:bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:
Hmmm

It's not often that something angers me enough to 2 go off half cocked but 2night's ride home on the City of Echuca Vladivostock Special from Spenser St to Geelong just about did it.

Now don't get me wrong - there's a lot about PT that pisses me off, old trains, bad smells, other people sleeping, other people taking up space, ticket inspectors, the prices, stopping in the middle of nowhere to let other trains pass, stopping because of "points failure" yet I'm in a diesel train, the inability of a rail company to run the one line from the same platform in Spencer St, people cramming in a North Melbourne - the list goes on and on, but 2night took the cake...

I get off at Lara along with almost 50 other people on any given run, I drive to Lara every day from Corio (about 10 minutes drive) The old trains that vline runs (not the swank new oneson Tayser's thread) have 6 regular carraiges and a first class carraige in the middle, all have doors that swing open inwards.

When we got to Lara I tried to open the door to get out - locked.
Peered into the next car where people there were haplessly struggling with a locked door
Poked my head back into the cabin to see people piling up at the door on the other side they couldn't get out either, a conductor/ticket inspector was nowhere to be seen.

I made my way up the other end of the train with another guy checking all the doors as we went, finally we came to an open door at the first class carraige - by this time the train had left Lara station.

We found the conductor at the other end of the train blissfully unaware that he'd stranded about 30 other people whose cars were in Lara in a train headed for Corio, before we got to Corio station - the train going the other way zoomed passed, there wouldn't be another one for a half hour.

I yelled some choice obscenities at the conductor who took offenseand told me that my only option was to catch a train going the other way.

In the end some 30 people got off at Corio, where they stopped the train to unlock the doors, Corio station is an all but abandoned platform which looks like a dump, in the middle of the woods adjacent to the Shell Plant - walking distance is actually only 15 blocks from my house but my car was stuck in Lara and I had a wife and kid to get home to.

Luckily my wife called her dad who came out and drove me back to Lara to get the car (one of the reasons we moved here was for the support of family! :D ) but I hate to think what people without that support were going through

BTW Corio (despite the suburb having a much bigger population that the superior Lara) is one of the worst train stations I've ever seen, the car park was a dumping ground for old matresses, the place smelled like sewerage (probably the bay - Shell are always getting fined for polluting it!) the station house is abandoned and in disrepair and the area is surrounded by overgrown woods where all types could lurk, compare this to the clean and staffed Lara station surrounded by shops, houses and open parks.

Vline are consistent with cancelling trains and running trains late - but this latest incident is an indictment of a poorly run overpriced train that wouldn't be fit for livestock, half the trains doors on one side were locked and forty people unable to leave the train before it pulled out, the driver and conductor oblivious the chaos going on inside the carraiges, in all my years of taking public transport this is the lowest and most worrying event I have ever had the misfortune to experience.

Others feel free to share your PT horror stories or gripes and reasons why you now drive.

BTW All PT Hounds - I'm not anti PT, the fact that I spend $50 a week taking the train should demonstrate that, but you expect a few basic things when you ride a train, sure on time or running trains have been eroded from our expectations, but being able to get off at your stop seems pretty vital - expecially if it's your home stop - those forty people will never be apologised to, nor reimbursed for the extra expense they incurred and I feel obligated to bring it to your attention

You have every right to be mad. V/Line should have sprung for taxis. This is the sort of things conductors are supposed to arrange.

I'd suggest complaining to them and demanding the conductor be identified and disciplined. For starters, it is his responsibility to prepare the carriages (and that includes unlocking the doors), and it is his responsibility to arrange for alternate transportation when passengers are stranded because of circumstances within their control (and often outside their control too).

If you get nothing from that, ensure you keep the RESOLVE reference number they assign it (you may need to ask for it) and write to the PTIO, include the RESOLVE number and request they take it further.

:bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:
Hmmm

It's not often that something angers me enough to 2 go off half cocked but 2night's ride home on the City of Echuca Vladivostock Special from Spenser St to Geelong just about did it.

Now don't get me wrong - there's a lot about PT that pisses me off, old trains, bad smells, other people sleeping, other people taking up space, ticket inspectors, the prices, stopping in the middle of nowhere to let other trains pass, stopping because of "points failure" yet I'm in a diesel train, the inability of a rail company to run the one line from the same platform in Spencer St, people cramming in a North Melbourne - the list goes on and on, but 2night took the cake...

I get off at Lara along with almost 50 other people on any given run ... <snip> ....
Others feel free to share your PT horror stories or gripes and reasons why you now drive.

BTW All PT Hounds - I'm not anti PT, the fact that I spend $50 a week taking the train should demonstrate that, but you expect a few basic things when you ride a train, sure on time or running trains have been eroded from our expectations, but being able to get off at your stop seems pretty vital - expecially if it's your home stop - those forty people will never be apologised to, nor reimbursed for the extra expense they incurred and I feel obligated to bring it to your attention

I travel Geelong/Footscray quite often (the only thing I ever drive is a tractor). So I travel a lot on public transport and indeed on V-Line.

It sounds like a very bad story to me. I'd be really shat off too, and I'd report it with a vengeance. And there were forty others?

My observation on this run is that the "conductors" phone the drivers to permit the trains to leave the stations once the passengers alighting or embarking have safely done their thing. The conductor in this case has seriously failed in his/her duty: I'll leave "V/Line" (whatever that is, National Express dropped out of their contract, but did Connex pick it up?) to arbitrate on this, but I will reflect on a similar matter at "Kennett River" on V-Line Bus service along the Great Ocean Road.

Many years ago (i.e. about ten) apparently someone waiting for the V-Line bus at Kennett River was bypassed- i.e. stranded- by the bus (perhaps her name was Kennett too?). I was told this by a bus-driver; I'm not making it up.

Ever since then, the bus has made a deliberate excursion off the Great Ocean Road to the General Store, just in case someone was waiting there. I use this service quite a lot too, and in ten years ... maybe once we've picked up passengers. But the bus always loops dutifully in and past it.

I'm not suggesting you can get "Tootle" to loop past your place just in case you want to get on or off, but I'd hammer them!

Thought u'd like to see that the next day I wrote to mX who published my letter on Wednesday (albiet extensively edited - they even said I was from Lara so as to eliminate confusion to why someone from Corio would bypass Corio Station!)

Here's the letter...

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid137/pb712082736f4c6769eb49fd9ec316be0/f74025ac.jpg

BTW - kinda gives away after all these years, my name is Jason :)

Haha Laser Wars.

Yeah, still waiting on my tickets...

Y'know I never did use those tickets!