Melbourne suburban passenger information displays
14 May 2022
Next train displays at Melbourne suburban railway stations.
Special trains to Flemington Racecourse and Melbourne Showgrounds
14 May 2022
Additional train services are run for major events at Flemington Racecourse and the Melbourne Showgrounds.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Northern group
14 May 2022
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Werribee, Altona, Williamstown, Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines that make up the Northern group.
V/Line workshops, yards and shunting
14 May 2022
Pictures of V/Line trains and carriages at the West Melbourne Depot and Dudley Street carriage yards next to Southern Cross Station, Melbourne Yard, and South Dynon.
Southern Shorthaul Railroad works trains
14 May 2022
Since August 2019 Southern Shorthaul Railroad has been operating works trains on the Melbourne suburban rail network on behalf of Metro Trains Melbourne.
Melbourne suburban bits and pieces
14 May 2022
Photos of bits and pieces on and around Melbourne's suburban trains
Metro Trains Melbourne - Caulfield group
12 May 2022
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines that make up the Caulfield group.
Melbourne rail replacement buses
12 May 2022
When the *%@! hits the fan on Melbourne's rail network, buses have to be called in to operate a replacement service for passengers.
Melbourne electric multiple unit interiors
12 May 2022
Interior views of Melbourne's electric multiple unit trains.
V/Line - Regional Rail Link
6 May 2022
V/Line trains using the new Regional Rail Link tracks that have progressively come into use since December 2013.
Car parking at Melbourne stations
6 May 2022
Pacific National - Western standard gauge
6 May 2022
Out on the Western standard gauge, from beyond Gheringhap across the plains towards South Australia
Flinders Street Station
29 April 2022
Flinders Street Station is the main suburban train station for Melbourne, Victoria
Metcard
29 April 2022
Equipment and infrastructure for the Metcard automated ticketing system used throughout Melbourne until December 2012.
V/Line at Southern Cross Station
29 April 2022
Southern Cross Station is the main hub of V/Line passenger services from around the state
V/Line around Melbourne
29 April 2022
Pictures of V/line trains 'under the wires' around Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. V/line has a mix of loco-hauled and DMU-run services.
Great Southern Rail - The Overland
28 April 2022
Great Southern Rail operates 'The Overland' from Melbourne to Adelaide, via Geelong, Ararat and the Western standard gauge
Melbourne Airport Rail
26 April 2022
The Melbourne Airport Rail is building a new double track railway branch from Albion station to Melbourne Airport, running parallel to the existing Albion-Jacana freight line as far as Keilor East, then following Airport Drive and Melrose Drive to the terminal area.
Metro Trains Melbourne - inner suburban
25 April 2022
Metro Trains Melbourne services in the inner suburban area, covering Flinders Street Station, Southern Cross Station, the City Loop, North Melbourne and Richmond.
Failing infrastructure at Southern Cross Station
25 April 2022
Southern Cross Station was only finished a decade ago, but the building is already starting to fall apart
Poor service from Metro Trains Melbourne
25 April 2022
Woeful service from Metro Trains Melbourne is a running joke - here are some examples.
Myki failures and breakdowns
25 April 2022
A galley of the many ways that Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system can let passengers down.
Yarra Trams - football specials
25 April 2022
Yarra Trams operates additional trams to the MCG and Docklands Stadium for football fans.
Melbourne stations and infrastructure
25 April 2022
Photos of railway infrastructure in suburban Melbourne - stations, signals, and such
Metro Trains Melbourne - Burnley group
17 April 2022
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines that make up the Burnley group.
Bikes at Melbourne stations
17 April 2022
Bike parking or lack thereof at Melbourne railway stations
Failing rail infrastructure of Melbourne
17 April 2022
Melbourne's railway network is held together with bubblegum and duct tape - here are examples of the way that it is falling apart.
City Loop
14 April 2022
Stations and trains around the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (Parliament, Melbourne Central, and Flagstaff stations)
Melbourne tram and train passenger counting
14 April 2022
Various technologies have been used to count passengers on trains and trams - old fashioned counting, and hi-tech Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and CCTV based system.
Commercialising commuters
14 April 2022
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.
Qube Logistics Apex quarry train
13 April 2022
The Apex train carries gravel and other quarry products from Kilmore East on the North East line, to Westall in south-eastern Melbourne, Brooklyn in western Melbourne, and North Shore in Geelong. Originally operated by Freight Australia then Pacific National, in 2016 Qube Logistics won the contract.
V/Line diversions on the suburban lines
13 April 2022
Since 2015 all V/Line services towards Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo have used the new Regional Rail Link tracks out of Melbourne. An exception to this is major disruptions, when the trains get sent the 'old' way.
Calder Park Sidings
9 April 2022
The train stabling yard at Calder Park is located north of Watergardens station. The first stage opened in December 2014 was a three road yard large enough to stable six 6-car trains, with a second stage adding another three sidings in 2015. As part of the High Capacity Metro Train project, a light maintenance facility is also being constructed at the site.
Southern Cross Station
8 April 2022
Southern Cross Station is the main interstate and regional station for Melbourne. The full set of photos is at my other site, Rail Geelong.
Poor service from V/Line
1 April 2022
Clutching failure from the jaws of success - that's the V/Line way.
Myki
1 April 2022
Photos of bits and pieces to do with Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system
Crumbling station building at Newmarket
27 March 2022
A look at the crumbling citybound station building at Newmarket station on the Craigieburn line, where everything is falling apart. The cantilevered platform verandah was reinforced with acrow props in 2012 and demolished in 2013. As for the piers holding everything up, even bigger acrow props have been installed to counteract the failing concrete piers and beams.
Melbourne transport murals
27 March 2022
Murals featuring public transport, found at Melbourne railway stations and tram stops
Melbourne suburban Digital Train Radio System
27 March 2022
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.
Smashed sign at Sunshine station
27 March 2022
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.
North Dynon locomotives
18 March 2022
Qube Logistics operates a fuel point at the Footscray end of North Dynon Yard, with locomotives also being stabled in common user sidings at the city end.
TramTracker across Melbourne
18 March 2022
tramTRACKER screens across the Melbourne tram and rail networks provides real time departure and disruption information to passengers.
IEV100 track evaluation vehicle
17 March 2022
Formerly known as EM100, IEV100 is a track evaluation vehicle that traverses the Victorian railway network to test track quality. Diesel powered, it has both standard and broad gauge bogies.
Newport Workshops: Downer Group and Siemens Rail
13 March 2022
Newport Workshops is the main railway heavy repair and maintenance facility in Melbourne. The eastern side is occupied by EDI Rail and Siemens, while the older buildings in West Block are occupied by heritage operators Steamrail Victoria and 707 Operations. The East Block is used as storage by VicTrack. Photos include some from a tour of the EDI section featuring the locomotive, bogie and wheel shops.
High Capacity Metro Trains at Newport Workshops
13 March 2022
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.
North Dynon
11 March 2022
Located between the main passenger lines at South Kensington and Dynon Roads, along with Moonee Ponds Creek and the Maribyrnong River, the North Dynon precinct includes the Agents Sidings and the P&O Trans Australia container terminal at 'T' gate.
Spencer Street Station pedestrian subways
11 March 2022
Until the 2005 redevelopment as Southern Cross Station, passengers at Spencer Street Station used a pedestrian subway to access the platforms, as well as to pass under Spencer Street.
Pacific National - Melbourne standard gauge freight
11 March 2022
Pacific National standard gauge intermodal services from Adelaide and New South Wales meet at Melbourne, running via the western suburbs into the Melbourne Freight Terminal at South Dynon.
Tottenham Yard
11 March 2022
All sorts of stored and damaged wagons clogging up Tottenham Yard in Melbourne's west, with a few operational ones thrown in for good measure