Hornsby to Sydney

At the intersection of three different train lines on Sydney’s CityRail network, Hornsby is the busiest commuter station on the north shore of the Australian city of Sydney.

After grabbing a coffee from the kiosk, I wait on platform two for the 07:53am North Shore line train. When I board the train, I try to find a seat on the top deck by the window, so as to enjoy the most panoramic views on my way to work.

The train glides along, stopping frequently at each of the suburbs on Sydney’s North Shore. Each time that the doors open, more commuters get on and the train becomes more crowded.

As we approach the lower North Shore area, commuters begin to alight from the train, especially at St Leonards, which is home to the large Royal North Shore Hospital and many major companies.

Commuting by train in Sydney is very convenient, whether you live on the North Shore, in the western suburbs or further away. The CityRail network connects most of the city with reliable and frequent services.

The most convenient tickets for commuters are the RailPass and the FlexiPass. The RailPass is valid between any two stations for either seven days or fourteen days, but, if you can afford to pay upfront for a longer period, the FlexiPass is a more cost-effective option.

After many more commuters have left the train at North Sydney, we reach Milsons Point. The train is about to rattle over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and I always appreciate the wonderful views of the coastline, the water below, and the Central Business District of Sydney on the opposite side of the bridge.

As the train rumbles over the bridge, landmarks on the opposite side of the harbour appear. The tall, thin Sydney Tower stretches over 300 metres into the sky and Sydney Opera House gleams in the sunshine on its prominent position at the edge of the harbour.

At the end of the bridge, as a vivid contrast to the light and beauty of the view, the train plunges into the darkness of a tunnel. My journey is almost at an end. At 08:35am, I join the stream of commuters departing the train at Town Hall station in the centre of Sydney.

As I leave Town Hall station, I turn left into the Queen Victoria Building, a quaint, Victorian shopping arcade, which is a delight to walk through on my way to work. As I emerge into the light of day on busy Market Street, my working day is about to begin.

Chorleywood to the City of London

My daily journey starts at Chorleywood station awaiting a southbound Metropolitan line train. Because of a bend in the track, passengers on the northbound platform can see southbound trains approaching before those of us on the southbound side can. But as the car park is on the northbound side we know the train is about to arrive when people in suits or smart dresses and high heels start running along the northbound side and into the subway to get across in time.

Once on the train I choose a seat at the front of a carriage. This is important because without air conditioning it’s better to be at the end of the carriage where some fresh air can get in. By getting the same train every day I see many of the same people. As we’re British, we never talk to each other, or even acknowledge the presence of anyone else if we can help it. I try and avoid the seat opposite the man who always puts his briefcase behind his legs so that his feet stick out too far.

Met line trains through Chorleywood run to a set timetable every 17 minutes, and in the mornings are usually on time. However, the trains are old and the track is older, so it’s always a relief to get past Harrow on the Hill, 15 minutes down the line. There are often problems in the area, with all passengers frequently being turfed off trains without warning.

Trains on the Amersham branch of the Met line (which includes Chorleywood) are designated as ‘fast’. In practice this means they don’t stop at all stations, though they are known to crawl along at a pace that allows passengers to watch flowers grow in neighbouring fields. Assuming it’s a good day, we rattle along at 35 miles per hour, passing slower trains and disgruntled passengers at non-stopping stations. On a very good day the disgruntled passengers are also getting wet.

After 25-30 minutes we reach Finchley Road, where many passengers disembark and change to the Jubilee line. Many others get on, and by this time it’s standing room only, if that. At last we enter a tunnel and the tube can live up to its name. About ten minutes later we emerge into the light at Baker St. Again many get off but more get on. From here the Met Line joins the same track as both the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines to run from Baker St to Aldgate. No one would describe this section of track as ‘fast’. There are too many trains and too many people.

Those of us in seats can look smugly out as we pull into platforms and see the crowds at each station. Fortunately we’re back in the open air after three stations, so not only is it lighter and brighter but there’s fresh air available – very pleasant when the train’s underseat heating is still on in July and the backs of my legs are nicely toasted.

Finally, after one hour and thirteen stops we pull into Aldgate. If we’re lucky the driver will make comical announcements such as, “This train terminates here; please leave your valuables on the train and I will collect them at the end of my shift.” If we’re unlucky there’s no announcement and the few people who’ve fallen asleep remain slumped in their seats. We leave the train strewn with discarded free newspapers and emerge onto the street, thankful it’s over but knowing that eight hours later we’ll have to do it all again in reverse.

Limehouse to Oxford Street

I leave the house right on time at 08:00. It is a short walk to the Limehouse Direct Light Rail (DLR) station. Unlike the tube stations, DLR stops don’t always have barriers. They operate on the honour system and passengers swipe in and out on the Oyster card readers of their own accord. The system works fine on days when I remember to do this – you would think I’d have my daily commute down to an artform by now, but there are bad days when I forget and have to run back down the stairs to swipe in, or worse, find myself at Bank being charged a full day’s price for my ticket.

The DLR comes every five minutes or so. In peak hour it comes regularly, already packed with commuters from the eastern suburbs like Lewisham, Island Gardens, Stratford and Beckton. My regular train is at 08:07 and I always choose the first carriage. This is because it is the closest carriage to the exits at Bank, my interchange station. We pass by towering council flats, hip new container block housing, and the shiny, distinctive shape of the 30 St Mary Axe in the distance, home of the Swiss Re offices and affectionately known as the Gherkin (for obvious reasons). Just after we pass the Shadwell stop, we plunge into underground darkness before arriving at Bank.

A web of tube lines extends out from Bank – it is one of the busiest stops on the London Underground. I usually arrive at about 08:15, and then it’s a short walk up two tube escalators, then down some stairs before I find myself on the Westbound Central line platform.

There is heavy traffic at Bank, so I find myself dodging other commuters and hurrying up the right hand side of the escalators towards the Central line. I needn’t worry, really, because Central line trains come every two minutes – there is one at 08:19, another at 08:21, the next one at 08:23 – but I can’t help trying to keep up with other Londoners.

At St Paul’s and Chancery Lane, the two immediate stops after Bank, the suits and their Blackberries get off. At Holborn, the tourists, bound for the British Museum, alight. At Tottenham Court Road, shopkeepers head for their day’s duties. And finally, four stops after Bank, the train gets to Oxford Circus and I disembark with more than a little relief.

Connect with me at the social networking site for commuters and join my journey.

Kelana Jaya to Kuala Lumpur

7:45 a.m.: Clutching my thermos of coffee like a lifeline, I head towards the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) station, about to start my daily commute. It’s Monday morning in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and, as always on Mondays, there’s a bigger than usual crowd at the station. It’s a strange phenomenon I’ve noticed in Kuala Lumpur – on the roads, on trains, and everywhere in the city, there’s extra congestion on Monday mornings. I can’t figure out why this is so – surely everyone leaves for work at the same time every day?

8:00 a.m.: Fifteen minutes later, I’m at the front of the queue. Even though the Kelana Jaya station is at the end of the line, “kiasu” (literally translated to “afraid to lose”) Malaysians get on the LRT a few stops ahead and then take it back to the end of the line just to ensure that they have a seat or at least prime standing room. This means that the LRT, which only has two cars to begin with, is always half full when it arrives at the station.

8.05 a.m.: I finally manage to squeeze onto the LRT. We are packed in like sardines. Mercifully, the LRT is air-conditioned. However, the mass of bodies makes the ride very uncomfortable, particularly when I find myself with my nose pressed into a guy’s armpit. Even at this hour, the guy’s BO is strong enough to make me gag. I take advantage of the LRT’s next stop to slowly shuffle around to face the other way, treading on a few protesting toes in the process. Luckily, I’m of slightly above-average height for a Malaysian, and in my heels, I am just tall enough to be able to get a bit of breathing space.

8.25 a.m.: We reach KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur’s main transport hub, where the Putra LRT, Monoline, and KTM commuter train intersect. Half the passengers get off, while the other half rush to get precious seats or the coveted corners of good standing room space. Meanwhile, another horde of commuters rush in to pack the LRT full, and we are off again.

8.45 a.m.: KLCC station! I get out of the LRT, doing the LRT dance through other commuters and battling my way past the anxious commuters getting on to the train. A few steps more and I’m at my office – yet another work week begins.

Join me on this journey from Kelana Jaya to Kuala Lumpur

From Sherlock Holmes to Zero Longitude

The Baker Street stop is a little touristy, thanks to the giant statue of Sherlock Holmes at the entrance. I watch in amusement as the tourists dart in and out from underneath the feet of the regulars hurrying to the tube. Even at rush hour, this early in the morning, there’s bound to be at least one there, hurrying to be first in the line that invariably forms at Madame Tussuad’s across the road.

From Baker Street Station, I catch the 08:11 Eastbound Jubilee line to work in the morning. I aim to be on the platform, waiting for the train, by 08:05 – if I miss my usual train I have to wait a whole ten minutes before the next one comes, which is a lifetime to wait for a tube service. Most trains on other tube lines come every 3 to 5 minutes.

There aren’t very many passengers and I usually find a seat, or at least, a strategic place to stand when I board. Everyone sits huddled over their papers, books and iPods. It takes about 13 minutes to get to London Bridge Station, where I leave the underground chaos of the tube and change for the Thames Clipper.

Most Londoners don’t even think about the river as an option when they commute, but taking the Clipper is an underrated transport option. I prefer it to the dirty and claustrophobic tube, even if it is slightly more expensive. I use a monthly season ticket that costs £100. Oyster card holders get a slight discount on Clipper tickets, and from November 2009 commuters will even get to touch in and out like they already do on buses and the tube. I have the added plus of not worrying about tube strikes and the like – as long as I can get to London Bridge or even to Westminister or Waterloo, the Clipper will take me straight downriver from these stops to Greenwich, whether or not the tube lines are running.

My boat comes at 08:32, and I catch the Clipper towards Queen Elizabeth II Pier. It is a pleasant morning journey, taking approximately 20 minutes depending on the tide. We call at Tower Pier, pass the brooding Tower of London, skim underneath Tower Bridge, then stop at Canary Wharf with its glossy, glassy skyscrapers, then at Greenland Pier and before arriving at my final destination – Greenwich Pier.

Join this journey from Baker St to Greenwich

Ottawa to Kanata morning bus ride

The regular bus route for many high tech employees in Ottawa is the number 182 Kanata, originating from downtown Ottawa. I normally catch the last morning trip leaving Lincoln Fields Station at 9:09 a.m. If I miss this trip, it means taking a different route, transferring buses and walking twice as far to my destination. Fortunately OC (Ottawa Carleton) Transpo service, on this route, is very reliable and only a short walk from my home.

The bus consistently arrives on time in good weather, whereas in winter, it usually runs a bit later depending on conditions. The regular driver is quite pleasant and says good morning to each passenger upon boarding. Dropping two tickets in the fare box covers the cost of $2.30 CDN per trip. A paper transfer, displaying the boarding time, is issued and acts as a receipt, allowing riders one and a half hours travel time to get off and re-board any bus during that period. At 9:20 a.m. the bus arrives at Bayshore Station after picking up several more passengers along the way. This is the final station on route to Kanata and the few remaining seats usually fill up with more high tech workers. A minute or so later, we’re heading onto the 417 Queensway in the rapid transit lane, off limits to automobiles. The bus exits onto Moodie Drive heading north, and turns into Nortel Networks, around 9:25 a.m. Watching a handful of employees departing, brings back memories of several years ago when Nortel was a thriving company in the Ottawa region, and the bus was literally packed with employees. The IT downturn in 2001 really hit this area hard, which still hasn’t recovered.

Exiting the Nortel complex, the bus travels back on Carling Avenue heading west to Kanata through a rural area. Several horses can always be seen grazing at the large riding ranch located on one side of the road, while on the opposite side, another farm is home to a lone llama resting in the field. Several large hay fields and an enormous corn field can be seen further along. Deer are often spotted venturing out of wooded areas, foraging for food. On one trip this past winter, I recall the bus driver slamming on the brakes, barely missing a couple of deer galloping across the road. Thanks to his quick reaction, the deer weren’t injured, and passengers only slightly startled.

The 182 makes one more side trip, looping into the Communications Research Centre at Shirley’s Bay, before heading to the Kanata North Business Park. At 9:40 a.m. the bus reaches my destination in Kanata. The thirty minute bus ride leaves me feeling relaxed, refreshed, and more like I’ve experienced a nature tour rather than battling early morning gridlock.

Join Harry on this journey from Ottawa to Kanata

Seremban to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

In Malaysia most commuters prefer to drive instead of taking public transport. However I prefer the latter as my daily train ride from Seremban to Kuala Lumpur gives me a chance to relax and reflect instead of being cooped up in a traffic jam, crawling in a line of northbound cars on the Federal Highway.

I have to wake up early for my daily journey, as there are few express trains that ply the route. My usual express train leaves at 06:55 and arrives at Sentral Kuala Lumpur, or Kuala Lumpur Central Station, at about 08:00. The service is run by Keretapi Tanah Melayu, the government-controlled train authority of Malaysia. If I miss my usual train, I jump on the next regular train instead. However the journey may take as much as another half an hour to an hour longer, depending on delays. The next train is at 07:20 and only reaches Central Station at about 08:45 or later.

One way tickets on the KTM Komuter service cost RM6.00 (approximately USD2.00 or GBP1.50). I invest in a monthly Kad Karib pass, which can be used on Komuter and Light Rail Transit lines within Kuala Lumpur. This costs me RM100, and I manage to bypass the queues when I need to change transportation mode. The express train passes idyllic countryside, lush greenery and sleepy villages, through the satellite towns of Nilai and Bangi, then the university – Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), before making its first stop at Kajang.

The seats, which were relatively empty before, start to fill up. I am dozing, shifting slightly to make space for my fellow passengers. There are construction workers carrying their tools, students with their notepads, suits and their suitcases. The train is air conditioned and this early in the morning, the day’s heat and humidity have not yet seeped into the carriage. More scenery flashes past – we pass Bandar Tasik Selatan, or South Lake City, which always reminds me of Salt Lake City in the USA; Seputeh, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumur; the behemoth bulk of Midvalley Shopping Mall and then finally, we arrive at Kuala Lumpur Central Station, a sleek, shiny, modern station of steel and glass. I invariably wake just in time to alight at this stop, alerted by some internal alarm clock. From here it is a quick walk across the road to my offices, next door to the Hilton Hotel.

Join this commute between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur

Hong Kong Commute: Ma On Shan to Wan Chai

My commute starts in Ma On Shan, a town in the Eastern New Territories. Ma On Shan is governed by Hong Kong’s ‘Rural Council’, but it is anything but rural – nearly 100,000 people live in 30-storey apartment blocks crammed into an area one-quarter the size of Manhattan.

7:00 am: I leave my flat, and take the elevator down to the second floor. To save space, apartment blocks are built above shopping malls, so my elevator leads straight to the mall. A short walk past McDonalds (Hong Kong has the highest rate of McDonalds consumption in the world, and seven of the world’s most profitable McDonalds) brings me to the Ma On Shan bus station (still indoors!).

7:05 am: I catch the 807k green minibus (technical term: ‘public light bus’) to University train station. Minibuses are a strange invention – they are fairly large, rickety, and seat 16 people, but their drivers treat them like race-cars. To prevent them speeding (frightening elderly passengers), the Hong Kong government requires minibuses to install large speedometers inside the passenger cabin, so you can see exactly how fast the bus is travelling. If the bus crosses local speed limits, the speedometer beeps, much to the irritation of the gas-happy driver.

7:15 am: I arrive at University station, which runs on the Kowloon-Canton (East Rail) line of the MTR, Hong Kong’s train network. This particular line is overground, and the oldest in Hong Kong – built in the early 1900s by the British government keen to secure influence in Southern China. The trains are clean and modern, helped by metal seats (uncomfortable, but easy to clean) and a no-eating policy that has landed me in trouble on more than one occasion.

7:16: Trains typically arrive within 1 minute, and it is a fifteen minute ride to Tsim Sha Tsui, the terminus of the line, and tourist capital of Kowloon, the second most important region in Hong Kong.

7:30: A short walk along Nathan Road past world-class hotels, hawkers selling fake watches, and a torrent of people brings me to the Star Ferry, Hong Kong’s oldest but most celebrated way of crossing Victoria Harbour. It is half transport, half tourist attraction, but for less than 50 US cents, it offers an elegant way to cross the harbour. The harbour itself is spectacular, flanked on both sides by skyscrapers that rival New York.

7:35: Five minutes on the ferry, and I’ve arrived at Wanchai, a business area, but also a party center on Hong Kong Island itself. A short walk, an elevator ride up to the 48th floor, and I arrive at my desk. It’s time to work.

Coogee to Chatswood Commute

I wake early for my daily commute. It’s a long journey from the Eastern suburbs to the North Shore. At the bus stop on Arden Street near Coogee Beach, I wait for the 08:10 372 bus. The express X74 zooms by, but unless I want to walk half a kilometre to the train station when I get into central Sydney, the normal 372 route suits my purposes much better. The breakfast stall near the bus stop does a brisk business in fresh juices, coffees and pastries as the rush hour starts to build. The beach is quiet and calm in the early mornings, glittering in the sunlight.

As the blue and white bus bumbles up to the stop, I insert my weekly travel pass into the ticket machine, which beeps importantly then spits it back out again. We drive uphill and past the suburb of Randwick and Kensington. Then it’s all systems go in the bus-only lane of Anzac Parade and into the city. The route to Central Station takes about half an hour, but if the traffic is bad (and it inevitably is) it can take me about forty minutes before I alight at Chalmers Street in Surry Hills.

A pedestrian subway leads me underground, into the main entrance of Central Station. It is a long walk, maybe five to ten minutes depending on what kind of shoes I’m wearing for the day, before I reach Central Station. Another swipe of my travel pass, and then I hop onto 08:50 yellow North Shore & Western line from Platform 16, towards Chatswood. The trains have spacious, generous carriages, with an upper and a lower deck, but even so, it is extremely crowded in the mornings and evenings.

The train trundles through Town Hall and Wynyard before bursting out into sunlight near Sydney Harbour. Crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge is my favourite part of my commute. The reason why I generally choose a seat on the upper deck of the train is to drink in the splendid view of the Opera House, twinkling in the sun, off to the right. From there it is another six stops to Chatswood, past the bourgeois suburbs of Milson’s Point, North Sydney, Waverton, Wollstonecraft, St Leonards and Artamon. It takes me a full hour to get door-to-door on my daily commute but the view of the Harbour and the Opera House makes it all worthwhile!

New York City On Time

1:10 pm:
It is too hot to run without sweating, but I’m too late to walk and make a train. I wish I’d worn an undershirt as I sprint down Foster Avenue to the Newkirk subway station.

1:12 pm:
I dodge an old woman pushing a handcart and slide through the door swinging shut behind her. My subway card is out and ready. I push through the turnstile and dash down the stairs to the platform where I weave through the disembarking passengers. Both trains are there, the B express through Brooklyn and the Q Broadway express. I have one second to decide.

1:13 pm and three seconds:
I have to get to 8th Avenue and 38th street in Manhattan by 2 pm. My one second thought goes something like this: The B skips Cortelyou, Beverly, and Parkside in Brooklyn, but takes three stops to get to West 4th in Manhattan where I’ll transfer to the A/C/E and ride another three or four stops, depending if I catch an express or not, before getting to 8th and 42nd, whereas the Q hits the three stops in Brooklyn, but only stops three times after crossing the Manhattan Bridge before Times Square, so the B will be one less stop if I can catch the uptown A express and the added time of a transfer will be negligible compared to the two avenue blocks I’ll have to walk to get from the Q station in Times Square to my office.

1:13 pm and four seconds:
I jump into the closing doors of the B train, get stuck, and wait for the conductor to open and close the doors in what is either is an attempt to release me or an attempt to crush my body for delaying the departure. There is a woman with a stroller, two teenagers, and a group of five soccer players all moving toward the middle of the train where the last two remaining seats are open. The train lurches forward, knocking them off balance, and I take advantage, sliding into a seat and closing my eyes. I drift into a mass transit half-sleep and vaguely hope the woman with the stroller made it to the other seat.

1:45 pm:
The conductor says something about transferring to the F, V, D, A, C, and E trains, pulling me from my trance. I stand and wait with the stroller woman (apparently she didn’t get the seat) for the train to slow and let us off.

1:46 pm:
The doors open and I leap ahead of the woman and her time-consuming stroller, run up the stairs two at a time, and get to the upper platform just as the A train is closing its doors. I jump in, get stuck, and wait for the conductor to open and close the doors and release/crush my body.

1:54 pm:
The doors open at 42nd Street – Port Authority. It is too hot to run without sweating, but I am too late to make it by 2 pm without running. I run up the stairs. I run through the underground station to 40th Street.

1:56 pm:
I run up more stairs. I run to 38th Street, narrowly avoiding being hit by a van at 39th.

1:58 pm:
I stop in front of my office, retuck my shirt, and walk in, sweaty, but on time.

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