Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is September 2013.
Regional Rail Link
We start the month like many others, with progress on the Regional Rail Link project through Melbourne’s west.
The old West Footscray station was still in place beneath ‘Mount Mistake‘.
But the new station to the west was well underway.
Being constructed clear of the existing tracks to avoid disruption to Sunbury line services.
Down the line at Sunshine similar thoughtful works were underway – the level crossing at Anderson Road had been relocated clear of the grade separation works.
So that the future rail bridge could be constructed clear of the tracks, and slid into place when complete.
Meanwhile on the greenfield section of the route, the new Tarneit station had everything in place except for tracks!
Ballan Road had a road bridge passing over an incomplete rail cutting.
Wyndham Vale had pedestrian bridge ready to cross a future four track, four platform station.
And Manor Junction had a massive flyover in place over the Geelong line tracks, but with nothing connecting at either end.
Other train bits
One evening I passed through Newmarket station and found it in the dark – a tree took out the mains power supply to the station.
So somewhat surprisingly, electricians were sent out to connect a generator to the switchboard.
After sitting empty for a decade, in 2013 work finally started on the office towers above the west end of Southern Cross Station.
699 Bourke Street at the north end was first to be completed in 2015, followed by 664 Collins Street at the south end in 2019.
I also paid a visit to Dandenong South, where I found something different sitting dumped beside the tracks.
Comeng carriages 305M, 1003T and 306M stored in the Membreys Transport yard, after being damaged in the November 2012 level crossing crash at Abbotts Road in Dandenong South.
Ding ding
Preparation for the introduction of the new E class trams was underway on route 96, with the inaccessible safety zones along Nicholson Street being extended so the rear doors of the longer trams would not overhang into traffic.
This interim fix remained in place until 2018, when they were finally replaced by accessible platform stops.
And the other bits
On Swanston Street in the CBD I found the Victoria Police bicycle squad on patrol.
But they didn’t seem to be making much of a difference to the dingbats driving down the bike lanes.
Out at Maribyrnong a brand new two-storey Bunnings Warehouse opened – the $45 million store being located around the corner from the old one at Highpoint, and at more than 17,000 square metres, was three times the size of the old one.
And around the corner at West Footscray another Bunnings Warehouse was being constructed – on the former Southern Can Company factory site, with the front office block retained, but the warehouse being being demolished to make way for a hardware store with basement car park.
Footnote
Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.
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