled for Oscar sets.
That's odd as there is a V-Set running right now from Newcastle Interchange to Central
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by BroadGauge »

ScaniaGrenda wrote:That's odd as there is a V-Set running right now from Newcastle Interchange to Central
That set is operating an additional service for a special event. The regular scheduled services are H sets.

The new timetable has a specific requirement to allow for V sets to be available for heavy maintenance on weekends, due to reliability issues.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Newcastle Flyer »

Scott4570 wrote:
andy_centralcoast wrote:Also appears most Newcastle trains have been downgraded from V sets to Oscars under the new timetable.
At Weekends, from November 26, all North Intercity Services have been tabled for Oscar sets.
Downgraded is RIGHT (except in one area). Scott4570, actually it's (cough, Ur cough) Oscars that replace weekend V-sets from THIS Saturday (2 Dec 2017) between Wickham & Central. Their were extra V-sets rostered for last Friday to Sunday.

Since these V-sets from the north are now to be used on Blue Mountain services (BM), what happens with 8 car BM services when they are diverted by Central suburban platforms. The suburban platforms are too short for an 8 car V-sets. That's why they replace V-sets with Oscars when northern interurban trains are diverted via the suburban platforms (with rare exceptions).
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Linto63 »

Newcastle Flyer wrote:Since these V-sets from the north are now to be used on Blue Mountain services (BM), what happens with 8 car BM services when they are diverted by Central suburban platforms?
Eight car sets terminate at Blacktown with limited stops services to/from the City Circle.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by Stu »

New timetable / Revesby Stn.
Platforms 2 & 3 are now both used for turn back operations regarding the all stations services commencing or terminating respective trips. Platforms 1 & 4 are now solely for non terminating services.
Sometimes when connecting between services you are on the same platform island whilst on other occasions you have to cross over the foot bridge to the other platform island.

The previous arrangement allowed for the following:
- Platform 1 was for all up services from beyond Revesby. (still the same now)
- early morning all stations services to use platform 2 as UP instead of platform 1 for some reason. For the remainder of the day/night, platform 2 was used as the turn back for all stations.
- Platform 3 was for all down services travelling beyond Revesby, there were some rare occasions when platform 3 was used to turn back all stations services and services to Macarthur had to use platform 4.
- Platform 4 was previously only used for DOWN services such as PM peak express via Sydenham, Southern Highlands, Canberra and XPT.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations - November 2017

Post by TheOpalUser »

mandonov wrote:This touch screen is now at Martin Place station:

Image
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Image
Image
Image

Spotted one at Central this evening. Tap a line, see the next few servces, and see a line map.
Doesn't seem to be 100% correct though - that example trip on T2 is showing the old T2 line (eg, before it became T2 and T8)
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