RateCityRail

Well it was bound to happen.

As mentioned in my earlier post to about IPART and making sure you got your submission in the NSW Government has managed to wrangle some increases in our fares over the next four years, details below.

I’m in two minds on this one, personally being a commuter every day I don’t want to see the fares increase, it’s more money out of my hip pocket, and at the moment more money seems to be leaving my pocket than entering it, and job security certainly isn’t what it used to be.

We all know the appauling state of some of the trains on the network, they really, really need to be replaced, do these fare increases go towards improving the infrastructure? If so, is it worth it?

Sould we, the people be paying for this? Is it a “right” as a resident of Sydney to have access to cheap and reliable public transport? Should the Government be covering these rises in fares instead of the commuters?

For all those questions I find it hard to give a definative answer. The trains need to be fixed, but our State Government is currently $1 Billion in debt. where else is the money going to come from?

I have a bitter taste in my mouth about this increase, and will probably curse buying my 14 day rail pass every week at the start of 2009, I suppose like all things, prices only go up not down, and what can we do about it?

CITYRAIL
2009
Distance: Up to 20 kilometres
Single tickets: 20c to 60c increase
Weeklies: $1 to $3 increase
 
Distance: 20 kilometres to 65 kilometres
Single tickets: 40c increase
Weeklies: $2 to $3 increase
 
Distance: 65 kilometres to 175 kilometres
Single tickets: No change
Weeklies: $3 increase
 
Distance: More than 175 kilometres
Single tickets: $8 decrease
Weeklies: From $2 increase to $25 decrease
 
2010 to 2012
Distance: Up to 20 kilometres
Single tickets: 20c to 80c increase
Weeklies: $3 to $6 increase
 
Distance: 20 kilometres to 65 kilometres
Single tickets: 80c to $1.40 increase
Weeklies: $9 to $9 increase
 
Distance: 65 kilometres to 175 kilometres
Single tickets: 20c to $1.20 increase
Weeklies: $7 to $9 increase
 
Distance: Over 175 kilometres
Single tickets: No change
Weeklies: $13 increas

Dear All,

This isn’t a Cityrail issue, but this is a BIG issue and I have to get it out there. Some of you may be aware that the Federal Government and more particularly Senator Conroy believe that the Internet is something that should be filtered for all Australians. This filtering can slow down your Internet access by as much as 87%.

The idea behind the scheme is to stop access to content like Child Pornography and other undesirable content being available to Australians, now don’t get me wrong I applaud the ideal of stopping access to this content as it’s despicable, but filtering the Internet for the whole country is not the way to do it.

A prime example is the Governments free online filtering tools for computers in the home. This software has been proven time and time again not to work effectively and is easily bypassed.

Just bear in mind this will only be the start, imagine if there is an undesireable piece of political news internationally that the Australian Government doesn’t want us to see. If they wanted, they could block it, we’d never be able to see it. Whilst that’s not the initial aims of this scheme it’s totally possible.

The internet is what it is because so much information is readily available, it’s free, it’s open and it’s done wonders for the whole world. The internet gives people a voice that didn’t have one, reveals wrongdoings that would otherwise not be revealed, reveals amazing parts of the universe we didn’t know about, and we are going to entrust what we can see to a small group of people.

I’m blown away that this is being proposed, very few countries around the world actually impose this kind of draconian policy, some are China, Iran & Saudi Arabia.

Is that what you want? Surely everyone in Australia must be against this, the internet has to be free and open!

Please sign this online petition to voice your concern, and tell everyone you know, once this is in, it will be twice as hard to remove it.

http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/SaveTheNet/442

More information here

http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/activists-target-net-censorship-plans/2008/11/27/1227491695981.html

http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/greens-wont-back-government-plans-for-net-filters/2008/11/25/1227491515967.html

If you want to see what iiNet thinks about this goto

http://www.iinet.net.au/about/news/internet_filtering.html 

I’m thinking 1982 & Animal Farm, but for real, in Australia.

I’m disgusted and if this goes through I would really have to question our Governments true plans for this great country of ours.

Well, this is what I like to read about as a frequent Cityrail commuter.

It would seem that over the last few years Railcorps “Clearways” project has been plagued with problems, most of which are resolved quietly and just wind up costing the tax payer more money.

These two problems however go a little deeper, these effect customer safety on the network, and in terms of my priorities as a commuter, above trains being on time, clean and air-conditioned is the safety of myself, my family and my fellow commuters.

The two problems both revolved around bad earthing & insulation for new sub stations at Lidcombe and Revesby. It seemed that a banned contractor was used to design the earthing for these new sub stations and they were not properly insulated for their distance from underground gas and water lines. The end result…

“This led directly to the creation of a potential latent defect on the RailCorp network which could have resulted in death or injury,”

This information was learned about when the Sydney Morning Herald(www.smh.com.au) forced the government to reveal a secret Railcorp report into the events. It was released under the Freedom of Information Act.

My thanks go out to our tireless Cityrail employees who thankfully picked up the faults during the testing phase and hopefully they have been rectified.

I feel safer now catching the trains, don’t you?

For more information on this story go to SMH’s article

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/rail-blunders-hundreds-of-lives-at-risk/2008/10/29/1224956136414.html

Also, don’t forget to get your submissions in for the adjustments of Cityrails fares.

See…

http://www.ratecityrail.com/2008/10/peak-cityrail-fares-could-increase-from-2009/

As we all eagerly await the arrival of the new Epping to Chatswood railway line it has been revealed today that there are large unresolved problems with the project.

1. The projects costs have soared to $2.3 Billion.

2. It’s 2 years overdue.

3. The track is too steep for Tangaras to use, so older K set(silver rattlers) would have to be used.

4. Unfortunately these K set trains are so old they make too much noise in the confines of a concrete tunnel. Noise tests inside the carriage revealed up to 90dB. Workcover recommends not having to work with noise of over 85dB. This would be for 15 minutes!

5. The Intercity trains are appear to be Cityrails only solution to the problem at the moment, which will require a reorganisation of their rolling stock. This should meet Cityrails noise standards, I’d hazard it’s still going to be noisy…

I’m not sure why the Millennium trains can’t be used on the line, although there could be power limitations on the Northern/North Shore lines that held them back from crossing the harbour bridge. That said I have seen a few Millennium trains crawl their way up the North Shore line to at least North Sydney.

I suppose my question here is, would a noise level of 90dB stop you from using a train service? Or would just having your iPod headphones plugged in be enough and you’d ignore it?

Either way the issue remains unresolved and they are still planning on opening the line come February 2009.

Apologies for the lack of posts latelly, but sadly I have to work for a living and it’s been keeping me very busy.

Anyway, to business. More and more on my train line in the morning I’m enjoying the comforts of travelling in the “new” Millenium Trains. I find their air-conditioning to always be working, better lighting, more comfortable seats and they always seem to have more room(and things to hold onto) for standing commuters.

I was saddened the other week reading my mX to learn that there is going to be a delay in brining more of these new trains online as the NSW Government struggles to come to terms with it’s $1 Billion Dollar budget defecit.

These silver sets were supposed to start being de-commisioned in 2010, but due to all the extra travellers on the network due to rising petrol prices it seems the silver sets will need to be kept alive just a little longer. That means more long hot summers for years to come.

On other news that’s making the headlines currently. The V8s coming to Sydney Olympic Park. Now those that know me, know I have a very special place in my heard for motorsport and cars in general. I’d also love to see a V8 race at Olympic Park. But…not at the expense of damaging what is a beautiful location, and spending the tax payers money to do it. I would rather see this money spent on schools, hospitals and trains.

If the government is currently in a $1 billion dollar black hole right now, where’s this money coming from anyway?