Our beleaguered City Rail is mired in negativity, what with constant delays, trackworks, old trains and other problems. So what do commuters actually experience when waiting on a platform for a late train? A constant barrage of recorded apologies!
Who in their right minds thought this one up? Heaping more negativity on top of negativity does not positivity make! How about these ideas for a change?
- Stop playing those horrid recorded apologies. No one believes them anyway.
- Funny and honest announcements would be much better. Eg: “The 5:45 train due on platform 3 has disappeared. It will be replaced by the 5:30 train”. Or “The 3:20 Hornsby train does not want to go to Hornsby anymore. Please listen to announcements.”
- During trackwork delays, hand out lollies on the rail busses.
- On peak-hour services, hand out free coffees to office workers.
- Name each train. Like Percy, or Molly or some such. Get local primary schools to paint their trains. Get local street artists to paint their trains (I am serious)! If you can do it with planes, why not trains?
- Have theme days at each station - empower and allow the local station staff to make each station their very own. Invite the community to meet their local station staff over sausage sizzles.
I am not pretending these are solutions to the core challenges City Rail faces. But they will surely go a long way towards establishing more positive and real connections with commuters.
