Firstly, I must say my commute when without a hitch. Ran on time and the guards were quite clearly heard over the loud speaker. The service ran as expected.
Today I have been giving thought to how a person of limited mobility would traverse the lines on which I travel and at the times I travel. The only answer I can come up with is that it is simply not possible for such individuals to travel in the same manner between Oak Flats and North Ryde at 4:30 am. I will now detail why.
The first issue I see is the ability to actually board the train at Oak Flats. At the ungodly hour at which I travel the station is not staffed. This then puts the onus of assisting mobility challenged passengers on and off the train to the guard. This is by no means an insurmountable issue and most guards would be more than happy to assist in the process that usually consists of a metal bridge across the gap, it is though a disruption for both the consumer and the guard.
Now thinking about this it is a simple device that requires manual processes to erect and disassemble. Surely though in this day and age a technically superior and customer friendly solution is possible, or could be innovatively developed by CityRail if investment was not a filthy word. Here is an idea, perhaps a platform that extends from the train to the platform when the doors open, and retracts when the doors close. Such a platform could extend all the way to the yellow line thus preventing over zealous patrons from preventing existing passengers from alighting the service.
A device of this kind would also be proactive in assisting all passengers, in particular the elderly and small children, from having to mind the gap as the gap would be covered. Such a simple device would surely be relatively easily developed, and not cost an arm and a leg. Exactly what would likely be cost if someone did fall through the gap.
CityRail has never been known for investment, especially for innovative matters. They have however invested in station upgrades. That said where those upgrades have been installed could be called into question.
The classic example is Redfern station. Redfern is a core station on the metropolitan leg of the network with services heading toward Central station from the south or west passing through the station. As such it is a thoroughly trafficked station, however most of the platforms do not offer elevators to assist mobility challenged patrons to navigate the station. I know personally I have struggled to scale these long and steep stairs when I had a sore knee at times. As such I am bemused that small metropolitan stations like Mortdale and Carlton received elevator upgrades ahead of this key station.
Having said that, the fact that any station on the entire CityRail network is not mobility friendly simply begs belief. It should be a mandatory requirement that these stations be upgraded so that some of the most public transport reliant citizens can use a basic community service without having to dodge stations that are simply not considerate to their needs.
Another issue that stems from underinvestment is the fact that many old trains frequent the intercity lines. Many have a secondary door on the inside of the carriage that is positioned in a manner that is impossible for wheelchair users to navigate, not to mention mothers with prams. This leaves these passengers the choice to:
- Travel in the entranceway that is noisy and prone to the elements, in particular wind chill.
- Wait for a modern train that has a friendlier entrance and seating arrangement that allows them to enter the train properly. Such services though are in a minority on most lines, and could lead to lengthy delays for these citizens to travel.
CityRail need to make a firm commitment to retire these antiques and replace them with more modern services.
What New South Wales requires is a government that is not afraid to make clear and strong decisions in relation to public transport generally, and rail specifically. Each service authority should have as part of their contract a minimum commitment to investment within the network to improve the service. Controls then need to be put in place and enforced. Only then can the public transport system have a chance of recovery and development and become a proud infrastructure piece of NSW. Unfortunately it appears that neither side has the intestinal fortitude to take this on.
