Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is April 2014.
Regional Rail Link
As with previous months, I was following progress on the Regional Rail Link project which was constructing new tracks from Southern Cross through to Wyndham Vale.
At Footscray station the new V/Line platforms were taking shape.
As well as the new tracks through Middle Footscray, passing through compulsorily acquired houses and a piece of parkland.
At Sunshine the junction between the Ballarat/Geelong and Bendigo lines wasn’t quite finished.
And at Anderson Road on the Sunbury line the level crossing was still in place.
Excavation underway to take the road beneath the new bridge spans.
At Deer Park the junction for the new route through Tarneit and Wyndham Vale to Geelong was in place.
But the track beyond was still to be laid.
However the car park and station buildings were complete at Tarneit.
And track laying was underway from the Geelong end.
Farewell to the Hitachi trains
Steamrail Victoria ran a farewell tour for the ‘Hitachi’ trains in April 2014.
Heading around the City Loop a few times, with the windows down of course!
And to newer parts of the suburban network, such as South Morang.
More trains
Steamrail Victoria also took their then-125 year old steam locomotive Y112 out for the trip around the suburbs.
While V/Line was still using diesel locomotives and carriages from the 1950s in frontline service.
Out at Craigieburn I photographed the oddball ‘flipdot’ LED next train displays.
And atop Southern Cross Station work was underway on the 699 Bourke Street development.
While down below, the lighting for platforms 13 and 14 still worked – it failed in early 2015 and is still yet to be repaired.
Ding ding on the trams
A decade ago the maroon liveried City Circle trams were still looking around the CBD – they’ve since been upgraded to ‘W8’ standard.
Route 86 was stuck with the rickety D2 class ‘Combino’ low floor trams.
And on Swanston Street the 1970s-era ‘Z1’ class with no air conditioning and useless windows were still in service.
April 2014 also saw a number of tram stops on La Trobe Street closed to passengers, as they were too short for the new ‘E’ class trams to stop at them.
But upgrades were underway as well – such as a complete rebuild of the tram junction at Victoria and Nicholson Street in Carlton.
Clueless drivers
What’s worse than one idiot driving through the Bourke Street Mall? A gang of idiots following them.
At least this nuffy got pulled over by the cops.
And government propaganda
The State Government’s “Moving Victoria” propaganda campaign was in full swing ready for the 2014 State Election, promoting ‘Major road upgrades’.
‘New trains, trams and buses’.
And ‘East West Link‘.
The latter project being cancelled after the election, only to float back up like a turd every four years.
Footnote
Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.
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