skeptic
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Sydney trains world's worst By Heath Aston, Transport Reporter
March 21, 2007 12:00
SYDNEY'S train system is a global laughing stock, with performance levels hopelessly below every major city from Europe to South America, according to a damning independent report buried by CityRail.
Rail experts from Hong Kong were paid by CityRail to compare Sydney with metro systems around the world for efficiency, cost effectiveness, reliability and maintenance.
They found that Sydney lags behind every city on every key indicator – even compared with the rail systems of Santiago in Chile, Bangkok and Moscow.
The results are so embarrassing that, despite having received the report midway through last year, CityRail chief executive Vince Graham still hasn't presented the findings to the RailCorp board or Transport Minister John Watkins.
The findings include:
CITYRAIL trains travel on average just 32km before getting delayed more than five minutes, whereas trains in Hong Kong travel 396km before being delayed;
CITYRAIL'S operating costs are a whopping $6.70 per passenger, compared with 98c in Europe and 69c in Asia;
THE cost of running a Sydney train station is four times the international average; and
CITYRAIL drivers are behind the controls for less than three hours of any seven-hour l shift compared with nearly five in Hong Kong.
Premier Morris Iemma today dismissed as "not valid" the government-commissioned report and claimed the report had made unfair comparisons. "The comparisons in the report are just not valid," he said at Kingscliff in the marginal northern NSW electorate of Tweed, where he was campaigning today for Saturday's state election.
"To compare the Sydney network, with some 2000 kilometres of track, with the Moscow track which has some 200 is not a valid comparison, nor is the comparison with Hong Kong at 56 stations and the CityRail network with more than 300.
"However, the government has heard the message loud and clear that the people do want their services improved and expanded and rail is the government's number one priority."
Surfacing just a week after the network meltdown that trapped 4000 commuters and stranded 40,000 more, the confidential report by Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation vindicates the public perception that Sydney's system is woefully inadequate.
"CityRail shows high overall cost as well as high station staff cost compared to MTR and other railways, coupled with relatively low efficiency," the authors note.
"Reliability levels are well below MTR and international benchmarks."
Last night Mr Graham said the spread of Sydney's network made comparisons with more compact metros fraught.
"This increases the operating costs of the RailCorp network when compared to other rail systems," he said.
"As an example, the London Underground has almost four times the patronage of the RailCorp system (1 billion compared with 275 million), with less than half the network size."
RailCorp executives are well aware of London's peculiarities.
Sources at RailCorp said Station Operations Manager Tony Eid returned this week from a month-long trip to study the Underground.
Last year 17 RailCorp executives flew to mainly European destinations for conferences at a cost to the taxpayer of $250,000.
Despite the insistence of Mr Graham, Mr Watkins and Premier Morris Iemma that CityRail's service is improving, commuters are still waiting too long – particularly in the afternoon peak.
Transport Minister John Watkins said last night he had not been shown the report.
"This report by an overseas operator is clearly flawed and that is why it has not been presented to the Government," he said.
Rail unions last night said they expect RailCorp will use the findings to justify slashing up to 1000 more station staff after Saturday's election.
Contacted in Hong Kong yesterday, MTR declined to comment
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