This weekend there have been service alterations due to works between Southern Cross/Flinders Street. Trying to workout your ongoing service was a tad confusing. So why not write PTV (because you can't complain directly to Metro any more) a civilised note. I'll post when I hear back from them.
Hello PTV,
I would like to provide some feedback regarding this weekends service alterations due to works between Southern Cross/Flinders Street (9/10 Feb 2013).
I was coming from Hawthorn to the City and needed to get to North Melbourne. On arrival at Flinders Street, I went down into Degraves Subway, expecting the Passenger Information Display to advise the best train to get to North Melbourne, presumably via Southern Cross Station.
However the Passenger information screen was next to useless. The problem is that it lists all the platforms, and the next train to depart form each platform. But in most cases it said "train not taking passengers" or "wait for announcement". Which is useless. While standing in Degraves subway there is no way to ascertain which platform to go to for a particular destination, and you can't trust that the destination will suddenly appear on screen. You also can't go and wait on a platform that might normally be used for a particular line because during service disruptions platforms seem to chop and change at random.
The end result is that without a clear display of what trains will be departing from where, you are likely to run between platforms and up and down stairs hoping you might find the correct one, and in the process miss your connecting service.
It doesn't help that there are no displays on the platforms themselves to best advise the correct platform to go to for your ongoing service, and only so much information can be passed over PA systems. I understand that platform assignments can change suddenly due to signalling and other factors but it would be nice if some attempt to provide meaningful interchange information to travellers rather than a single screen just telling you what train is departing from the platform you are on.
I would hope that this is an area that might be improved, in a similar way to say Richmond station, where screens on each Platform tell you the best platform to go to and the number of minutes you have to get there for all destinations serviced by the station.
I look forward to a your timely response.
Hello PTV,
I would like to provide some feedback regarding this weekends service alterations due to works between Southern Cross/Flinders Street (9/10 Feb 2013).
I was coming from Hawthorn to the City and needed to get to North Melbourne. On arrival at Flinders Street, I went down into Degraves Subway, expecting the Passenger Information Display to advise the best train to get to North Melbourne, presumably via Southern Cross Station.
However the Passenger information screen was next to useless. The problem is that it lists all the platforms, and the next train to depart form each platform. But in most cases it said "train not taking passengers" or "wait for announcement". Which is useless. While standing in Degraves subway there is no way to ascertain which platform to go to for a particular destination, and you can't trust that the destination will suddenly appear on screen. You also can't go and wait on a platform that might normally be used for a particular line because during service disruptions platforms seem to chop and change at random.
The end result is that without a clear display of what trains will be departing from where, you are likely to run between platforms and up and down stairs hoping you might find the correct one, and in the process miss your connecting service.
It doesn't help that there are no displays on the platforms themselves to best advise the correct platform to go to for your ongoing service, and only so much information can be passed over PA systems. I understand that platform assignments can change suddenly due to signalling and other factors but it would be nice if some attempt to provide meaningful interchange information to travellers rather than a single screen just telling you what train is departing from the platform you are on.
I would hope that this is an area that might be improved, in a similar way to say Richmond station, where screens on each Platform tell you the best platform to go to and the number of minutes you have to get there for all destinations serviced by the station.
I look forward to a your timely response.
This will be my complaint, except I'll be more snarky.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall if it was Degraves or Elizabeth Street, but I struck the same problem. I had to exit the station to look at displays and then re-enter. I complained to Metro and was fobbed off with soothing words.
ReplyDelete