Pacific National - Western standard gauge
19 January 2021
Out on the Western standard gauge, from beyond Gheringhap across the plains towards South Australia
Melbourne rail replacement buses
19 January 2021
When the *%@! hits the fan on Melbourne's rail network, buses have to be called in to operate a replacement service for passengers.
Stony Point line
19 January 2021
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. Trains running the service run empty cars between Frankston and Southern Cross for maintenance
Metro Trains Melbourne - inner suburban
19 January 2021
Metro Trains Melbourne services in the inner suburban area, covering Flinders Street Station, Southern Cross Station, the City Loop, North Melbourne and Richmond.
V/Line around Melbourne
19 January 2021
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.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Clifton Hill group
19 January 2021
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the South Morang and Hurstbridge lines that make up the Clifton Hill group.
City Loop
19 January 2021
Stations and trains around the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (Parliament, Melbourne Central, and Flagstaff stations)
Qube Logistics Apex quarry train
19 January 2021
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 - Regional Rail Link
19 January 2021
V/Line trains using the new Regional Rail Link tracks that have progressively come into use since December 2013.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Northern group
19 January 2021
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Werribee, Altona, Williamstown, Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines that make up the Northern group.
Reservoir level crossing removal project
18 January 2021
The Reservoir level crossing will be removed by building a rail bridge over High Street and constructing a new Reservoir Station.
Melbourne stations and infrastructure
17 January 2021
Photos of railway infrastructure in suburban Melbourne - stations, signals, and such
Melbourne suburban bits and pieces
17 January 2021
Photos of bits and pieces on and around Melbourne's suburban trains
Melbourne suburban passenger information displays
17 January 2021
Next train displays at Melbourne suburban railway stations.
North Fitzroy Depot
17 January 2021
North Fitzroy Depot on Nicholson Street, North Fitzroy closed in 1993, but reopened in 2008/09 to stable W class trams used on the City Circle while Southbank depot was undergoing refurbishment.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Burnley group
14 January 2021
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines that make up the Burnley group.
Pacific National broad gauge grain trains
13 January 2021
Grain is a major freight traffic in Victoria, but drought has cut the level of traffic in recent years. Trains operate on both broad and standard gauges, with the main destinations being export terminals at Melbourne and Geelong, as well as Portland, and a number of domestic flour mills
High Capacity Metro Trains at Newport Workshops
13 January 2021
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.
Bayswater Workshops
12 January 2021
Bayswater Workshops is the only maintenance facility on the Burnley Group, and serves the fleet of X'Trapolis trains deployed to that corridor.
Puffing Billy
12 January 2021
Photos of the popular narrow gauge heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne
Failing rail infrastructure of Melbourne
12 January 2021
Melbourne's railway network is held together with bubblegum and duct tape - here are examples of the way that it is falling apart.
Pacific National Tocumwal freight
11 January 2021
Pacific National (formerly Patrick PortLink) operate a container service between Appleton Dock in Melbourne and Tocumwal, loading also being attached / removed at Mooroopna (Shepparton).
Metro Trains Melbourne - Caulfield group
10 January 2021
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines that make up the Caulfield group.
TramTracker across Melbourne
10 January 2021
tramTRACKER screens across the Melbourne tram and rail networks provides real time departure and disruption information to passengers.
Poor service from Metro Trains Melbourne
10 January 2021
Woeful service from Metro Trains Melbourne is a running joke - here are some examples.
High Capacity Corridor Upgrade project
10 January 2021
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.
Bikes at Melbourne stations
10 January 2021
Bike parking or lack thereof at Melbourne railway stations
Crumbling station building at Armadale
10 January 2021
A look at the crumbling citybound station kiosk at Armadale station on the Frankston/Dandenong lines, where everything is falling apart and ready to fall down onto the platform below.
Great Southern Rail - The Overland
3 January 2021
Great Southern Rail operates 'The Overland' from Melbourne to Adelaide, via Geelong, Ararat and the Western standard gauge
Yarra Trams - football specials
2 January 2021
Yarra Trams operates additional trams to the MCG and Docklands Stadium for football fans.
Melbourne electric multiple unit interiors
2 January 2021
Interior views of Melbourne's electric multiple unit trains.
Southern Shorthaul Railroad works trains
2 January 2021
Since August 2019 Southern Shorthaul Railroad has been operating works trains on the Melbourne suburban rail network on behalf of Metro Trains Melbourne.
Kew Depot
1 January 2021
Kew Depot on at the corner of Barkers Road and High Street, Kew supplies trams to route 48, 78 and 109.
Port of Melbourne
1 January 2021
Trains and railway lines at Melbourne's Appleton and Swanson Docks.
Sadleirs Logistics
31 December 2020
Sadleirs Logistics move freight by rail with their fleet of RLSY louvre vans, attached to Pacific National intermodal services.
Myki failures and breakdowns
28 December 2020
A galley of the many ways that Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system can let passengers down.
Poor service from V/Line
28 December 2020
Clutching failure from the jaws of success - that's the V/Line way.
High Capacity Metro Trains enter service
27 December 2020
On 27 December 2020 the first High Capacity Metro Train carried passengers, HCMT set 11 did the honours running a single service from Pakenham to Flinders Street Station and return. The day was low key, with no special ceremonies to mark the occasion and little media attention, the train full of the families of those who built the train, and a gaggle of railfans who found out that the train was running.
Flinders Street Station
27 December 2020
Flinders Street Station is the main suburban train station for Melbourne, Victoria
High Capacity Metro Train compatibility testing
20 December 2020
High Capacity Metro Trains have been sent to Flemington Racecourse, Burnley Sidings on the Glen Waverley line, and Elsternwick on the Sandringham line to ensure that a misrouted HCMT train would be compatible with existing infrastructure.
Comeng Life Extension project
20 December 2020
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.
Flemington Racecourse line
18 December 2020
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.
High Capacity Metro Train testing on the Craigieburn line
18 December 2020
On the morning of 1 November 2020 HCMT set 3 was sent out to Kensington on the Craigieburn line to test the compatibility of the new trains with existing infrastructure.
Myki
18 December 2020
Photos of bits and pieces to do with Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system
Long Island steel train
18 December 2020
The Long Island steel train serves the BHP mill at Hastings, south of Frankston. The steel is transferred from broad to standard gauge trains at the Melbourne Freight Terminal at South Dynon. In 2015 this facility replaced the Melbourne Steel Terminal, just west of North Melbourne station.
Commercialising commuters
13 December 2020
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.
Flinders Street Station upgrade
11 December 2020
In February 2015, the State Government announced a $100 million investment to repair the exterior of the station’s administration building as well as improve access and facilities for commuters. Work started in late 2015 and is due for completion in 2018.
Macaulay Light Repair Centre
1 November 2020
The Macaulay Light Repair Centre is located off at Upfield line at North Melbourne, and is used for the stabling of trains as well as light repairs.
Bell to Moreland level crossing removal replacement buses
24 October 2020
During late 2020 the Upfield line was closed north of Anstey station, buses replaing trains while the level crossings at Bell Street, Munro Street and Reynard Street in Coburg, and Moreland Road in Brunswick are being removed by raising the tracks, along with new elevated stations at Coburg and Moreland.