I'm still working on the website when I get free time from my work each night, but these are the latest rules that we have.
Here are the rules for the Sydney Trains All-Stations Challenge. There might be a lot, but it ensures fairness amongst group members and makes sure that nobody cheats their way into our record books. We all want to do this challenge (and another other challenges we create) fairly and with honour, so the rules are there to make sure that everyone is on the same page and also if there is any debate afterwards; it can be settled very easily. It also lays out the points system for the challenge, which makes everyone even that more fun.
- All challenges must start after 5:30am and finish before 12:00am (midnight)
- All trips must be made on a train (i.e. no buses) and walking between two stations is not allowed
- Competitors must stop at all 176 suburban stations across the Sydney Trains network
- Photographic evidence must be provided for any points disputes and posted to the Facebook group for non-competitors to see progress
We also have 10 bonus stations that are drawn before the beginning of the challenge are given 60 points for the first person (or team) to arrive at that station. In order to receive the 60 points, photographic evidence needs to be provided and noted on the Facebook group with a time of arrival.
The person (or team) that finishes first, that is, posts a picture of the clock at Central first receives an extra 100 points on top of their score throughout the day, 2nd place receives 50 points and 3rd place gets an extra 30 points. Some train sets also receive extra points, such as the Intercity (or NSW TrainLink) V-set and other sets. The A-set (Waratah) train as well as the T-set and G-set (Tangara) do not receive points as they are throughout the system and are some of the most regular sets used on the network.
When someone (or a team) arrives at a station before anybody else (or any other team), they receive 17 points for “winning” that station, if two trains arrive at the same time and people (or teams) are on seperate trains, or even the same train and arrive at the same time; each person, or team, is given 15 points each. Second to arrive at a station receives 13 points, while 3rd place receives 11 points and 4th place and beyond receive 10 points. The bonus platforms are interesting; they are a set of platforms that are infrequently used by regular services and as such; if a person (or team) can stop at that platform, they will receive not only the amount of points for being 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th to that station but an extra 10 points for stopping at a bonus platform.