02 June 2010

Herald Sun: State Government believes commuters prepared to stand for 45 minutes

VIDEO: Will you stand for it?

HERALD SUN 2 JUN: Transport department bureaucrats believe commuters will tolerate standing for that long so long as it is an express train.

Standing for 45 minutes would mean no seat from the city on trains to Carrum, Boronia, Mooroolbark, Dandenong, Glen Waverley, Eltham or Werribee.

The report, obtained by the State Opposition, also says it was assumed passengers needed just 40cm x 40cm of space.

That is about one and a half times the space of a single Herald Sun page.

The department's Initial Strategic Operations Plan, dated July last year, was a key document used during the process of choosing Metro as Melbourne's new train operator.

It says: "Surveys in recent years have shown increasing numbers of peak trains with loads in excess of 1000 passengers.

"Experience in Melbourne and observations in other jurisdictions have shown passengers are prepared to stand on express services for 45 minutes. On 'all stations' services (they will stand) for shorter periods (of) up to 25 minutes."

Government sources sought to distance themselves from the report last night, blaming the words on out-of-touch bureaucrats, adding it was never seen by ministers.

What do you think?

2 comments:

Ronnie said...

If standing for 45 minutes means services running every 3 minutes during rush hour, and every 10 minutes during off peak times, then I'd be willing.
If standing for 45 minutes means services every 10 minutes, with 2 of 3 being delayed or cancelled like it was this morning at Box Hill, then I am not willing.

Anonymous said...

The latest piece of news from this leaked document is that it looks like there can be no more services on the Sydenham line, despite the fact it is being extended to Sunbury. Why not cancel the electrification and put the money to good use? No-one out here wants Metro trains and we certainly don't want to have a service that stops at more stations than currently while we are forced to stand. There is no timetable at the moment, but if we go from 5 stops between Sunbury and Spencer St to 17 (including Flinders St), it is obvious the trains must take much longer as well as being shockingly overcrowded.