The Western Roads Upgrade

The $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade project was launched in 2018 and completed in 2021.

And included upgrades to eight arterial roads in Melbourne’s west.

Massive new intersections.

And the resurfacing of 260 km of existing roads between Footscray to Werribee.

So why haven’t these roads fallen apart in the years that have followed?

It’s because the upgrade was delivered part of a convoluted public–private partnership between the Department of Transport and Planning and a private consortium called ‘Netflow’, which sees the government give them buckets of money for the next 20 years to maintain the road, with a compliance regime that will penalise them for as little as a pothole.

To manage these contractual obligations, you need data – so the Netflow consortium has a fleet of inspection vehicles continually doing laps of the western suburbs.

Covered in LiDAR sensors looking for faults in the road surface.

And maintenance crews in ‘Western Roads Upgrade’ branded vans ready to swoop in and fix faults ASAP.

Their marketing blurb describing it as:

Netflow is transforming the way road maintenance is performed in Victoria, using real-time data on the condition of the network to employ maintenance strategies that minimise disruption and maximise whole-of-life value.

This more efficient maintenance program is resulting in an average of one road per week being resurfaced.

The core of Netflow’s whole-of-life maintenance solution is the central Network Delivery Hub.

The 24/7 hub monitors the performance of the network in real time, providing a seamless interface with the Department of Transport, local councils and other third parties to implement dynamic-scheduled works, keep communities informed, predict and prevent issues, and coordinate timely responses to incidents.

The use of vehicle-mounted street scanning technology, drones, 3D modelling and physical inspections allow Netflow to schedule preventative maintenance and reduce road closures.

This whole-of-life approach provides best-in-class maintenance of the road network at a lower cost.

Meanwhile for every other road in Victoria, the government just keeps kicking the can down the road, because they aren’t accountable to anyone.

So why not keep doing it

If the Western Roads Upgrade project was so successful in getting rid of potholes, why doesn’t the government do more upgrades like this? Turns out the private companies behind it lost money by underbidding.

The Andrews government’s $1.8 billion Western Roads Upgrade has stalled after a key subcontractor walked off the job with just $920 remaining in its accounts, leaving other subcontractors millions of dollars out of pocket.

The Sunday Age can also reveal the head contractor on the project, South-African headquartered and Perth-based WBHO, has reported $133 million in losses after it admitted to under-bidding to win the work, and its executive chairman, Louwtjie Nel, conceded the project was the company’s “biggest error in 50 years”.

WBHO’s main subcontractor, little known western suburbs-based civil engineering firm Civilink, quit in August and has gone into liquidation, owing creditors at least $13 million.

And so the tender process on the South Eastern Roads Upgrade Project and Northern Roads Upgrade Project were terminated in July 2020 – replaced by the $2.2 billion Suburban Roads Upgrade to be delivered as 12 individual projects by a pre-qualified panel in an approach modelled on the Level Crossing Removal Project.

Footnote: digging into the legalese

The full details of the public–private partnership can be found in the “Outer Suburban Arterial Roads Program – Western Package” Project Deed.

For a start, look at the corporate structure.

Minister for Roads and Road Safety on behalf of the Crown in right of
the State of Victoria
(State)

Netflow OSARS (Western) Pty Ltd as trustee for Netflow OSARS (Western) Unit Trust for and on behalf of the Netflow OSARS (Western) Partnership and Cintra OSARS (Western) Pty Ltd as trustee for Cintra OSARS (Western) Unit Trust for and on behalf of the Netflow OSARS (Western) Partnership (Project Co)

And it’s contractors, investors and financiers all the way down.

D&C contractor

The D&C contractor is WBHO Infrastructure Pty Ltd. Project Co has appointed the D&C contractor to design and construct the eight Arterial Road Upgrades and the Initial Rehabilitation Works.

Significant subcontractors

The D&C contractor has appointed the following significant subcontractors to deliver elements of the Arterial Road Upgrades:
• Ace Infrastructure Pty Ltd;
• Civilex Victoria Pty Ltd; and
• Winslow Constructors Pty Ltd

Contracts with other subcontractors are expected to be executed shortly.

Equity investors

The following entities have committed to provide the equity required for Project Co:
• Plenary Investments (Western OSARS) Pty Ltd
• Cintra OSARs Western Ltd

Financiers (long term)

The following entities have provided the long term debt required for the Project:
• DB Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
• Pensionskasse Des Bundes Publica
• Samsung IFM Global Infrastructure Debt Professional Investment Private Investment Trust No. 1
• Manulife Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited
• Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America

Financiers (short term)
The following entities have committed to provide the short term debt required for the Project:
• Westpac Banking Corporation
• Bank of China Limited
• Mizuho Bank, Ltd
• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited

VicRoads gives this as their justification for completing the upgrade as a public–private partnership.

A range of procurement options that are typically considered for high-value road construction projects were assessed based on their suitability and value for money drivers in reference to the specific characteristics of the Western Roads Upgrade. The following four procurement options were shortlisted on the basis that they represented models currently in use and have a history of utilisation by VicRoads or other State agencies:

• design and construct;
• alliance;
• design, build and maintain; and
• design, build, finance and maintenance (availability-based PPP).

Following a procurement options assessment of the shortlisted procurement options, the availability based PPP delivery model was the highest ranked procurement option. This option was recommended, and subsequently approved by the State, for delivery of the Project.

The key considerations in recommending an availability-based PPP model are summarised below.

• The model provides increased opportunity for the State to harness private sector innovation and structure a contract that incentivises whole-of-life efficiencies to arterial road investment.
• The bundling of construction and maintenance tasks under a long-term agreement (subject to vigorous competition) can drive efficiency in delivery and asset management. Introducing private finance also provides additional discipline and scrutiny of risk (for example, financier due diligence and oversight). The PPP model can also be expected to deliver improved and more consistent road asset conditions under a PPP commercial structure involving an appropriate KPI and abatement regime.
• On a ‘whole-of-life’ cost comparison basis, PPPs have been documented to deliver better value for money outcomes as compared to traditional contracting delivery methods (separate, unbundled contracts) and have been successfully deployed across a range of sectors (including roads) in Victoria. These benefits are not only limited to cost savings but also include improved and more consistent road asset conditions. A focus on longer term, ‘whole-of-life’ contracting also incentives private sector innovation in terms of how best to maintain the asset over the term in the most cost effective and efficient manner.

Prior to the release of an invitation for EOI, a market sounding of the relevant industry, including sponsors, contractors, road maintenance providers and financiers, was undertaken. The feedback from this process supported the State’s selection of a PPP model to deliver the Project and achieve the State’s objectives.

Along with a calculation of the ‘Public Sector Comparator’ that they used to argue that a PPP saved the government money.

The Public Sector Comparator is an estimate of the hypothetical, risk adjusted, whole-of-life cost of the Project if delivered by the State. The PSC is developed in accordance with the output specification and risk allocation proposed for the private sector party arrangement and is based on the most likely and efficient form of conventional (that is, non-PPP) delivery by the State.

The PSC is expressed in terms of the net present cost (NPC) to the State, calculated using a discounted cash flow method taking full account of the costs and risks that would arise through State delivery. The PSC includes amounts for the design and construction of Arterial Road Upgrades and Initial Rehabilitation Works, as well as maintenance and lifecycle and other costs during the Maintenance Phase of the Project.

The PSC is made up of a number of elements as contained in Table 7.

Components of the PSC	NPC ($millions)
Arterial Road Upgrades and Initial Rehabilitation Works (construction costs)	$ 622
Maintenance and lifecycle costs	$ 438
Raw PSC	$ 1,060
Transferred risk	$ 100
Proposal Comparable PSC	$ 1,160

The quantitative value for money assessment, as demonstrated by the estimated savings between the Proposal Comparable PSC and the final Proposal is shown in Table 8.

Public Sector Comparator (NPC – $millions)	$ 1,160
Final Proposal (NPC– $millions)	$ 1,133
Estimated savings (%)	2.3%

Something much easier to understand is the scope – divided up into three objectives:

Arterial Road Upgrades (ARU)

The design, construction and financing of eight ARUs in Melbourne’s west during the Initial Phase, consisting of:

• The duplication of Dunnings Road between Point Cook Road and Palmers Road and the duplication of Palmers Road between Dunnings Road and Overton Road;
• The duplication of Palmers Road between Overton Road and Boundary Road and Robinsons Road between Boundary Road and the Western Freeway including the realignment of Palmers Road across Sayers Road;
• The duplication of Derrimut Road between Sayers Road and Dohertys Road;
• The duplication of Leakes Road between Fitzgerald Road and Derrimut Road;
• The duplication of Dohertys Road between Fitzgerald Road and Grieve Parade;
• The duplication of Dohertys Road between Foundation Road and Palmers Road;
• The duplication of Forsyth Road between Old Geelong Road and Wallace Avenue, including the re-alignment of Forsyth Road and Old Geelong Road; and
• The replacement of the existing Duncans Road Bridge over the Princes Freeway West and the addition of westerly (or Geelong) orientated ramps.

Initial Rehabilitation Works

Improvement works on road pavements and structures within the Maintenance Network during the Initial Phase to meet service standards.

Maintenance Services

Delivery of maintenance and lifecycle services (routine and periodic) within the Maintenance Network during the Maintenance Phase.

As are the key performance indicators Project Co is required to meet.

The KPIs set out in the KPI Summary of this Annexure B are separated into 7 categories, being:
1. Inspections;
2. Response;
3. Compliance;
4. Pavement performance;
5. Structures performance;
6. Reporting; and
7. Safety.

Which then explodes into an enormous level of detail regarding the Project Scope and Delivery Requirements (PSDR).

1.1 Hazard Inspection
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that safety inspections are carried out in accordance with the safety inspections requirements set out in the Code of Maintenance Standards.

1.2 Defect Inspection
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that inspections are carried out in accordance with the defect inspections requirements set out in the Code of Maintenance Standards.

1.3 Structure Condition Inspection
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that inspections are carried out in accordance with the condition inspections requirements set out in section 8.2(b)(i)(B) of Part F7 and section 8.3(b)(ii) of Part F7 of the PSDR and the Code of Maintenance Standards.

2.1 Hazard Response
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that the hazard response, from the time Project Co identifies a hazard by inspection or receives notification from the State or VicRoads of a hazard to the time the hazard is rectified by Project Co, is compliant with the requirements set out in the Code of Maintenance Standards.

2.2 Defect Response
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that the Defect response, from the time Project Co identifies a Defect by inspection or receives notification from the State or VicRoads of a Category A and/or a Category B Defect to the time the Defect is rectified by Project Co.

2.3 Emergency Response
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that the emergency response, from the time Project Co receives notification from the State or VicRoads of an Emergency Event to the time the Emergency Event is responded to by Project Co.

3.1 Code of Maintenance Standards
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that all activities (to the extent not already captured under KPI items 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3) set out in the Code of Maintenance Standards, under items RM411 to RM416 and RM611 to 613 and RM 615 identified in the Table 750.H11 -Routine Maintenance Intervention Criteria and Response are completed in accordance with the requirements set out in the section 7 of Part F7 of the PSDR.

3.2 Forecast Maintenance and Refurbishment Plan
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that all activities set out in the Forecast Maintenance and Refurbishment Plan are completed in accordance with that plan (as updated and reviewed by the State in accordance with the Review Procedures on an annual basis to reflect the condition monitoring of Project Assets).

3.3 Communications and Community Relations Plan During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure that all activities set out in the Communications and Community Relations Plan are completed in accordance with that plan.

And into the gory details of road surface quality.

4.1 Roughness – Network based
During the Maintenance Phase (Initial), Project Co must ensure roughness limits set out in section 8.2(a)(ii) of Part F7 of the PSDR, are as a minimum achieved for pavement on the Project Roads.

4.2 Rutting – Network based
During the Maintenance Phase (Initial), Project Co must ensure rutting limits set out in section 8.2(a)(iii) of Part F7 of the PSDR, are as a minimum achieved for pavement on the Project Roads.

4.2.1 Rutting – Pavement Reporting Section based
During the Maintenance Phase (Full) an individual KPI Incident will occur for each 100m lane section of any Pavement Reporting Section failing to meet these requirements as set out in section 8.3(a)(iii)(B) of Part F7 of the PSDR.

5.1 Structures Performance
During the Maintenance Phase (Initial) in relation only to Existing Structural Assets, Project Co must ensure that Existing Structural Assets are operating at their designed load, speed, and availability levels with no restrictions applied, in accordance with the requirements set out in section 8.2(b)(i)(A) of Part F7 of the PSDR.

Submitting paperwork.

6.1 Asset Management System Availability
During the Maintenance Phase, Project Co must ensure the Asset Management System is available to the State and VicRoads, in accordance with the requirements set out in section 1 of Part D of the PSDR.

7.1 General Reporting
During the Initial Phase, Project Co must submit Monthly Development Phase Progress Reports and the Monthly Maintenance Phase Performance Reports in accordance with the Deed.

And finally – Safety.

8.1 Safety
During the Initial Phase and Maintenance Phase, an individual Safety KPI Incident is an Event for incidents which result in a Lost Time Injury (LTI), Total and Permanent Disability or Fatality to any employee, or contractor, or consultant of Project Co or its contractors or sub-contractors in connection with the performance of the Services or Works.

at least they’ve created a lot of email jobs along the way.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post A public–private partnership for pothole repairs appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

The story starts

Opposition transport spokesman and part time gunzel Matthew Guy kicked off the topic with a video posted to Instagram, detailing how the newly built platforms at Deer Park station were 10 metres short of a nine car VLocity train.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matthew Guy (@matthewguymp)

Liberal Party HQ also sending a media drop over to the Herald Sun, who published it on Sunday 18 August.

As well as a comment from the opposition transport spokesman who tipped the newspaper off to the topic.

To add to the confusion and frustration, a Freedom of In-formation request by the opposition seeking documents on the nine-car train plan was refused due to the fact it was an “unfunded future project”. The nine-carriage trains, which come in sets of three carriages, are 225m long, and Sunshine station was recently upgraded from 190m to 225m to allow them to stop there. But Deer Park station, re-built during the $234m Mt Derrimut level crossing removal, is only 215m.

Look at who else got a mention.

The oversight was spotted on rail documents by self-described “train nut” Marcus Wong, who described it on his transport blog as a “comedy of errors”.

The blog post in question being my piece “First day at the new Deer Park station” from May 2023.

Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight also drew the short platform in cartoon form for Tuesday 20 August edition.

On the ground at Deer Park

The new platforms at Deer Park are longer than a 6-car VLocity train, with plenty of empty platform beyond the back of the train.

But it turns out they aren’t actually long enough for the 9-car trains currently used on services to Wyndham Vale to stop at.

The new platforms are only 215 metres long – half a carriage (10 metres) too short!

So why can’t they be longer?

The western end of Deer Park station is located hard up against a brand new townhouse development.

The townhouses almost touching the retaining wall that supports the tracks.

So there is no room for the platforms to be any longer at that end.

But what about the city end?

Here the platforms end right where the reinforced earth embankment that the station is built atop also end.

The tracks transitioning to the precast concrete u-trough viaduct.

So why didn’t they make the viaduct a little bit shorter, so that the platform could be made a little big longer?

Personally I don’t know – possibly if they made the viaduct one span shorter, the bus interchange wouldn’t be long enough for the “one stop per bus route, no matter how infrequently it runs” rule PTV follows.

Or the longer station would have taken up space for car parking down at ground level, and “no net loss of car parking” is the one rule that level crossing removals always follow.

Footnote: the other Deer Park platform problem

The new platform at Deer Park was also built to a new platform height standard, which isn’t compatible with V/Line’s Sprinter trains.

OPERATING RESTRICTION – DEER PARK STATION
SPRINTER RAILCARS

Upon advice from V/Line Network Engineering, Sprinter Railcars will NOT be permitted to stop at Deer Park Station at KP 17.943.

Any Sprinter Railcars travelling towards/from Wyndham Vale and Geelong or Melton and Bacchus Marsh will be required to run express through Deer Park Station.

The Operating Restriction will apply until further advised due to clearance issues between the Sprinter Railcar and the new Platform when the doors are in the Open position.

You can read about that saga here.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Nine car trains and the short platform at Deer Park appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Some history

V/Line’s ‘H’ type carriage sets were originally built as ‘Harris’ suburban trains back in the 1950s.

SLV image H31188. Photographer unknown. Undated but circa 1956 to 1968.

In the 1980s the decision was made to refurbish the aging Harris trains, bringing them up to the same standards as the air conditioned Comeng suburban trains then being delivered.

Weston Langford photo

However the additional weight of the upgraded equipment and expense of asbestos removal from the bodyshells saw the economics of the program compared to the purchase of additional Comeng trains, so the refurbishment program was abandoned.

Instead, it was decided to convert the Harris trains into the ‘H’ type locomotive hauled carriages for the use on V/Line services to destinations such as Bacchus Marsh, Kyneton, Sunbury, Seymour and Leongatha.

Image via Wikipedia

A role they continued in throughout the 2000s.

The delivery of the new VLocity railcars from 2005 was intended to allow the retirement of the H sets.

But the increase in patronage thank to the Regional Fast Rail project and a 20% cut to V/Line fares saw the aging carriages retained and refurbished from 2007.

And refurbished for a third time from 2020.

But then just a few years later V/Line decided they were were done with the H sets, and in December 2023 H sets were withdrawn from services to Bacchus Marsh.

And the surplus carriage sets were sent to Echuca for storage, where they were quickly vandalised.

Video by ‘Rail Australia’

The last day

On 2 February 2024 the last two H sets were retired from service, their runs to Geelong being taken over by VLocity railcars.

I started my day at 5 am, catching the first train of the day down to Geelong.

There I found diesel locomotive N456 already coupled up to carriage set SLH33.

Ready to shunt it out of the sidings.

And into platform 2.

To form the 7:23 am service to Melbourne

I opted to catch an earlier service to Lara, so I could photograph it’s arrival.

And then ride it though to Melbourne.

On arrival at Southern Cross, N456 ran around the carriages, as shunter Y163 pushed the carriages back into platform 4.

Where the carriage set was stabled for the day.

The last run?

It was the turn of N468 to lead carriage set SLH33 back to Geelong that evening – I caught the train from Sunshine.

And went through to Geelong.

Geelong’s resident shunter Y129 arrived soon after to collect the carriage set.

Pulling the set out of platform 3.

And in a bizarre touch for something being retired – they sent it through the train wash!

And then stabled it in the sidings.

And the actual last run

Turns out V/Line had some late running that day, and the N set rostered to run a down Waurn Ponds service wasn’t available to run that service, so V/Line pulled carriage set SLH32 out of storage at Southern Cross, having withdrawn it from service the day before – and pressed it back into service.

So I climbed aboard it at Geelong.

For the short trip to Waurn Ponds.

On arrival the locomotive was uncoupled from the carriages.

And ran around them via the main line.

N456 then coupled onto the Melbourne end.

And after an arriving VLocity train cleared the single track from Geelong.

Departed Waurn Ponds for the yard at Geelong.

The end for a train now over 65 years old.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Farewell to V/Line’s H type carriage sets appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

In the beginning

The story starts in 1993 when V/Line bought 22 new single carriage diesel railcars for use on commuter services – their 130 km/h top speed saw them named ‘Sprinter’ trains.

Weston Langford photo

Able to run solo and in multiple with their classmates, the Sprinter trains saw use all over the V/Line network until the first 160 km/h capable VLocity trains entered service in 2005.

But in later years they were moved onto peak hour commuter runs, as well as Seymour services, where their lower top speed wasn’t a concern.

Enter Deer Park station

Until 2010 Deer Park station was a gravel covered platform on the edge of Melbourne that only saw a train every two hours.

But the opening of Regional Rail Link in 2015 saw a massive increase in trains serving the station – among them the Sprinter trains.

And then in 2022 it was announced that the level crossing at Mount Derrimut Road would be removed, with a new elevated station to be provided at Deer Park.

The incomplete station opened to passengers in April 2023.

But there was one minor difference to the old station that made all the difference – the platform.

Apparently V/Line has changed their standard platform height in order to reduce the step up into trains – with the new standard being around 100mm higher, as seen on this platform extension constructed at Sunshine station.

But the Sprinter trains have a design feature that the VLocity train lack – outward swinging plug doors that extend below the floor height of the train.

And so V/Line had to issue a notice.

OPERATING RESTRICTION – DEER PARK STATION
SPRINTER RAILCARS

Upon advice from V/Line Network Engineering, Sprinter Railcars will NOT be permitted to stop at Deer Park Station at KP 17.943.

Any Sprinter Railcars travelling towards/from Wyndham Vale and Geelong or Melton and Bacchus Marsh will be required to run express through Deer Park Station.

The Operating Restriction will apply until further advised due to clearance issues between the Sprinter Railcar and the new Platform when the doors are in the Open position.

Sprinter trains being free to travel through the station, but not stop there.

And a solution?

In January 2024 something new emerged from the workshops – a Sprinter railcar with modified doors.

V/Line sent it out to Deer Park late one night with a group of engineers onboard, ready to run a measuring tape over the open doors.

And testing out the wheelchair ramp.

There looked to be plenty of space between the platform and the modified doors.

Especially when compared to the plug doors on the unmodified set that came along for the ride.

But there was a sticking point – would the modified doors let in more exterior noise? Well, the microphone setup in the saloon can measure that!

So problem solved? I suppose it is a case of wait and see.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Sprinter trains and V/Line platform heights appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Reheated media release, or reheated pizza?

It started a month ago, when Melbourne’s news media started breathlessly reposting a media release from Southern Cross Station management, announcing a new vending machine that reheats pizza on demand.

And it got another run this week, as the TikTok crowd decided to review the ‘pizza’ for themselves.

So I decided to take took a look on my recent visit to the station – and found the machine, installed in front of an abandoned health food shop, and surrounded by other shuttered retail outlets.

Next door was a dog treat vending machine installed in front of an abandoned Amcal chemist.

But next door things went low budget quickly – this ‘Card Bot’ trading card vending machine was just pushed through a hole in the hoarding around the closed Spanish Doughnuts outlet.

And this pair of drink vending machines were just plonked around what was once a Mad Mex take away outlet.

But the most asinine change is the ‘Gacha Gacha’ machine surrounding what used to be a coffee shop – no gacha games have actually been installed, it’s just a hoarding covered in stickers that look like a row of vending machines.

At least the seats that served the now-closed fast food outlets still exist – but with seagulls picking through abandoned fast food wrappers, after the rubbish bins were removed a decade ago.

And downstairs

Downstairs I found another interesting vending machine beside the Spencer Street entrance to the station – a ‘Robo Tea’ bubble tea machine.

With a surprisingly long list of options for a vending machine.

Thanks to the robotic arm responsible for pouring drinks.

And a $0.20 credit card surcharge, despite the machine being unable to accept cash.

Not that you could buy a drink – a ‘Machine malfunction, temporarily out of service’ message greeted me.

At least the Amazon Hub parcel locker alongside still worked – I suppose Jeff Bezos has a team of exploited labour to keep his machines running.

And the abandoned ‘Chiko Chip Shop’ by the V/Line platforms has been replaced by a Daniel’s Donuts outlet.

So what happened?

Southern Cross Station was supposed to be a shiny new gateway to Melbourne, with then-Premier Steve Bracks declaring the station open for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

But within five years the initial set of tenants was starting to fail, including the Delaware North managed food court.

Their solution was a $22 million refurbishment, anchored by a Woolworths Metro supermarket, more WHSmith newsagent outlets than you can shake a stick at, and increasing the number of shops from 28 to 48 by cramming them in anywhere they’d fit.

But COVID-19 followed by the growth of working from home has seen the number of commuters passing through the station each day fall. Combine that with a property management team more interested in squeezing every last penny out of business owners, it’s no surprise the station’s retail outlets has turned into a ghost town.

But some things never change

A decade ago I first wrote about the failing tactile paving at Southern Cross Station.

But a decade on, they seem to have given up trying to fix it.

Rather than installing new paving slabs, they’ve switched to just patching it up with asphalt.

Seems like par for the course, given the lights above platform 13 and 13 have been broken since 2015, frequent escalator failures, and overall passenger capacity issues.

Footnote: and it isn’t even 24/7

I had an interesting fact about the “Fresh Hot Tasty 24/7” signage pointed out to me.

Southern Cross Station isn’t actually open 24/7 – it closes at 1am.

With ‘Night Network’ trains running express through Southern Cross on Friday and Saturday nights, because opening it would have required contract renegotiation with the private managers of the station.

And in bizarre twist, these trains are advertised as ‘Ltd Express via Sthn Cross’ despite not stopping at Southern Cross.

Further reading

The Age was one of the few media outlets who didn’t breathlessly republish the pizza vending machine press releases, instead publishing ‘Spencer Street’s soul is suffering as people pass through but never stay‘ by David Estcourt – covering the decline of Southern Cross Station.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Southern Cross Station’s vending machine-led recovery? appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Service relocations at Sunshine

The north-east side of Sunshine station used to be shaded by a number of tall trees.

But in January 2023 Melbourne Airport Rail posted a notice that they needed to be removed from the rail corridor to make way for the location of power and signalling cables.

So rev up the chainsaws, these trees are coming down.

Allowing new signalling and power conduits to be run beside the railway line.

But it turns out the tallest trees they removed didn’t even lie on the path taken by the cables.

The rail corridor being so narrow they decided to use above ground trunking to carry the power and signalling cable runs.

But it’s too late for the trees – they’re already gone.

And another at Albion

Albion station used to have tall trees between the railway line and the car park.

They even appeared in the artists impressions that Melbourne Airport Rail released in August 2022 in their application for a Heritage Victoria permit.

Melbourne Airport Rail artists impression

The trees apparently not causing any issues with the parallel 15 metres tall rail viaduct.

Melbourne Airport Rail artists impression

But in January 2023 the trees were fenced off.

And in came the chainsaws, reducing them to just a stump.

So why were they removed?

It seems the only possible reason is because they wanted to put the new underground services conduit in a straight line parallel to the railway line, and routing them around a tree would be too hard.

The only upside being a clear view of the John Darling flour mill.

At least until the view gets blocked for good by the cheap and nasty Melbourne Airport Rail viaduct passing over Ballarat Road.

‘Temporary’ car park at Tottenham station

In January 2023 the Melbourne Airport Rail announced that they would be building a “temporary” 300 space car park at Tottenham station to compensate for car park closures at Albion and Sunshine – “no net loss of car parking” strikes again.

But it was being delivered at more than just a financial cost – three trees were also due to be chopped down.

A big gum tree.

Google Street View

This little introduced tree.

Google Street View

And this straggly thing.

Google Street View

A fence went up around the site of the car park soon after.

And then the excavators rolled in.

The locals weren’t happy about the permanent loss of trees for a temporary car park.

But the car park machine goes brrrr.

Gravel being used to show this was just a “temporary” car park.

And by Mary 2023 it was ready for use.

For just a handful of cars each weekday.

So what will come first – the resumption of work on the Melbourne Airport Rail and eventual removal of the “temporary” car park, or cancellation of the project and the car park living forever.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post A tree falls for Melbourne Airport Rail appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

The works notice that never was

The first sign of what was to come was posted on the Facebook page of local state MP Sarah Connolly, who posted a copy of a Melbourne Airport Rail works notice.

It advised that shared path between Sunshine station and Matthews Street in Station would be closed from January 16 until April 30, with a detour via Station Place and Drayton Street.

Signage soon appeared at Sunshine station telling motorists that a few parking spaces would be closed.

But nothing appeared beside the shared path.

Until January 20, when a fence suddenly appeared across the path at Sunshine station.

And a ‘footpath closed’ sign across the Matthews Street end of the path.

But still no signage from the Melbourne Airport Rail project regarding the path closure – just one abut the removal of trees.

Work starts

February saw the excavators roll in, installing new signalling and power conduit along the railway line.

Dumping spoil next to Matthews Hill.

But by March 2023 the new conduits had been installed, and work was underway to restore the shared path to its previous state.

The fencing along the railway line back in place, ready for the promised April 2023 reopening.

And a second closure

Turns out out the April 30 reopening date was a lie – the Melbourne Airport Rail project finally put up a works notice beside the closed shared path, with an updated ’30 June 2023′ reopening date.

The shared path now being used as an access point to thenew station concourse that the Melbourne Airport Rail project was due to deliver at Sunshine station.

The trees cleared between the broad and standard gauge tracks were removed.

And the ground levelled out.

A piling rig was hard at work on the foundations at the end of platform 2.

And in May it was joined by a second piling rig working on an extension of platform 1.

Then on May 17 a bombshell:

Hundreds of tradespeople will be seconded to other projects after the Andrews government confirmed Melbourne Airport Rail Link construction would be paused, awaiting the results of a major Commonwealth review of the country’s infrastructure pipeline.

Deputy Premier Jacinta Allan on Wednesday ended weeks of speculation about the future of the long-awaited rail line, saying works would be temporarily halted on the $13 billion Airport Rail Link.

“States [were] informed that no new contracts to progress works can be entered into during the review period, without express permission of the Commonwealth government,” Allan said in a statement.

“That means projects that are moving from early works packages cannot move to the next phase of works for the review period”

A few days later, the piling rigs at Sunshine station had been packed up and taken away.

Leaving a row of completed concrete piles.

But it gets worse

Despite work on Melbourne Airport Rail having wrapped up, the Sunshine-Tottenham shared path was still fenced off, hidden behind a pile of abandoned construction materials.

And then in early June the shared path detour via Station Place was itself closed – so that stormwater pipes leading to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Primary School could be upgraded.

So sick of waiting for the proper path to reopen, someone decided to take matters into their own hands and busted open the fence.

Revealing the mess that the Melbourne Airport Rail project left behind.

Gravel covering the concrete surface.

Bits of fence missing between the path and the rail corridor.

And the concrete surface cracked from heavy vehicles driving over it.

And a reopening

The first sign of an official reopening was relocation of the temporary fencing away from the path.

And a Brimbank City Council contractor planting new trees along the shared path.

A John Holland work crew then placing crash barriers along the damaged sections of path.

Covering the gravel that littered the concrete.

The concrete broken by heavy vehicles.

Mudholes beside the path created by careless drivers.

And replacing fences destroyed by excavators.

So what will happen first – restoration of the shared path to original condition, resumption of work on Melbourne Airport Rail, or the entire project being cancelled?

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Melbourne Airport Rail’s trail of destruction appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Christmas Day and New Years Eve

Travel on trains, trams and buses has been free in Victoria on Christmas Day and New Years Eve for many years.

The first reference I can find is in 1999, followed by Christmas Day 2004, an ING Direct sponsorship for New Years Eve 2004, and an expansion to V/Line in 2006. 2007 marked straight straight years of free travel, and in 2009 the practice was written into the new train contract.

2008: Connex screw up

On 6 November 2008 an electrical fault brought the Melbourne train network to a halt in the middle of peak hour, resulting in Oaks Day race patrons spilling out onto the tracks.

The Age photo

With embattled Melbourne rail operator Connex then in the process of trying to keep it’s $600 million-a-year contract to run the network, they issued a desperate mea culpa, and offered free travel to anyone with a ticket to the Stakes Day race meeting held on 8 November 2008.

2009: Summer heat cripples the rail network

In January 2009 a heatwave hit Melbourne, crippling a railway network held together with duct tape and bubble gum, and leading to a week of service cancellations – culminating in 200 trains cancelled on Wednesday 28th, over 300 services on Thursday 29th, and 284 on Friday 30th. The state government’s solution – declaring 30 January 2009 a day of free travel.

2010: New rail operator, same problems

Metro Trains Melbourne might taken over from Connex as the operator of trains in Melbourne, but the network was still falling apart – an example being 27 July 2010 when a faulty overhead wire cut power between Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations, severely limiting the amount of trains that could move through that section, and causing crowds across the network.

As a result the state government decided that Friday 30 July 2010 would be a day of free travel across Melbourne.

2016: now V/Line screws up

In January 2016 V/Line discovered major issues with their fleet of VLocity trains, resulting in dozens of cancelled services each day, and the crush loading of the trains that are running. Here is a selection of photos from the period.

To compensate for the disruptions to services, in V/Line declared free travel on all services from January 23 to 31, but with no resolution in sight, it was extended another week until February 7.

2018: buying votes in south-east Melbourne

In the lead up to the 2018 state election, Premier Daniel Andrews announced free travel on replacement buses for passengers on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Gippsland lines during first three weeks of December, while works were completed on the ‘Skyrail’ level crossing removal project.

Passengers given given ‘free travel tokens’ to identify themselves to station staff.

2019: pissed off Gippsland passengers

Level crossing removals followed by Metro Tunnel works and signalling upgrades in suburban Melbourne saw V/Line passengers from Gippsland put onto buses for months on end, so to ease the pain the government gave them free travel on the replacement buses in January 2019, April 2019, July 2019 and January 2020.

2023: we forgot to install the ticketing equipment

In April 2023 a brand new station opened at Deer Park following the removal of the level crossing, but one thing was missing – the Myki equipment!

And their solution – hand out ‘Free travel from Deer Park station until 7 May 2023’ flyers to every passenger using the station, with a second bath of flyers printed up before the Myki equipment was finally switched on from Tuesday 23 May.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Free travel on Melbourne trains – compensation or bribes? appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

Working within a constrained railway corridor, there as no space to build a new station clear of the existing tracks.

So instead the entire railway line was shut down for three months, so the old track and stations could be demolished, and a new rail cutting and station built in it’s place.

To speed up the process, much of the station complex was prefabricated – divided up into truck sized modules, which were delivered as required from an offsite storage yard at Elgar Park in Mont Albert North.

But on the morning of 3 April 2023, things didn’t go to plan.

LXRP Update: Mont Albert Road is currently closed to traffic between Elgar Road and View Street. A detour is temporarily in place while a 6.4 metre wide new station building continues to be delivered to site and is needing to temporarily stay parked on Mont Albert Road. Access to driveways will be maintained during this period.

They tried to deliver a prefabricated section, but it couldn’t fit under some low trees – so they abandoned it on Mont Albert Road for the day.

Photo by Extranious A on Twitter

Photo by Extranious A on Twitter

Photo by Extranious A on Twitter

Getting some coverage on the Channel 7 TV news.

A massive portable building is blocking busy Mont Albert Road. https://t.co/5zYfOfGqUb #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/fJIadE5v4U

— 7NEWS Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) April 3, 2023

As well as on 3AW Melbourne radio.

Level Crossing Removal Authority contractors wanted to hack their way through the trees of Mont Albert Road.

Believing they were allowed to do whatever they liked.

Current advice (3 April 2pm) Is, that despite their best efforts to negotiate an alternative solution (perhaps even just a different route) City of Whitehorse arborists have been advised by the LXRP they are able to do whatever it wants to in order to progress the project.

This will likely mean more than 40 trees on Mont Albert Road between Elgar and Hamilton Street will be ‘trimmed’ to accommodate the 5.3 metre high toilet block down a road which vehicles over 4.6m are not permitted.

But the City of Whitehorse told them to bugger off.

An update on the building stuck on a truck in Mont Albert Road. Council Officers have advised me tonight that Council does NOT support the trees in Mont Albert Road being pruned. The LXRA have been advised the truck must be backed out along Mont Albert Road and the building returned to Elgar Park. They must then find an alternative method of diverting the building to site.

The result – LXRA backing away with their tail between their legs.

LXRP update: Between 9pm Mon 3 April and 5am Tues 4 April, the station building currently located on Mont Albert Rd will be transported back along Mont Albert Road, Elgar Road and to Surrey Park. Traffic management will be in place to assist while the building is moved.

The modular toilet block being parked in the LXRA’s compound at Surrey Park.

Still sitting on the truck, awaiting their next move.

That time came 10 days later.

An oversized delivery comprising 1 of the new Union Station buildings will be delivered to site overnight between Thursday 13 April and Friday 14 April via Union Road, Windsor Crescent and Leopold Crescent.

This route ensures no permanent loss of trees.

To enable the building to be delivered, on street car parking will be temporarily removed on Leopold Crescent – and continue to be unavailable on Windsor Crescent – from 9am, Thursday 13 April to 9am, Friday 14 April.

Up to 20 trees along Windsor and Leopold Crescents will be pruned to protect these trees from damage. The pruning will be overseen by qualified arborists.

One tree in the roundabout – at the intersection of Windsor and Leopold Crescents – will be temporarily removed and then reinstated once the building has been delivered.

No driveways will be blocked, however residents may have to wait for a small amount of time while the heavy vehicle passes during its overnight journey.

Access to your property and driveway will be maintained, with assistance from traffic control staff.

On-street parking will be closed on both sides of Leopold Crescent and Windsor Crescent. Vehicles will need to be parked overnight within your property or in an adjoining street. Any vehicle parked on these 2 streets after 9am, Thursday 13 April may be towed out of the way.

Alternative off-street parking will be available in the project’s Hamilton Street car park.

And getting in the news again – in The Australian of all newspapers!

State agency musters cops against locals

Rachel Baxendale
Victorian political reporter

Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Authority has resorted to calling police to deal with residents who were found to have committed no crime, in the latest escalation in a series of disputes with locals affected by a large project in Melbourne’s east.

The incident on Thursday evening came as the Andrews government agency continues to refuse to reveal whether the communications manager for the Mont Albert and Surrey Hills level crossing removal still has a job, two months after footage was aired of him heavying local business owners over their ­concerns about the impact of the construction.

Mont Albert resident Greg Langford said Thursday evening’s clash – relating to the lopping of tree branches to allow for the transport of a large, prefabricated building through narrow residential streets – was the latest example of the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) failing to genuinely consult locals and attempting to bully them into submission.

“The LXRP did one of their scant written communications, which really told us nothing,” Mr Langford said.

“A number of residents tried to contact the LXRP and were rebuffed, so we got in touch with (Whitehorse) Council, who sent one of their arborists down.”

Mr Langford said the council arborist had walked through the planned route with him and local progress association president Greg Buchanan on Thursday morning, detailing “every single tree branch” that was to be removed, ahead of the planned lopping of the trees and trans­portation of the building on Thursday night.

“Council were terrific in sharing the information, and the LXRP just stonewalled us,” Mr Langford said.

When it became clear to residents that numerous trees and branches in the heritage-listed oak, elm and plane tree-lined street were to be removed unnecessarily, more than 20 locals gathered on the nature strip on Windsor Crescent, refusing to move unless the LXRP consulted them on which branches to remove.

Mr Langford said residents were told by project communications manager David Fitzgerald – who appears to have replaced former Labor staffer Lance Wilson in the role after the footage of Wilson made headlines – “If you don’t move, I am calling the police and having you arrested.”

“Rather than engaging constructively with us, they called the police, but we knew exactly where the LXRP exclusion zone began and finished and we knew they had no jurisdiction over the nature strip … and ultimately the police decided that we were committing no offences,” Mr Langford said.

“Ultimately what happened was they were forced to trim the trees one by one in front of the big load, otherwise we were going to delay them and it would disrupt their works further.
“Our intent was to minimise the damage and we succeeded in saving 80 to 90 per cent of the branches they had originally proposed to lop.

“The moral of the story is that we support the level crossing removal, but we’re tired of being bullied by the LXRP and their lack of engagement. It just goes to show that when you force them to the table and they’ve got a deadline to meet, you can actually achieve some constructive, positive outcomes.”

An LXRP spokeswoman said: “Our project team transported one of the buildings for the new Union Station to the eastern concourse overnight. Doing this safely while minimising impacts to vegetation was our main priority.

“We expect all our interactions with community members to be respectful, with our staff treating others, and being treated, with respect.”

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed police had attended a dispute in Mont Albert on Thursday.

“Officers were called to reports of a dispute between residents on Windsor Crescent and workers on a railway upgrade project about 9pm,” the spokeswoman said. “Police had presence in the area to allow the work to take place safely and no crime was committed.”

But eventually, the prefabricated module was delivered to the Mont Albert end of the new Union station.

Facing Lorne Parade.

And still bearing the battle scars from it’s failed journey along the tree lined Mont Albert Road.

Footnote: what’s up with The Australian?

For some reason the level crossing removal project at Mont Albert has been a cause célèbre for Victorian political reporter Rachel Baxendale at The Australian, with no less than 10 pieces published between February and May 2023.

13 Feb 2023: More secrecy claims over Andrews’ crossing project

Members of a second Melbourne community have accused the Level Crossing Removal Authority of secrecy, ‘sham’ consultation and a lack of due process.

15 Feb 2023: Manager caught in threats to business

A senior Victorian Level Crossing Removal Project executive and former Labor staffer has been caught on camera threatening the livelihood of small business owners.

16 Feb 2023: Secrecy on threatening rail boss

Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Authority has refused to say whether one of its executives will be disciplined after being caught on camera bullying small-business owners.

16 Feb 2023: Project staffer caught ‘bullying’ investigated

The Victorian government says it is investigating after a senior Victorian Level Crossing Removal Project executive was caught bullying small business owners in Melbourne’s east.

21 Feb 2023: Barricaded from home by works

Residents in Melbourne’s east are unable to access properties for the next three months, despite receiving written assurances to the contrary from the Level Crossing Removal Authority.

22 Feb 2023: Level crossing secrecy slammed

A 90-year-old woman has accused the Andrews government’s Level Crossing Removal Authority of extreme secrecy and intimidatory behaviour.

28 Feb 2023: ‘No place for violence’: Andrews on alleged headbutt

Emergency services were called to the scene after a level crossing removal contractor allegedly headbutted the man in Melbourne.

28 Feb 2023: Prangs dent faith in level crossing work

Residents near an Andrews government level crossing removal project have ­accused authorities of ducking ­responsibility after their cars were damaged by construction trucks.

14 Apr 2023: State agency calls cops on the locals

Residents say their peaceful protest succeeded in saving 80 to 90 per cent of the tree branches the Andrews government’s level crossing removal agency had planned to lop.

22 May 2023: Level crossing ‘bully’ still has job

After months of refusing to comment on its investigation into the stakeholder relations manager’s conduct, Jacinta Allan has confirmed the former Labor staffer has kept his job.

You’ve gotta love Rupert’s Murdoch’s ‘flagship’ newspaper sending their Victorian political reporter out to cover local neighbourhood disputes in an feeble attempt to dig up a bad news story about Dan Andrews.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post LXRA’s stuck station building at Mont Albert appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.

North Williamstown Station – too high

A new low-level railway station at North Williamstown formed part of the Ferguson Street level crossing removal project, but on opening in December 2021 seating at the new station was anything but stupidly high.

Passengers left dangling their feet up in the air.

Who designs this crap – the seats at the new North Williamstown station are sky high

Every seat at the new station being stupidly high above the ground.

At least their was a lot of them!

Perhaps this bloke was the architect, wanting to extract revenge on a world that forced him to pull his legs up everywhere?

Luckily Australian Standards 1428.2-1992 “Design for access and mobility, Part 2: Enhanced and additional requirements – Buildings and facilities” details how high a seat should be off the ground.

The seats at North Williamstown look quite non-compliant, and luckily the Level Crossing Removal Authority agreed.

Hi Marcus – thanks for getting in touch. We passed this feedback on to the project team who've confirmed as part of our landscaping and finishing works on the new North Williamstown Station and surrounding precinct, the height of the station seats will be lowered.

— Level Crossing Removal Project (@levelcrossings) January 11, 2022

But two months after opening, fixing the seats was still on their todo list.

Hi, thanks for getting in touch. The lowering of the station seating will commence this week.

— Level Crossing Removal Project (@levelcrossings) February 1, 2022

The seats finally being replaced with normal height ones by March 2022.

Deer Park Station – the Bunnings special

In April 2023 a new elevated station at Deer Park opened as part of the Mt Derrimut Road level crossing removal project, but it wasn’t quite quite done – Myki ticketing equipment and accessible access skipped in the rush to get the station open.

Ordering seating for waiting passengers also got missed in the process, so the Level Crossing Removal Authority had to race down to Bunnings and pick up a pile of “Black Steel Park Benches” by Marquee to place along the platforms.

As a rest area along the DDA-compliant ramp.

Marquee brand ‘Steel Park Benches’ from Bunnings installed on the ramp to platform 1

And along the rabbit warren of paths through the construction site for platform access.

They also had a half-dozen left over seats by the time they were finished.

Which would explain why I can no longer find this specific ‘Steel Park Bench’ on the Bunnings Website.

Union Station- the leafy eastern doesn’t miss out!

In May 2023 the new low-level Union Station opened in Melbourne’s east, replacing Surrey Hills and Mont Albert station as part of the removal of the Union Road and Mont Albert Road level crossings, after an intensive three month shutdown of the railway.

But that still wasn’t enough time to order some proper bench seats for the new station environs.

Bench. Stairs. Sign pic.twitter.com/qgtFZxyAaO

— Hotel 7 // Lavender (@literar63) May 21, 2023

They made a quick trip down to Bunnings, and picked up some “Marquee 1.2m Black Steel And Cast Iron Mimosa Ornate Benches” for $135 each.

I suppose they look a bit fancier than the ones Deer Park was given.

Footnote – Australian Standards

You can’t actually read Australian Standards without paying through the nose for them, despite a whole swag of legislation requiring compliance with them – so have fun trying to get access to Australian Standards 1428.2-1992 “Design for access and mobility, Part 2: Enhanced and additional requirements – Buildings and facilities”. Instead, here’s a quick summary on what it says on street furniture.

Post retrieved by 35.215.163.46 using

The post Railway station seats – are they really that difficult? appeared first on Waking up in Geelong.