Categories
transport

Cool wheels

Very cool. It’s like the Cadillac of bikes. Just the thing for a spin down to the beach.

Categories
transport

Back to the future?

Back to the future? New ticketing system with a distinctive new name and look to start… in late-1994!

Categories
transport

Gosh, how exciting

Gosh, how exciting. We’re getting a Metro. Well, that is, we’re getting something called a Metro. …and a new logo on the trams! Wow! Animation! Motherhood statements! Trams that look like Melbourne Citadis trams, but can’t be because they have more doors! Trains that don’t stop anywhere, but must be real because they make the  ... [More]

Categories
transport

They can’t perform miracles

Contrary to what some people seem to think, in December when Connex are gone and the new operator starts, miracles will not occur. Girl to friend on train: “I can’t wait till the Japanese take over Connex. We can then get to Frankston from the city in, like, five minutes in the bullet train. It’ll  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Notes from the commute

Amusing personalised number plate: “AMLOST”. Heh. One day, train commuters are going to revolt, form guerrilla groups (which have absolutely nothing to do with me) which strike in the middle of the night, putting back all the “Stand on left / Walk on right” escalator signs. In the mean time, if you’re standing on the  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Subway

Subway — noun — Australian/British English — underground walkway, tunnel for pedestrians. Subway — noun — North American English — An underground railway. There’s some quite witty lyrics in there that went totally over my head when I was a kid, reflecting perhaps the love-hate relationship many users have with busy railways.

Categories
Consumerism transport

Advertising PT on PT

Advertising on public transport is big business. In Melbourne around 360,000 people a day use the train system for starters… and buses and trams get spotted on the road by many more. Personally I don’t mind the ads if they’re not intrusive. They help subsidise the system. I wonder how it works when advertising on  ... [More]

Categories
transport

The ebb and flow of Melbourne trains

This is cool: it’s a representation of Melbourne’s trains across the day, and from a cursory look, appears to be pretty accurate to the timetable (possibly more so than the actual trains!). Ebb and Flow of Melbourne Trains by Flink Labs from Flink Labs on Vimeo. From a mob called Flink Labs, who explain how  ... [More]

Categories
transport

The new trains

All the TV media, and some other outlets, last night ran stories about the 38 new trains coming (the first at the end of this year), and how they’ll only run on part of the network. Channel 9 story ABC Online I thought it was a curious angle to take, as it’s not really all  ... [More]

Categories
transport

There’s no problem

Remember the mess the trains were last summer? Well, the Comeng trains, which are prone to air-conditioner failures above 34.5 degrees, haven’t been fixed, and there’s still plenty of track waiting for upgrades to prevent buckling. But that doesn’t mean you should worry about a repeat performance this coming summer. Mr Brumby says it won’t  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Beware

This video of level crossings is incredible. (See also: accompanying article.) The last clip in particular (starting at 1:10), from my local station at Bentleigh, had me gasping. The first person crossing is foolish enough, but the second — particularly as he appears to stumble — is just seconds from death. I fail to see  ... [More]

Categories
PTUA transport

Why is this even a problem?

The issue of new trams being too long for some tram platform stops was highlighted in The Age the other day, and on ABC Radio’s AM. But having got all the information about it now, I don’t see why it’s a problem. From the document specifying the new order of trams: Optimal operation of the  ... [More]