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Melbourne suburban bits and pieces

Monday 25 March 2024

Photos of bits and pieces on and around Melbourne's suburban trains

Melbourne rail replacement buses

Saturday 23 March 2024

When the *%@! hits the fan on Melbourne's rail network, buses have to be called in to operate a replacement service for passengers.

Failing rail infrastructure of Melbourne

Friday 22 March 2024

Melbourne's railway network is held together with bubblegum and duct tape - here are examples of the way that it is falling apart.

Metro Trains Melbourne - Northern group

Monday 18 March 2024

Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Werribee, Altona, Williamstown, Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines that make up the Northern group.

Metro Trains Melbourne - inner suburban

Saturday 16 March 2024

Metro Trains Melbourne services in the inner suburban area, covering Flinders Street Station, Southern Cross Station, the City Loop, North Melbourne and Richmond.

Commercialising commuters

Saturday 16 March 2024

For Melbourne's privatised public transport operators, they don't make money by moving people - they make money selling their captive audiences to advertisers and other commercial outfits.

Poor service from Metro Trains Melbourne

Friday 15 March 2024

Woeful service from Metro Trains Melbourne is a running joke - here are some examples.

Metro Trains Melbourne - Clifton Hill group

Monday 11 March 2024

Metro Trains Melbourne services on the South Morang and Hurstbridge lines that make up the Clifton Hill group.

Melbourne suburban Digital Train Radio System

Monday 11 March 2024

The GSM-R based Digital Train Radio System (DTRS) replaced the analogue Urban Train Radio System (UTRS) used for communication on the Melbourne suburban rail network. Approximately 100 base stations make up the system with more than 70 new towers added to cover the network. Work stated in September 2009 and was completed in 2011, with trials of the on train equipment starting in 2012.

High Capacity Metro Trains at Newport Workshops

Monday 11 March 2024

The new High Capacity Metro Train (HCMT) fleet is being assembled by Downer at the Newport Workshops in Melbourne's west, with the body shells assembled by CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles in China.

Metro Tunnel test trains

Sunday 10 March 2024

On the morning of 25 July 2023 the first trains entered the Metro Tunnel via the South Yarra portal to commence the testing program. Additional trains have since been rotated through the tunnel, a full occupation being required on the mainline tracks so they can enter the normally blocked off junction. In November 2023 the first end-to-end testing from Footscray to Hawksburn was completed.

Metro Trains Melbourne - Caulfield group

Sunday 10 March 2024

Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines that make up the Caulfield group.

High Capacity Corridor Upgrade project

Saturday 9 March 2024

The High Capacity Corridor Upgrade project (previously the Cranbourne Pakenham Line Upgrade project) is being delivered by the Level Crossing Removal Authority to support the new High Capacity Metro Train (HCMT) fleet. The work includes track duplication on the Cranbourne line at Dandenong South, minor platform extensions, and the replacement of signalling, overhead wires and traction substations along the Cranbourne and Pakenham railway lines.

Stony Point line

Sunday 26 November 2023

The Stony Point line is an orphan on the Melbourne suburban network, being an isolated shuttle service without electrification. A class diesel locomotives hauling MTH carriages were the usual consist for a decade, until replaced by Sprinter railcars in 2008.

Smashed sign at Sunshine station

Tuesday 24 October 2023

What happens when you put a road sign right beside a tight corner, on a footpath leading through the Sunshine station car park? Clueless motorists drive over the top of it, over and over again. 

Amskan RFID train identifier tags

Saturday 21 October 2023

At some point in the past Amskan RFID train identifier tags were installed on Melbourne's fleet of Comeng and Hitachi trains, along with readers at Flinders Street Station, and possibly other locations

Rebranding Connex to Metro Trains Melbourne

Wednesday 16 August 2023

Metro Trains Melbourne took over operation of the Melbourne suburban rail network from Connex on 30 November 2009, with rebranding of trains and stations commencing right away.

Flemington Racecourse line

Sunday 6 August 2023

The Flemington Racecourse line is a short branch off the Broadmeadows line in the inner north-west of Melbourne. It is used for special events at the Flemington racecourse and the showgrounds.

X'Trapolis 2.0 mock-up

Friday 2 June 2023

In 2023 Alstom produced a mock-up of the upcoming X'Trapolis 2.0 train being built for Melbourne, to get design feedback from train drivers as well as passenger, accessibility and specialist groups.

Melbourne tramway squares

Friday 24 March 2023

Melbourne has three 'tramway squares' where 1500 V DC powered trains cross the tracks of 600 V DC powered trams on the level. They are located at Glenhuntly, Riversdale and Kooyong, with the fourth at Gardiner since grade separated.

Special trains to Flemington Racecourse and Melbourne Showgrounds

Saturday 22 October 2022

Additional train services are run for major events at Flemington Racecourse and the Melbourne Showgrounds.

Sydney Trains

Wednesday 5 October 2022

Sydney Trains, formerly CityRail, operates the passenger rail service covering suburban Sydney

Broadmeadows station and standard gauge platform construction

Tuesday 1 March 2022

Former terminus of the suburban electric services, in 2010 it was upgraded to have a third platform on the parallel standard gauge line.

TPWS in suburban Melbourne

Wednesday 15 December 2021

Commencing in 2010 Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) has been retrofitted to signals across suburban Melbourne.

Richmond station

Wednesday 10 November 2021

A windblown concrete monolith from the 1950s with inadequate passenger interchange passageways and narrow platforms

HCMT High Capacity Signalling testing at Epping

Monday 25 October 2021

In 2019 work started on the installation of trial High Capacity Signalling equipment between Epping and South Morang stations. A pair of X'Trapolis trains completed the initial testing from September 2020, with High Capacity Metro Trains entering the test program from August 2021.

Comeng Life Extension project

Thursday 8 April 2021

The Comeng Life Extension project commenced in 2017 to update the interior and exterior of Melbourne's fleet of Comeng trains in order to keep them in service until 2022-27.

Stony Point line transfers

Tuesday 19 January 2021

Trains running the diesel shuttle service on the Stony Point line run empty cars between Frankston and Southern Cross for maintenance on a weekly basis.

High Capacity Metro Train testing on the Glen Waverley line

Sunday 20 December 2020

High Capacity Metro Trains have been sent to Burnley Sidings on the Glen Waverley line to ensure that a misrouted HCMT train would be compatible with existing infrastructure.

High Capacity Metro Train testing on the Flemington Racecourse line

Friday 18 December 2020

High Capacity Metro Trains have been on the Flemington Racecourse line to ensure that a misrouted HCMT train would be compatible with existing infrastructure.

High Capacity Metro Train testing to Kensington

Sunday 1 November 2020

On the morning of 1 November 2020 after normal services had stopped running, HCMT set 3 was sent out to Kensington on the Craigieburn line to test the compatibility of the new trains with existing infrastructure.

Craigieburn electrification project

Sunday 17 November 2019

Photos of the Craigieburn electrification works completed in 2007, as well the new station at Roxburgh Park and later upgrades to Craigieburn station

Coolaroo station construction and opening day

Sunday 17 November 2019

Located between Broadmeadows and Roxburgh Park, the railway station at Coolaroo was constructed separately from the rest of the Craigieburn electrification project that was completed in 2007. As a result it did not opening to passengers until 6 June 2010.

Mernda Rail

Sunday 1 September 2019

In August 2018 the 8 km long railway extension from South Morang to Mernda was opened to passengers, with new stations at Mernda, Hawkstowe and Middle Gorge.

Metro Trains Melbourne works trains

Thursday 27 June 2019

On taking over the contract to operate and maintain the Melbourne suburban rail system in 2010, Metro Trains Melbourne have hired wagons and diesel locomotives B76, B80, T369, T373, T376 and T377 from CFCLA to operate works trains. Three types of train operate: open top containers mounted to miscellaneous flat wagons for the carriage of spoil, CHOY hoppers to carry ballast, and flat wagons fitted with stanchions to carry rail or concrete sleepers. The arrangement ended in 2017, with works trains instead being operated by Qube Logistics and Southern Shorthaul Railroad.

Second Merri Creek bridge at Clifton Hill

Sunday 20 January 2019

Clifton Hill is the junction of the Epping and Hurstbridge lines in inner Melbourne, with a new bridge being built in 2008 across Merri Creek to duplicate the Hurstbridge line tracks.

South Morang rail extension project

Sunday 20 January 2019

Extension of the Epping line a few kilometres to South Morang, as well as the duplication of the existing line between Keon Park and Epping.

Axle counter overlays at Melbourne level crossings

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Following issues with VLocity trains being detected by track circuits in suburban Melbourne, in 2016 axle counters have been installed at level crossings to ensure they are reliably activated.

New X'Trapolis EMUs

Wednesday 11 April 2018

A second batch of X'Trapolis EMUs are being imported, number from 1M upwards (and 1301T). The first 6 car set arrived in 2009 and underwent testing before being commissioned into service.

Siemens train braking issues

Monday 15 January 2018

A number of Melbourne's Siemens trains were withdrawn from service in 2007 due to braking issues. The Werribee line between Newport and Laverton was used to test the affected sets. The test procedure involved spraying soapy water onto the rails to confirm the operation of the brakes. By 2010 it was decided the solution to the problem was to install sandboxes to the middle four bogies of each 3-car set.

X'Trapolis transfer, July 2017

Thursday 20 July 2017

On 20 July 2017 brand new X'Trapolis train 234M-1417T-233M+236M-1418T-235M was transferred from the Alstom factory at Ballarat North to Epping Workshops, behind T373 and T376 with generator wagon CFSX125G

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Bayside Rail Project

Wednesday 22 March 2017

In May 2013 Premier Denis Napthine announced the $100 million 'Bayside Rail Project' to upgrade the Frankston railway line, and bring X'Trapolis trains to the route. Two token services run by X'Trapolis trains being introduced just before the 2014 State Election, with the cost of the project blowing out to $115 million.

X'Trapolis transfer, December 2016

Thursday 1 December 2016

On December 1, 2016 T369 and T377 with generator wagon CFSX125G transferred newly completed X'Trapolis set 225M-228M from Ballarat Workshops to Epping via Bacchus Marsh

Kensington Racecourse Essendon resignalling

Saturday 19 March 2016

In 2013-14 new signalling was installed on the Craigieburn and Flemington Racecourse lines, between Kensington and Essendon stations.

Evacuating a failed V/Line train at Albion, November 2015

Thursday 26 November 2015

On November 26, 2015 a down Bendigo train failed outside Albion station, blocking the Sunbury line for hours. Eventually the V/Line train was limped into the platform at Albion, allowing passenger to wait for buses, with the suburban train behind being eventually evacuated as well

PTV Night Network launch

Friday 30 October 2015

On October 30, 2015 the politicians visited Federation Square to launch PTV's new 'Night Network' - all night trains and trams, as well as a rejigged Nightrider bus service.

2015 Melbourne rail and tram industrial action

Thursday 10 September 2015

In 2015 the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has launched industrial action against both Metro Trains and Yarra Trams, following the breakdown in negotiations around their new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

Siemens train static inverter issues

Monday 17 August 2015

In December 2014 it was discovered that Melbourne's fleet of Siemens trains had been fitted with defective capacitors in the static inverter unit found beneath the train floor, resuling in a number of explosions. As an interim workaround fire blankets and tie down straps were fitted around the equipment boxes to reduce the risk.

Sunbury electrification project

Saturday 9 May 2015

Electrification of the Bendigo line between Sydenham and Sunbury started in 2011 and was completed in 2012. Diggers Rest and Sunbury stations were upgraded, a new stabling yard built at the end of the line, overhead wires were installed above the tracks, and five new traction substations were built.

Queensland Rail bits

Monday 13 April 2015

Bits and pieces of Queensland Rail trains