Appalling Train Journeys - Sydney Style

[THE RED ROOSTER]

Those who found my world cup public transport endurance test entertaining, might like this.

I was in Campbelltown this March and going to see the Roosters v NZ Warriors game at the SFS, So left my motel and went off to the game around 8.00am thinking I would be doing a bit of the tourist thing in the city centre before going via tram to the SFS. When I got to Campbelltown I was told the power lines had gone down ar Revesby so I am diverted first up to Glenfield then changing onto the Leppington line up to Liverpool and then changing against onto the Bankstown Line.

Now the stopping Bankstown service, is an a*rse on a good day, on thiks particular day it got slower and slower as all trains were being routed through the City Circle. Now Sydney Suburban trains do not have toilets (Intercity ones to Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Kiama do) so the longer the journey got the more passengers got totally bladdered including this writer ,so by the time the train crawled into Erskineville, it wasa abandon ship and I was third in the conga line forming outside the one Unisex Toilet atr Erskineville Station.

Having had my Manneken Pis moment and the train now long gone. I walked from Marrackville to Redfern Station where chaos reigned. I finally got on a train taking me to Central and arrived at about 1.00pm FIVE hours after leaving Campbelltown.

Post game, there was no way I was going to wait for the tram service so went back the old way downhill through Foveaux Street to Central. Getting on the Airport and Southern Line which was terminating at Kingsgrove where passengers were told a bus would going on a stopping service from Kingsgrove to Glenfield where the trains would be running. so we all get off at Kingsgrove Station and go right, No sign of City Rail staff they have knocked off for the day as iot was 7.00pm. There are three buses there but only one Bus Driver who knew the route, so the buses moved off like a couple of ducklings following their mother.

After a lengthy tour of South Western Sydney suburbs, we finally got to Glenfield and wait for it there's no trains to Campbelltown, so we are all told cross the road and get the bus. Righto we get the bus a 870 IIRC. Now unlike the UK, if your travelling in Australia at night there's not a lot of lighting in the suburbs . In fact it's pitch black , so much even the locals struggle to find a landmark meaning they get off at the right stop. Fortunately, I know my way around Campbelltown and Leumeah so I was able to tell the Driver where my stop was, which is good because he did not know, and I eventiually got back to my Motel at around 10:00pm.

All this for a nondescript NRL game in which James Tedesco proved the difference maker in a narrow Roosters win. I was at least two for two on Roosters wins when out there this year, as ever since Rooster wins have been like hens teeth....

[Graham]

Reading that was just like being there.

Cheers

[Irish Saint]

Thanks for confirming Sydney suburbs have less lighting than North Korea. I have mentioned on here before that aerial shots at some games show very little lighting in the area around the stadiums\ grounds.

[Anita Bath]

9 hours ago, THE RED ROOSTER said:

Those who found my world cup public transport endurance test entertaining, might like this.

I was in Campbelltown this March and going to see the Roosters v NZ Warriors game at the SFS, So left my motel and went off to the game around 8.00am thinking I would be doing a bit of the tourist thing in the city centre before going via tram to the SFS. When I got to Campbelltown I was told the power lines had gone down ar Revesby so I am diverted first up to Glenfield then changing onto the Leppington line up to Liverpool and then changing against onto the Bankstown Line.

Now the stopping Bankstown service, is an a*rse on a good day, on thiks particular day it got slower and slower as all trains were being routed through the City Circle. Now Sydney Suburban trains do not have toilets (Intercity ones to Newcastle, the Blue Mountains and Kiama do) so the longer the journey got the more passengers got totally bladdered including this writer ,so by the time the train crawled into Erskineville, it wasa abandon ship and I was third in the conga line forming outside the one Unisex Toilet atr Erskineville Station.

Having had my Manneken Pis moment and the train now long gone. I walked from Marrackville to Redfern Station where chaos reigned. I finally got on a train taking me to Central and arrived at about 1.00pm FIVE hours after leaving Campbelltown.

Post game, there was no way I was going to wait for the tram service so went back the old way downhill through Foveaux Street to Central. Getting on the Airport and Southern Line which was terminating at Kingsgrove where passengers were told a bus would going on a stopping service from Kingsgrove to Glenfield where the trains would be running. so we all get off at Kingsgrove Station and go right, No sign of City Rail staff they have knocked off for the day as iot was 7.00pm. There are three buses there but only one Bus Driver who knew the route, so the buses moved off like a couple of ducklings following their mother.

After a lengthy tour of South Western Sydney suburbs, we finally got to Glenfield and wait for it there's no trains to Campbelltown, so we are all told cross the road and get the bus. Righto we get the bus a 870 IIRC. Now unlike the UK, if your travelling in Australia at night there's not a lot of lighting in the suburbs . In fact it's pitch black , so much even the locals struggle to find a landmark meaning they get off at the right stop. Fortunately, I know my way around Campbelltown and Leumeah so I was able to tell the Driver where my stop was, which is good because he did not know, and I eventiually got back to my Motel at around 10:00pm.

All this for a nondescript NRL game in which James Tedesco proved the difference maker in a narrow Roosters win. I was at least two for two on Roosters wins when out there this year, as ever since Rooster wins have been like hens teeth....

Wow….and you have been back using Sydney trains for more?
 

I have had my own instances of ###### ups on trains though mine relate more to the intercity trains. Travelling on the Newcastle to Sydney train after the Eng v NZ world cup game in 2008. Train stops in the middle of nowhere …pitch black. After about an hour we are told that further down the line some bloke had jumped of a bridge and killed himself so line closed. We had to walk down the line for about 2 miles to reach the next station and then wait for a bus replacement. I was staying in a hotel in Gosford with my wife who didnt go to the game and told her Id be back about midnight. You can imagine what awaited me when I eventually walked in at 4am.

[R L Winger]

I don't use public transport in Sydney it is too unreliable. I used to love living in Sydney but now a days I hate going near the place especially where I was born Bondi, it is way too crowded you can't find a parking spot and the trains break down or get cancelled at Bondi Junction station and same with the buses. I just wish they had more games at Central Coast Stadium much easier to get too and get out of. Maybe one day the Roosters might decide to relocate to the Central Coast permanently. Way more juniors for them than what they have around Bondi.