Trains

A decade ago the Melbourne CBD skyline as viewed from Ascot Vale was much shorter.

As was that of Docklands viewed from North Melbourne station.

A handful of Hitachi trains were still kicking about.

But a new inspection train had just entered service.

Commissioned following a spate of overhead wire failures., from a glass cupola atop the carriage, staff and video cameras onboard the carriage monitor how the pantograph tracks along the overhead wire.

Going bush

I made up trip north to the Murray River at Echuca, and ran into four museum pieces hauling a freight train.

And an equally antiquated signalling system at the junction station of Barnes.

The four diesel locomotives were on hire from railway preservation groups.

I followed the train north, passing local wildlife.

Until we reached the Sunrice mill at Deniliquin, where the wagons were shunted into the plant for loading.

Rebuilding Footscray station

In 2012 work on the ‘Colander Bridge‘ at Footscray station had finally finished.

But it was still surrounded by a sea of car parking.

Stretching all the way to Barkly Street.

But work on Regional Rail Link was about to start.

The shops along Irving Street had been demolished to make way for two new platforms.

As had the service station at Hopkins Street.

The shops along the Nicholson Street bridge.

And even the trees along the rail cutting.

A spot of luck on the trams

In March 2012 the Tramway Museum Society Of Victoria chartered ‘Royal Tram‘ Z3.185 to run a special tour around Melbourne. Along the way we paid a visit to Royal Park.

And posed our tram for a cliché train over tram photo.

And parked at the end of the Footscray Road siding, a location passengers never visit.

In my travels I also paid a visit to Clifton Hill, and happened to catch a route 86 tram passing under a train bound for South Morang.

Back in 2012 this shot at Domain Interchange was nothing special.

But this piece of tram track no longer exists – route 8 is now route 58, and the tram tracks disused – diverted via Toorak Road in 2017 to make way for the construction of Anzac station.

The tram restaurant was another unremarkable sight.

But no longer exists – the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant last ran in 2018 after Yarra Trams grounded their fleet, and there is no sign of a possible solution.

A decade ago City Circle trams were still in the maroon livery, and were running out of North Fitzroy depot on Nicholson Street.

closed in 1993, but reopened in 2008-2012 to stable W class trams used on the City Circle while Southbank depot was undergoing refurbishment.

After months of inaction, work finally starting to happen on platform stops along Swanston Street.

Excavators having moved in to work on the platforms themselves.

On route 86 some new platform stops along High Street, Northcote had been built.

But route 96 services along Nicholson Street would have to wait – fancy yellow low floor ‘Bumblebee’ trams plying their way along the tracks, but with no platform stops to board them.

The trams got a repaint in 2014, but building accessible tram stops had to wait until 2018.

And under “something things never change” we have the route 57 terminus at West Maribyrnong terminus – the same high floor Z3 class trams still run there today, stopping outside the abandoned explosives factory.

Buses

Ventura blue and National Bus yellow were the colours of the buses at North Fitzroy depot.

The operation became Transdev Melbourne in 2013, then refranchised to Kinetic Melbourne in 2022.

In 2012 SkyBus was still boasting “20 minutes to the airport“, with a fleet of articulated buses plying the Tullamarine Freeway.

They acquired their first Bustech “CDi” double deck bus in 2015, which now form the core of their airport fleet.

Out at Highpoint Shopping Centre I found a high floor bus operated by Westrans.

Followed by a Melbourne Bus Link bus.

Melbourne Bus Link was merged into Transdev Melbourne in 2013, with Westrans rebranding as CDC Melbourne in 2014.

Finally, route 509 in Brunswick – a single minibus making the 2 kilometre long journey back and forth along Hope Street all day long.

I paid a visit because it was about to be discontinued, but despite how useless the service looked, locals appealed the decision, with the route eventually reinstated in 2016.

Emporium Melbourne

The big hole at Myer’s former Lonsdale Street store has featured in previous months.

And now it was complete.

The Lonsdale Street facade overlooking an empty hole.

Exposing tunnels to neighbouring buildings.

And the other stuff

March 2012 was the F1 Australian Grand Prix, and the usual merchandise stalls were stinking up access to Southern Cross Station.

Remember Melbourne Bike Share?

Since people can return their bike anywhere, leading to some stations becoming full and others empty, so management needed to drive around Melbourne rebalance bikes between the stations.

After years of lacklustre usage, the system was finally shut down in November 2019.

Out at Airport West I strolled past the Tullamarine Freeway.

Back then six lanes squeezed under the bridge at English Street, but in 2017 the bridge was rebuilt to allow eight to pass under, as part of CityLink Tulla Widening stage 2.

And finally – the Racecourse Hotel all boarded up in Flemington.

Next door to the roundabout with trams passing through the middle.

Abandoned since at least 2009, an arson attack in June 2012 destroyed the hotel, with the 22-storey apartment tower ‘ONLY Flemington’ now occupying the site.

Footnote

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

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Myki

The transition from Metcard to Myki as the ticket to travel on Melbourne public transport was well underway.

But plenty of passengers were resisting the new system.

But Metcard ticket machines were starting to be withdrawn.

Bold red ‘Myki is coming’ stickers placed on the soon to be removed machines.

But the new Myki system wasn’t fast enough to handle the number of passengers using it – resulting in long lines at stations during busy periods, a problem that became even worse as the decommissioned of Metcard continued.

Hitachi trains

The old non-air conditioned Hitachi trains were still running around Melbourne.

I was at Flinders Street Station one evening with some spare time when a Hitachi train turned up.

So I jumped onboard.

And went for a ride out to Williamstown.

And around the stations

Back in 2012 was was well underway to cram more shops into Southern Cross Station.

Management calling it a ‘new retail experience’.

But it was just more shops jammed whether they could, even if they blocked the path towards trains.

Meanwhile over at Flinders Street Station was a different kind of commercial promotion.

A mist cooling system being installed on platforms 2/3 and 4/5 as part of a Lipton Iced Tea promotion.

The system was removed soon after.

New tram stops

Outside Parliament station on Macarthur Street was a new ‘drive over’ platform tram stop.

While on Swanston Street work on the long awaited platform stops was about to start – lengths of brand new rail laid out at Flinders Lane.

Over one weekend the tracks were lowered for the new tram stop.

But the work was nowhere near completed – it took months for the tram stops themselves to be ready for use.

Meanwhile on Plenty Road in Preston, new part time tram lanes had been installed.

LED signs being installed before 12 part time tram lanes between Dundas Street in Preston to Albert Road in Reservoir, directing motorists off the tram tracks during peak times, in an attempt to speed up route 86 services to Bundoora.

But their effectiveness seems doubtful – each of the tram lanes ended before intersections, allowing right turning cars to still block trams.

And forgotten trams

Who remembers tram route 24?

It was a peak-only service from North Balwyn to La Trobe Street via Kew, which was discontinued in July 2014 as part of a simplification of tram routes.

And a decade ago Z1 class trams were still in service.

First delivered in 1975, the bulk of the Z1 class fleet was withdrawn following the introduction of the low floor C and D class trams in 2001/02, but 15 remained in service until 24 April 2016, when the delivery of more E class trams allowed them to be withdrawn. The similar looking high floor Z3 class trams remain in service today.

Demolishing Myer Melbourne

Demolition of the former Myer Melbourne store on Lonsdale Street was kicking along.

The building hollowed out.

With just a façade left.

Haled up with a web of scaffolding.

Cantilevered over the street below.

And 447 Collins Street falling apart

In January 2012 a chunk of 447 Collins Street fell to earth.

The area beneath the building was sealed off, and engineers were sent abseiling down to inspect the remaining facade panels.

Tap tap tap on each, to see if they were loose.

Scaffolding was soon erected to prevent any more panels from falling.

Permanent repairs were later completed, but it was for nothing – demolition of the building was given the go-ahead in 2014, with the 42 storey tall ‘Pantscraper’ (officially Collins Arch) now occupying the site.

And hard rubbish

The early 2010s was a peak time for CRT screen TVs in hard rubbish, but this month I found a different obsolete technology out on the nature strip – photo processing chemicals.

I only started taking photography seriously after I switched to digital, but for many photographers they still enjoy the process of film.

Footnote

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

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Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year came early in 2012 thanks to the wonders of the lunar calendar, and Melbourne’s Chinatown was the place to be.

Pedestrians taking over Little Bourke Street.

And the odd little gravel car park off Corrs Lane.

Real estate agents hunting for Asian investors were well represented at the market stalls.

As was Metro Trains Melbourne and Hong Kong parent MTR – at their stall you could spin the wheel and win a trinket.

There were also the traditional lion dances.

And the main event – the Dai Loong Dragon procession.

Followed by firecrackers being set off everywhere.

Including at Chinese restaurants along Swanston Street.

Leaving a trail of exploded crackers.

And phone calls to the fire brigade.

Parking their trucks as close as they could, then walking to site.

To confirm that it was really just a false alarm.

Myer Melbourne

Since I was also in the CBD, I swung past the Myer Melbourne redevelopment.

The former Lonsdale Street store on the way down.

Leaving a big hole behind.

And a web of scaffolding holding the up the facade.

The Emporium Melbourne shopping complex was then constructed inside the shell, opening in 2014.

New trains

Brand new X’Trapolis trains were rolling out of the Alstom workshops at Ballarat.

Where I found this train completed except for the front fairing.

New stations

A new railway station on the Cranbourne line at Lynbrook was well underway.

It opened to passengers a few months later in April 2012.

But out on the Ballarat line things were moving much more slowly at the site of Caroline Springs station – work being abandoned once the access road was completed.

Work was eventually restarted in 2015, with Caroline Springs station finally opening in 2017.

And the new Regional Rail Link

Footscray station was about to be transformed for the Regional Rail Link project.

A new plaza on Irving Street had just been completed, but needed to be demolished for the new pair of platforms.

While over at North Melbourne work was much more advanced.

Little used tracks in the former freight yard being ripped up to make for the new Regional Rail Link tracks.

But no platforms were provided.

And west of Werribee the standard gauge freight track had been slewed away from the V/Line tracks, to make room for a massive overpass at the future Manor Junction.

Scenes that have changed

I found this X’Trapolis train out at Lilydale, an otherwise unremarkable sight.

But today the scene has been completely transformed – a new elevated station occupying the site, constructed as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.

A handful of ageing Hitachi trains were also still in service.

Providing a convenient view into the City Loop tunnels.

Until they were finally withdrawn from service in December 2013.

And another everyday scene – parked cars at Laverton station almost stretching as far as neighbouring Aircraft station.

Back then it was a money saving trick – Aircraft was the first station in zone 2, so by using Laverton station passengers could half their ticket costs – a situation which remained until fares were capped at zone 1 prices in 2015.

Trams go ding

Out at Footscray station a new platform stop was built at the route 82 terminus.

But a decade later it is yet to see a low floor tram.

However route 57 got lucky for a few days – air-conditioned B2 class trams were assigned to the route while track work was underway on Mt Alexander Road.

But some passengers missed out – these extra services terminated at the Maribyrnong River crossover.

And finally – ‘safety’ zones. This time around it wasn’t the one in Ascot Vale that’s been hit 14 times, but a much busier tram stop on William Street at Bourke Street.

Southern Cross Station

I’ve written about passenger congestion at Southern Cross Station before, and in 2012 the problem was the exit towards Collins Street and Docklands.

The ticket gates were overcrowded in morning peak.

And of an evening passengers spilled off the tram stop, trying to find a gap in traffic.

Only to find no kerb cut on the other side.

A situation that wasn’t fixed until 2014, when a proper pedestrian crossing was installed between station and tram stop.

Also at the south end of Southern Cross Station was these abandoned concrete deck above platforms 13 through 16.

Originally intended to be the base of an office tower, the space sat empty for a decade.

Until the 699 Bourke Street and 664 Collins Street office towers were built on the deck between 2013 and 2018.

On the road

A decade ago electric cars were a new fangled mode of transport, when I found a car belonging to the Victorian Government’s ‘Electric Vehicle Trial’.

The $5 million initiative was launched in October 2010 and ran until mid-2014.

More money for roads was the $759 million Peninsula Link freeway being built between Frankston and Moorooduc.

It opened to motorists in 2013.

While the poor cousin for transport on the Mornington Peninsula is the route 788 bus from Frankston to Portsea.

After being neglected for years, in 2021 route 788 received an increase in frequency, and in 2022 connecting bus routes were revamped.

And by the water

Down at Webb Dock I found the ‘Tasman Achiever’ ro-ro cargo ship being loaded for another trip across Bass Strait.

It was replaced in 2019 by the creatively named ‘Tasman Achiever II’.

Over the 2011-12 Christmas and New Year period Searoad Ferries was running a three vessel service between Queenscliff and Sorrento, so I headed down the peninsula for a ride on their original ferry – MV Peninsula Princess.

Today moored at Queenscliff, MV Peninsula Princess is still available for revenue service when the later ferries are in dry dock.

Footnote

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

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The changing railway scene

This month I headed out east to the site of the new Lynbrook station.

Located on the Cranbourne line between Dandenong and Merinda Park, it opened to passengers in April 2012.

I also visited the future site of Williams Landing station.

Back then part of the runway for the former RAAF base was still in place, but housing development was slowly encroaching on it.

Williams Landing station opened in April 2013, while the only sign of the former airfield is the heritage listed aircraft hangars next door.

I also took a look at Middle Footscray before the Regional Rail Link project bulldozed it’s way through the suburb.

The entire north side of Buckley Street was once full of houses.

But it was acquired to make room for the extra tracks.

Once the railway was was complete, the remaining land was sold off, including a section of land that was once a park. Townhouses are currently being built on the site.

Changes were also afoot at Southern Cross Station.

The food court on the mezzanine floor had been boarded up.

And the hoardings advised of ‘Exciting New Retailers’.

As the previously open spaces were replaced by more shops.

My visit to Melbourne Central station wasn’t prompted by pending works, but the scene a decade ago was a little different.

The CRT next train displays were still in place – coloured by line.

As was the ramp between La Trobe Street and the upper level of the underground station concourse.

The CRT screens were eventually replaced by LCD screens in November 2011, while the ramp to La Trobe Street was demolished in 2016 to make way for the Aurora Melbourne Central development.

Ding ding on the trams

September 2011 saw the abolition of ‘secret’ tram route numbers – replaced by the ‘A’ and ‘D’ suffixes for altered routes and depot bound trams.

I also found a broken down D2 class tram at Ascot Vale

The pantograph was damaged, disabling the tram, so mechanics had to cut it off.

Shunt the tram with their heavy recover truck.

Couple up the tram to a working classmate.

Then tow it back to the depot, the combined tram stretching 60 metres.

Something different at Docklands

On 25 September 2011 Searoad Ferries an open day at Waterfront City in Melbourne’s Docklands to show off the newly refurbished Queenscliff-Sorrento car ferry ‘MV Queenscliff’.

They also brought Thomas the Tank Engine along for the ride, on loan from the Bellarine Railway.

While I was in the area, I wandered around heritage listed Shed 20-21 at Victoria Dock.

Constructed in 1926 as a single 396.2 metre long (1300 foot) and 24.5 metre wide (80 foot) cargo shed, it was once a busy wharf, but now lies in the shadows of the Bolte Bridge.

But was now abandoned and neglected, covered in graffiti.

In December 2012 part of the shed roof collapsed, leading to it’s demolition. Ron Barassi Senior Park now occupies the site.

A hole in the Melbourne CBD

A big hole was being created in the middle of Melbourne.

Next door to the Myer store on Bourke Street.

Excavators demolishing the former Lonsdale Street store to make room for the ‘Emporium’ shopping centre.

The complex opened in 2014.

Rubbish in the streets

A decade ago the changeover to digital TV in Australia was well underway, so during hard rubbish season old-fashioned CRT screen TVs lined the streets.

Analog TV in Melbourne held on a little longer, the last transmitter being switched off in December 2013.

Something else that should’ve gone out in hard rubbish was the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel.

Opened in December 2008, two years behind schedule, it closed again 40 days later due to cracks in the wheel. It was decided to tear down the wheel and start over.

The rebuilt wheel reopened in December 2013, providing the finest views of Melbourne’s rail freight terminals, until it’s closure was announced in September 2021, effective immediately.

And everyday things the pandemic took away

Who remembers going to work in an office, and sitting out in the sun for lunch?

Going to live music gigs?

And big theatre crowds?

Thanks to the pandemic we haven’t seen any of that for 18 months, but hopefully things will start getting back to normal soon – so go get vaccinated!

Footnote

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

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Open House Melbourne

The last weekend of July is usually Open House Melbourne, so I did the rounds of places normally closed to the public.

First off, the underground Russell Place electrical substation.

Complete with mercury arc rectifiers.

Hamer Hall, which was mid renovation.

The former Land Titles Office on Queen Street.

Toured the back of house areas of the State Library of Victoria.

A rooftop garden at 278 Flinders Lane.

The Myer Mural Hall.

Melbourne’s first skyscraper – ICI House.

Up to the top of 50 Lonsdale Street.

And down into the Royal Melbourne Hospital steam tunnels.

Trains and trams

One morning I was on my way to work, and found something odd – a V/Line train being pushed by a suburban electric train!

The V/Line train had run out of fuel at Footscray, so to keep things moving in the lead up to morning peak, it was pushed out of the way by the first train behind.

I found another public transport oddity down at Appleton Dock – a tram sitting on the back of a truck.

The Bombardier-built Flexity tram had just arrived from Germany by sea, and was ready to head for Adelaide to run on the Glenelg line.

But an everyday sight back in 2011 was ticket machines onboard Melbourne trams.

Removed following the decommissioning of the Metcard ticketing system in December 2012, it was originally planned to replace them with Myki machines, but the idea was abandoned in 2011.

Another then-unremarkable view was this one from Wurundjeri Way looking back towards Southern Cross Station.

A pair of office towers now occupy the western roof of Southern Cross Station, the Regional Rail Link tracks now occupy the roadside, and the skyline behind is full of new apartment towers.

Abandonment

A forgettable building in the Melbourne CBD is 405 Bourke Street. Launched back in 2007 as ‘The Foundry’, by 2011 the shopping centre had been boarded up, the original developer having gone into liquidation.

But a decade later things have changed – a new 43 storey tall office development has been built on the site, cantilevered 10 metres over the heritage listed building.

Another unremarkable building was the last remaining part of the West Gate Bridge toll plaza – the abandoned VicRoads control room in Port Melbourne.

Located next door to the tensile membrane roofed service station.

The site had just been sold to a developer, with demolition commencing a few months later.

Warehouses now occupy the site.

Finally, another abandoned site I visited this month was the former Gilbertson’s Meatworks in Altona North.

Empty for years, the site was finally cleared in 2012, and rezoned for residential development – with ‘Haven’ by Stockland and ‘The Fabric’ by Mirvac both under construction today.

And new construction

In 2011 demolition was well underway at the former Myer store on Lonsdale Street.

The facade was still there.

But a wall of scaffolding was on the way up.

Ready to support the building.

While the guts were ripped out of the middle.

Emporium Melbourne was then built on the site, opening to shoppers in 2014.

Footnote

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

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In Friday’s edition of The Age was an article titled Riot police move on Grocon site as talks with union break down, describing the management response to a 10 day long picket line outside the site:

Police have refused to confirm claims that workers sneaked into a Grocon construction site in the heart of Melbourne this morning through tunnels to evade a union picket line that has shut down work for more than a week.

About 100 police officers, some of them dressed in riot gear, massed at the troubled construction site from 3am today to ‘‘take control’’ after late-night talks between the construction company and Victoria’s largest building union, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, failed to break the impasse.

Commander Rick Nugent said police had safely escorted some workers into the Lonsdale Street site today at 7am. He would not say how many workers had been escorted in, other than to say it was more than one.

Asked about union claims that workers had gained entry to the site via tunnels, Commander Nugent said he was not going to comment on the ‘‘operational tactics’’ used.

I’m not sure why they are trying to hide how they got into the site, as during the demolition of the Myer building numerous underground tunnels were out in plain sight.

First off is a tunnel under Little Bourke Street into the basement of the David Jones department store. A new addition to the city block, this tunnel will link a loading dock in the basement of the Emporium building to the back of house area at David Jones.

A few metres down Little Bourke is an underground connection into the Myer basement – originally built to link the two halves of the Myer department stores. I believe when the new shopping complex is completed this tunnel will only be used for goods traffic.

At the Strand Arcade around the corner on Elizabeth and Lonsdale Streets is a blocked off doorway, which once lead into the ground floor of the adjoining Myer store.

And in the basement of the former Myer House is another way to sneak into the site cut through a basement wall – I believe this tunnel will form a link between the Myer basement and their existing parcels pickup area off Lonsdale Street.

All up – three underground tunnels from adjacent buildings, and a boarded up doorway. I wonder which one police used to sneak in workers?

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