Sydney Visit September 2014

[ozbob]

Heading down to Sydney for a couple days early September, basically to attend opening session at the Australian Institute of Medical Scientists National Scientific Meeting which commemorates 100 years of the Institute.

Which provides a good opportunity to do some travelling on the light rail, trains and buses.

First step. Opal card ordered > https://www.opal.com.au/ . Process straightforward.  See how long it takes to receive the card.

[ozbob]

Sydney Light Rail --> http://www.transdevsydney.com.au/hop-on-board/the-light-rail-network/

[Stillwater]

And if you had kids under the age of 15, Ozbob, you could take them most places for a dollar each.

Kids can go a long way for a dollar

No kidding. Children 15 years and under can travel anywhere on the NSW TrainLink Regional network for just $1 each way when they travel with one or more full-fare-paying adults from the same household.

Children include travellers aged 4-15 (inclusive) and secondary school students with a NSW or Victorian school pupil identification card.

The Kids for $1 fare is available to up to four children in any group. Seats for additional children are charged at the applicable child fare.
http://www.nswtrainlink.info/deals/offers/kids

[ozbob]

Opal card in the mail yesterday with an Opal card starter pack.  So arrived on 6th business day, within the 5-7 days stated.  Good!

Activated the Opal card, balance correct after activation.  Ready to 'opal'  now ..

[STB]

Speaking of Sydney, I'll be down there for an overnight trip on 9th/10th August.  Will be the last time that I use paper tickets, so I'll make sure I keep them for souvenirs!

[ozbob]

Opal land later this week! 

Have booked on the early bird ALS service.

I booked via email last evening, quick response confirming booking.  Good.

[ozbob]

Well, hopefully this time tomorrow will be on board!

[ozbob]

Opal land later this week! 

Have booked on the early bird ALS service.

I booked via email last evening, quick response confirming booking.  Good.

Photograph R Dow 3rd Sep 2014

Arrival at BNE - ALS 'early bird' shuttle service ..  worked well.

Chatting with some fellow travellers on the way in. 
Were not real happy with the fare cut or service improvement survey ....

[Stillwater]

Likewise, I shall be in Sydney for some R and R next week.  May see you on the trains, Ozbob.

[ozbob]

  

I am only there a couple of days ...  will be back on Friday.

[ozbob]

Ok get ready Opal ..  amazing that with all the capping etc. there is still a free after 8 deal.  Pressure to rort though will not be there in the same way with go because of the capping.  Something that could be done for the go card, although would need to be dynamic daily cap to work equitably and sensibly on our system (large zone differentials).

https://www.opal.com.au/en/fares-and-benefits/

Opal benefits:

Weekly Travel Reward

Take 8 paid journeys from Monday-Sunday with an Opal card and enjoy free travel for the rest of the week, excluding the airport station access fee

Sunday $2.50 Travel Cap

Travel all day on Sunday with Opal for no more than $2.50. Travel as much as you want as an Opal customer and pay no more than $2.50 from 4:00am Sunday morning until 3:59am on Monday morning, excluding the airport station access fee

Off-peak train fares

Save with an off-peak discount of 30% on full priced Opal fares when travelling on weekends, public holidays and before or after weekday peak times as below:

    Sydney Trains network area: 7-9 am and 4-6.30 pm weekdays
    NSW TrainLink Intercity services area: 6-8 am and 4-6.30 pm weekdays

Where tap on occurs at a station shared by Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity services, the peak times are as for Sydney Trains.
N.B. Off-peak fares only apply to travel by train.

Daily Travel Cap

With an Opal card you can enjoy travel all day for no more than $15 per day for Adults and $7.50 for Child/Youth from Monday to Saturday, excluding the airport station access fee

Weekly travel cap on Airport Station Access Fee

The Airport station access fee is capped at $21 per week for Adults and $19 for Child/Youth so you can save with Opal.

Travel anywhere during the week for no more than $60

Using your Opal card, you'll never pay more than $60 a week when travelling on all modes of Opal enabled transport from Monday to Sunday excluding the airport station access fee

==============

Very generous compared to the #farefailSEQ ...   

[ozbob]

Few random pics out and about today ...

















































Photographs R Dow 3rd September 2014

[ozbob]

The light rail is excellent.  Plenty of pax and works well.

Opal is quicker than myki, about same as go in response .. but easier to use ...

[ozbob]

Been on some buses today, opal works well.  Easy to read and clear audible 'ting' on touching ..

Sydney is doing well - fair fares for all not just rorters ..

PET $2.50 (used on the light rail, still not opal-ed yet, although staff are doing training for it this week) and opal.





The Star (casino tram stop)



Central







Photographs R Dow 4th September 2014

[ozbob]

Few more pics from today's out and about ..































Photographs R Dow 4th September 2014

[ozbob]

Back to BNE today ...











Photographs R Dow 5 September 2014

[ozbob]

Example of opal history ..



Of the big three, putting fares aside, go myki and opal, I think opal is the best overall.  No great surprise as it is the latest system.

Shame it is not going to be fully mode integrated for transfers, but off setting this though is the very affordable fare structure overall.  Lessons for next generation go card system.

The daily cap will dampen rorting on the 8 and free ...

[ozbob]

Due to weather issues in Melbourne, flow on effects plane to BNE was a hour or so late.

To top it off is the now 'infamous' non-connection at Eagle Junction.

Ippy train departing as the service from BNE arrives at Eagle Junction. 



Photograph R Dow 5 September 2014

Service from EJ to Goodna was running a little late.  Cut down the waiting time for the 524 (15 minutes or so), and being the 3.55pm service was full.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

7 September 2014

Re: SEQ: Fare affordability crisis continues ...

Greetings,

I spent a few days in Sydney last week (see > http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10819.0 ).  The Opal smart card (equivalent of our go card here in SEQ) is an advanced state of roll out.

The opal card worked very well, but what does get visitors from SEQ's attention is the smart fare structure.

Just a few highlights below. Note the opal card has free travel after 8 paid journeys in a week.  However, the daily cap (adult $15) and weekly fare cap (adult $60) on the Opal will dampen the rorting which is now so widespread on the go card, and which also contributes to the high base fares in SEQ.  It also means the casual users are encouraged onto public transport as well as high use users.

A token survey offering a 5% fare 'cut' to  long suffering public transport users in SEQ is not going to do much at all.  What will is proper network reform and fare reform.  Looking at the Opal fare structure would be smart.

SEQ has one of worlds worst fare structures, TransLink's KPIs confirm that.  Fact - it is anti-public transport.  It must be sorted.

https://www.opal.com.au/en/fares-and-benefits/

Opal benefits:

Weekly Travel Reward

Take 8 paid journeys from Monday-Sunday with an Opal card and enjoy free travel for the rest of the week, excluding the airport station access fee

Sunday $2.50 Travel Cap

Travel all day on Sunday with Opal for no more than $2.50. Travel as much as you want as an Opal customer and pay no more than $2.50 from 4:00am Sunday morning until 3:59am on Monday morning, excluding the airport station access fee

Off-peak train fares

Save with an off-peak discount of 30% on full priced Opal fares when travelling on weekends, public holidays and before or after weekday peak times as below:

Sydney Trains network area: 7-9 am and 4-6.30 pm weekdays
NSW TrainLink Intercity services area: 6-8 am and 4-6.30 pm weekdays

Where tap on occurs at a station shared by Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink Intercity services, the peak times are as for Sydney Trains.
N.B. Off-peak fares only apply to travel by train.

Daily Travel Cap

With an Opal card you can enjoy travel all day for no more than $15 per day for Adults and $7.50 for Child/Youth from Monday to Saturday, excluding the airport station access fee

Weekly travel cap on Airport Station Access Fee

The Airport station access fee is capped at $21 per week for Adults and $19 for Child/Youth so you can save with Opal.

Travel anywhere during the week for no more than $60

Using your Opal card, you'll never pay more than $60 a week when travelling on all modes of Opal enabled transport from Monday to Sunday excluding the airport station access fee

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Media release 2nd September 2014

SEQ: Fare affordability crisis continues ...

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers has said the TransLink performance snap shot data for July 2014 has again confirmed that fare 'affordability' remains at crisis levels.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"Fares for public transport in SEQ have gone up in real terms (compound) around 83% for go card and 114% for paper single tickets during the period 2010-2014 (1).

"CPI for the period 2010-2014 has gone up around 9.5% (2).  The sheer magnitude of the fare increases has stagnated patronage on public transport in SEQ.  Fare box revenue is also on the slide.  To continue on this failed fare path is not in the interests of anyone."

"It is then no surprise then that affordability is again the stand out failure for the TransLink Customer Satisfaction KPIs for July 2014 (3). Worst unaffordability ever recorded for rail!"

"It is a great disappointment  to our members, and to many informed public transport users that rather than take the big steps to sort out the failed fare system and the network once and for all, in the shadows of the election a charade survey is put to the public - suggesting that a windfall gain from the cancelled carbon tax can be used to fund cut in fares of 5%."

"A new balanced fare system needs to be put in place immediately, rather than just a notional cut.  A fare system that drives patronage around the clock, is affordable and fair to all demographics.  The present free after nine paid journeys is easily rorted and is adding to further cost pressures for high base fares. This failed fare paradigm was introduced by the former State Government as free after 10 paid journeys in a week. The Newman Government simply carried on the basic flawed paradigm by changing it 9 paid journeys in a week as the threshold. The end result has been worsening patronage, a failed fare box and  worsening affordability overall."

"The nine and free fare paradigm is leading to massive fare box leakage and is NOT making fares affordable at all, the TransLink Affordability KPI attests to that.  It is just a massive rort and a drain on the fare box! (4)"

"There are very big cost savings to be made to the economy by getting people back on public transport with a sound fare system and a truly connected network.  Fares in SEQ are amongst the worlds most expensive. A token fare cut is going to do very little without real reform (5).  Time to act decisively!"

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org


1. http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10048.msg135186#msg135186

2. http://www.oesr.qld.gov.au/products/tables/cpi-all-groups-bris-wt-avg-eight-qtr/index.php

3. http://translink.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/resources/about-translink/reporting-and-publications/open-data/2014-july-snapshot.pdf  page 14

Affordability July 2014



4. 16 Jun 2014: SEQ: Flawed cost estimates for the nine and free go card rort?
http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=10765.0

5. How much is 5%, well not much really .. also  the scheduled fare increase of 2.5% from January 2015 will not happen if the masses vote for fare cuts.

Some examples:

Assume applies to paper as well.

Zone 12 eg. Helensvale 
Go peak $10.87  off 9.06
- 5%      $ 10.32  off $8.60

Paper $15.80
-5%   $15.01

Zone 15 eg. Robina Eudlo
Go peak $13.78  off  $11.03
-5%       $13.09  off  $10.48

Paper $20
-5%   $19

Zone 16 eg. Varsity Lakes, Palmwoods
Go peak $14.85  off  $11.88
-5%       $14.11  off  $11.29

Paper $21.60
-5%   $20.52

Zone 1
Go peak $3.53  off  $2.83
-5%       $3.35  off  $2.69

Paper $5.20
-5%   $4.94

Zone 2
Go peak $4.14  off  $3.32
-5%       $3.93  off  $3.15

Paper $6.10
-5%   $5.80

[ozbob]

Received an email from Opal alerting to expired credit card.  I was once told that TransLink cannot do that for go card customers ...