As the Level Crossing Removal Project and ‘Big Build’ have ramped up across Melbourne in recent years, rail replacement buses have been a constant spectre following those wanting to catch a train. But early November they suddenly disappeared, only to return with a vengeance a few weeks later. But why?
Tracking the rail replacement buses
PTV rolled out a new, more readable style of poster summarising upcoming rail replacement buses across the Melbourne suburban network back in May 2022, giving passengers an overview of which lines were going to be closed for weeks on end, just for a weekend, or just for evening works.
Throughout August and September 2022 the Mernda line was closed for an extended period, while the lines to Upfield, Lilydale, Belgave and Alamein were closed for a weekend.
In late September the Craigieburn and Sandringham lines joined the weekend closure club.
October it was the Williamstown, Werribee and Sunbury lines.
But come November – trains running everywhere, except for a single night on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines.
But come Sunday 27 November, buses were replacing trains on six separate lines.
And they’re back – during December 2022 nine lines were replaced by buses, including two extended line closures.
So why the lack of replacement buses?
Turns out there was one major event in November – the 2022 State election, held on Saturday 27 November.
So did someone high up in the government tell transport operators November was off limits for project works, because they wanted trains to keep running? I don’t know, but I can’t think of a better explanation.
And they’re still more
Since the election we’ve had tram replacement buses on St Kilda Road due to Metro Tunnel works and buses on the Upfield and Craigieburn lines due to Dynon Road works for the West Gate Tunnel project.
And coming up – closure of the underground stations on the City Loop from 2 January through to 15 January 2023; replacement buses on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston, Stony Point and Sandringham Lines for three weeks from 4 January 2023 for Metro Tunnel works; and the Lilydale and Belgrave lines from 23 February to end of May for the removal of the level crossing at Union and Mont Albert Roads.
However the ability for operators to supply buses and drivers might be in trouble – the most recent round of occupations have been described as “the worst ever” with run times not allowing traffic conditions, with buses running 15+ minutes late compared to the driver’s schedules, and multiple concurrent projects have seen the available fleet of buses spread thin, causing even further crowding.
The only respite – the rumoured hiring of buses and drivers from South Australia and New South Wales to shore up the rail replacement fleet.
Footnote: New South Wales tries the same thing
March 2023 saw a state election up in New South Wales, and they’ve done the same thing as Victoria.
Hundreds of rail workers have been temporarily redeployed from their main jobs because the state’s transport agency has had an order in place for almost three weeks preventing a raft of maintenance and project work on signalling and operational systems across the rail network.
Two weeks before Saturday’s state election, the transport agency made the order halting “any non-essential work on signalling, operational technology and control systems” until further notice.
Transport for NSW’s internal memo to maintenance workers – obtained by the Herald – said the suspension was aimed at reducing the “risk of system failures” and to “minimise train service disruptions”. The agency refers to the suspension as a “brown out”.
At the election the New South Wales government changed so I suppose the incoming team had a reason to start asking questions – but with no change in the top in Victoria, everyone kept their lips shut.
It really is noticeable how many works have been stuffed into Decemmber. The inner west is a disaster zone with Dynon Road bridge shut. I was moved to complain to the West Gate Tunnel Project about the woefully poor publicity: if the West Gate Bridge were shut for 4 weeks we wouldn’t hear the end of it!
Compare to the amount of coverage the closure of four lanes on the West Gate Bridge is getting – one of the lanes is still open!
Sky rail prelim works on Upfield ?
And of course Metro closures often affect V/line services and a bus from Castlemaine is a real pain, especially if it’s not an express.
Upfield and Craigieburn line closures id due to West Gate Tunnel project works blocking the tracks under the Dynon Road bridge that lead to North Melbourne platform 1 and 2.
Why were Craigieburn services unable to run during the Westgate tunnel project works under Dynon rd? They could have used the alternate route via the overpass through platforms 5 and 6 like how the Seymour and Shepparton services did. Yes this may affect the Werribee, Williamstown and Sunbury lines but isn’t having a service better than not having one at all (especially outside the peaks when there would be minimal disruption to the other lines)?!
I wouldn’t be trying to source drivers from New South Wales. We have our own issues with driver shortages here with many regular route buses cancelled each day due to lack of drivers / driver illness.
Taking drivers who would otherwise be twiddling their thumbs over the school holidays as they will come from charter operators
Frankston Line works resumed last week with a 5 day closure to remove the platform 1 track at Glenhuntly, plus buses City – Dandenong last weekend
Now over 6 months without peak hour express trains while trench preparation continues
And evening and weekend works continue this week ahead of the long January line closure
And Parkdale works to look forward to next year!
It was made pretty clear to transport bureaucrats that major works, involving inconvenience to passengers and motorists, should be avoided during November.
@Paul Westcott: I’m just curious about how ‘It was made pretty clear…’? Are you basing this statement just on the result (as per the article) or do you have further information or evidence?
If the Mernda line was anything to go by, the bus replacements have been a complete shambols. The root of the problem was a failure to reserve road space for the busses, making them many times slower than rail, leading more commuters to drive, making traffic worse, and in-turn slowing busses in a vicious cycle. A second problem was bypassing stations between Clifton Hill and Parliament, without an express bus to the former. A 30 minute rail trip became approximately 90 minutes on the “express” bus and tram back into collingwood.
It’s been over 10 years since the last time bus lanes were provided for rail replacement services.
https://wongm.com/2019/04/forgotten-rail-replacement-bus-lessons-melbourne/