Categories
transport

New timetables in May

A few details have come out about the next lot of Metro train timetables, and there’s some big changes for some lines, as the process of completely re-writing them continues. Here is a summary based on some notes I saw the other day, and my initial thoughts. My assumption is these notes apply on weekdays  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Build your own Metro

Sick of how Metro’s running? Then build your own! (ABC News, 26/12/2010.)

Categories
transport

Perfect for a train-spotter

Looking for a last-minute Christmas gift for a train-spotter? Got a budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Then splurge and buy them a home in this new development in Caulfield East. Urban Art Apartments is an artistic, inspired residential development in Caulfield East which is surrounded by lush greenery and designer art pieces. The  ... [More]

Categories
Politics and activism PTUA transport

Progress in the PT debate

The PTUA’s Annual General Meeting was last night. There was some optimism amongst the committee and membership about where public transport is going since the change of government, but even before that, the political debate has been moving along nicely. An example we talked about last night… At a parliamentary hearing last year as part  ... [More]

Categories
Politics and activism transport

Did these trains lose Labor the election?

Among the 12 (or more) seats lost by Labor in Saturday’s election were four in Melbourne’s south: Frankston, Carrum, Mordialloc, and Bentleigh. What do these have in common? The Frankston line. The Frankston line is the poorest performing in Melbourne. While overcrowding has eased since the June timetable change, punctuality is the worst in the  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Thursday morning on the Frankston line

This morning on the Frankston line… Election stunt? The latest Metro Trains Authorised Officer uniforms? Year 12s last day/Schoolies celebration? Is there a Flashmob happening somewhere this morning? Or is it just the latest fashion? I wonder where they keep their Metcards/Mykis? (Caption on their bums: MorphSuits.com)

Categories
PTUA transport

Both sides to build Southland Station

I’m very pleased. After years of pressure, both major parties have pledged to build Southland station. The Liberals promised it last week, and yesterday the ALP came to the party. (As recently as last week, I ran into ALP’s Rob Hudson at Bentleigh station and he said he was pushing for it. At the time  ... [More]

Categories
News and events Photos transport

Photo library

I think I can understand why the gunzels find this irritating. All media outlets do this kind of thing from time to time — I’m only using an image from the Herald Sun here because they happen this morning to be showing two on the same page. They have a story, say, something about trains,  ... [More]

Categories
transport

The C word still lingers

They haven’t changed the seat design with the hidden word “Connex” in it — it’s not very obvious and probably a hassle to do. But even some of the electronic signs stubbornly revert to the former train operator’s name occasionally. These two were snapped in the last month or two, both on X’Trapolis trains. Perhaps  ... [More]

Categories
music transport

Music on the train

Fantastic: Atomic Tom performing Take me out, live on a NYC subway train using just iPhones. NB. Please don’t try this unless you are actually talented. According to the New York Daily News, the intro text about their instruments being stolen is fictitious. (via Eva Blanda)

Categories
transport

New train timetables next month

Tomorrow it’ll be known if Metro has met their monthly punctuality target for the first time. As-of yesterday the daily update on the Metro web site was sitting on 88.7% (last updated 28/9), clear of the 88% cut-off. (That’s 88% of trains less than 5 minutes late.) For the first time in many moons, you  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Not the Rome Metro

You’re going to have to trust me on this because it doesn’t show up well in the picture, but this train seen this morning said “ROME” on the back, instead of “METRO”. Evidently someone had been re-arranging some of the letters By some freak occurrence, last week I found myself travelling on the Upfield line  ... [More]