A trip to Sydney

I decided to make the trip up to Sydney this month, catching the XPT north from Melbourne.

And being greeted by a light rail vehicle tram as soon as I arrived at Central Station.

I saw a double decker train the next day.

And presumably took some other photos up there, but they weren’t of trains – as I still haven’t uploaded them to my Flickr account.

Then then flew back home to Melbourne – to be greeted by a Myki visitors pack advertisement inside the Qantas terminal.

Along with a SkyBus one.

A decade on and the Myki machines at Melbourne Airport are just as hard to find, and SkyBus is still the only public transport route that runs from the airport to the CBD.

Melbourne Central

I also went on a tour of the Melbourne Central Tower this month, where we got to look out over the roof of Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, towards Myer House and Emporium.

But unfortunately we only got to look down on the glass cone, not look inside like some previous tours did.

Technology

It seems like an everyday scene now, but a decade ago seeing an entire tram full of passengers absorbed in their smartphones was still novel.

But Telstra was still behind the times – rollout out their ‘Telstra Air’ wifi hotspots to payphones, despite almost everyone having stacks of mobile data to use on their phone.

The Wi-Fi network is still in place today, but free since 2023.

Trams

‘Safety’ zone trams stops were still common place in the Melbourne CBD a decade ago – this one was on Collins Street at William Street.

This particular tram stop was replaced by a platform stop in June 2015, with the last safety zones in the CBD upgraded in July 2024. As for the rest of the tram network – the December 2022 deadline to make all tram stops accessible has been and gone, with hundreds still non compliant.

Meanwhile Yarra Trams was coming up with crackpot schemes like a coffee stall taking up precious space for passengers at the Flinders and Swanston Street stop.

Luckily that idea got kicked out very quickly.

A handful of 1970s-era Z1 class trams were also still kicking around the network, with their crappy little sliding windows and only two doors per side – despite having supposed to have been retired a decade earlier in favour of the incoming low floor C and D class trams, but kept on due to increasing patronage.

This particular tram – Z3.86 – was eventually retired in August 2015, following the delivery of the new E class trams.

A different flavour of stupidity are people who drive down Swanston Street – this driver managed to break down in the middle of the tram stop, and drum up help from passersby to get clear of the tracks.

While this confused country bumpkin headed up Swanston Street in their LandCruiser got pulled up by an unmarked police car, and got sent on their way.

And a decade on – nothing much has really changed.

V/Line trains

Here we see an original liveried VLocity train departing Richmond station for the city.

These days the entire VLocity fleet is in the PTV purple livery, the open air ramps at Richmond station are now roofed over, and Eureka Tower has been usurped by Australia 108 as the tallest building in Australia.

Down in Geelong I photographed a 6-car V/Line train approaching the brand new terminus station of Waurn Ponds.

Opened in October 2014, Waurn Ponds gained a second platform in 2022, and the 8 kilometers of track between South Geelong and Waurn Ponds has just been duplicated.

And a V/Line train in are more shocking condition was VLocity set VL12.

Involved in a collision on the Werribee line in August 2014 where a V/Line train passed a signal at stop and crashed into the rear of a Metro train, it had to be dragged to the workshops at Bendigo to be repaired.

The collision resulted in Metro trains rewriting the rules around passing a signal at stop, while VLocity VL12 reentered service in March 2015 as the only 2-car VLocity set to ever wear the PTV livery.

A load of rubbish

After the removal of rubbish bins from Melbourne stations due to the “increased terror alert level”, they all got dumped in a pile at Flinders Street Station.

And the average passenger responded as you might expect – like a filthy pig just leaving their rubbish on the ground.

The bins were eventually returned in March 2015, with the exception of the private management at Southern Cross Station, who still refuse to place any rubbish bins on their platforms.

A different kind of rubbish

It was the leadup to the 2014 State Election, and the Napthine Government was ramped up their ‘Moving Victoria’ campaign, promoting their unfundedthe Melbourne Rail Link project.

Conceived as an alternative to the Metro Tunnel, the Melbourne Rail Link tunnel would have run between South Yarra and Southern Cross, serving new stations at Domain and Fishermans Bend – instead of Arden and Parkville, who would be stuck using buses and trams.

But as you might have guessed, the Melbourne Rail Link project went nowhere, construction of the Metro Tunnel started a few years later and is almost finished, work on the Melbourne Airport Rail project has been stop-start, and a rail link to Fishermans Bend is as far away as ever.

And another piece of pork barrelling I photographed was this Denis Napthine’s $115 million dollar train on the Frankston line – or what the government called the ‘Bayside Rail Project’.

Announced in May 2013, the Bayside Rail Project was promoted as bringing the newest trains in Melbourne – the X’Trapolis – to the Frankston line.

However these trains accelerate faster than anything else in the Melbourne fleet, putting them at risk of beating the boom barriers at level crossings, but because of the upcoming election, it was decided in October 2014, to just run a single X’Trapolis train on the line each morning, but with a speed restrictor on the throttle and two drivers in the cab.

Following changes to level crossing timings on the line in August 2016, the restriction on X’Trapolis trains was removed, allowing any X’Trapolis set to run revenue services to Frankston, and more amazingly a decade later, the bulk of the level crossings on the Frankston line don’t even exist anymore.

And a third kind of rubbish

For decades this ancient advertisement for Medibank Private faced passengers at Melbourne Central platform 1.

But 2014 saw this billboard finally removed from the platform wall, replaced by the ‘Xtrack TV’ digital screens with their insipid loop of advertisements – with audio soundtrack.

And Medibank Private – it’s still just as useless as the rest of the Australian private health insurance system.

Footnote

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

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Current state

The City Loop isn’t one tunnel but a network of four separate tunnels that encircle the Melbourne CBD, with train services from different lines taking different routes around it at different times of day, before finally arriving at Flinders Street.

A result of this is that inbound trains full of passengers will slowly empty out as they make their way around the entire loop.

Before arriving at Flinders Street Station almost empty.

A loading pattern shown in this diagram from the 2012 PTV Network Development Plan.

Figure 16-2: Existing City Loop operation and train loadings – 2012 PTV Network Development Plan

Which goes on to say:

Constraints in the Northern Group revolve around the need for Craigieburn and Upfield lines to merge in the City Loop, thereby restricting the combined frequency to 24 trains per hour.

On the Burnley Group, the terminating and turning back of Burnley local trains at Flinders Street limits capacity on all Burnley Group local lines.

The current routing and efficiency of the loop and terminating lines in the city is an inefficient use of resources (trains and infrastructure), as demonstrated in Figure 16-2. The line thickness designates an indicative train loading for the AM peak period.

From the above figure, it can be seen that the loop operation is inefficient because all trains entering the loop will be overloaded. However, by the time they run across the viaduct between Flinders Street and Southern Cross, they will be nearly empty, which is a waste of valuable central area track capacity.

In addition, Burnley local services (the Glen Waverley and Alamein lines) that run direct to and terminate at Flinders Street will be underutilised as many passengers will transfer onto loop services at Richmond, which again is a sub-optimal use of trains and infrastructure.

And a solution?

The 2008 East West Rail Link ‘Analysis on Rail Capacity’ report introduced a solution – reconfiguring the City Loop tunnels.

Northern – Burnley loops connected

The existing four city loop tunnels operate independently from each other. Rather than operating each group independently, this option would see trains running between North Melbourne and Richmond, either via Flinders Street (FSS) and Southern Cross (SXS), or via the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (MURL). For this option, the following operations could be achieved:

• Sydenham to Glen Waverley / Alamein / Blackburn via FSS, SXS
• Craigieburn / Upfield to Belgrave / Lilydale via MURL

Operations would assume that layovers and crew changes would take place at suburban termini rather than at Flinders Street or Southern Cross.

By allowing Burnley and Northern trains travelling in the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (MURL) to continue on to North Melbourne or Richmond respectively rather than looping around to Flinders Street, track and platform capacity at Southern Cross, Flinders Street and across the viaduct would be released. In association with discontinuing the practice of reversing trains at Flinders Street station, this would allow for direct services from each group to be linked.

The spare capacity at Flinders Street station could be used for services from Caulfield and Clifton Hill groups, and allow for network expansion.

The infrastructure works required to enable Northern-Burnley operations as shown include:

• new tunnel connection from the Burnley loop tunnel west of Flagstaff to the existing western loop portal south of North Melbourne;
• new tunnel connection from the Northern loop tunnel south of Parliament to a new portal situated in the Jolimont rail yards and connected to existing Burnley down track;
• new platform 7 at North Melbourne, forming an island platform with existing platform 6;
• track slewing on either side of North Melbourne to enable sectorisation of lines.

Passenger impacts would need to be carefully managed due to need to terminate Werribee/Williamstown trains at Southern Cross. Furthermore, this option does not offer new travel opportunities or CBD connectivity, and introduces some risk of overcrowding issues which would need special attention during the design of this option.

This option would allow the metropolitan rail network to transport around 114,000 passengers into the CBD in the morning peak hour.

And the concept was further refined in the 2012 PTV Network Development Plan.

The removal of loop operations on the Northern and Caulfield loops and the connection between specific lines on each side of the city will result in the creation of two new Cross-City lines, with capacity for an additional 30 trains per hour in the peak (Craigieburn – more than six trains per hour, Upfield and future Northern lines – more than 18 trains per hour and Burnley local lines – more than six trains per hour)

High level scope of works:

• New tunnel link between Flagstaff (Caulfield loop) and North Melbourne platform 2. This will enable trains from Craigieburn to run into the Caulfield loop to Flagstaff, then exit via the existing portal at Richmond platform 5 and continue on to Frankston via Parliament
• New tunnel link between Parliament (Northern loop) and Richmond platform 3. This will enable trains from Frankston to run into the Northern loop to Parliament, then exit via the existing western portal at North Melbourne on to Craigieburn via Flagstaff
• Enabling works for new tunnel link from City Circle loop to down Burnley Through line to facilitate through running from Clifton Hill Loop Line to Ringwood Loop Line for the purposes of stabling and maintenance
• New fly-over from the Upfield line onto the through suburban lines at North Melbourne (over other Northern Group tracks)
• Bi-directional signalling at North Melbourne platform 1 to enable operation of city-bound and outbound Seymour services to Southern Cross

The package of works identified for this period will provide the following benefits:

• Free up two viaduct tracks following removal of loop routing, effectively providing two new tracks through the city
• Provide greater capacity for growing passenger demand on Craigieburn and Upfield lines and all Burnley express and local lines
• Enhance service reliability through the full sectorisation of lines through the city and suburban sections
• Enable quicker travel times for outbound journeys on the Burnley express line through segregation from local stopping services
• Provide faster cross-town journeys by eliminating the need for passengers to backtrack or suffer layover time at Flinders Street
• Extend the network connectivity for Burnley local services by providing direct through services to Southern Cross and the west
• Facilitate easier cross-town travel through the city for all northern lines to employment, education and retail precincts clustered in the east
• Provide a better balance in passenger loadings on trains bound for either the underground city stations (Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament) or the surface stations (Southern Cross and Flinders Street), as opposed to the heavily loaded loop services and relatively lightly loaded direct services terminating at Flinders Street
• Simplify the rail network by providing direct access to and from all city stations at all times of the day, reducing current confusion and inconvenience associated with daytime loop reversals
• Increase efficiency of train movements through the city by removing loop services
• Reduce train congestion at Flinders Street by eliminating terminating and turnback manoeuvers for Burnley local services, thereby increasing train efficiency through reduced train fleet requirements
• Enable the rationalisation of track and removal of excess point work in the central area to reduce maintenance requirements
• Provide network capacity to enable new rail corridors to be built in future years to serve new developments in the northern outskirts as well as an express link to Melbourne Airport

Along with a clear visual showing how two small sections of tunnel result in such a large uplift in the overall passenger capacity.

Figure 16-3: Proposed reconfigured loop operation and train loadings – 2012 PTV Network Development Plan

While 2021 Infrastructure Victoria spoke of the best time to deliver the City Loop reconfiguration project – now.

The Melbourne Metro Tunnel will enable some new services on Craigieburn and Upfield lines, but these would reach capacity by the mid-2030s. If these new services were introduced without
reconfiguring the City Loop first, they would be heavily disrupted for long periods during the project’s construction, and affect many more passengers.

Reconfiguring the City Loop immediately after completing the Melbourne Metro Tunnel minimises disruptions to passengers, particularly as the realignment of the Cranbourne and Pakenham services through the Melbourne Metro Tunnel upon opening can leave one of the two loop tunnels affected by this project empty. The Victorian Government should start detailed design and planning quickly to identify critical works to undertake before the Melbourne Metro Tunnel is completed. This can avoid significant disruption to the network.

The window of opportunity to deliver the City Loop reconfiguration project will close as demand continues to increase, and the network may only temporarily have enough spare capacity to change train service patterns during construction to minimise passenger impacts.

The Victorian Government should complete a business case for the project within the next two years. Reconfiguring the City Loop would enable more frequent and reliable services by creating two high frequency separated lines connecting northern and south-eastern areas. The business case should consider timing, including starting the project immediately after the Melbourne Metro Tunnel is completed.

Footnote: passenger capacity at the stations themselves

Turns out running more trains isn’t the silver bullet to increasing the number of passengers able to travel – capacity on the escalators and through ticket gates at railway stations is another.

A problem also flagged in the 2012 PTV Network Development Plan:

16.8 City Loop station upgrades

Service frequencies through the City Loop stations will increase with the provision of high capacity signalling on the Clifton Hill Group and better utilisation of existing signalling systems on the other loops. Moreover, the connection of the Northern and Caulfield loops will result in a higher proportion of train loads alighting at the City Loop stations.

Preliminary investigations completed to date, utilising simulation software and focused on Parliament station at this stage, have indicated that some additional escalator capacity will be required as well as an enlargement of the forecourt areas and an increased number of barriers at the main entrances.

At this stage of the investigation, platform capacities do not appear to be an issue even though these are causing some concern at present. This is due to the fact that in future all trains through a given platform will be running to no more than two stopping patterns and destinations.

It is currently considered that additional escalator capacity can be provided by insertion of new escalators into the existing escalator banks. The extension of the forecourt areas is an at-surface construction issue that should not be overly complex.

Key benefits
• Ensure station access and platform capacity can support passenger movements at peak times
• Reduced congestion and therefore improved travel times at key CBD stations.

High level scope of works
• Install new escalators at City Loop stations
• Widen forecourt areas and install additional ticket barriers where necessary to improve throughput.

And which is being addressed at Melbourne Central station as part of the Metro Tunnel project, with two new escalators being installed between the concourse and platform 1/2 to cater for the increased number of interchange passengers once the adjacent State Library station opens.

Further reading

• 2012 PTV Network Development Plan
• 2008 East West Rail Link Analysis on Rail Capacity report
• Infrastructure Victoria Reconfiguring the City Loop
• “Why Melbourne’s outgrown the City Loop” at Melbourne on Transit
• “Melbourne’s City Loop – the work of the Devil” at Under The Clocks

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The story starts at Flagstaff station where I was checking out progress on the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Upgrade Project, when a voice came over the PA system – “photography is prohibited in City Loop stations”.

I’d gotten the photos I needed, so I headed back up to the surface and stepped into the middle of La Trobe Street to photograph a diverted route 12a tram, when a police car pulled up beside me, and the officer inside said “you can’t stand in the middle of the tram tracks”.

At that point I tweeted:

So far this afternoon I’ve copped a “no taking photos in the station” over the PA, and a “you can’t stand on the tram tracks taking photos” from a passing cop car – so how long until I complete the trifecta?

And 40 minutes later, I won! I’d climbed on top of a crash barrier to photograph the demolition of 600 Collins Street, when the traffic controller down the street said I’d have to climb down.

And that made three.

Footnote

Of course that didn’t stop me – I headed around the corner to Collins Street and climbed onto the top of an electrical box.

So I could photograph progress on the rebuilding of the tram tracks at Spencer and Collins Street.

No rest for the wicked.

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Gerling – ‘Dust Me Selecta’ (2001)

A guy goes running down the stairs at Flagstaff station and boards a Hitachi train, where he finds a set of magical headphones that turn the train into a nightclub.

The Living End – ‘All Torn Down’ (1998)

The band rock out in front of 1990s Melbourne scenes like the wasteland that is Melbourne Dockland, and the railway yards that became Federation Square.

Phrase ft. Mystro – ‘Here Now’ (2005)

Rapping onboard Hitachi carriages 13M and 1938T at the Brooklyn tip before they got turned into scrap metal.

And a bonus one: Shannon Noll – What About Me (2004)

Another music video from the same time period, this time it features an 81 class diesel locomotive leading a grain train in country New South Wales.

Fun fact

The interior shots of Gerling’s ‘Dust Me Selecta’ music video were actually filmed onboard a Harris train at the Newport Railway Museum.

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The story behins

We start in the 1970s with the construction of the Museum station – now known as Melbourne Central – in a cut and cover box beneath La Trobe Street, between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets. To make room for the massive excavation, Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority acquired properties so that La Trobe Street was detoured to the south.

Public Record Office Victoria image (via ABC News)

The Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority also acquired additional land south of Museum station for a future commercial development, with this 1973 artists impression showing how it would be integrated with the underground station.

PROV image VPRS 12903/P0001, 698/27

However the plans for over site development stalled, and the decision was made to build three standalone entrances to Museum station – from Swanston, Elizabeth and La Trobe Streets. The architecture firm responsible was Perrott Lyon Timlock & Kesa, with the above ground entrances designed by project designer Graeme Butler.

The main entrance to the station was at the south-west corner of Swanston and La Trobe Street, with a civic plaza located over the escalators down to the station concourse.

Graeme Butler photo

Once the station box was completed and La Trobe Street moved back to the original alignment, construction of the station entrance started in earnest.

Graeme Butler photo

But by mid-1978 the intended opening date of December 1979 was looking unachievable – October 1980 set as the new date, following delays to the new ‘Metrol’ train control centre.

Weston Langford photo

Enter Queen Elizabeth II

On 1 March 1980 it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II would be coming to Australia to open the new High Court Building in Canberra on May 26, followed by visits to Sydney and Melbourne.

Photo by Con Tassios, via Wikimedia Commons

Another construction project also underway in Melbourne was City Square at the corner of Swanston and Collins Street, with Queen Elizabeth II cutting the ribbon to open it.

Graeme Butler photo

But Melbourne’s new underground railway – it wasn’t ready yet! So the civic plaza on top of the station entrance was tidied up.

Graeme Butler photo

Ready for the Royal Visit on 28 May 1980.

Screencap from MURLA film

The Royal Visit

Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the station via La Trobe Street.

Screencap from MURLA film

Exiting their car on the north side of the street.

Screencap from MURLA film

Walking along La Trobe Street a short way.

Screencap from MURLA film

And down the ramp into the station.

Screencap from MURLA film

The ramp ran along a sloped garden, providing a lightwell into the station concourse.

Screencap from MURLA film

Once in the station, the party headed down another level to inspect a number of displays on the platform.

MURLA photo

And then back up the escalator to the concourse.

Screencap from MURLA film

After another escalator the party reached Swanston Street, where they walked up a flight of stairs to the upper level plaza.

Screencap from MURLA film

A crowd watching from the State Library forecourt across Swanston Street.

Screencap from MURLA film

Up ahead – a waiting plaque, covered in a velvet curtain adorned with the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority logo.

Screencap from MURLA film

Time to pull back the curtain.

Screencap from MURLA film

And there’s the plaque I found – “Queen Elizabeth Plaza named by Her Majesty The Queen, 28 May 1980”.

Screencap from MURLA film

Time for a quick photo with Her Majesty.

MURLA photo

And then it was time for the next engagement of the day.

So what happened to Queen Elizabeth Plaza?

Following the Royal Visit work continued: stage one of Museum station and the first two City Loop tunnels were officially opened on 14 November 1980.

The dome in the middle of Queen Elizabeth Plaza was completed.

Graeme Butler photo

Overshadowed by Coops Shot Tower.

Graeme Butler photo

An island among wasteland waiting to be redeveloped.

Graeme Butler photo

At what was then a quiet part of the Melbourne CBD.

Graeme Butler photo

But farewell

Redevelopment of the surrounding area was soon approved as part of the ‘Melbourne Central’ complex, and by 1989, Queen Elizabeth Plaza had disappeared beneath the new shopping complex.

Photo by Jkarjalainen, via Wikimedia Commons

The shopping centre opening atop the station entrance in 1991.

Sydney Hughes postcard

With the Queen Elizabeth name applied to ‘Queen Elizabeth Walk‘ on 11th September 1991.

But just over a decade later, it was now the turn of the Swanston Street station entrance to disappear.

Closed in 2003 as part of the redevelopment of the Melbourne Central, replaced by a maze of escalators running through the shopping centre.

Not exactly fit for a queen, is it?

And the ramp to La Trobe Street?

The ramp used by Queen Elizabeth II to enter Museum station survived far longer.

As did a spiral staircase to La Trobe Street.

Despite being enclosed by shops along La Trobe Street and a car park to the north, both remained in almost original condition until a few years ago.

Until the site was acquired for the Aurora Melbourne Central development. Demolition work commenced in 2015.

The connection to the station box hacked away at the north side of La Trobe Street.

Making way for the basement of the 84 storey residential tower.

The replacement station access to La Trobe Street? A dank graffiti covered staircase and lift.

Definitely not a place you would bring royalty to inspect!

Footnote: a few more Royal Visit titbits

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has a copy of the 1980 Royal Visit program – 30 minutes was allocated for the Queen to inspect Museum station.

3.10pm

• Alight at La Trobe Street entrance
• See selected features of the station
• Her Majesty unveils a plaque naming “Queen Elizabeth Plaza”

3.40pm

• Depart for Government House

In their 1980 annual report, the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop Authority made special mention of the Royal Visit.

It is fitting that the Authority received recognition by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh during their recent visit to Melbourne by their making an inspection of the Underground at Museum Station, culminating in the conferring by Her Majesty of her name on the plaza above the eastern entrance to the Station. In due course the plaza will be integrated into the Museum Station area redevelopment.

The visit by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh provided a further impetus for public involvement with the Loop and its potential benefits. It also made possible a welcome opportunity to open Museum Station for inspection by special interest groups of individuals, and representatives of organisations who have made significant contributions to the project, and workmen (with their families), many of whom have been involved with the project since its inception.

Special reference is made to the Media which, in story and picture, provided a continuing coverage of Loop progress, particularly the television sector which, by virtue of its unique nature, enabled millions of viewers throughout the world to see activity taking place underground and in areas otherwise completely hidden from public view, including an extensive national and international coverage of the Royal Visit.

The full film of the visit is here:

‘phunnyfoto’ on Flickr was also there for the Royal Visit, photographing the event from atop 200 La Trobe Street.

Finally, on Flickr you can find more photos of Museum station by Graeme Butler.

Footnote: another Royal Visit to a delayed station

Queen Elizabeth II also visited a behind schedule railway station during her 1975 visit to Hong Kong – but still left behind a plaque to mark the occasion.

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Philip Mallis photo

The back story

The City Loop encircles the Melbourne CBD, with train services from different lines taking different routes around it at different times of day, before finally arriving at Flinders Street.

And because the loop consists of four independent tunnels, train services can continue running on one line while another one is closed.

But what about passengers on the line which isn’t running through the City Loop?

Answer – they catch a “Train Replacement Train”.

Confusion abounds

These “train replacement trains” start at Flinders Street, then visit Southern Cross, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central and Parliament, before arriving back at Flinders Street.

Screens on the concourse at City Loop stations call this replacement service the “City Circle”.

Philip Mallis photo

But the screens at platform level call them a ‘Flinders Street’ train.

And the trains running these services just show ‘Special’ on the front.

While back at Flinders Street Station, it’s called a ‘City Loop’ train.

Confused?

Enter the ‘City Circle’

With four independent tunnels in the City Loop looping around the CBD, each one needed a name.

MURLA diagram, undated

Based on which train lines they are connected to.

• Northern Loop – serving the lines through North Melbourne,
• Burnley Loop – serving the lines headed towards Burnley,
• Caulfield Loop – serving the lines headed towards Caulfield, and finally
• Clifton Hill Loop / City Circle – serving the lines towards Clifton Hill, along with a branch back to Flinders Street.

The Clifton Hill / City Circle name can be seen on tunnel walls.

And on emergency exit signage.

The most interesting feature of the Clifton Hill / City Circle tunnel is an underground junction, located just south of Parliament station – a popular spot for urban explorers before security was upgraded.

To avoid any unwanted attention I’m not going to link back to the original photographer

The other end of the tunnel is located beneath the Exhibition Street bridge.

My only photo of the junction was taken hanging out of the open window of a Hitachi train, packing a high powered flashgun.

But I recently made a special expedition to the portal to capture it in use.

And after a loud TOOT an X’Trapolis train emerged from underground.

Headed up the ramp bound for Flinders Street Station.

Footnote: some photos from the past

Until August 1993 the ‘City Circle’ service operated full time to provide cross-CBD travel, until it was replaced by the newly-introduced free City Circle Tram service at ground level.

But City Circle trains still ran as required for operational reasons – I stumbled upon one at Flinders Street platform 1 back in 2005, advertised as a ‘City Circle’ service on the old CRT next train display system.

And took one for a ride in 2012, with the displays onboard the train calling it a ‘City Circle train’.

So that’s great progress in the past decade – going from consistent ‘City Circle’ messaging towards passengers, to a mix of ‘City Circle, ‘Flinders Street’, and ‘Special’.

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Trains for the City Loop depart from platform 1 and 3.

But there is only one track towards Flagstaff station.

So trains have to wait their turn.

You could try looking at the screens on the platform to see which one leaves first.

But instead you can head up to the overhead concourse.

And look towards the departure end of the platform.

Looking at the same thing train drivers are looking for – signals!

Any combination of red, yellow or green lights means go, while two reds mean stop.

With your newfound knowledge, you can now pick the first train to depart.

And save a grand total of a minute.

Footnote

You can read more about how Melbourne’s railway signals work at Vicsig and Victorian Railways.

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Railfan specials

On 1 March 1997 newly restored heritage diesel locomotive GM36 went for a trip through the City Loop with a railfan special.

Weston Langford photo

And followed it up a few weeks later on a trip to Echuca.

27 March 1999 – An ARHS & ARE combined special ran from Spencer Street to Echuca via Seymour and return via Bendigo with 1BE, 14BE, 5ABE, 2AE & Yarra. A highlight of the tour was departing Melbourne via the underground City Loop, normally electric suburban sets only.

With ‘Rail Tales’ capturing it on video through Melbourne Central station.

From Trains in Victoria Volume 2 by Rail Tales

By accident

In 2001 a V/Line train from Gippsland was accidentally sent through the City Loop.

On Friday 22nd June 2001, 8406 (0603 from Traralgon), N457+FN Set, was sent through the City Loop, after its stop at Richmond station.

M>Train were short a bloke at Metrol and a Connex employee helped out with the M>Train signalling, so he obviously assumed that 8406 was a spark, rather than a VLP train, and set it up to go through the loop. The train stopped at each of the loop stations, before arriving into Spencer Street.

I would imagine that a Y Class or something would have came along, picked up the reversed order train, took it through the reversing loop, and continued using the loco from their (N Class was No.1 end facing Traralgon [meant to be the other way], and the FN Set’s carriages ‘West’ ends would actually have been ‘East’ ends).

Again in 2008.

Was informed by a friend today who was onboard 8404 (0605 Traralgon – Southern Cross) that due to a point failure at Richmond Junction, the train, consisting of VL17, was sent through the Caulfield Loop with a pilot man, arriving into Platform 12 at Southern Cross around 08:20 (13 late).

He said that the train continued on to Flinders Street from there (not really anywhere else for it to go!)

Then again in 2017 – which thanks to the proliferation of smartphones, was captured on video.

Vline going through city loop @CraigDButt @vline_gippsland @VLine @abcnews pic.twitter.com/Q9fSpQmUj2

— Sierra Rasten (@SierraRasten) April 20, 2017

The reason for the ‘pilot‘ guiding the train – drivers need to be qualified for the routes they travel on, and since V/Line trains don’t normally use the City Loop, drivers are not qualified to use it.

And on purpose

Metro has a special carriage fitted out to inspect the condition of the overhead wires that power trains.

Sneaking around the suburban network without warning every few months, occasionally railfans have captured it heading through the City Loop – like I did back in 2023.

So what about the diesel exhaust?

So how do the City Loop tunnels deal with exhaust fumes from diesel trains?

Exhaust fans and ventilation structures!

Metro Trains Melbourne detail their use in a document titled “Underground Loop Operating Instructions”.

Locomotive

(a) Diesel Locomotives
Diesel locomotives must not be routed though the underground loop tunnels. The only exception is when the Driver is authorised to assist a disabled train or as otherwise instructed.

(b) Locomotive to Assist
If an electric train becomes disabled, it should be assisted by another electric train. If another electric train is not readily available and it is necessary for a diesel locomotive to assist, the following classes of locomotive are not to be used; ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘G’, BL & ‘N’.

(c) Locomotive Exhaust Test
When a diesel locomotive is to be used as the relief locomotive it must be held outside the tunnel entrance until the disabled train is ready to be moved. Before entering the tunnel, the Driver of the relief locomotive must conduct an exhaust test.

(d) Ventilation System
Before a diesel locomotive enters the tunnel:
1. the tunnel ventilation system must be operated in high exhaust mode,
2. the doors and windows of the disabled train must be closed, and
3. the air-conditioning system on the disabled train must be shut down.

(e) Coupling Locomotive
Both Drivers must ensure the brakes apply and release on the disabled train, before departure they must conduct a continuity test.

(f) Low Revolutions
The Driver of the relief locomotive must keep the throttle in low revs, whilst charging the air brake system on the disabled train.

(g) Ventilation to be Kept On
The Tunnel ventilation system must be kept operating for at least 30 minutes after the locomotive has left the tunnel.

And how do V/Line trains ‘accidentally’ end up in the City Loop?

The City Loop isn’t a single tunnel, but four parallel tunnels, with nine portals, scattered across five locations – and only two of them are passed by V/Line services.

Victorian Railways diagram

The first – the pair of portals for the ‘Northern Loop’ at the city end of North Melbourne station.

And the other – the pair of portals for the ‘Caulfield Loop’ at Richmond.

Before the completion of Regional Rail Link in 2014 every single Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong service used to stop at North Melbourne station.

But there was a special tool to prevent V/Line drivers taking a ‘wrong turn’ into the City Loop – the ‘route indicator‘ arrow on the signal at the end of the platform.

That way if the route is incorrectly set into the City Loop, the V/Line driver can call up the signaller, and have the route changed to the correct one.

But at Richmond, the junction to the City Loop is located beyond the station platforms, where trains are moving at speed.

Which increases the chance of a V/Line train being caught unaware by an incorrectly set route – hence it’s mostly Traralgon trains that get accidentally sent through the City Loop.

Footnote: a new solution to ‘wrong turns’

In 2021 Metro Trains made another change to the signalling system at North Melbourne to prevent V/Line train accidentally entering the City Loop – the Train Protection & Warning System was modified so that any V/Line train trying to take the route towards the City Loop will have the emergency brakes applied.

A similar system but in reverse is used to prevent suburban electric trains continuing past the end of the overhead wires.

And another footnote: not quite a diesel

In 1998 a V/Line locomotive was sent through the City Loop on another railfan special, but it wasn’t diesel powered – but an L class electric locomotive.

Rail Tourist Association photo

No exhaust fumes to worry about there!

Footnote: another inspection train

Metro also once operated inspection carriage IEV102.

A 2014 run through the City Loop was captured at Flagstaff by Ian Green, and this 2021 run was snapped at Parliament by Blake Cogley.

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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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I was flicking through a copy of “Engineering Marvels of Australia – Australia’s Railways” by Alison Hidek when I had a case of deja vu.

With the photo of a Melbourne train in the bottom left corner looking awfully familiar.

Was it a photo of mine that I’d uploaded to Wikipedia way back in November 2007?

Photo by Marcus Wong Wongm, via Wikimedia Commons

After a check of the title page:

Yes!

p21b – Caulfield Group City Loop portal by Marcus Wong via Wikimedia

Content uploaded to Wikimedia Commons is free to reuse, provided you follow the terms specified by the author.

Unlike traditional media repositories, Wikimedia Commons is free. Everyone is allowed to copy, use and modify any files here freely as long as they follow the terms specified by the author; this often means crediting the source and author(s) appropriately and releasing copies/improvements under the same freedom to others. The license conditions of each individual media file can be found on their description page

In my case – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike license.

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.
You are free:
– to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work
– to remix – to adapt the work
Under the following conditions:
– attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
– share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.

So everything was above board.

Footnote

I’ve written about finding Wikipedia uploads in real life before, in Keeping track of V/Line ‘borrowed’ photos.

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