Fare prices have risen, but right now are displayed almost nowhere on the PT system.
Categories
Where are the prices?
Category: transport
All forms of transport, including gunzelly
Categories
Mind the gaps: trains and cricket
Extra trains for events still don’t fill the gaps on Sunday mornings
Categories
A small win
This has been an issue for decades: the quickest way into Flinders Street station from the north, the Campbell Arcade/Degraves Street subway taking you under the road, had zero signage to direct you there. Unless you knew, how would you guess it takes you to the station? I seem to recall being told there was ... [More]
Categories
West Gate Tunnel impacts
Very busy at the moment – and still trying to get the Europe blogs done. So here’s a quick one. The West Gate Tunnel opens on Sunday – despite the name it’s a mostly elevated road connecting the West Gate Freeway to CityLink, but also with exits to the docks and to Melbourne’s CBD. The ... [More]
Categories
Metro tunnel opening day!
Some observations: Lots of people riding the new line, despite the weather. The stations are looking great. Some hiccups with escalator faults and at one stage a disruption near Anzac station (apparently due to trespassers near Hawksburn). No issues that I saw with the 7-car trains stopping at the front of the future-proofed 10-car length ... [More]
Categories
Who’s got bank card fare payment?
Perth is about to join the list
So now we know the when Metro Tunnel will open: Sunday 30th of November, with a temporary timetable dubbed the “Summer Start” – then the full service commencing on Sunday 1st February 2026. Summer free rides I’ve been told by the State Government that the previously advertised free fares on weekends in December and January ... [More]
Categories
More realtime info
A couple of newish things in the world of public transport info that have flown under the radar. Metro now has realtime info for rail replacement buses. Perhaps it’s a soft launch because I can’t see a link to the info on the excellent Planned Works page on their web site. Instead, if you browse ... [More]
Categories
Fixing the network: the long list
Inspired by Alon Levy’s quick-fire Bluesky threads full of transport ideas, here’s some quick-fire points from me: These are some priorities for fixing on Victoria’s public transport network. I’m excluding anything already underway (such as bank card fare payment and Melbourne Airport Rail), and for the most part I’ve focused on system-wide issues rather than ... [More]
Categories
Excessive dwell times
It’s not your imagination. Trains have got slower.
Categories
What could have been
A 2013 document envisaged more frequent trains every day on most of Melbourne’s rail network
Categories
Australia vs Amtrak
Comparing annual patronage: Amtrak vs NSW Trainlink vs V/Line
You can claim now for Metro, Yarra Trams, and V/Line poor performance
Categories
Have crossing removals improved safety?
It’s Rail Safety Week. It’s a good reminder of what we can all do to stay safe around trains and trams. I was wondering if Victoria’s massive Level Crossing Removal Program has improved safety. (Warning, some of the content below is a bit grim) The TrackSafe foundation has data on fatalities in Victoria, and breaks ... [More]
There is another big Metro tunnel test next weekend, August 16-17. Like last time, trains will run between Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham, but passengers will be offloaded between Footscray and Caulfield onto other trains. Leaving aside the faux peaks, similar to last time, the timetables show these daytime (interpeak) and evening frequencies: One key difference this ... [More]
Categories
Campbell Arcade has reopened
The Campbell Arcade (aka the Degraves St subway) re-opened this week, and I just thought I’d post the quick video I did for the PTUA social media feeds. (Yes of course it’s got an advocacy message.) Thirty seconds after I filmed this, the Metro Tunnel project director came past. I didn’t ask him, but I ... [More]