See this Sydney Morning Herald story on how CityRail transit officers don't actually have the authority to issue valid tickets.

How much more ridiculous can CityRail management get? Situations like this clearly show that there is no intention from the management, or dare one even say "leadership" level, to do any better.

I travel on Singapore's MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) everyday. And everyday I am reminded of how appallingly third-world CityRail is. Even taking into account the relative complexity of the CityRail network over Singapore's, there is still little to explain the huge gap between the two systems. It is currently inconceivable to me that I will see CityRail performing at the level of Singapore's current MRT standard within the next 10 years.