Remember folks. Service levels are dictated by Government. It's all budget driven. Perth that's the little insignificant metro system that Victorian Government officials hate to be compared with doesn't do this because it is a customer service driven enterprise. I can understand perhaps amending schedules slightly but slashing them is a good way of ensuring passengers remain totally unimpressed with the system they have to use.

Remember it was the 5 sandbelt seats along the Frankston line that threw out the Brumby government in 2010. This government has learnt nothing from this except for the cheap trick of padding out train schedules to make it look like services are running on time.

The travelling public have long memories...

This time next year there may well have been a change of government and the Napthine administration seems to be doing all it can to ensure this is the case.

Mike.

The travelling public have long memories...

They certainly do.

Many of them here remember the days - only  a few years ago - when the City was 62 - 63 minutes away on most trains and around 54 minutes on an express.  It takes around 10 minutes more now with more modern rolling stock and, apart from swapping of Armadale, Toorak and Hawksburn calls with the Dandenong lines, no additional stops on most trains.  Expresses now mostly stop also at Malvern.

We shall see when Victoria drifts back to work whether the 20-minute headway is adequate.  I suspect it will cause gross overcrowding.

Elsewhere our friends at Vicsig are engaged in a discussion over the number of motor vehicles now being clocked driving through tram-only platform stops, tram-only lanes or tram-only streets most of which are in the CBD.

At this time of year a good many people travel into Melbourne who might otherwise not do so.  Possibly for the sales, possibly just as an annual holiday event or for other reasons.   Many are unfamiliar with recent changes in the City and find themselves stuck or making potentially serious errors while driving.  Signposting is there but can be confusing and excessive.  

If some of those people could be persuaded to instead go by train then perhaps we might see fewer instances of cars driving through tram stops, over footpaths, through Bourke St Mall and the Swanston St tram-only section.  And fewer accidents as motorists unfamiliar with such delights as hook turns complete them incorrectly or not at all.  

But if the trains are running at half the normal timetable and possibly overloaded what message does this send?  

Yeah, I suppose you're right. My $140,000 a year job isn't real, is it?

You talk about civilisation as if it's a good thing. I pity you. Your attitude towards anything and everything rural (including the people) is appalling, but that's pretty typical of the inner city, apartment dwelling types who try and tell themselves they're living not just breathing.
You, sir, sum up everything I despise about the city and precisely why I will never live in that cesspit. At least my neighbours from the 'boondocks' aren't self important, pompous jerks.

Stick with your pitiful hourly service then. Just don't expect us to put up with it.

I grew up in the boondocks and hated it. I would never, ever go back.

Yes it's pitiful and I'm sure we are going to hear lots of spin between now and November.