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Photos from ten years ago transport

Old photos from December 2012

Here’s the last of the ten year old photo posts for this year, covering December 2012.

Today is the tenth anniversary of the day that Metcard was finally switched off across the tram network, and Myki became the only ticket available for travel on Melbourne’s public transport. (The Herald Sun has an article on this today – paywalled.)

Sign advertising the end of ticket sales on trams from 29th December 2012

This photo from a bus earlier in the month shows that it’s debatable that Myki was ready for prime time.

Myki readers out of order on a bus (December 2012)

Myki as originally designed included a Short Term (single use) ticket option – a cardboard ticket with an NFC chip in it. The option (disabled) could be seen on the Myki vending machines well after that option had been cancelled. (As I write this in 2022, fare payment options using bank-issued cards is seen as the way forward.)

Myki machine prompts, including a disabled Short Term Ticket option (December 2012)

There were other changes afoot on the network – Tram Tracker had become available on Android a couple of months earlier.

Tram advertising Tram Tracker on Android (December 2012)

I don’t recall what this was about – presumably an event.

Crowding on the 57 tram (December 2012)

The map was out of date – Diggers Rest and Sunbury stations had joined the suburban network, as this signage at the main gate to the V/Line platforms at Southern Cross indicates.

Sign at Southern Cross station reminding passengers that Sunbury trains now depart from suburban platform 11 (December 2012)

Also at Southern Cross – remember when iPods were the thing? They were discontinued in May 2022. I once had a 4th generation clickwheel “classic” model.

Banners advertising iPods at Southern Cross station (December 2012)

From a trip to Sydney – monorail signage. The Sydney Monorail would finish operations in 2013.

Sign pointing to a Sydney Monorail station (December 2012)

And finally… Melbourne at Christmas time.

Santas at a tram stop (December 2012)

By Daniel Bowen

Transport blogger / campaigner and spokesperson for the Public Transport Users Association / professional geek.
Bunurong land, Melbourne, Australia.
Opinions on this blog are all mine.

2 replies on “Old photos from December 2012”

It is hard to believe Tram Tracker for Android was introduced ten years ago. It seems like a few years ago. I still mostly use Tram Hunter because it is simpler and faster for immediate checking of saved stops. And the Monorail stopped running. We must have used it just before it closed. Patrick White must have been clapping in his grave.

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