The fare-free period is to celebrate the opening of the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link and the benefits it will deliver across the CityRail network.
(Edited by scotty — update link)
Free Train Travel -Epping to Chatswood (NSW) till 8th June 2009
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darkmattersunB6c0MV on 23/02/2009 - 11:42 cityrail.info (1207 clicks)
Last edited 23/02/2009 - 22:26 by 1 other user
Last edited 23/02/2009 - 22:26 by 1 other user
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What are you talking about? It's free…
zoooom~!
thats the sound of the joke going right over your head =)
On the news yesterday, they said it was only free for one day, today. This is a great bonus for MaqUni students
On the ABC TV mid-day news http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/23/2498724.htm it was stated that it would be free until June, presumably because "The line will not be integrated with the rest of Sydney's rail network until later this year, and passengers will have to change at Chatswood and Epping for other lines."
[ :- { )
how come nobody at cityrail knows about it?? I rang cityrail and they have never heard of it.
Haha, as someone who has worked in state rail before, I can tell you — as an insider, we knew less than the passengers did most of the time. There are specific departments that deal with this sort of thing, and unless you know who you're looking for, good luck!
Info on CityRail website
http://www.cityrail.info/news/090223-ecrl_offer.jspMaybe OP can provide this link.
Thanks for the direct link.
I have asked the moderator to change it,
Cheers,
Ensure you get a cardboard "Railcorp Complimentary Pass" card, otherwise the Railcorp Transit Officers have a right to fine you even for free travel.
You can get them at the entrance gates from the CITYRAIL CAP & VEST WEARING STAFF.
That is a really important piece of info. But would Cityrail be nasty enough to fine customers during the free period? I guess they have to make money somehow :P
I think this information is pertinent in Epping and Chatswood.
But even at Epping, never once have they asked for the Complimentary Pass.
BUT go get one! You have to only get it once, and carry it with you.
(This is my understanding after talks with one of the staff who was giving these passes out)
Cheers,
Really want to vote negative on this as the rest of NSW is paying for this free travel!! so its no bargain for the rest of the us!!!
Overtime overbudget and overtaxed!!!!! ideal bargain territory
Actually, I still think that it is a bargain.
Free travel is a bargain!
In similar vein, you could argue that free bus service in Sydney City is not a bargain.Actually, the reason why travel is free is that they want to popularise the train (advertising), and to compensate the people in and around Epping/Chatswood for the wait that they had to endure.
I think they have done a first rate job with the trains, which are really on time, and quite smooth actually.Later, they anticipate that as a result of the quality service they will provide in the free period ( they are loosing around 1 million) , more passengers with travel through this line, and the revenue lost would more than make up for the advertising cost ( which is free travel).
So, YOU would eventually end up paying less ;-)
Cheers,
yes, thats what i was thinking. Technically its not a bargain, Tax payers paid 1 billion and it was meant to be completed a couple of years ago?
How so?
The bargain is free travel!
Not the fact that the RailCorp built an expensive system!And just for the record, the original plan was to connect Parramatta to Chatswood.
And they have done a very good job ;-)
Epping Station did not have any Complimentary Passes left last night when I asked about 9.30pm.
Try again in the morning.
And once you get a complimentary pass, you can use the same for the promotion period, as they are no longer dated.
At least this is my understanding.
Cheers
Yes I got my free pass this morning.
To some extent, NSW Railcorp TRANSIT OFFICERS have been given discretion by the NSW Transport Minister since June 2008 to either Fine someone, or "let them off" at their discretion.
I can only assume 90% of Transit Officers will not fine anyone at ANY of the Epping to Chatswood exits if you just use the magic words "I didn't know you needed to get a COMPLIMENTARY PASS card".
But, legally, they do not have to use discretion and can just Fine you anyway.
I've seen them ALL the time in Epping to Chatswood, sometimes in twos, fours even sixes. They just walked around, carriage to carriage, and didn't ask anyone at all about the tickets. They are there probably to look after the passenger (WHICH THEY SHOULD HAVE DONE :-) )
As varunpant pointed out, Epping-Chatswood passes are not marked with a date (just given out from a booklet), so keep it for the duration.
For anyone with a 'city weekly' ticket from Epping/Chatswood or more distant stations (e.g Hornsby), I'd imagine that the weekly ticket would also cover this sector.
I've not checked this (and CityRail's systems can defy logic) so I'd check on that first - or use the freebie pass until the end of the period. :)
IF THAT'S HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE I AM NOT INTERESTED THANK YOU.