Travelling to Work: the Train

Date: 10 March 2006 08:50:10

The first week that I rode my bike from and to the station near work: well, almost every day. Today (Friday), my legs were quite sore so I gave myself the day off and drove in. A bit quicker...but not as enjoyable.

I don't have anything as exciting as Chas does : grand Town Halls and seats of legendary kings -- well, at least not that I've discovered. But hopefully I can grab some photos and share with you my daily commute.

Part I of my commute is the train trip from Bargo to MacArthur. Travelling on the regional train is a very different experience to the city ones. I'd say they are much more comfortable, and nowhere near as crowded. But far more interesting are the interpersonal dynamics.

People are far, far friendlier. As I'm sure if common on rail networks in all cities, no-one talks on CityRail trains [unless you're loud and precocious school girls ;-)] Silence reigns, and no-one dares make eye-contact. Though you may be crammed in like sardines, it is as if you are all alone.

Not so on the regional trains: at least the Southern Highlands ones. People greet each other as they get on or get off. They actually speak! People also tend to be a bit more vocal, though it doesn't seem to be intrusive: groups of friends will sit in a few rows and talk -- it doesn't seem as annoying as when three or four do it on a city train. Perhaps it is as most people on the regional train are talking: there is a steady hum of background chatter: rather than the silence, broken only by unintelligible announcements on the next station, on the city trains.

Someone sat next to me and accidently bumped into me when they sat: and they apologised!! That was a shock. We then got talking about the delicious chocolates she had consumed against her better nature: and she suggested they'd gone straight to her behind. I commented it was a small price to pay for a good few chocolates. She got off at the next stop, and I returned to my book.

While talking people are doing all manner of things: school and uni kids are catching up on homework, some people are knitting, others are dipping in and out of a book. Others catch up on sleep.

Once we get to MacArthur I change trains. I move to a city train, generally being lucky to get one of the new trains, and it's generally an express. I hold my bike in the vestibule area: thankfully the two stations we stop at in-between my getting on and off are all on the same side so I can keep my bike in the same position, out of peoples' way.

I get off at Holsworthy, which is one of the best-planned stations I have ever seen; probably as it is onee of the latest stations built on the current CityRail network [it was built in 1987]. There is a multi-story car park, a large ground-level car park, and bicycle racks a plenty: and the latter are generally full. The car parks are also full, indicating that if you build it they will come. Holsworthy is mainly known for its Army Barracks, which is a training area and artillery range for the Australian Army.

I then put on my helmet, jump on my bike, and begin the ride to work...