Melbourne stations and infrastructure
September 14, 2018
Photos of railway infrastructure in suburban Melbourne - stations, signals, and such
Melbourne suburban passenger information displays
September 14, 2018
Next train displays at Melbourne suburban railway stations.
Commercialising commuters
September 14, 2018
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.
Failing infrastructure at Southern Cross Station
September 14, 2018
Southern Cross Station was only finished a decade ago, but the building is already starting to fall apart
V/Line at Southern Cross Station
September 14, 2018
Southern Cross Station is the main hub of V/Line passenger services from around the state
Southern Cross Station
September 14, 2018
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
September 14, 2018
Clutching failure from the jaws of success - that's the V/Line way.
Myki failures and breakdowns
September 13, 2018
A galley of the many ways that Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system can let passengers down.
Metro Trains Melbourne trackwork and works trains
September 13, 2018
Trackwork on the Melbourne suburban rail network. Since taking over the contract to operate and maintain the system, Metro Trains Melbourne have hired wagons and locomotives 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.
Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel preliminary work
September 11, 2018
Preliminary geotechnical investigation work on the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel commenced in 2015.
V/Line around Melbourne
September 08, 2018
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 - Northern group
September 08, 2018
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Werribee, Altona, Williamstown, Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines that make up the Northern group.
Melton Highway level crossing removal project
September 08, 2018
A road over rail bridge is building built in two stages over the Sunbury line at Sydenham
Flinders Street Station
September 07, 2018
Flinders Street Station is the main suburban train station for Melbourne, Victoria
Myki
September 07, 2018
Photos of bits and pieces to do with Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system
Melbourne rail replacement buses
September 07, 2018
When the *%@! hits the fan on Melbourne's rail network, buses have to be caleld in to operate a replacement service for passengers.
Failing rail infrastructure of Melbourne
September 07, 2018
Melbourne's railway network is held together with bubblegum and duct tape - here are examples of the way that it is falling apart.
V/Line workshops, yards and shunting
September 06, 2018
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.
V/Line - Regional Rail Link
September 04, 2018
V/Line trains using the new Regional Rail Link tracks that have progressively come into use since December 2013.
Poor service from Metro Trains Melbourne
September 03, 2018
Woeful service from Metro Trains Melbourne is a running joke - here are some examples.
Bikes at Melbourne stations
August 29, 2018
Bike parking or lack thereof at Melbourne railway stations
Metro Trains Melbourne - inner suburban
August 29, 2018
Metro Trains Melbourne services in the inner suburban area, covering Flinders Street Station, Southern Cross Station, the City Loop, North Melbourne and Richmond.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Caulfield group
August 29, 2018
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines that make up the Caulfield group.
Long Island steel train
August 29, 2018
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 2016 this facility replaced the Melbourne Steel Terminal, just west of North Melbourne station.
Stony Point line
August 26, 2018
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
Melbourne tramway squares
August 26, 2018
Melbourne has four '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, Kooyong and Gardiner stations
Cranbourne Pakenham Line Upgrade project
August 26, 2018
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.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Burnley group
August 26, 2018
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines that make up the Burnley group.
City Loop
August 26, 2018
Stations and trains around the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (Parliament, Melbourne Central, and Flagstaff stations)
Melbourne suburban bits and pieces
August 23, 2018
Photos of bits and pieces on and around Melbourne's suburban trains
V/Line to Bacchus Marsh
August 22, 2018
Photos of the V/Line services that run to Bacchus Marsh, taken between there and the end of the wires back at Sunshine. As well as boring old VLocities and Sprinters, loco hauled trains with A, P and N classes are also used in peak times.
Pacific National - Melbourne standard gauge freight
August 22, 2018
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.
Qube Logistics Apex quarry train
August 22, 2018
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.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Infrastructure Evaluation Vehicle IEV102
August 17, 2018
Converted from carriage MTH102 by SSR Bendigo in 2010, as of March 2011 this inspection carriage has been used to check up of the status of the overhead wiring along Melbourne's suburban railway network.
Car parking at Melbourne stations
August 15, 2018
Axle counter overlays at Melbourne level crossings
August 15, 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 reliable activated.
Puffing Billy
August 11, 2018
Photos of the popular narrow gauge heritage railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne
Manildra sugar train
August 05, 2018
Manildra Group moves sugar by rail from their plant in Grafton in NSW to their sidings at North Dynon in Melbourne. NGGF hopper wagons are used, which are attached to Pacific National intermodal or steel services.
Metcard
July 27, 2018
Equipment and infrastructure for the Metcard automated ticketing system used throughout Melbourne
High Capacity Metro Trains at Newport Workshops
July 11, 2018
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.
Pacifc National grain trains
July 08, 2018
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
Melbourne broad gauge freight
July 07, 2018
Miscellaneous broad gauge freight traffic through Melbourne - there isn't much these days...
TPWS in suburban Melbourne
May 24, 2018
Commencing in 2010 Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS) has been retrofitted to signals across suburban Melbourne.
Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrade
December 26, 2017
The Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrade is duplicating the section of single track between Heidelberg and Rosanna, raising the railway line over Lower Plenty Road, and rebuilding Rosanna station.
North Dynon
December 15, 2017
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 Agency Sidings and the P&O Trans Australia container terminal at 'T' gate.
Tottenham Yard
December 15, 2017
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
Transdev Melbourne leased buses
December 04, 2017
In mid September 2017 Transport Safety Victoria and VicRoads completed an audit of the Transdev Melbourne fleet of buses. Initially 33 buses at two depots were removed from service due to defects, with 100+ buses eventually being taken off the road once all depots had been visited. Buses from Dysons Group and Sita Buslines were 'wet leased' to fill the gaps, with Transdev drivers directing drivers on the 'foreign' routes. 'Dry leasing' soon followed, with Transdev drivers in charge of the foreign buses, with Kastoria and Mitchell Transit also supplying vehicles.
Steamrail - Rail and Sail to Geelong, October 2017
October 22, 2017
K153 led 7 carriages to Geelong and back on 22 October 2017, with passenger having the option to travel one way to/from by boat.
Pacific National Kensington grain
September 16, 2017
The flour mill Kensington at Kensington is one of the last to be rail served in Victoria, grain wagons are taken there on a regular basis, requiring a convoluted route through the suburban and freight lines, with a reversal in Melbourne Yard. Until November 2017 this service was operated by Pacific National.
Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
September 03, 2017
The Yarra Valley Tourist Railway operates out of Healesville, and are progressivly restoring the railway line back to Yarra Glen, Coldstream and Lilydale.