Maybe there is something I am not aware of but a few weeks ago some trains were stopped because of a trespasser on the the train tracks, actually a viaduct, between Flinders Street Station and Spencer Street Station (Southern Cross). Most suburban trains use this viaduct, so it was chaotic.
Football fans coming in from the northern suburbs, whose train was stopped between stations several kilometres away from the city, forced the train doors open after an hour or so. I would not have done this but if someone had, I would take advantage and escape the train. There was a steep embankment to descend and I could have managed that.
My thoughts, the train was nowhere near the location of the trespasser so why was it stopped between stations? It could have at least proceeded to the next station at 5 km/h if necessary. From there are alternative transport means.
Even if there is a trespasser, why can't trains proceed at a very slow speed? I know trains can do this. I've experienced it often enough.
People can be very stupid about things the do every day, but by golly if you jump down from a train and then descend a steep embankment, you are going to take great care. Unfortunately the said train line was further delayed by the need to check that those who left the train were clear of the tracks. Of course they were, they left by the left hand side of the train. Why would they cross over to the right handed side onto other tracks? Again, trains proceed at 5 km/h or even 10 km/h.
Over an hour to check if a trespasser was clear of train tracks on a viaduct? There is nowhere to hide. Extraordinary.
This is all down to Victoria Police and Metro Trains management and it is a disgrace.
It may be an urban myth but I've heard in Thailand if there is a car crash on a freeway, a helicopter with a lowerable hauling claw comes along to remove the cars from the freeway.
But wait, there is more. I expect all over the world tram overhead wires that power trams, and trolley buses for that matter, have dead sections of a few centimetres to isolate one part of the wires from other parts, so that the whole system doesn't to shut down if the electrical problem. There is a dead section below The Highrise and last week at tram was stranded on the dead section. In the past, as I witnessed, the tram behind would push the stranded tram off the dead sections and there would be minimal delay. I've even experienced passengers out of a tram giving it a push off the dead section. It seems neither happens now and the tram stays there until an emergency vehicle arrives to push the tram off the dead section. The wait causes massive tram delays and inconvenience to passengers. A slogan of Yarra Trams is 'Think like a passenger', but I don't think it really does.
Private companies and government departments have become so risk averse to protect themselves, they unnecessarily make their customer experiences quite miserable.
Does Sydney do it any better? No, its relatively new and small tram system is constantly being shut down for maintenance. Its two of three tram lines, the newest, seem to be worse than the older original line, so often breaking down with long delays until repairs.
While Australia valiantly fought against England in football, some drug affected blokes with mental health issues entered an unstaffed signal box full wires and control systems for trains and began to cut wires. Part of Sydney's train system collapsed and there weren't trains when the football ended, leading to chaos. Why was such an important part of infrastructure so insecure? Over to you, Transport for New South Wales.
So risk averse in some ways, but not in others!
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