Trains

I’ve been posting about progress on Regional Rail Link for a few years now, and finally it’s the big day – VLocity VL09 was the first “proper” test train to run along the new tracks from Deer Park towards West Werribee.

However it wasn’t the actual first train to use the line – a few months earlier a super heavy “consolidation train” spent a few days driving back and forth along the line, simulating the load of multiple passenger trains in order to bed down the brand new track.

Also this month the brand new station at Waurn Ponds in Geelong’s southern suburbs opened.

But it was a bare bones operation, with just a single platform, and a short siding down the line to allow terminating trains to shunt clear of services continuing to Warrnambool.

Nearby Baanip Boulevard was also under construction – a link between the recently completed Geelong Ring Road and the Surfcoast Highway.

Since then Waurn Ponds gained a second platform in 2022, the short holding siding has been replaced by a six road train stabling yard past the cement works, and 8 kilometers of track between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds has been duplicated.

Terrorism scaremongering

A decade ago the government decided to ratchet up the National Terrorism Threat Level from medium to high, and in return the City Loop railway stations were blanketed in ‘If you see something, say something’ scaremongering.

We also lost our rubbish bins at railway stations, and the recent installed lockers at Flinders Street Station were shut down.

The bins eventually returned but now see through, with the exception of Southern Cross Station, which still lacks them.

And things that are gone

A decade ago the LED matrix next train displays were still a common sight outside of the CBD.

Since 2018 the majority of them have been replaced by modern LCD screens.

Next up, we have an Alstom Comeng arrives into an almost new West Footscray platform 1 with an up Sunbury service.

Now numbered platform 2, a third turnback platform has since been constructed as part of the Metro Tunnel project.

And finally, the view onboard an EDI Comeng train.

The windbreakers and 15 seats around the doors of each carriage were removed in 2015, to make more room for standing passengers.

Trams

I headed out to Victoria Gardens in Richmond to check out the new route 12 terminus – opened in July 2014 after route 112 from West Preston to St Kilda was split into route 11 from West Preston to Victoria Harbour, and route 12 from St Kilda to Victoria Gardens.

Also ongoing was the rebuilding of recently completed tram stops in the Melbourne CBD so their platform heights met new standards.

And in Ascot Vale I revisited a tram stop that landed me in the newspaper for tracking the ongoing procession of motorists who crashed into it.

Buses

A decade ago Sita was still running clapped out high floor buses on services around Sunshine, complete with paper destination signs as they didn’t want spend the money updating the old fashioned destination blind.

While a much more salubrious bus service was the privately operated ‘SuitJet’ express bus to the Melbourne CBD.

Launched in August 2014 with services from Point Cook, Eltham, Doreen, Mernda and Templestowe, there were few takers for the $30 return fare, and the service shut down a few weeks later.

And something else

Something that always intrigued me was the handful of houses left standing in the middle of the Victoria University car park in Footscray.

I eventually got around to writing about them in 2018, only for the State Government to announce in 2019 that the new Footscray Hospital would be built on the site. Today the houses are gone, replaced by a 10-storey glass and concrete tower.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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It is part of a Victorian Government scaremongering campaign, which was launched after the national terrorism alert level was raised to “high” last month.

As a regular reader of my blog, you should know that that seeing ‘something’ is what I do best.

In this case, the thing I saw was a low bluestone platform on the edge of Flagstaff Gardens, next door to Flagstaff station.

So what can I say about it? It is actually a ventilation structure for the City Loop, with a vertical shaft ending about 13 metres below the surface, where another tunnel heads sideways towards the underground draught relief structure.

Foonote

The access hatch into the ventilation structure is both locked and fitted with an alarm – you didn’t think something like this would be just laying around unsecured, would you?

As for the cost of the “See Something, Say Something” campaign:

Final costs for the campaign are not expected to be available until next year’s annual department report.

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Public Transport Victoria rebranding foils terror attack
1 April, 2014

A terror attack on Melbourne rail network has disrupted services across the city but has not caused any major injuries or deaths. It was revealed today that a terrorist group had erected a concrete wall across the tracks at Melbourne Central station. Unsuspecting train drivers would be tricked into driving into the wall by a large photograph of the station pasted onto the face of the wall.

It is believed the wall was put into place in the early hours of the morning, after the last train had run. Today’s 5:16am train from Frankston would have been the first crushed against the wall, if it was not for the quick actions of the train driver.

The driver said “I was bringing the train into Melbourne Central station, and noticed that there were none of those ugly Public Transport Victoria signs attached to every friggin’ wall in the station, and thought to myself, it was about bloody time they got rid of ’em. But then I realised that all of the station signs said ‘Museum’ and I started to get worried. The fact that every passenger on the platform looked like they had stepped out a 1980s movie was the last straw. I slammed on the emergency brake, and pulled up short of this concrete wall by only a few metres. It was a good thing I wasn’t driving a Siemens train today.”

Metro Trains Melbourne spokesperson congratulated the driver, saying “the public will be pleased that such vigilant drivers are in charge of our trains.” He also said that “it was extremely lucky that Metro Trains Melbourne had put its photography ban in the City Loop into action at the time we did. If not, terrorists could have taken a much more recent photograph of the station, and would have tricked even the most alert train driver into running into the wall.”

Transport Minister Terry Mulder said that this terrorist attempt shows that “Napthine Government initiatives such as the renaming of Southern Cross Station back to Spencer Street Station will prevent further similar attacks being carried out at other places around the network.”

It is believed the Napthine Government, in conjunction with counter-terrorism experts and Metro Trains Melbourne, are looking into a scheme where station names will be swapped on a random basis to ensure similar future attacks will fail in the same way. When asked for comment, the transport minister said “we are looking into it at this stage.

Police have released an artists impression of one suspected terrorist:

Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police Ken Lay said that this man is armed with such dangerous weapons as rocket powered roller skates, and a jet propelled unicycle. Members of the general public should not approach him, but contact the police immediately. He also said that any concrete companies asked to deliver concrete onto railway tracks should call the National Security Hotline as a matter of urgency.

When the Public Transport Victoria CEO was asked for further comment, he said Meep! Meep! and ran off down the road.

Footnote

I originally published this piece way back in 2006, with only minor changes needed to update it for the current day:

• Metro Trains Melbourne now runs Melbourne’s trains, not Connex
• Public Transport Victoria took over coordination of Metlink
• The Liberals are now in government, not Labor
• Changing Southern Cross Station back to Spencer Street is on the agenda, not the other way around
• Ken Lay is now the Chief Commissioner of the Victoria Police

As for public money being wasted on rebranding our public transport network, and faulty brakes on the Siemens trains – those never get old!

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Looks like the anti-terror experts have been racking their brains for days on end, if this sighting at Flinders Street is anything to go by…

Now if they want to hide their bombs, they are going to have to get their hands dirty and bury stuff under rubbish.
Not to mention anyone wanting to get rid of "incriminating" material…

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I was up in Melbourne on Saturday.

The first oddity of government incompetence:

No, it’s not a railway crossing. The Westgate Bridge’s new "Anti Terror Boom Gates" (Patent Pending)

Installed at a cost of $1.6 million dollars, they are intended to "block the bridge in the event of a serious accident or terrorist attack."

And they are remote controlled from the VicRoads control room I visited last year.

Meh! Like boom gates are going to do anything. It would be much better to put them at some railway level crossing to stop some idiot driving in front of a train.

Next! Speed Cameras on the Geelong Road.

This is the one outbound one at Forsyth Road. There are 4 cameras in each direction.

They are at:
– Lara Overpass (easy to see, they face you)

– Point Wilson Overpass (as above)

– Forsyth Road Overpass (hidden on the back side)

– Grieve Parade Overpass, just after the Western Ring Road turnoff. Only for city bound traffic. (hidden as well)

– Millers Road exit. For outbound traffic. (hidden behind overhead sign)

Now on the freeway, everyone does whatever speed they want, and just before bridges everyone slams on their brakes!

Anyways, the cameras are only there for money. The freeway is the best quality in the state, and built to the same standard as freeways with 110km/h speed limits.

It’s just a case of money, and the lowest common denominator – incompetent drivers!

And the last thing – this mobile sign saying "Arrive Alive."

The stupidest thing – it’s planted right on the roadside.

If someone lost control of their car, they would usually survive due to the clear area next to the road.

But because of the sign being there – someone could run into it and have a more severe accident.

The irony – getting killed because of a sign saying "Arrive Alive!"

And finally, a note to all readers – I was not driving while taking the photos.

My sister was.

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I saw this the other day, and couldn’t help taking a photo:

Now, if only I could ride my bike down the platform, while wearing rollerblades, with a skateboard under my arm, a beer in one hand, and my camera in the other…

On a serious note, this is a sign in the Flagstaff underground railway station.

All of the underground stations have bans on photography bans, for supposed "security" reasons. And now you are not allowed to take photos at any other train station in Melbourne without a permit.

However, there is no laws enabling Connex to ban photography. You could technically tell them to "shove off" but that’s not very nice. It’s much easier to just move elsewhere, and start taking more photos…

Anyway, if they are going to play the terrorism card, I think there is more important things they should be concerned about.

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