The XPT was not just late but a total of almost 3 hours late!
The Friday overnight train is suppose to depart around 8.30 pm however we didn't depart until around 10.30 pm. We were meant to make up time during the night but instead of arriving at around 7.30 am arrived around 9.45 am on Saturday - losing another half an hour or so! Sorry I gave up on keeping track of the time.
The train was at almost full capacity and I was told that someone would be seated next to me but no one did which meant I could have stretched out instead of putting up with seat B22 which would not recline and kept popping back up all night long! Expected no shows due to the long delay.
There were plenty of jokes coming from my estimate of 300 passengers bound for Melbourne from Central Station.
We were kept in the dark about why the train was delayed. By 8.30 pm the NSW Trainlink office at Central had closed so no use asking them and the food outlets had all shut so we had to make do with the vending machines. Compensation was a complimentary coffee or tea but with 300 passengers it was wait your turn especially when they ran out of water and a walk to platform 4 which was crowed with people waiting for the extremely delayed Sydney to Melbourne XPT.
Everytime we saw a train arrive or depart we waited for news that that XPT or Explorer was our train but trains arrived and departed from platforms 1 2 3 and none were ours. I yell out " Does anyone know how to drive an XPT or an Explorer train? - let's just hijack one!" The other joke I made was when each XPT arrived , I noted that each had a clear 4 digit number on it one said 2010 the other 2008. I made a comment - " Are these actually the years each train was meant to be retired?" New trains not released until 2020 - by then we will have a new airport and still no light rail or new regional trains!
Finally 20 minutes before the XPT is due to arrive there is movement towards platform 4 - the luggage followed by catering buggys are moving towards platform 4 - quick get up and move it is a long walk to first class along platform 4 ie the pointy end - see you later plebs! (as a joke). As I walked to platform 4 I spotted a devout Muslim preparing to pray. As he prayed I said to a lady travelling in a sleeper in car A on this XPT that I hoped he was preying for the train to arrive!
Throughout the 2 hours delay we all took it in turns to listen to any announcements or seek out any useful information as to an ETA.
After hearing the first announcement of " The XPT from Sydney to Melbourne.." went blank with no further information I waited for the second announcement which advised us that the train was running 30 minutes late. Then someone reported it was an hour late. Holy S***!
In between I tried to seek out information about where the train is presently - in the yard according to a NSW Trainlink officer when he looked on the track screen, I inquired further "In the yard at Redfern?" - no in the yard at Sydenham" - I hope I spelt the station correctly and close enough. The officer was unable to look up any further information about the delay so this was a start.
I then remembered that when I was at Town Hall there were train delays due to a signal outage between Campsie and Sydenham which may be the cause - later found this was an incorrect assumption as the XPTs came from the North and the cause was a derailment, points issue (whatever that means) , no spare trains and cleaning/safety checks.
As a result a domino effect. I didn't have time to have a free shower back at the Melbourne YHA so ended up with a toliet stop first then using the Travellers Aid at Southern Cross Station and paying $10 to have a very quick shower hoping to catch the next hourly train from Southern Cross Station to Bacchus Marsh leaving at 10.16 am but because all the paid lockers were taken at the station I missed the train and had to walk all the way back to Melbourne YHA hoping to get a paid locker there. No time to check in just dump my bag, pay and leave. I asked if I could check in but was advised no so said that I would return later.
I walked back to Southern Cross Station to get some cash out, some snacks for the 45 minute train trip to Bacchus Marsh and to check the platform number the train was departing from. No time to waste.
Safely on the 11.16 am train, I just sat and relaxed a little however I was still really tired. Don't fall asleep as I will miss my stop and end up in Ballarat! I ate my snacks and turned my phone off trying to conserve battery power as there are no charging stations any where at the station or on the trains.
I arrived at Bacchus Marsh around noon and was so worried that all the cherries and strawberries had been picked and the gates closed for the rest of the weekend of the Strawberry and Cherry Festival and that I travelled all this way just to miss out.
I caught the public bus into town from outside Bacchus Marsh Station and walked from Main Street down the Avenue of Honour all the way to Paynes Orchard instead of waiting for the very infrequent free shuttle bus. I met a lady and she followed me to Paynes orchard. When we arrived the gates had shut temporarily for 45 minutes and there was a long queue of people waiting to enter to pick cherries.
The lady I met suggested that I go through the exit gate and explain to someone about my situation. I found someone at the ticket tent and explained how I had travelled all the way from Sydney overnight on the train which was 3 hours late arriving into Melbourne and how I had travelled another hour to get here ie a total of 16 hours just to pick cherries and cherries for my 50th birthday. The ticket person at the tent asked me how many people I ws ith and I said just myself and another lady. I also mentioned to her that I did facebook a message to them about my delay. I was allowed in so walked back to the lady I met standing in the queue signalling her to come with me but mot without being questioned along the way by another worker questioning my movements. I advised the worker that it was ok and that i had seen the ticket person at the tent.
So we walk back to the ticket tent pay our $5 entry fee (I gave them an extra $) collected our 5 kg capacity buckets and off we went cherry picking! It was a long walk and with lots of help I managed to collect 2.2 kg of cherries this time round - fruit picking is hard work - I'm a city girl not a country girl!
After about 2 hours of cherry picking there was almost only us left amongst the cherry trees. We left and paid for our loads of cherries then walked back to Main Street to enjoy the rest of the Strawberry and Cherry Festival attractions ie the food and various markets visiting the local makers market in the community hall and the RSL hall. We sat in the park for a while and stopped in the Village Green Shopping Mall before catching the free shuttle bus back to the station for the train back to Melbourne - another slight train delay.
The lady I met alighted at Footscray and I at Southern Cross. We are now friends on Facebook.
Next was some grocery shopping for dinner and snacks. Too tired to eat I fell asleep quite early exhausted.
Next day, Sunday, I slept in, finished packing, had a proper shower, checked out, recharged my phone, had breakfast, put my luggage into day storage again then headed off to the NGV to see the Julian Opie and Factory Under The Sun exhibitions.
I loved the Julian Opie exhibition but found Factory Under The Sun a little strange and could not quite understand it.
There was a bit of fun in the Julian Opie Studio for Kids as well - the pen didn't work so I gave up.
Photos attached. Also see short Youtube video uploaded.
After my visit to the NGV there was time to take the # 96 tram to South Melbourne Markets for some foodie indulgence ( 2 oyster morays grilled garlic scallop, rosewater and matcha macaroons, pear tart, spinch/lamb & chocken/vegetable borek and a very greasy vegetable fritter, a lemon ricotta sfogliatelle and a loaf of seeded sourdough - refer facebook post for some of my foodie indulgences) before heading back to Sydney on the Sunday overnight XPT in first class seat B24 or so I thought!
The train was on time however on my return Melbourne to Sydney overnight Sunday night XPT train trip, I decided to drop into the NSW trainlink office to change my seat for my next overnight train trip in 2 weeks time from Sydney to Melbourne on a Thursday night XPT that I had also prebooked on my discovery pass as it was the same seat number allocated ie the troublesome seat B22 that would not recline. I was allocated a new seat number for that trip to B52. I was asked if there were any sleepers and was told they were sold out for the Thursday night which was a little strange as most people travel on a Friday night and there are definitely no sleepers available ( later I rang and yes there were sleepers on Thursday night but were male cabins only so I kept my B52 seat allocated - yep right at the back of first class oh dear!). I was issued a new paper ticket and waited on platform # 1 to board the XPT Car B seat 24. As soon as we are allowed to board I find my seat and place my suitcase in the luggage racks. I get comfy in what I thought was my allocated seat and one of the passengers I met on my way down to Melbourne ( yes the very late train) was seated in front of me and seemed to have a spare seat next to him. We talked until the train departed and when the inspector came around I showed him my ticket on my phone and he could not find me as the person in seat B24 or on the manifest - my seat had been sold to someone else! How could this have happened so the trainlink officer had to phone and what had happened was the ticketing officer had not done his job correctly and by changing my seat for my next trip to Melbourne had not linked my amended ticket correctly to my discovery pass and issued it as a separate ticket hence reallocating my seat to B4 - right next to a very tall guy (who according to the guy I met on the very late train trip down to Melbourne) is weekly Friday night Sydney to Melbourne returning Sunday night Melbourne to Sydney passenger who always has the same seat ie B3 front seat next to the window with extra leg room under a fold up table.
Although I felt uncomfortable in seat B4 at the front end of car B first class due to a very rough trip and the train was travelling extra fast throughout the night, I did sleep and I couldn't sit in ny of the other spare asile seats near B24 as they were all taken throughout the night so jad to stay in seat B4.
Back safely in Sydney and on time. End of another adventure in Melbourne.
Photos attached for now so much to still write about!
2.2 kg of cherries I managed to pick @ Paynes Orchards this time round - ok so I had a little bit of help from Lorelle above!I'm a city girl not a country girl!
Factory of the Sun - I just did not get it!
South Melbourne Markets - a foodies paradise. Some of the things I purchased to eat - garlic scallop, oyster mornay, chicken/vegetable borek, spinach/lamb borek, pear tart, rosewater macaroon, matcha macaroon & a proper (see my facebook page on this special pastry filled with lemon and ricotta as I can't spell it but am very familar with it)
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