Each morning at North Melbourne station passengers headed for the City Loop have a question – which train will be first to depart, and which one will be stuck in the platform?
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.
It’s an even more fun game in the evening peak. All three platforms are in use going in towards the city; which platform will get you into the city first?
The lines on Platforms 1 and 3 join just before Southern Cross, so you can pick the train that comes first at North Melbourne, only to sit outside Southern Cross for a couple of minutes while the later train on the other line races past. Protip is to look at which train is *late*(r) at North Melbourne; Metrol will usually let that train through Southern Cross first.
You absolutely win in the frustration stakes on the (somewhat rare) occasions when there is a platform blockage at Southern Cross or Flinders St. On those occasions trains bank up. It’s quite possible then to sit between North Melbourne and Southern Cross and see trains on the other route happily pass. Or, if you’ve picked correctly, sail past three or four trains stationary on the other line!
You’ve also got the extra challenge of trains on platform 6 – will the backlog at Flinders Street lie on the Northern Group tracks towards the City Loop, on the Cross City Group tracks through to Frankston.
This reminds me of 2012, when they would do works and reverse the direction of Footscray originating trains to enter loop first. It would run so much better, and would save me 20 minutes interchanging to Bellgrave/Lillydale group.
2012 was when the weekend timetable was changed so Northern Loop trains would go via the City Loop before arriving at Flinders Street.
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1665886.htm