Article: Connex may close city stations over fear of overcrowding deathsArticle

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Connex may close city stations over fear of overcrowding deaths

Connex may close city stations over fear of overcrowding deaths
Article from: Herald Sun

Staff writers

January 15, 2009 12:00am

UPDATE 07:05am CONNEX may close stations amid alarm that overcrowding could cost lives as the system faced more cancellations.

At least 11 trains have been cancelled this morning, including services from Ringwood, Werribee, Alamein and Sandringham.

To check for cancellations, visit www.connexmelbourne.com.au/

Meanwhile fears of danger to passengers have also raised the prospect of glass barriers on platforms. The plans are set out in a confidential Connex document seen by the Herald Sun.

As commuters endured another horror day:

CONNEX blamed the heat and a power failure for the cancellation of up to 100 trains in the past two days.

THE PUBLIC Transport Users Association said the Government, not Connex, was responsible for keeping the system up to scratch.

A Connex spokesman yesterday confirmed that the contents of the document, its 2008 corporate plan, were genuine.

"In future there may be a need to consider temporarily closing stations where crowd loading poses a threat to safety," the document says.

It also says: "(The) option of installing a glass wall along station platforms with platform doors may need to be investigated. (There will be a) need to accommodate the differing door locations on Melbourne's existing trains."

Connex spokesman Mark Paterson said the contents of the document had to be viewed in context.

The extract was referring to stations in the CBD being closed in the event of a huge surge in passengers on a particular day.

Such incidents would only occur when "100 things went wrong at once".

"(Closing the station) is always an option open to the stationmaster," he said.

Transport Department secretary Jim Betts has ordered an inquiry into the leaking of the document.

Mr Mulder said: "Connex has not been provided with the extra trains required to deal with overcrowding.

"Obviously Connex is concerned about the potential for passengers to be pushed over the edge of narrow platforms into the path of oncoming trains by a stampeding crowd in a mad rush to secure a place on a train."

Connex said 45 services were cancelled during Tuesday's afternoon peak because of hot weather.

But the Public Transport Users Association suggested up to 70 were cancelled.

Connex spokeswoman Lanie Harris said heat, failed air-conditioning and a power failure caused the cancellations.

Lynne Kosky dismissed calls for her resignation. Terry Mulder said the crisis plan was an act of desperation.

- Ashley Gardiner,  Geraldine Mitchell and Rachel Hewitt

[ozbob]

Editorial Melbourne Herald Sun January 15th.

Minister Lynne Kosky goes off the rails
Article from: Herald Sun

Editorial

January 15, 2009 12:00am

YESTERDAY'S cool change failed to provide relief for passengers who stood on hot and crowded platforms as trains failed to turn up to take them to work.

But besieged Transport Minister Lynne Kosky appeared indifferent to their frustration after the Herald Sun ran an online poll to see whether commuters thought she should join them on the way home.

It was no contest, as they responded overwhelmingly that Ms Kosky should take the train instead of sitting back in her air-conditioned ministerial car.

When Ms Kosky deigns to travel by train to hear what the paying customers think, she usually cops an earful.

Yesterday, she was having none of it. She called the poll "a stunt", which will only inflame angry commuters.

The morning rush slowed to a crawl yesterday as temperatures neared 40C on the hottest day of summer.

When the temperature soars too high, the air-conditioning on some trains cannot cope. Rather than risk passengers dropping with heat prostration, at least 40 trains were cancelled.

Cancelled trains and delays have led to other concerns over passenger safety.

A 2008 Connex document seen by the Herald Sun suggests putting barriers along platforms to stop people being pushed on to the tracks.

This seems unnecessary when a simpler option is to make sure the trains run regularly.

But is it going to take a death on the tracks to push the minister into overhauling what is a ramshackle system?

Bad-tempered passengers may be one reason for Ms Kosky to go home in her chauffeur-driven limousine.

But a passenger death would not only cost the minister her job.

It could derail the Government at the next election.