A week of Grace ..
This week I don't really have much to whinge about simply because there will be no train travel for me, due to a changeover period between my old job and new job.
Even though it is $79 or so down the tube for not using the trains (as I am in the middle of a 10 week ticket), I'm not that worried.
Hopefully my fellow Geelong commuters will have a trouble free run this week .... *snort* ;-)
See you all on the flip-side.
Remember, September 19th is International Talk like a Pirate Day! (www.talklikeapirate.com) Arrrr mateys ;-)
Even though it is $79 or so down the tube for not using the trains (as I am in the middle of a 10 week ticket), I'm not that worried.
Hopefully my fellow Geelong commuters will have a trouble free run this week .... *snort* ;-)
See you all on the flip-side.
Remember, September 19th is International Talk like a Pirate Day! (www.talklikeapirate.com) Arrrr mateys ;-)
posted by vlinewhinger at 3:52 pm
7 Comments:
So much for a "trouble-free run"! ;)
Wednesday 14 September:
5.29pm left on time.
5.13pm left at 5.40pm approx due to a defective locomotive.
5.29 stopped at Nth Melbourne and every man & his dog got on. A packed train but no had to stand thankfully.
5.29 arrived on time at Geelong.
Loudspeaker at Geelong advises that those wanting to go to Sth Geelong to wait 10-12mins for the 5.13pm to arrive and it will take them there.
O What fun it is to ride on an efficient VLine service!! (Yeah sure!!) ;)
PS. I have also heard from a mate (and read it in the Geelong Addy) that the 7.21am to Melb is full after stopping at Nth Geelong. This train also stops at Lara. Lara commuters usually have to stand. It is also not unusual for it to arrive late in to Spencer St. Apparently this has been going for a couple months but VLine appears to have done little to rectify the situation.
Hi just to keep you informed of the efficiency of VLine (yeah right!!).
Thursday 22 Sept(evening): Caught 6.28pm back to Geelong. Was informed at 6.45pm that the train was running 15mins or so late, apologies for any inconvenience blah blah. Talk about the bleeding obvious. VLine's excuse was "late" engine(or "lost" engine :)- couldn't really hear properly. The acoustics at Spencer St is sometimes very bad.) Eventually left at 6.55pm. In Vline's favour they did not check tickets and offered use of mobile phone to notify friends/family of late arrival.
Also heard that the cursed 5.13 left late. Colleague who caught the 5.29pm was notified on arrival at Geelong that the 5.13 was 10-20 mins behind the 5.29pm. Have no idea if the 5.47pm to Warrnambool left on time.
I taken this from Friday's (23/9/05) Herald Sun Letter to the Editor - thought it might be of interest (concerning VLine's antics Thursday morning):
"Fuel prices can beat the train:
Yesterday morning I received a couple of lessons in irony, courtesy of Victoria's public transport system.
Leaving North Geelong station at 7.50am, my VLine service came to a halt between Little River and Werribee.
The conductor annouced there was a signal failure, but we should only have to wait another five minutes. This became 90 minutes.
As we crawled along, I spotted a large sign just outside Werribee promoting Victoria regional "fast" rail service (irony No.1) and how it would be a "new era" in travel.
Even better the sign read that the completion date was "mid-2005".
We finally made to North Geelong, where I got off to catch a City Loop train. The station announcer informed us that the next Loop train would depart from platform 1, so we headed there from platform 3.
After 10 minutes, and no sign of a train, a Loop train arrived - on platform 3! If left without picking up any passengers - we were all on platform 1.
A one-hour trip turned into two hours and 45 minutes. And this on a day promoted as "no petrol day" (irony No.2).
Hey, I'd rather pay $5 a litre than put up with this service."
Friday 23 Sept (evening): Left work early to catch 4.55pm. Arrived on platform to find no engine. Began to wonder if I was cursed! :) At 4.51pm engine was attached to carriages, left eventually at 5.03pm. Arrived at Geelong approx 5mins late so not too bad. Vline eventually apologised for the delay.
Thanks for reading for my long "whinging" speel. Great way to vent my fustration. :)
26 September: PM. Caught 5.29pm back to Geelong. Train 5-7 mins late departing Spencer St and 15-20 minutes late arriving at Geelong. No apology or reason given for late arrival.
27 September: AM. 6.05 from Geelong was approximately 10mins late. Hence 6.20am which I usually catch was late as well.
29 September: PM. 5.29 arrived late due to trouble with the 5.13 (again!!)
30 September: AM. Industrial dispute. Therefore no trains running, had to catch a bus instead. Rang VLine and was told by customer service they had no idea when the dispute would finish but it may finish by lunchtime. Why do they insist on punishing peak hour commuters??:(
V/line took out a half-page ad in MX on Monday night. It was an open letter apogising for the September delays.
Ha ... I usually get the MX & I didn't even see that ad!
:)
That just proves I really do just look at the pictures!
;-)
Does MX have words in it? Never noticed!
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