[update] Train problems...

In Melbourne, the train system is notorious for running in a non-optimal manner. During the last few years, it has not been uncommon for trains to run late or for cancellations to occur. They have recently improved on those statistics, but that has largely been due to fiddling around with the timetabling to extend the trips on some lines by about four minutes. They are upgrading the infrastructure now on weekends, but the rollout will take some time.

Today, I didn't have very good luck with the trains. I left home at what I felt was a reasonably early time, with a few minutes of buffer. However, I was unlucky to run into more traffic than usual, and I also ran into more red lights than usual on my way to the train station carpark.

When I reached the carpark, I knew that it was about time for the train to come. I usually catch the 8.04 train from my train station or earlier, and it was almost 8.04 so I ran as soon as I got out of the car. Then I saw the train arriving at the station as I was running, and I ran even faster even though it was improbable that I would reach it in time (well, sometimes the train stays at the station for a while). Unfortunately, I miss the train literally by less than 10 seconds. When I validated my myki card, I see on the myki card reader that the time was exactly 8.04, so the 8.04 train was running on time for once.

Now usually when I can't catch the 8.04 train, then I have to wait for the 8.13 train from my station. Even worse, the 8.13 train is not an express train (skipping stations), unlike the 8.04 train. Today, to make matters worse, the 8.13 train was canceled so I had to wait until the 8.25 train which was not express either. Now that really sucked. Needless to say, instead of arriving to uni on time, I got there almost half an hour late for a prac. I wonder if it would have been quicker to drive all the way to the city.

The timetabling is pretty silly, especially because it's around peak time. Then with just one cancellation... argh...