Almost a perfect week ...
Long story short, I have to thank V/Line for my unexpected day off today. I've been working some long hours and 7 days a week (and will be working this weekend too). So I've been lacking whinges due to being tired and fairly immune to anything that would normally provoke a vitrolic outpouring into this blog.
Having said that, this week has been a good week by V/Line standards for me. The 6.20am has been more or less like clockwork and even seemingly arriving earlier than normal, or perhaps I've been walking more quickly to work? I varied from the 6.28pm in the evenings, the 4.55pm one day (oh happy days they were when that was my regular train) to the 5.29pm.
This morning I managed to drag myself on time for the 6.20am as per usual. I have this routine timed to perfection so that as I'm walking up the back stairs of Geelong train station as the 6.20am pulls into Platform 1. It is kind of like synchronised swimming without the pool or swimmers or if I'm running late & running up the platform, the elegance.
I'm not sure if that analogy makes any sense at all, but it made me laugh.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a bad feeling when the 6.20am was late arriving and crawled into the station. We got on, but it wasn't long before the conductor told us to get off as the locomotive was defective and they would replace it.
I wondered if there was any link to two days of rain and the breakdown. Maybe the locomotives don't like the wet, after all it has been one of the driest winters on record.
I thought to myself that this would probably take them a long time, so I went to get on the 6.44am which was just sitting at platform 3, idling away. Wrong move! They took the locomotive from this train and ... it sat in the yards for at least another 30 minutes before finally it docked & the train left 40 minutes or so late.
In the meantime the 6.44am & following trains from Marshall and South Geelong were also held up.
I didn't actually stick around for the outcome, I stalked off in digust around 6.50am. Heard later on radio and the website of the Age what had happened.
So no doubt there were several hundred rather peeved Geelong commuters. Hopefully none of those were caught up in the Connex and city loop drama this morning either (where the excellent security at Melbourne Central couldn't prevent a man jumping on the tracks and running through to Flagstaff). Be alert not alarmed! Where is my fridge magnet that Little Johnnie sent me ... that will keep the bad terrorists away!
I had intended to drive to work, but I thought better of that idea and came home. Around 8.30am I considered driving as most of the morning traffic would have dispersed by then, but seeing as I'm working this weekend again, I figured I'd take the karmic offering of the universe and chill out for the day.
No thanks to V/line. And allegedly the new timetable starts up next week. I predict one thing .... CHAOS WILL REIGN!.
Having said that, this week has been a good week by V/Line standards for me. The 6.20am has been more or less like clockwork and even seemingly arriving earlier than normal, or perhaps I've been walking more quickly to work? I varied from the 6.28pm in the evenings, the 4.55pm one day (oh happy days they were when that was my regular train) to the 5.29pm.
This morning I managed to drag myself on time for the 6.20am as per usual. I have this routine timed to perfection so that as I'm walking up the back stairs of Geelong train station as the 6.20am pulls into Platform 1. It is kind of like synchronised swimming without the pool or swimmers or if I'm running late & running up the platform, the elegance.
I'm not sure if that analogy makes any sense at all, but it made me laugh.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, I had a bad feeling when the 6.20am was late arriving and crawled into the station. We got on, but it wasn't long before the conductor told us to get off as the locomotive was defective and they would replace it.
I wondered if there was any link to two days of rain and the breakdown. Maybe the locomotives don't like the wet, after all it has been one of the driest winters on record.
I thought to myself that this would probably take them a long time, so I went to get on the 6.44am which was just sitting at platform 3, idling away. Wrong move! They took the locomotive from this train and ... it sat in the yards for at least another 30 minutes before finally it docked & the train left 40 minutes or so late.
In the meantime the 6.44am & following trains from Marshall and South Geelong were also held up.
I didn't actually stick around for the outcome, I stalked off in digust around 6.50am. Heard later on radio and the website of the Age what had happened.
So no doubt there were several hundred rather peeved Geelong commuters. Hopefully none of those were caught up in the Connex and city loop drama this morning either (where the excellent security at Melbourne Central couldn't prevent a man jumping on the tracks and running through to Flagstaff). Be alert not alarmed! Where is my fridge magnet that Little Johnnie sent me ... that will keep the bad terrorists away!
I had intended to drive to work, but I thought better of that idea and came home. Around 8.30am I considered driving as most of the morning traffic would have dispersed by then, but seeing as I'm working this weekend again, I figured I'd take the karmic offering of the universe and chill out for the day.
No thanks to V/line. And allegedly the new timetable starts up next week. I predict one thing .... CHAOS WILL REIGN!
posted by vlinewhinger at 4:37 pm
3 Comments:
Well I cant complain as much as you, but something did happen on the 5:03 to Ballarat than made me laugh.
From North Melboure through to Sunshine, the so called "Fast Train" was overtaken by a Pacific National freight train doing 80 -100kmh, while we coasted along at what I'd guess to be 70-80.
Maybe the freight driver was a bit of a cowboy, but I wish he drove passenger trains.
Now that is amusing!
I think officially the Fast Train timetables start from Sunday. At least that is my latest information, so it will be interesting to see if they actually do hit the '160' mark.
Maybe that freight driver is a mate of this tram driver:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/tram-caught-speeding/2006/08/25/1156012716980.html
hmm my link didn't work ...mehhh search the Age website, you'll find the article! :)
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