[publictransport] Castlemaine Cyclists Shafted?

[justruss]

Gee's - V/Line staff really don't seem to like cyclists at Castlemaine!

At best whoever told you that the train was overloaded (guess it was the
conductor) was ill-informed/ignorant, and at worst purposely told you a
porky pie about the overloading!

Each VLocity train unit (ie two carriages - a DM car & a DM(D) car) is
designed to take a maximum of 240 passengers. This includes 140 seated plus
another 80 standing. So we're talking approximately 70 seats per carriage
plus another 40 people standing.

So if there were only about 10 people standing in the DM car (that has the
bike area), the train wasn't anyway near its full capacity.

The website below is full of interesting information on everything VLine,
including the VLocity Railcars.

http://www.vlinecars.com/vloc.htm

I was discussing with a conductor the other day why we needed two toilets
next to each other on each VLocity unit and he actually quoted the same
figures to me.

Prams are a major pain in the butt as people never seem to fold up them up.
There was one the other day plus one bike, so I ended up putting my bike in
the area between the trains and the other guy who also got on put his bike
in the other carriage just at the back of the last row of seats adjacent the
disabled toilet - Conductor didn't have a problem with that.

>From other emails I've seen about Castlemaine cyclists, it really does seem
that you guys are getting shafted - maybe due to the previous organised
protests?

Perhaps it would be worth sending in a letter of complaint to V/Line (and
copied to the PT Minister/BV) about being told a porky about the overloaded
train. Doesn't sound like they could discriminate against you guys anymore
than what they currently do!

Maybe Jill might have something to add about the Castlemaine issues.

Thanks

Russell Cadman
(Woodend)


---Original Message-----
From: publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org
[mailto:publictransport-bounces at yarrabug.org] On Behalf Of eve.merton at dcu.ie
Sent: Friday, 15 February 2008 10:38 AM
To: publictransport at yarrabug.org
Subject: [publictransport] Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for getting behind this campaign. It's really opened up my
eyes and given me faith in having some ability to make change happen.

Unfortunately two days ago, I was not allowed to board the express from
Castlemaine
in the morning. There were already about 10 people standing by the time the
train got to Castlemaine (from Bendigo) and, because we are generally polite
and considerate and get on last, we (4) cyclists were not allowed to board
-- even though there were no bikes in the luggage area (only a pusher that
could have been collapsed and stored elsewhere).

When I pointed out that the pusher could be moved, I was told that the train
was already overloaded and we would not be allowed to board anyway. This
is obviously frustrating and unfair. I have been sitting on the floor or
standing nearly every trip for about 3 months now -- all because I am polite
and get on last with my bike so I don't inconvenience other travellers.

I liked someone's point that the luggage area that is designated for
'oversized'
luggage on V'Locity trains could really be kept for oversized luggage --
meaning that the conductors could ask that other luggage be stored overhead
or in the other luggage areas. I can't see this happening though if having
a bike can be used as a convenient excuse to stop people boarding already
overloaded trains.

Don't get me wrong -- I also have two children, one of whom needs a pusher,
which I take on the train when we travel. I store it by collapsing it and
putting it overhead, behaind seats or in the non-oversized luggage areas.
I would be very keen to be involved in drafting a code of practice for all
train travellers.



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