Article: Passengers forced off train at Diamond Creek (i.e. terminated early)

[somebody]

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/commuters-ordered-off-late-train-in-cold-wet-20110525-1f383.html

Commuters ordered off late train in 'cold, wet'
Megan Levy
May 25, 2011

    Comments 123

Metro has apologised to up to 100 train passengers who were dumped two stations short of their destination in Melbourne's north-east last night because the peak-hour train was running late.

Passengers were told to get off the train at Diamond Creek station, two stops before its intended destination of Hurstbridge, so the train could return to the city.

One person complained that passengers were left "in the cold, wet and dark" at the unmanned station for an hour before the next train arrived.
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However Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said the next service arrived at Diamond Creek station 28 minutes later.

Mr Whitefield said a city-bound train on the Hurstbridge line was vandalised earlier in the day and was pulled out of service.

As a result, a stand-by train was called in to run the 4.49pm service from Flinders Street Station to Hurstbridge, which departed about 10 minutes late.

"Instead of cancelling the whole service, we chose to run the train as far as we could before it was going to have a detrimental knock-on effect to other services that evening," Mr Whitefield said.

Train controllers instructed the train to return to the city at Diamond Creek so it could travel along the single section of track between Greensborough and Diamond Creek stations without causing delays to other Eltham, Hurstbridge or Epping trains, he said.

"We apologise for those passengers who would have had to wait at Diamond Creek for around 30 minutes for the next scheduled Hurstbridge-bound service," Mr Whitefield said.

"For them to be put out by someone else vandalising a train earlier is unacceptable, and we encourage people to contact us directly on             1800 MY METRO       to voice their concerns."

He said the train was classified as cancelled regardless of whether it terminated at Hurstbridge or Flinders Street Station.

"This has nothing to do with trying to avoid fines," he said.

"A train that doesn't reach its final destination such as this still contributes to our cancellation rate. We will always work to run a full service, and if that's not possible, we will always try to try to run a service as far as possible."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/commuters-ordered-off-late-train-in-cold-wet-20110525-1f383.html#ixzz1NQZ3UNKZ

[#Metro]

Mr Whitefield said a city-bound train on the Hurstbridge line was vandalised earlier in the day and was pulled out of service.

As a result, a stand-by train was called in to run the 4.49pm service from Flinders Street Station to Hurstbridge, which departed about 10 minutes late.

Connecting free shuttle bus anyone???

[#Metro]

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=safari&q=Hurstbridge,+Victoria&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hurstbridge+Victoria&gl=au&ll=-37.655694,145.183811&spn=0.044169,0.141277&t=h&z=14

Melbourne has a train network that has good coverage of the city. Surprising to see it go out to a place like Hurstbridge where there essentially isn't much at all.

[SurfRail]

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?client=safari&q=Hurstbridge,+Victoria&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Hurstbridge+Victoria&gl=au&ll=-37.655694,145.183811&spn=0.044169,0.141277&t=h&z=14

Melbourne has a train network that has good coverage of the city. Surprising to see it go out to a place like Hurstbridge where there essentially isn't much at all.

Well, it has been argued quite convincingly by some that the vast majority (or all) services should be terminating at Eltham, or even Greensborough, with a shuttle train or bus for the remainder.  It's hardly Route 96 up there.