Headed in

The open day was held on the closed off section of Domain Road, east of Anzac station.

With food stalls.

And kids activities.

Including a train ride.

But the reason I was there was to see inside Anzac station itself.

Touring the station

We headed downstairs.

The Domain Road entrance having a single up escalator and a flight of stairs.

As well as a lift, that doubled as a light well.

We were then greeted by the unpaid area concourse, which passes beneath St Kilda Road.

And the tram stop above.

A trio of escalators and a lift connect the station concourse to the south end of the tram stop.

And a single escalator, steps and lift to the northern end.

The unpaid area walkway then continued west to the station entrance on Albert Road.

With a pair of escalators.

Along with a lift.

Down to the platforms

Now it was time to head down to the platforms.

Obviously no trains running.

But the passenger information screens had been installed.

Through the ticket gates.

With sunlight still streaming in from the glass roof above.

We went past the pair of lifts down to platform level.

And took the escalators down instead.

A wide island platform greeting us.

But still no trains.

Temporary fencing in place across the platform screen doors, with a demarcation still in place between active rail tunnels and the under construction railway station.

But network ‘strip maps’ already displayed.

Along with customer help points.

The big orange pendant light fittings also a design feature.

Along with the orange ceiling details.

It was then time to head back out again, so we took a trio of escalators back to the concourse.

And then back out of the same ticket gates we entered through.

Past the customer service counter.

Past the hidden away back of house area.

Back down the unpaid concourse towards Domain Road.

Back up the escalator.

And back into the sunlight.

Ending the tour.

Footnote: a few other things I noticed

Anzac station isn’t completely finished yet – the retail spaces are still taken up by temporary facilities for construction workers.

With a few bits of wall cladding also missing.

I also noticed a separate set of stairs beside the Domain Road entrance.

Locked away from public use, for firefighter access in case of emergency.

I also found a second lift door hidden away at the back of the Domain Road lift – presumably it leads into the back of house area of the station.

And on Domain Road the tram tracks have been rebuilt, with new platform stops installed – despite route 58 trams still using the tracks along Toorak Road West they were diverted along back in 2017 to make way for the construction of Anzac station.

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In the beginning

The story starts back in December 2005, with the introduction of the VLocity trains to the V/Line fleet. Each set consisted of two carriages seating a total of 140 passengers, with a drivers cab at each end. For the peak hour express trains on the Geelong line, they would coupled together three units to make a six car train.

We then saw a politically motivated 20% cut in V/Line fares in 2007, resulting in an explosion in patronage, especially on the Geelong line.

One response to this was the ordering of additional trains for V/Line, who saw their first three-car long VLocity set enter service in August 2008.

But with patronage still growing and suburban and V/Line trains sharing the tracks out of Melbourne, running more services on the Geelong line wasn’t an option. But V/Line had another solution – 7-car long VLocity train, made up of two 2-car sets with a 3-car set.

These trains were introduced to the Geelong line in November 2008 and ran until June 2015, when Geelong trains commenced using the new Regional Rail Link tracks, and the last of the 2-car VLocity trains had been extended to be three cars along.

So what next?

As early as 2011 V/Line knew longer trains would be required – their ‘Initial Strategic Operations Plan’, obtained by the Greens under the Freedom of Information Act, says the following:

V/Line anticipates that by this point in time (2018) a high capacity style DMU will be required for Geelong services. It is expected that these trains would operate in 8- or 9-car consists and would each be able to carry 750 – 800 customers. It is expected that the eight peak hour services would be operated with the high capacity DMUs.

And the Regional Rail Link project also included provision for these longer trains – providing 250 metre long platforms at Footscray, Tarneit and Wyndham Vale stations to cater for a hypothetical nine car long train, made up of three 3-car sets.

But for some unknown reason, they decided only only build a 190 metre long platform at Sunshine, despite plenty of space at the city end for a 250 metre long one.

But in 2016 the State Government’s focus switched to a ‘high capacity next generation regional train’ – from the PTV website:

High capacity next generation regional trains

The 2016-17 State Budget includes $10 million in development funding for High-Capacity Next Generation Regional Rolling Stock to cater for the future needs of regional Victoria.

A next generation high capacity regional train will be commissioned in the coming years to cater for strong patronage growth and provide new peak services.

With V/Line saying in 2017 that nine car trains are possible, but won’t be happening any time soon – from the Geelong Advertiser.

Nine-carriage V/Line trains possible, but no plans for Geelong line yet
23 October 2017

The boss of the regional rail network has admitted for the first time nine-carriage trains on the Geelong line are a possibility.

Potential for a mega-train carrying more than 660 passengers comes after calls from commuters and rail experts to reduce peak-time overcrowding on the line.

But while James Pinder said a nine-carriage train was possible, he said it was not a current priority.

Mr Pinder said V/Line’s priority was bolstering its fleet from three to six-carriage trains.

“The (VLocity) train is capable of running in a nine-car configuration. (To run nine-carriage trains) it becomes an issue around infrastructure and number of vehicles (available),” he said.

“We don’t currently have any plans to run nine-car ser­vices. To run large numbers of nine-car services we would have to have a look at (increasing) platform lengths.”

On Monday, a spokeswoman for the Public Transport Minister did not say if the Government was considering introducing nine-carriage trains on the regional network.

The Geelong Advertiser under­stands platforms at Geelong station are long enough for nine-carriage trains — which could open the possibility for Geelong to Melbourne express trains.

Platforms at other smaller stations on the line would need to be extended for a stopping-all-stations Waurn Ponds to Southern Cross train.

Mr Pinder said nine-­carriage trains did not run across the V/Line network at present.

And they finally happen

On Sunday 21 June 2020 V/Line ran their first nine car VLocity train on the mainline, taking it from Southern Cross Station to Wyndham Vale and back to test their operation, as well as platform clearances.

Sunshine station being the sticking point.

The last one and 1/2 carriages fouling the junction when the front was stopped at the city end of platform 3.

Or sticking out in front after the rear of the train was brought onto the platform.

These tests were then followed in July 2021 by more testing, this time between Ballarat and Lal Lal, which doesn’t see any V/Line passenger services run along it.

ThebusofdoomFSX video

But it took another year for the first nine car train to take passengers – following the 30 May 2022 timetable change.

Passengers in Melbourne’s west now have more space on selected peak services with 9-car VLocity trains running to and from Wyndham Vale Station for the first time.

The longer trains, which have the highest-capacity of any regional commuter train in Victoria, will boost capacity by 50% cent on the busiest part on the V/Line network.

The new 9-car services will run each weekday, with 1 in the morning peak starting at Wyndham Vale and 2 in the evening peak departing from Southern Cross.

As well as improving capacity, the 9-car trains also provide more doors for boarding, reducing crowding in corridors particularly in peak periods.

Platforms will also be extended at Sunshine Station to allow nine-car VLocity trains to stop there in the future.

But due to the short platforms, these nine car services had to run express through Sunshine, as well as Deer Park.

Extending the platforms at Sunshine

With level crossing removal works at Deer Park station regularly closing the Geelong and Ballarat lines, V/Line took the opportunity to finally extend the platforms at Sunshine. In March 2023 the piled foundations were installed.

The real work kicking off in April, with assembly of the steel platform supports.

And pouring of the concrete deck.

They then left the completed section of platform fenced off for a month.

The nine car trains still having to skip the stop.

Until May, when they decided to take down the fence between new and old.

And the introduction of a new timetable from 28 May 2023 adding a stop at Sunshine to the nine car Wyndham Vale services.

However in recent months I haven’t seen a nine car train run – possibly due to a shortage of VLocity railcars following the retirement of the H set locomotive hauled carriage fleet.

And so they choose to cut down a nine car train to six cars, than a six car train to three.

And now to Melton?

In May 2021 the State Government announced that funding would be provided to allow nine car VLocity trains to run to Melton, a promise repeated in October 2022.

And reiterated yet again in March 2024.

The Melton level crossing removal works will help introduce larger nine-car VLocity trains as part of the $650 million Melton Line Upgrade, increasing capacity for passengers by 50 per cent and creating 1,000 jobs during construction – while making roads safer and less congested for pedestrians.

To support the introduction of nine car trains, a new train stabling facility is being investigated at Cobblebank where trains could be stored when they are not operating, further supporting local jobs in construction and ongoing maintenance.

But look at what else was happening at the same time – a brand new station at Deer Park was opened in April 2023, with platforms only 215 metres long – half a carriage (10 metres) too short!

That flew under the radar until August 2024, when the State Opposition gave a media drop to the Herald Sun, and then it was all over the news.

Footnote: it’s not just platform length

The new platform extensions at Sunshine also happen to be ~100mm higher than the existing platforms.

This happens to be a new platform height standard, which was also used at Deer Park station – and happens to be incompatible with the outward swinging plug doors fitted to V/Line’s Sprinter railcars.

And so those trains are banned from stopping at the new platforms.

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The original

The first locomotive numbered #6029 is a New South Wales AD60 class Beyer-Garratt 4-8-4+4-8-4 heavy goods steam locomotive, which entered service in 1954 and is now preserved by Transport Heritage NSW.

The young one

The next locomotive numbered #6029 is a UGL Rail C44aci diesel electric locomotive, operated by Aurizon on freight services across Australia since delivery in 2012.

And the ring in

And the electric version of #6029 is actually a tram – a Melbourne E-class which entered service in 2015.

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Regional Rail Link

These has been an ongoing theme for many months now, but ten years ago Regional Rail Link was nearing the finishing line – the finishing touches were being applied to the new platforms at Footscray.

And the site offices were being cleared away.

The road under rail grade separation on the Sunbury line at Anderson Road was open to traffic.

Noise walls were going up beside the existing railway line around Ardeer.

And the new railway through Wyndham Vale.

Wyndham Vale station looked ready for trains.

But the street entrance was boarded up – the first train was still a year away.

V/Line trains still sharing the suburban tracks into North Melbourne station.

But Ballarat trains were snaking across the new tracks to use the new country platforms at Sunshine station.

Flinders Street Station

Metro Trains Melbourne was more interested in making money at Flinders Street Station than running trains.

Leasing the site of the long abandoned platform 11 for the construction of a bar.

With views of the Yarra River.

The station also gained a massive video wall on the concourse, screening an endless loop of advertisements.

They didn’t stop until 25 November 2022, where an activist covered it with paint, shutting it down until June 2023 when a replacement screen was installed.

Southern Cross Station

V/Line’s fleet of A class diesel locomotives were still in frontline service a decade ago.

While the western end of Southern Cross Station was a much brighter place.

But not for long – work on the 699 Bourke Street development atop the station was underway.

The work supposedly the reason for the failed lighting above the platforms, which has never been fixed.

New signalling

The Kensington Racecourse Essendon Signaling Project (KRESP) was wrapped up on the Craigieburn line.

The old signalling equipment placed trackside waiting collection.

The project enabled the retirement of the 1885 signal box at Flemington Racecourse, 1918 signal frame at Kensington, and 1969 signal panel at Essendon.

Trams

The last of the Z1 class trams were still in revenue service, but apprantly not too reliable – this one was being followed by mechanics onboard tram recovery truck ‘R10’.

And motorists were having trouble figuring out the bike lanes on Swanston Street – like this wanker driving a BMW through the tram stop at A’beckett Street.

While at the nearby State Library tram stop was the aftermath of an even less competent driver.

And new liveries

June 2014 was the first V/Line train painted into the new PTV ‘shard’ livery – VLocity railcar 3VL40.

The shiny new colors a contrast to the faded livery the rest of the VLocity fleet was then wearing.

The move to PTV colors had also started on Melbourne’s bus fleet, with Westrans moving away from their corporate livery, before their eventual rebranding as part of CDC Melbourne.

Footnote

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

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The back story

I first looked into how many railway stations that I’ve photographed back in 2015:

As of August 2015, I had taken a photograph at 167 of the 209 suburban railway station in Melbourne, leaving 42 which I have no proof of ever visiting – a strike rate of just under 80%.

However, those raw numbers were a little misleading, as my subject of my photos isn’t necessarily a train – as the graph below shows.

Confused?

Some explanation

Before collating the data around which stations I have taken a photo at, I never intentionally set out to photograph every railway station in Melbourne – instead I take photos of trains…

• when I think a particular location looks photogenic,
• when I hear about a steam train running,
• when I want to see V/Line and freight trains,
• when I realise I need a photo to illustrate a specific blog post,
• when I discover something is about to change and I don’t yet have a photo of it,
• when I decide to head out and photograph every ‘X’ item.

But the most common reason – I take photos of trains when I’m out and about doing other things.

The end result of this is a selection of photos across Melbourne that primarily covers the areas that I’ve passed through for work, study and visiting friends; with a particular focus on railway lines that see V/Line and freight services upon them; and leaving vast swathes of the city undocumented by my camera.

This also explains the stations where I have never photographed a suburban train at…

If a location is photogenic, I might take a photo of a train near the station when I’m in the area – but not bother visiting the station itself.

Alstom Comeng emerges from under the Jacana Flyover

Over the years I’ve travelled on a number of special trains around Melbourne – resulting in plenty of photos featuring steam and diesel trains in strange locations, but no photos of the suburban trains that normally run to said stations.

Diesel Electric Rail Motor RM58 at Upwey

When a weekend services run only every half hour, I don’t have time to wait around for the next train to show up – hence the stations where the only photo I have is of the station building.

Island platform at Ruthven station

And finally the ‘only substation’ category – I’ve been playing Pokemon with the substations that power Melbourne’s electric trains, and slowly photographing every example that I can find.

Traction power substation on the Mernda line at Reservoir

And the years since

In the end, the very act of determining how many stations I have photographed changed my attitude to photography, and in the years since 2015 I stepped up my efforts to take a photo at every railway station in Melbourne – and by December 2019 I was getting close.

But visiting the last few stations took until November 2021.

The station that marked the end of my quest – Parkdale, which received a special visit due to the upcoming level crossing removal works.

However I am yet to photograph a train at every Melbourne railway station – the following stations have slipped from my grasp due to their lack of frequent services:

• Moreland on the Upfield line, and
• Ruthven on the Mernda line.

And there are two stations I’ve only visited on a day that trains were being replaced by buses:

• Hampton and Gardenvale, both on the Sandringham line.

So how many years will it take until I find at train those last four stations?

Raw data

The raw data used for the above calculations as a Google spreadsheet.

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Welcome to South Kensington station

South Kensington station has two platforms flanking tracks used by trains on the Werribee and Williamstown line.

V/Line trains speed past on the Regional Rail Link tracks to the south.

And to the north, Sunbury line trains speed past “stopping all stations except South Kensington”.

On the narrow citybound platform, four concrete bus shelters are the only protection from the elements for passengers.

Everyone else left exposed to the elements.

While over on platform 2, there’s only one shelter.

And good luck standing behind the yellow line – you can’t even see it any more!

The only way out – steep and narrow ramps.

Which leads to a leaking pedestrian underpass.

And out on the street – a crappy little brick building that’s actually a miniature prison.

Enter the Metro Tunnel

Back in 2008 the ‘East West Link Needs Assessment Study‘ proposed a new rail tunnel running under Swanston Street, connecting Footscray to Caulfield.

Melbourne Metro Business Case, December 2011

The design was refined in the years that followed, until April 2015 when it became the ‘Metro Tunnel’ as we know it today, with a western portal located beside South Kensington station.

The City of Melbourne saw this as an opportunity to move South Kensington station westward.

Future Melbourne Committee Agenda item 7.1
Notice of Motion, Cr Leppert: South Kensington Station
1 December 2015

Motion
1. That the Future Melbourne Committee:
1.1 Resolves that the City of Melbourne supports in principle the moving of the South Kensington Station westward, from its present location to above Kensington Road; and
1.2 Notes that a full list of legacy projects associated with the Melbourne Metro Rail project are being considered by management and will be publicly canvassed in 2016.

Background

Kensington Banks has the lowest access to public transport of all residential areas of the municipality. The closest train station is South Kensington Station (in some instances more than 1km away).

South Kensington and Kensington stations are relatively close together, servicing common parts of Kensington. The below map shows a 500m radius from the entrances to Kensington and South Kensington Stations (in orange) and a 500m radius from a potential new location of South Kensington Station (blue).

The State Government contemplated moving South Kensington Station westward during the planning for Kensington Banks urban renewal, but did not progress with any plans. It has the opportunity to revisit this during Melbourne Metro Rail works. Even if the station is not moved westward as part of the project, there would be scope to ensure that the new Metro Rail works are designed in a way which anticipates the potential future construction of a Station above Kensington Road.

Future populations will also benefit from a station above Kensington Road; land adjacent to the Maribyrnong River north and south of the railway and along Kensington and Hobsons Roads is currently undergoing or is earmarked for urban renewal. (See for example agenda item 6.2 on the 1 December 2015 agenda.)

The City of Melbourne frequently and formally engages with the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority and the subject of South Kensington Station has been discussed. This motion prompts a public discussion.

An idea rejected, but they still pushed for upgrades to station access.

Melbourne Metro Rail Project
Environmental Effects Statement
City of Melbourne Submission
July 2016

The Concept Design for the project does not include any changes to South Kensington Station. The EES states that the Melbourne Metro Rail Project (MMRP) will enable further upgrades to the Williamstown and Werribee train lines in the future.

It is unclear from the EES documents whether there will be construction impacts on the operation of South Kensington Station from the MMRP. Given the proximity of the works to South Kensington Station and the subway entrance to the station, it is submitted that should construction activities affect the operation of the station, this should be used as an opportunity to upgrade the existing station and it’s access. This would be consistent with the EES evaluation objective ‘to enable a significant increase in the capacity of the metropolitan rail network and provide multimodal connections, while adequately managing effects of the works on the broader transport network, both during and after the construction of the project’.

During the Melbourne Metro Rail Project public hearing process, the poor state of South Kensington station was also brought up.

Inquiry and Advisory Committee Report
Melbourne Metro Rail Project
21 November 2016

The Minister for Planning appointed a joint Inquiry and Advisory Committee (the Committee) to provide an opportunity for people to speak in support of their submission through a s, and to make findings and recommendations on the environmental and planning effects of the Project.

In addition, the Committee comments on the poor state of South Kensington station and suggest there is a legacy opportunity to upgrade the station.

The Metropolitan Transport Forum (submission 328) noted:

South Kensington station does not meet modern standards in any respect and will be due for an upgrade or repositioning to serve a larger catchment at some stage. It is critical that no future plans for South Kensington station be jeopardised by this Project, as the Western portal is close by.

This was echoed by submission 124, who called the lack of inclusion of an upgrade to the station “a lost opportunity”.

The Committee undertook a daytime inspection of the South Kensington Station and noted its poor standard and lack of amenity. There are no toilet facilities, no vending machine, no staff, limited shelter, limited tactile paving and narrow platforms particularly on the city bound side. The Committee is concerned that the Project may constrain the ability for a future increase in the width of the train platform or implement other improvements should they be deemed necessary to meet standards.

An upgrade of South Kensington station could be considered as part of this Project to balance the impacts to the community in this Precinct and bring the station up to current standards.

But the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority still considered improvements out of scope.

$11b Metro Rail project fails to fix ‘utterly inadequate’ station in its path
Clay Lucas
October 12, 2017

When Therese Fitzgerald moved to Kensington in 1975, not that many people used the nearby South Kensington railway station.

Skip forward four decades and a flood of passengers use it – last year almost 400,000 passengers used the station, 90 per cent more than 10 years ago.

And yet the facilities at the station, wedged between industrial rail yards and a park, are – to be polite – basic.

“It’s a bus shelter, not a railway station,” said Ms Fitzgerald, a member of local group the Kensington Association.

A Melbourne Metro Rail Authority spokesman said that, as the new Metro Tunnel project would not link to South Kensington railway station, its upgrade was “not within the scope” of the project.

Still, locals pressed on, with local member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell, launching a ‘Upgrade South Kensington station now’ petition in June 2018.

Construction begins

By 2020 work on the new tunnel portal started.

Along with the emergency access and services shaft building.

Diagram from “Western Portal Development Plan” dated 2020

The connection back to the existing Sunbury line.

And a big flood wall.

But still, local residents were not happy with the level of disruption the project was causing, with no benefit to them.

The Metro Tunnel western portal’s clashes with residents
Meg Hill
18th February 2021

Plans for the Metro Tunnel’s western portal in South Kensington in 2015 required the demolition of 10 houses and 14 businesses. But pressure from locals changed those plans. The tunnel entrance was moved, and only one house was demolished.

They’ve struggled with long construction hours, noise, dust and vibrations since 2017. Although the residents support the infrastructure investment, they have taken issue with the lack of benefit for Kensington.

“The reality is that Kensington and South Kensington doesn’t benefit at all from this project, we’re just the entrance to the tunnel. We don’t get a station or anything like that, but we got a lot of disruption,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

The bitter feeling is exacerbated by tensions over the state of South Kensington Station, which locals have long complained about.

The Age reported in 2017 that Minister for Planning Richard Wynne had been advised by experts that an upgrade to the station should be considered as part of the Metro Tunnel project to bring it “up to current standards”.

Mr Hammond said that residents had been treated unfairly.

“There has never been any proper noise mitigation – if you look at RMIT they’ve got acoustic sheds, they put roofs over the works around Melbourne University and the hospitals,” he said.

“In the last financial year, the project did 46 weeks of out-of-hours work.”

“While it’s a good project and we all support the Metro Tunnel, it’s a seriously important piece of infrastructure, there’s no balance between getting the project built and the ability for residents to have some normal life.”

North West City News understands that part of that disruption is due to major construction of what is known as a “decline structure” at the tunnel entrance that has required extended hours of work due to challenging ground conditions.

Residents are sometimes offered voluntary purchase of their homes, or long-term relocation, when they complain if they’re eligible – although it is not entirely clear what constitutes eligibility.

A Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) spokesperson told North West City News that it had worked closely with the Kensington community.

“The Metro Tunnel is a project our city and state needs. It’s how we’ll deliver more trains, more often to and from our suburbs and free up vital space in the city loop,” the spokesperson said.

“From the early stages of planning the Metro Tunnel, we have worked closely with the Kensington community on many project elements including the design and location of the western tunnel entrance to minimise acquisition of homes and businesses.”

“Our workers on the ground do their best to keep noise to a minimum but we’ve been clear from the beginning of construction that a project of this size will cause some disruption.”

A fig leaf

In June 2021 South Kensington station finally made it to the top of the Metro Trains Melbourne list of stations to get a refresh, with work crews moving in.

Platform 2 was relaid in fresh asphalt, receiving a new platform edge with tactile edge markings, and a new fence along the rear.

And a new shelter for passengers in wheelchairs was provided at the departure end.

Platform 1 also received new tactile edge markings – not that the platform is wide enough to stay clear of the yellow line!

And finally something from the Metro Tunnel project

Rail Projects Victoria continued to dodge the question of South Kensington, but eventually committed to deliver some minor upgrades.

Upon completion of the Metro Tunnel, passengers using South Kensington Station will benefit from improved capacity and more frequent services on the Werribee and Williamstown lines.

While a new station in South Kensington or connection from the existing station to the Metro Tunnel is not in the scope of the project, we will undertake upgrades near the tunnel entrance.

Upgrading the entrance to the station.

Rail Projects Victoria artists impression

Works featuring:

• upgrades to Childers Street, with a new road surface, pathways, lighting, pavement and extensive landscaping, including water-sensitive rain gardens
• a new station forecourt and entrance canopy, including the realignment of Childers Street to create an enlarged station entrance area and improved pedestrian connections
• a new public space next to the egress building, with bike storage racks, lighting, seating areas and extensive landscaping
• a new pocket park at 135 Ormond Street with open space, extensive landscaping and enhanced integration with JJ Holland Park and the new station forecourt.

Justifying the works in an incredibly wordy way.

Western Portal Development Plan
Rail Infrastructure Alliance
4 May 2020

Alterations to South Kensington station are not proposed or required as part of the scope and extent of the Western Portal. Nevertheless, in accordance with Clause 3.3.c.2, the creation of the Station Forecourt and architectural treatments to the public realm at the entrance of the station seek to respond to and improve the physical, social and functional context of being a station on the metropolitan railway network.

With work on the revamped station entrance was well underway in April 2023.

Along with the associated landscaping.

Footnote: the real wildcard

Turns out the Melbourne Metro Business Case dated February 2016 investigated a downright bizarre idea – spending $1.65 billion on an underground station at South Kensington.

3.2. Decision A2: Is a South Kensington Station investment justified?

3.2.1. Options identification

Two options have been identified on this matter: retaining the status quo (Baseline) or adding additional Sunbury line platforms at South Kensington station.

– No additional station (Baseline): South Kensington Station remains as it is currently configured, serviced by the Werribee and Williamstown lines as it is today, and receiving the service boost to those lines as a result of the Melbourne Metro project.

– New South Kensington station: A new station (pair of platforms) is provided next to the existing station, enabling Sunbury line services to also start servicing the South Kensington area.

3.2.2. Options assessment

The existing South Kensington Station provides a suitable level of service to support the existing medium density residential catchment and JJ Holland Park. The station will receive an uplifted service on the Werribee corridor as a result of the Melbourne Metro. The current station is not DDA compliant and would require a total rebuild including realignment of the Werribee line tracks to provide improved accessibility to the station in approximately the same location. The design of the Western Portal can ensure this rebuild is possible at a future point in time when future growth in patronage warrants.

The existing intermodal freight uses on the southern side the rail corridor requires a long term investment in the Western Intermodal Freight Terminal and its connecting freight rail infrastructure before this use can be relocated from this site. This accordingly means the future redevelopment of the Dynon Precinct is a longer term proposition for which the scale, form and transport planning is relatively undetermined. Consideration has been given to an extension of tram services along the Dynon corridor given its length and for moving South Kensington Station to better connect to the future redevelopment of the area.

Adding a new pair of platforms at the existing South Kensington Station would entail rebuilding the existing station and track work to create a connection from the underground station platforms and concourse to above ground platforms. The space required for Melbourne Metro platforms would force the portal for the tunnel back to just east of Footscray Station and require tunnelling under the Maribyrnong River and would add in the order of $1.65bn (P90, nominal) in costs.

Table 8 – Summary analysis for Decision A2: South Kensington Station option:

No additional station (Baseline)

• Sufficient service level for existing land uses.
• Existing station gains a service boost with Melbourne Metro.
• Dynon precinct opportunity currently has an indeterminate, long term time frame in terms of generating new demand which would require the station infrastructure and access to be upgraded and or relocated further west.
• Baseline design can make provision for future upgrade in current location.

New South Kensington station

• (+ve): Significantly higher number of train services stopping at South Kensington (compared to relatively modest demand from medium density catchment).
• (-ve): Adds 1 minute travel time for Sunbury Line passengers due to additional stop, for limited local benefit at South Kensington given the timing of the future Dynon Precinct redevelopment.
• (-ve): Increases construction complexity and risk by requiring an additional river crossing at the Maribyrnong River and with significant additional tunnelling compared to baseline.
• (-ve): Requires increased private land acquisition to construct the portal at Footscray.
• (-ve): Requires much higher levels of rail disruption to the Werribee, Sunbury and RRL services given the rebuild of South Kensington Station and the realignment of tracks.
• (-ve): Increases the project cost by $1.65bn (P90, nominal).
• Detailed economic appraisal not undertaken due to poor strategic case for station.

Decision A2: Is a South Kensington Station investment justified?

It is recommended that the project retain the Baseline in this area, with no additional South Kensington station (Baseline).

So why would the business case looking into such an expensive option? I suspect by including it, they could say “they looked into South Kensington station” while avoiding the possibility of having to deliver anything.

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The “reverse cross”

The V/Line train from Warrnambool would be the first to arrive at Camperdown.

And arrive into the platform.

Passengers would board the train, then the conductor would blow their whistle for the train to depart.

It would then reverse out of the platform, back towards Warrnambool.

The signaller would throw the points towards the crossing loop.

So the train could wait clear of the platform.

The signaller would then throw the points back towards to the mainline.

And change the signals to allow the train from Melbourne to arrive.

Then wait.

Soon enough, the Warrnambool-bound train would arrive.

Pass the waiting Melbourne-bound train.

Passengers for Warrnambool would board.

And then the train would depart the platform.

Leaving Camperdown and the other train behind.

The signaller would then walk to the Melbourne end of the yard, and throw the points towards the crossing loop.

Allowing the Melbourne-bound train to continue on it’s journey.

On the single track towards Geelong.

And today

November 2022 was the last time a scheduled “reverse cross” happened at Camperdown, or anywhere else in Victoria.

Warrnambool line trains now cross at Boorcan Loop, located a few kilometres west of Camperdown.

It was built as part of the $284.7 million ‘Warrnambool Rail Upgrade’ project.

The new loop at Boorcan is made up of a 185m long loop at the up end and a 912m loop at the down end, forming a crossing loop of 1756m total length, and all remotely controlled from V/Line’s ‘Centrol’ train control centre in Melbourne.

As a part of the same works, the crossing loop at Camperdown was downgraded to a siding.

Footnote from the past

A related move once happened at Marshall station, with counter-peak train put into the loop siding so they could cross Waurn Ponds trains in the opposite direction.

And even further back in time, reverse crosses once occurred at Winchelsea for trains operated by West Coast Railway.

James Brook video

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Going for a ride

We start on the Melbourne side of Bacchus Marsh, looking down into the valley below.

Pass over Parwan Creek on a curved embankment.

Then into another cutting.

To finally arrive into Bacchus Marsh station.

But that was only a taste of the journey ahead – we’ve got an even bigger hill to climb.

Trains get a short respite from the climb at Maddingley, where V/Line have a stabling yard and crossing loop.

But five minutes later, you’ll see the same train again, but far above your head, and running in the other direction.

Having rounded the horseshoe curve.

Then hugging the hillside.

Don’t look down – the V/Line stabling yard is back at the bottom of the hill.

But trains still have further to climb.

Now running in a cutting hewn out of the rock.

The grades ease off again at ‘Bank Box’, where a crossing loop allows opposing trains to pass.

Then it’s off into the rugged bushland of Werribee Gorge.

A tall bridge crossing between the ridges.

Until the railway line finally rejoins level ground, and can leaves the curves behind.

So why does it curve around so much?

I’ve written about the history of the Melbourne-Ballarat railway before – born as a line headed east from Ballarat towards Ballan in 1886, and a second branch west from Sunshine towards Bacchus Marsh in 1887 – the hills outside Bacchus Marsh presented a formidable barrier.

Topographic maps showing the steep country around the Werribee Gorge.

Bacchus Marsh 1:50 000 topographic map, Geoscience Australia

A newspaper report from the period describing it as.

There still remains to be constructed that portion of the line extending from Bacchus Marsh station to Ballan, a distance of 17 miles.

The route of this section passes through most difficult country, there being a rise of over 1800ft in that distance The earthworks on this section alone will necessitate the removal of no less than 1¼ millions of cubic yards, cuttings for long distances being upwards of 40ft in depth while the embankment will be correspondingly high, in one instance more than 100ft.

These heavy earthworks result from the fact that the line has to be carried along the northern spurs of the great plain which extends from between the Werribee River and Little River to Port Phillip. The steepest gradient upon the line will be 1 in 48.

It will be seen from the figures given that the through railway is far from being an easy line to construct. The country through which it passes is so broken and difficult as to compel the provision of very large works, while the earthworks are upwards of 50 per cent greater than upon the line by way of Geelong.

And the benefit of the new line.

The present distance to be travelled by rail between Melbourne and Ballarat, by way of Geelong, is 100 miles, but when the direct line is completed that distance will be reduced to 74 miles, a saving of 26 miles been thus effected in the journey to Ballarat.

But despite all the massive earthworks, the railway still required a large horseshoe curve outside Bacchus Marsh to attack the hill.

Bacchus Marsh 1:50 000 topographic map, Geoscience Australia

But still the railway had one of the steepest grades on the Victorian rail network – a 1 in 48 climb all the way from Bacchus Marsh to just outside Ballan.

Victorian Railways grades and curves diagram

What about an alternate route?

I’ve seen it on Twitter, I’ve seen it on Reddit – but even when the railway was brand new, people asked why the railway descended into Bacchus Marsh, only to climb back out again.

There has been a question as to the wisdom of taking a fast passenger line down and up the long gradients of Bacchus Marsh to reach the township. It is alleged that the extra haulage required will be fatal to economy and fast service, and that the Ballarat and intercolonial passengers will gain only a few minutes in time, with an added risk of accident. It is contended that a route on a level could have been found encircling the Marsh, which would have secured every advantage.

It was asked again by the late W. Williams in his book “A History of Bacchus Marsh and its Pioneers“, and serialised in the Bacchus Marsh Express.

The horseshoe bend of the railway near the town is a puzzle to many. The question is asked : Why did the line undertake this acrobatic performance? Why did it not pursue its even course on the plateau?

Then follows an ominous shake of the head — “I suppose some job again,” and immaculate departmental purity suffers defilement at the hands of an undiscerning public. For a passing moment the pictorial style of diction is indulged in. I see the train like an elongated caterpillar crawling up yonder summit, with two engines before, and one behind to give a friendly help in time of need.

Straight across to the plateau is only two or three miles, and yet to reach that identical spot the concentrated procession of engines and cars has travelled a circuitous course of eight miles.
On the face of it some mistake appears to have been made, especially when it is remembered that the section is part of an interstate line, in connection with which time is the essence.
of the contract.

But taking a shorter route would have only given minor time savings.

The answer is that the exclusion of Bacchus Marsh by taking the outer route would not be compensated for by any practical gain; that the saving in distance would be only 29 chains, and that the gradients are not such as will seriously prejudice the traffic, and that of all the 17 surveys that have been made none have shown a route that did not join the selected route at the point where the question of gradient has any force.

Alternative routes having been surveyed.

The line as constructed between Parwan station and the Dog Trap reservoir is about 24 chains longer than the route surveyed via Ryan’s corner (near Parwan station) and Collie’s bridge (close to the Dog Trap reservoir), between the same points. The two lines rejoin at the road about midway between the crossing of the Parwan Creek and the Dog Trap Gully on the Ryan’s corner route; and therefore the long gradient of 1 in 48 from the Parwan Creek on towards Gordon must have been the same upon either line.

On the Ryan’s corner route the gradients would have been comparatively easy between Parwan station and the crossing of the Parwan Creek, where the steep ascending gradient of 1 in 48 commences, which is common to both routes. The length of ascending gradient of 1 in 48 upon that portion of the Ryan’s corner route between Parwan station and the Dog Trap reservoir would have been about 110 chains in length, against 240 chains of 1 in 48, and 27 chains of 1 in 50 ascending, and 90 chains of 1 in 49 and 45 chains of 1 in 50 descending gradient upon the line as constructed between the same points.

If the line had been constructed via Ryan’s corner it would have been necessary in order to accommodate Bacchus Marsh, to construct in addition a branch line to that place. And a viaduct would have been required over the Parwan Creek of similar construction to that over the Werribee River. The length of this would have, been about 300 feet, and the height about 120 feet.

A similar bend of about six miles occurs between Mitcham and Belair on the Adelaide end of the overland route. Those places are about two miles distant from each other the crow flies, but are eight
miles apart by railway line, the cause being that Mitcham is 241 feet above sea level and Belair, 1008 feet above the sea.

Now let the doubter for ever hold his peace. Abundant evidence is supplied that from an engineering point of view “the horseshoe” is valid performance, without the faintest approach to any “fishy” aroma.

The horseshoe even seen as an engineering wonder.

It was a great engineering feat to make that railway call at Bacchus Marsh, and then to scale the plateau and the glory involved in same is to be shared by three engineers, Mr Leo. Cussen, Mr. G. C. Darbyshire and Mr. W. C. Billings.

Versatile indeed was the genius of Mr. Leo Cussen, for how seldom in the one mind is there the conjunction of the literary and the mathematical faculty; but law now claims the erstwhile Engineer as one of its brightest ornaments, for in Judge Cussen we have one whose judgments are almost invariably beyond successful appeal.

But the operational cost of the line was high.

It is well known amongst railway employees that the engine drivers and guards who travel over the line dread the journey from Gordons to Bacchus Marsh, for although the distance between those stations is only 25 miles, yet there is a drop in that distance of 1536 feet, in negotiating which the brakes have to be used continuously whilst running down steep embankments and ugly looking curves.

Owing to the heavy pulls between Bacchus Marsh and Ingliston, where the line rises 1170 feet in 13 miles, it requires two engines to take the Adelaide express when heavily laden to Ballarat, and
when only only engine is used on a light train it is assisted as far as Ingliston by a “bull-dog” engine that is always stationed at Bacchus Marsh for that purpose.

Naturally the cost of haulage is unusually heavy, and will in a large measure explain the fact that last year the loss incurred in working the line was £1857.

And as trains grew bigger and heavier, the sharp curves and steep grades grew ever more limiting.

PROV image VPRS 12800/P1, item H 2545

So the idea of shortening the route was brought up from time to time, such as this 1976 report on upgrading the Melbourne to Serviceton railway.

Parwan to Horseshoe Creek Deviation

This scheme, costing $1.8 million, includes construction of an 8 km long deviation between Parwan and Horseshoe Creek, bypassing Bacchus Marsh to avoid the descent to Bacchus Marsh followed by a steep climb. It also includes keeping the existing track for use by commuter trains originating from or terminating at Bacchus Marsh. A 6 minute reduction in transit time is expected for both directions of travel if the deviation is introduced. Furthermore, the reduction in transit time would render one crossing loop unnecessary.

But it took the Regional Fast Rail project to finally do something about it.

Straightening the curves over Parwan Creek in the descent into Bacchus Marsh.

With the construction of new cuttings and embankments.

VicPlan map

And a 8.2 kilometre long deviation between Millsbrook and Dunnstown.

But with the measure of success for the project being the 60 minutes “Country Express Run Time” between Melbourne and Ballarat, the tracks through the horseshoe curve and up to Bank Box were left with timber sleepers – saving the Victorian Government $404,110.

Only to end up being replaced with concrete sleepers a few years later anyway.

But since then focus has rightly moved from raw speed, to frequent and reliable trains – leading to the recently completed Ballarat Line Upgrade project, which delivered double track to Melton, and a second track and platform at Bacchus Marsh and Ballan stations.

That’s a change in focus that I can get behind.

Footnote

Here is the driver’s view of the slow climb up from Bacchus Marsh to Ballan.

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The PR puff pieces

Over on the State Government’s ‘Big Build’ website they give a high level overview.

Untangling the City Loop means more trains, more often. It will make travel easier for you with more frequent trains carrying more people to destinations across Melbourne.

Some of Melbourne’s busiest metropolitan train lines – Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham – will run exclusively through the new tunnel. By taking these lines out of the City Loop, other lines will be able to run more services.

As a result, room will be created on the network to enable over half a million additional passengers per week across Melbourne’s train network to use the rail system during the peak periods.

They also break it down.

Line by line.

Cranbourne / Pakenham lines:
The Metro Tunnel and associated network improvements will create room for 121,000 passengers every week on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines during peak periods. That’s 45% more peak capacity.

Sunbury Line:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 113,000 more passengers every week on the Sunbury Line during peak periods. That’s 60% more peak capacity.

Craigieburn Line:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 54,000 passengers every week on the Craigieburn Line during peak periods. That’s 27% more peak capacity.

Upfield Line:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 45,000 passengers every week on the Upfield Line during peak periods. That’s 71% more peak capacity.

Werribee and Williamstown lines:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 63,000 passengers every week on the Werribee and Williamstown lines during peak periods. That’s 24% more peak capacity.

Frankston Line:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 36,000 more passengers every week on the Frankston Line during peak periods. That’s 15% more peak capacity.

Sandringham Line:
The Metro Tunnel will create room for 72,000 more passengers every week on the Sandringham Line during peak periods. That’s 48% more peak capacity.

So where did those numbers come from?

Enter the ‘Wider Network Enhancements’

Turns out building a new tunnel across Melbourne to divert trains from the existing City Loop isn’t all that’s needed to increase overall network capacity, but a package of other works are needed around the network.

The Metro Tunnel business case from February 2016 lists these in a chapter titled ‘Wider Network Enhancements’.

Melbourne Metro will create a through-running suburban corridor from Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne and Pakenham in the east (the Sunshine – Dandenong Line) through two new 9km tunnels with five new stations. The new twin tunnels connect the existing Sunbury Line to the existing Cranbourne / Pakenham Lines, allowing this corridor to operate independent of the existing City Loop and creating capacity through the inner core of the network to support service growth on other corridors.

Melbourne Metro will also facilitate delivery of a range of Wider Network Enhancements to capitalise on this additional capacity in Central Melbourne and, together with other planned works, deliver an uplift in service frequencies on the new alignment as well as the Werribee, Craigieburn, Upfield, Sandringham and Frankston Lines.

The Wider Network Enhancements comprise a range of works, including infrastructure to facilitate access to sidings, turnbacks, signalling headway improvement works, other works to support service frequency across the existing network and some changes to the operation of the tram network. More work is being undertaken to refine various aspects of the works.

The Wider Network Enhancements will facilitate delivery of the benefits of Melbourne Metro. The nature of the works will be further developed to ensure the benefits are maximised and that interfaces with other Victorian works are coordinated to efficiently deliver an optimal solution.

Appendix 3 of the business case titled ‘Scope of Works’ went into the Wider Network Enhancements further.

Sunshine to Dandenong corridor works

• Systems and infrastructure to support a safe and reliable operation to meet the service requirements on the Sunshine – Dandenong rail corridor including HCS
• Passive provision for future works in corridor – Melton electrification & Sunshine -Deer Park West quad track
• Infrastructure to support service continuity during planned and unplanned disruption (Resilience for Day 1 Operation)

Other corridor works
• Turnback facility to allow turn-back of services from the Cross City line (Eastern Turnback)
• Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services at Gowrie
• Signalling improvements to support additional services on Craigieburn Line
• Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services at Essendon
• Reconfiguration of Carrum stabling access
• Signalling upgrade on Cross City Line
• Turnback capacity to terminate new services at Cheltenham

With the business case detailing the reasoning behind each enhancement.

Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services in the east to service the Cross City Line

The increased service frequencies (which reflect demand) on the Cross City Line on project opening results in a difference between peak period, inter-peak period and off peak services levels from the eastern and western ends of the corridor.

To balance the service frequencies required on the east and west side of the corridor, turnback locations are required to turn back more frequent trains to the Werribee end of the corridor. Existing network infrastructure on the Cross City Line may not facilitate the number of turnback moves required and therefore additional turnback infrastructure may be required.

There are more services from the western side of the Cross City Line as the population and rate of growth is higher at Wyndham/ Werribee, and there are also services from Laverton via Altona and Williamstown. In comparison, the Sandringham line serves an established area and therefore customer demand is not growing as quickly.

A turnback will therefore result in some services from the west being able to turn back to the west without having to travel for a significant length of the Sandringham line. This will reduce the number of train sets required to serve the Cross City Line and associated operating costs.

Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services on the Craigieburn Line

The increased frequencies on the Craigieburn Line on opening requires a turnback in the vicinity of Essendon to achieve the most efficient train paths and stopping patterns and maximise the number of services that operate on that line.

To effectively meet customer demand on this corridor, not all services need to go to Craigieburn. Some services can start in the vicinity of Essendon, which is a major interchange station, particularly in the peak periods. This will help to serve customers south of Essendon station, whilst reducing the number of train sets and operating costs serving the Craigieburn line, as not all services will need to operate all the way to Craigieburn. It also reduces the need to further upgrade infrastructure north of Essendon for a higher number of trains operating in the AM / PM Peak hour.

Infrastructure to facilitate turnback of services on the Upfield Line

Delivering the required uplift in service frequencies on the Upfield Line requires a turnback short of Upfield to mitigate the existing single line section of track between Gowrie and Upfield. This single line, when combined with sharing the Northern Loop with the Craigieburn Line, represents a significant constraint in increasing the number of services operating on that line.

Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services on the Frankston Line

Whilst some services on the Frankston line already commence at stations other than Frankston, the increased frequencies on the Frankston Line on opening requires a turnback in the vicinity of Cheltenham / Mordialloc to achieve the most efficient train paths and stopping patterns and maximise the number of services that operate on that line.

To effectively meet customer demand on this corridor, not all services need to go to Frankston. Some services can start in the vicinity of Cheltenham or Mordialloc, which are major interchange stations, particularly in the peak periods. This will help to serve customers north of Cheltenham / Mordialloc station, whilst reducing the number of train sets and operating costs serving the Frankston line, as not all services will need to operate all the way to Frankston. It also reduces the need to further upgrade infrastructure south of Cheltenham / Mordialloc for a higher number of trains operating in the AM / PM Peak hour.

Improvements to access to sidings on the Frankston Line

In order to achieve the increased frequencies on the Frankston Line on opening, efficient access to the limited stabling facilities available on the Frankston line is required to achieve the most efficient train paths, stopping patterns and limit moves that have the potential to impact upon the reliability of the service.

Signalling headway improvement works

Signalling infrastructure will largely determine the frequency of train services that can be run on any given line because it will dictate how close together trains can be scheduled. Conventional signalling works on a system of blocks (defined by lineside signals) where a train may only enter a block or section of track once the train in front has cleared it.

Existing constraints on the network preclude achieving the full uplift potential of Melbourne Metro in service frequencies. Upgrades and improvements are required to reduce the number of minutes between scheduled trains to accommodate the frequencies prescribed for opening of Melbourne Metro and beyond and remove unnecessary constraints on train moves.

These include:
– Signalling improvement works on the Sunshine – Dandenong Line
– Signalling and other rail infrastructure improvement works on the Werribee Line
– Signalling improvement works on the Craigieburn Line
– Signalling improvement works on the Frankston Line.

And delivering them

The 2016 Metro Tunnel business case also looked at how and when the Wider Network Enhancements should be delivered.

The Wider Network Enhancements are being considered separately to the other packages, consistent with the approach recommended in the 2013 Procurement Strategy. The key reasons for considering the wider network works as a separate package (or series of packages) are as follows:

– The scope and location of these works means that they can potentially be undertaken independently of other scope elements.
– They have very different technical characteristics to the tunnel and stations works, are geographically separate, are of a brownfield nature and will be undertaken in a live operating environment with significant interface and stakeholder management issues.
– The required timeframe for procurement and delivery of these works differs to the rest of the project. These works need to be completed to coincide with completion of the tunnel and stations works, but have a much shorter construction duration.

Wider Network Enhancements will be packaged with other works where there are clearly demonstrable benefits such as procurement and/or delivery synergies. As noted above, the eastern turnback will form part of the Rail Infrastructure package and the signalling upgrades on the Sunshine – Dandenong Line will form part of the Rail Systems package. Other Wider Network Enhancements may ultimately form part of these packages and, where appropriate, works will be incorporated with the Level Crossing Removal Project to reduce costs and minimise disruption. Further detailed assessment of any such opportunities will occur as part of the detailed pre-procurement planning activities

So what’s happened?

Signalling improvement works on the Sunshine – Dandenong Line are well underway, with the High Capacity Signalling rollout well underway.

And upgrades to stabling along the Frankston line were delivered as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project – the troublesome single compound leading into the siding at Carrum has been ripped up.

To make way for a new elevated railway station.

Photo by Philip Mallis, via Wikimedia Commons

With the stabling yard relocated to Kananook.

Cheltenham station also got a new, more flexible centre turnback siding as part of the recent level crossing removal works.

But no changes at Essendon station – the third platform there is still too short for a 6-car Metro train to stop at, despite the level crossing at the city end being removed.

And the Upfield line has also missed out, with Gowrie station the same as it was back in the 1990s.

So what is left?

The Victorian Auditor-General’s Office detailed the current scope of the Metro Tunnel project in a June 2022 report, including scope cuts made in May 2022.

As of May 2022, Rail Projects Victoria forecasts that the overall project will cost $12.58 billion. This is a $1.55 billion (14 per cent) increase over the 2017 approved project budget.

This comparison does not allow for the wider network enhancements and High Capacity Signalling work which have been descoped. Adjusting for this, the overall project increase over the 2017 approved is $1.88 billion (17 per cent).

The value of the savings? $244.8 million by removing the Eastern Turnback and signalling upgrades from the Wider Network Enhancements scope. Rail Projects Victoria gave this reason for the cuts.

RPV’s rationale for this request was that pre-cursor works assumed in the original Metro Tunnel Project business case have not been done, and therefore the original network enhancements scope cannot achieve network benefits. The funds released by the government’s descope decision have been reallocated within the wider MTP budget

So will the Craigieburn and Upfield lines be able to make the most of the extra track capacity through the City Loop released by the Metro Tunnel project?

It looks like the answer is “kinda sorta” – more trains will be able to run than today, but even more trains could run if the cancelled Wider Network Enhancements works had have been delivered.

A High Capacity Signalling footnote

The Metro Tunnel project has also saved $91 million by cutting the High Capacity Signalling scope by about a third (or 27 kilometres of double rail track) — from the original announced scope of Watergardens to Dandenong, to a new scope of West Footscray to Westall.

Note that this dollar figure was based on the original estimate for the work, with Rail Projects Victoria estimating in 2022 that the actual cost would more likely cost between $300 million and
$500 million.

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Trains

We start the month at Footscray station, back when there were only four tracks – not six.

The reason for my visit – DERMPAV were due to pass through with their 1920s railcar RM58.

I also made a trip out to Eltham to capture Steamrail Victoria running steam trains for the Hurstbridge Wattle Festival.

In what was the last final days of the 100 year old manual signalling system in place between Greensborough and Hurstbridge.

Something old but not quite as old was the 1990s ‘Concession travel is only for concession card holders’ billboard at Melbourne Central station.

But something new for 2012 but seems incredibly dated today is this massive billboard covered in late-2000s internet memes, promoting the then-new free Wi-Fi service at Flinders Street Station.

With mobile data so cheap, does anyone even use free wi-fi connection today?

And something gone completely is mX staff having out their free newspaper.

The last issues was mX was published in 2015.

Meanwhile at Southern Cross the advertising that covered the station was a little different – a travel agency placing infrared heat lamps above their sign promoting summer holidays.

And the Red Rooster advertising screen beside the next train displays was also displaying a live countdown of the next trains to depart.

This was a time before live departure information available to the public, with even the official PTV app relying on timetable data, so seeing realtime information on an advertising screen was quite incredulous.

Finally, I paid a visit to the construction site of the future Williams Landing station.

And the extension of Palmers Road north from the Princes Freeway towards Truganina.

Palmers Road opened first, followed by Williams Landing station in 2013, but the road has already – upgraded from two to six lanes as part of the Western Roads Upgrade project in early 2021.

Trams

I was passing through Moonee Ponds Junction, a decade ago just some bus shelters sitting in the middle of a sea of asphalt.

The route 82 terminus located across multiple lanes of traffic and three pedestrian crossings from the bus interchange and route 59 tram stop.

The tram stop was eventually rebuilt in 2016, with route 59 and 82 trams sharing a new accessible platform stop, next to the bus interchange.

Around the Melbourne CBD

Who remembers the Melbourne Bike Share service – a source of free helmets for cyclists all over Melbourne.

Their bikes were blue, but they had a handful of one-off coloured bikes in the fleet.

The service was eventually shut down in November 2019, overtaken by a wave of venture capital-backed ‘dockless’ bike share services, and now e-scooters and e-bikes.

Something else on the way out back in 2012 was the original 1960s Royal Children’s Hospital building.

Demolished following completion of the new hospital next door.

The land returned to Royal Park, as compensation for the land used to build the new hospital.

But something I didn’t expect to see disappear was the cupcake fad.

Somehow the internet hasn’t killed seedy adult cinemas, but you’d be hard pressed to find a specialist cupcake store these days – burgers are now the big food fad.

And finally, something that you’d think would be gone but keeps sticking around is Telstra payphones.

Back in 2012 Telstra was moving them for maximum advertising exposure, but in recent years they’ve gone even further, turning them into massive digital advertising screens.

And a trip out east

For something different, I went on a road trip out to Gippsland, making a pit stop at the Longford Gas Plant, receiving point for oil and gas output from Bass Strait.

And home of the helicopters used to resupply the 23 offshore platforms drilling for oil and gas.

I also stumbled upon the Bairnsdale Power Station as I drove further west – one of a number of gas fired power stations in Victoria.

So what was my destination? Australia’s highest airport, Mount Hotham Airport!

I waited around for hours in the snow.

Until it finally arrived.

One of a handful of QantasLink flights that served the skifield.

Footnote

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

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