I’ve got some more substantive posts in the works, but in the meanwhile:
A small win.
Back in 2021, I tried badgering the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) to rename Glenhuntly station as Glen Huntly while rebuilding it. I took a particular interest because it used to be my local station.
Spelling of the suburb has a space, the road the station is on has a space. The ship they’re all named after had a space. So why not take the opportunity of a new station with entirely new signage to fix the error and make it consistent?
Some changes to station names cause problems. There was a plan to rename North Melbourne to West Melbourne, and name the new Arden station as North Melbourne. This was dropped when they realised how embedded in the various railway systems and documentation the name is.
But adding a space shouldn’t cause any grief. The name doesn’t clash with anything else, and the railway code GHY could remain the same. If some old railways documentation isn’t updated with the space, it’s of little consequence.
Back when I enquired, the LXRP said they wouldn’t do it, and referred me to the local council… which has no power on this issue.
In the mean time I kept mentioning it behind the scenes to people when I got the chance. And it sounds like others did too.
Happily, they’ve changed their minds.
Channel 7 story, including comments from the Premier.
The fact that the crossings are being grade separated is great – it’ll help speed up trams, buses and trains, and improve safety and conditions for passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.
And fixing naming consistency between the suburb, the road and the station contributes in a small way to a more legible transport network.
PS. Thanks to those on social media who remembered me talking about it, and pinged me when this was announced.
Update: The Age: Lost in transliteration: Melbourne suburbs with two different spellings
11 replies on “Spaced out”
The angst this decision generated in LXRP’s Facebook thread was hilarious. One lady insisted it was one word on her 1940s birth certificate and she wasn’t changing for anyone.
“Back when I enquired, the LXRP said they wouldn’t do it, and referred me to the local council… which has no power on this issue.”
The buck-passing in government is disgusting. In your example, the agency knowingly referred you to a body with no jurisdiction.
Well done on pursuing this issue – a small win!
Just out of curiosity, will the tram stop on Glen Huntly Road at the level crossing be upgraded to a platform stop as part of the level crossing removal?
Next thing to work on might be Glenhuntly Tram Depot.
@Ross, I hadn’t seen that. Wow. For anybody wanting to look, it’s here.
All social media suffers from people getting outraged about trivial things, but it does seem like Facebook is worse.
@Anon, the project image gallery appears to show a tram platform stop at the front of the station.
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/library/level-crossing-removal-project/frankston/glen-huntly/galleries/glenhuntly-station-designs
@Tramologist, the bigger problem with the tram depot name is it’s in a different suburb!
Ross, its a First World Problem. Apparently, in the First World, something as trivial as putting a space between Glen and Huntly is a major problem that could lead to conflict; when there are more pressing issues to worry about such as what is going on in Ukraine or the possibility of war in our region or even the growing divide between the rich and poor here in Australia (such as cuts to services for the poor to fund Stage 3 tax cuts for the rich).
To this lady who is complaining, there are more pressing issues than a space between Glen and Huntly.
I’m interested to see the final result of the tram stop at Glen Huntly. I attended an online session about the project last year (maybe February?) and asked about the tram stop, and the response was “we wish we could tell you more about it”, because they were still thrashing the final design out with Yarra Trams, despite the May 2021 consultation report saying they would be “relocating the Glen Huntly Road tram stop to the front of the station”, as it’s shown in the gallery images. https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/605773/Neerim-Road-and-Glen-Huntly-Road-Community-Consultation-Report_digital.pdf
It feels to me this project has suffered from a particular lack of public information on everything from designs to disruption periods, despite everything running smoothly as best as I can tell. Fairly strange.
“Lack of public information on everything from designs to disruption periods” is standard practice for LXRA – they’ve done all of the design drawings and construction timelines to build the thing, but all they give the public is a few artist impressions from selected angles, a token large scale diagram of the complete site, and a drip feed of rail shutdown details a month or two before they’re due to happen.
@Marcus I found North/McKinnon/Centre and even the contentious (at the time) Caulfield to Dandenong removals had much more information available.
Even during that project, they were vague when publishing the designs online… you had to go to an in-person session to see the plans.
https://danielbowen.com/2016/05/23/omb-new-station-plans/