Charter trains to home games - what do you think?

[BIKER_DRAGON]

i'm surprised no one has mention, some nrl fans allegedly smashed lights on the train from syd olympic park on saturday night,returning from the bulldogs and knights game, one teen was charged after he assulted a male officer.

Dead set you cant take them bulldog puppies anywhere....except to the animal shelter to be euthenaised.

 

[_snafu_]

I don't know about chartering trains, but the cost of the fare for train travel (ordinary timetable) should be included in the price for admission.

The Red V buses are good because they go from leagues club to ground without any stops.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

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The Red V buses are good because they go from leagues club to ground without any stops.

So empty your bladder before boarding the bus.... or do the windows open?

 

[gonzerelli]

Good thinking, but it's not something that's really viable. The Club already charters buses for this specific purpose, from respective Leagues Clubs to the grounds, yet these are poorly frequented, and as such operate at a loss. Now, I don't know exact figures, but I can only assume that chartering a train would be a LOT more expensive than chartering a bus!

I can remember a number of years ago that CityRail trains from the South Coast line would allow for an extra stop at Carlton on game day at Kogarah, for quite a number of services leading up to the game. This is not something I have seen for a few years, though, and could well be something the Club could look at before we start playing at Jubilee this year.

Also, in practical terms, CityRail really can't put any more passenger services onto the South Coast line, chartered or otherwise. The line pretty much runs at capacity, due to various single-track stretches and speed restrictions (particularly due to the deteriorating state of track supports around Stanwell Park).

Believe me, I sympathise with the irritations of train travel. I know that when I attend a night game at ANZ Stadium, I will invariably be on the last train to Wollongong, and so won't get home until around 2:30am.

 

[Stuart Midgley]

I think the train would be more attractive than the buses, and I have reasons but no time to type them out right now. (Flat out at work.)

Working on getting proper costings. Should have some info by the end of the week.

 

[Stuart Midgley]

Yes, the coaches from the clubs is an interesting one, and I gathered they don't do great business. I think there are several reasons for this:

• Coaches are just not as comfortable as a (seated) train. The seats are smaller, the motion is rougher, the space more cramped.
• Entry and exit via the stairs can be hard for less mobile people
• There is one toilet (if you're lucky), they are often less than good (even in a new coach) and using them on the move is not fun
• People (especially kids) often get sick on coaches, usually towards the back. And the vomit smell on a coach hangs around.

Whereas trains:

• Have a much larger amount of space per person (when not oversold)
• Have room to get up and walk around - or for the kids to move if they get fidgity
• Have much better access, including for wheelchairs
• Have proper toilets on the South Coast sets
• Have good air conditioning/heating

However, I think there is something much more important as to why the coaches fail and trains might succeed - convenience. The coaches from the Leagues Club(s) are not convenient for most people.

To get people to take public transport to a game it has to be the easiest option they have. We will all choose the quickest, lowest hassle option available for getting there and back. If the best option is public transport, we will take public transport. If the best option is driving, we will drive. (And, incidentally, if there are no good options, many of us will choose to stay at home and not bother.)

The biggest problem with the coaches is that they aren't very convenient. Quite aside from the comfort issues I listed above most people don't live near the Leagues Club, so taking the coach means a trip to the leagues club and back home as well as the actual coach trip down or up the freeway.

That might be fine if you live around the corner from the club but what about the members who live 10km away? There are Saints members in Rockdale, Bexley, Hurstville and Oatley. They face driving to the club and home again afterwards, catching public transport or taking a taxi.

Now some people can't drive and many don't want to for various reason (including that they don't intend to be in a fit state to drive by the time they get back). And as for public transport, I know up here in Sydney the club is not well served by buses, so it could easily take an hour on public transport plus a 1km walk just to get to the club - and the same to get home again at some time after midnight. All topped off with 3 hours of coach travel in the middle. Yuck.

And what about people who live south of Kogarah or north of Wollongong? Imagine someone who has to travel from Oatley up to Kogarah only to take the coach back down south again - that would be really annoying. Ditto if you live at Thirroul and have to drive down to Wollongong only to then promptly head north again.

All in all, when you think about the hassle of getting to the club and home again, the time the coach takes to drive to the game and back and the coach experience itself, you just wouldn't bother. And people don't.

The great advantage of a train is that it can stop at a number of stations and thus be more convenient to a lot more people. Instead of one starting location it can have 10. Central, Redfern, Sydenham, Wolli Creek, Rockdale, Kogarah, Carlton, Allawah, Hurstville, Sutherland - that's 10 stops, each of which is easier to get to than the leagues club. And a train only take 15 minutes to cover them all before heading for the express run south. Ditto with Coniston, Wollongong, North Wollongong and so forth when travelling in the other direction.

Work in the city? All you have to do for a Friday night game in Wollongong is get to Central by 5.30. Live at Riverwood? You can be at Wolli Creek in 15 minutes and grab the Saints Express at 5.45. Work in Hurstville? Grab a quick beer at the pub after work and then jump on at 5.50pm.

If you add the ease and convenience of catching a train, combined with the better onboard experience and you know it's a special 60 minute express run - that's got to be a lot more appealing than a coach that leaves from a hard to reach location and takes 90 minutes each way.

Cost - I'm working on that. Already spoken to Cityrail and Heritage Railways (the people who run the old trains for private charters) and will let you know once quotes and more info come in.

What do you guys think about my comments above? Please tell me if I'm right, wrong or just plain crazy!

 

[_snafu_]

So empty your bladder before boarding the bus.... or do the windows open?

Use an empty bottle.