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Photos from ten years ago

Old photos from Mar/Apr 2015

I missed last month’s ten year old photos post, so here’s bumper crop from March and April 2015.

Remember when they tried to brand a residential development at the western end of the CBD with the New York-style “Upper West Side” name?

"Upper West Side" skyscraper under construction, March 2015

Attending a Southland station consultation (at Southland naturally)…

Southland station display and consultation, March 2015

…then getting a photo at the station site. It eventually opened in 2017.

Daniel at the site of the future Southland station, March 2015

As you might expect, both Southland station and the soon to occur local level crossing removals featured in Bentleigh MP Nick Staikos’s newsletter.

Member for Bentleigh Nick Staikos's newsletter, promoting level crossing removal and Southland station works, March 2015

The old train map was a joke… as was the drainage in Flinders Street Station’s subways…

Comedy Festival poster next to a rail map, March 2015

…as can be seen from this photo of the central subway. I think/hope the subsequent renovation works have improved this!

Rain gets into the Flinders Street central subway, April 2015

On 31st March the state government announced their plan for the Dandenong line – crossing removals and other upgrades. Here’s then Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan presenting a stakeholder briefing. I recall posting a Tweet about it before they handed us a pack that said “Strictly embargoed until 10:30am”… whereupon I deleted the Tweet. Tell us earlier next time, guys.

Jacinta Allan at a Dandenong line announcement 31/3/2015

Hospital precinct: accessible stops on Flemington Road, but no accessible trams. This has improved slightly with some low floor trams on route 58, but the next big change will be when G class trams start on route 59.

Tram 59 in Flemington Parade

When we say motorists (and car park owners) benefit from the Free Tram Zone, here’s an example.

Car park advertising Free Tram Zone, Docklands, 2015

Not sure what this PTV maintenance van was for maintaining. Most such vehicles are run by the operators, not PTV.

PTV maintenance van, March 2015

Some kind of strange pedal-powered tourist promotion for Munich. Strictly speaking should it have used the bike lanes?

Promotional cycle vehicle advertising Munich in Swanston Street, March 2015

Another event in Melbourne Central. Gawd help you if you were just trying to quickly change between a tram and a train.

Melbourne Central, crowded during an event, April 2014

My camera secured to the overpass near the MCG, for filming this video for this blog post.

Filming a video on the overpass near Richmond station, April 2015

Ormond station. Signalling issues delayed trains, so people hopped off and started phoning ahead to work and making other arrangements. Note the huge amount of water on the poorly drained platforms. The rebuilt station at least doesn’t have this problem.

Trains stopped at Ormond, 15/4/2015

On 17th April 2015 the state government announced the Metro tunnel would go down Swanston Street – for a while the route had been in doubt. Here’s a grab from The Age that day.

The Age reports on the Metro Tunnel route announcement, 17/4/2025

Spotted in Elizabeth Street: an activist being filmed covering over a tram stop ad.

Activist being filmed while covering over an ad at a tram stop, February 2015

…and leaving this screed behind.

Covered over ad at a tram stop, February 2015

Train delays

Packed into a train, March 2015

…and an ad for Sim City on the platform at Richmond.

Ad for Sim City, Richmond station March 2015

Advertising of a different kind: free newspaper MX with a PTV promotion about ticket inspectors. The outer cover was semi-transparent.

Free newspaper MX with a PTV promotion about undercover ticket inspectors, March 2015

Finally, good reading material for the train: the book of urban and transport essays in memory of Paul Mees.

Reading the tribute to Paul Mees on a train, March 2015

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.

5 replies on “Old photos from Mar/Apr 2015”

Looking forward to interchanging between Melbourne Central train / RMIT tram without having to go through the shopping centre when Metro Tunnel finally opens…

Awesome coincidental shot of no less than three ultra-rare chopper control Comeng carriages in one photo. 698M on the left, 697M leading the train on the left, and 693M barely squeezing in on the right. Only eight were built.

Now that the Metro Tunnel has turned up in the 10 years ago series we can look forward to 10 years of recaps!

Nit: The pedal powered vehicle was not a tourist promotion for Munich, the city, but rather promotion for Munich Brauhaus, the pub in South Wharf. It might even still be hireable.

It would be nice to see a comparison between the proposed \marketing images and what was actually built including landscaping, because a lot gets changed\deliberately forgotten along the way, with the LXR projects. Also, some progress on the SRL or is there nothing yet?

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