Train Tales
Ok let me explain what triggered off the mobile phone post below. It started when I left work. You should use this map for reference :)
5.10pm – 2 out of the 3 lifts in the building are broken. 5 minutes of waiting and the lift comes. It’s full. Keep waiting. After another 5 minute wait, the lift finally came. I set off for a brisk walk.
5.35pm – Arrived at Town Hall Station. Walked to Platform 6 to the announcement that “trains to Macarthur have resumed.” Strange. Nonetheless, the main point was they were running. Interesting that the platform was less populated than usual.
5.45pm – Fell asleep on the train.
6.10pm – Woke up to an SMS from Burga saying: “from what i saw on the news you are probably waiting 2 hours to get a bus home from work….just go via granville in stead :]” Too late, mate… we were already in the airport tunnel :). I went back to sleep.
6.30pm – Woke up to the train crawling along at a snail’s pace somewhere past Kingsgrove and the guard saying that the train was running 40 minutes behind schedule because we were stuck behind an all stops East Hills train. Great. Couldn’t get back to sleep.
7.00pm – Normally, I would’ve been home by now.
7.10pm – We got past East Hills and finally started travelling at full speed. 5 minutes later we ground to a stop in the middle of nowhere. Well, not exactly nowhere, but somewhere between Holsworthy and Glenfield (which is as good as nowhere). The announcer came on again (he was beginning to get real annoying… he had the volume turned up and was shouting into the PA system) and said we were going to be stationary for 5 minutes while waiting for the train from Liverpool to pass. Real bloody smart. The Liverpool-originating train happened to be an all stops to Campbelltown so once again, our “express train” was caught up chugging behind it. “Chugging” comprised of inching forwards a bit, then grinding to a stop every 2 minutes. It was truly ridiculous. There were a few people in the vestibule area that started making quips at Cityrail:
7.20pm – “Hey, it’s not often you pay for a 60 minute train ride and get a 2 hours one! Freebie!”
7.25pm – Annoying PA guy: “Due to factors I have zero control over, we are now running 52 minutes late.” People start clapping. If there clapping could ever sound sarcastic, it did tonight.
7.30pm – “Let’s get out and push… we’ll get there faster.”
7.31pm – “Screw pushing, I’m walking.”
7.40pm – Annoying PA guy: “For those who have missed the final connecting bus service home at Campbelltown, please go to the stationmaster and demand that he pay for your taxi fare home.”
7.41pm – Train stops again. “Haha…that guy doesn’t like the stationmaster… and the stationmaster probably heard that and stopped the train. We’re never going to reach Campbelltown now.”
7.50pm – “Hey dontcha feel sorry for the people going to Macarthur? They’ll probably say the train is terminating at Campbelltown for today only.”
7.58pm – Annoying PA guy: “Ladies and gentlemen, this train is not going to Macarthur and will be terminating at Campbelltown for today only. Alllllll out, Alllll change!”
7.59pm – Trainful of irate passengers (in unison): “Fuck off!!!”
8.00pm – Train pulls into Campbelltown.
8.20pm – I arrive home, a mere 190 minutes after leaving work.
And that is why they lock the driver and guard compartments on trains. Two weeks of work left! When I’m on holidays I guarantee you won’t hear a peep about trains (I know you’re all sick to death of my train stories, but you’ll just have to live with it, cos I have to :)
9:20pm (GMT +10.00) 
