TramTracker across Melbourne
Tuesday 30 January 2024
tramTRACKER screens across the Melbourne tram and rail networks provides real time departure and disruption information to passengers.
Pacific National broad gauge grain
Saturday 27 January 2024
Grain is a major freight traffic in Victoria, but drought has cut the level of traffic in recent years. Broad gauge trains operate to export terminals at Melbourne and Geelong.
Metro Trains Melbourne - Burnley group
Friday 26 January 2024
Metro Trains Melbourne services on the Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines that make up the Burnley group.
Qube Logistics Apex quarry train
Wednesday 10 January 2024
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.
Flinders Street Station
Tuesday 9 January 2024
Flinders Street Station is the main suburban train station for Melbourne, Victoria
Myki
Sunday 31 December 2023
Photos of bits and pieces to do with Melbourne's 'Myki' smartcard ticketing system
V/Line to Tarneit and Wyndham Vale
Sunday 10 December 2023
V/Line trains on the Regional Rail Link route from Deer Park, through Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, and on to Manor Junction on the Geelong line.
V/Line to Bacchus Marsh
Friday 8 December 2023
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.
V/Line diversions on the suburban lines
Friday 1 December 2023
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.
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.
First public HCMT services on the Sunbury line
Monday 30 October 2023
On 30 October 2023 the first High Capacity Metro Train carried passengers on the Sunbury line, with two morning peak hour services running direct from Sunbury direct to Flinders Street and then through to Pakenham.
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
Footbridges between Flinders Street and Richmond
Friday 6 October 2023
Between Flinders Street Station and Richmond a number of footbridges cross the rail corridor.
PTV Hubs
Tuesday 19 September 2023
PTV Hubs were created in 2012 following the merger of the Met Shop at Melbourne Town Hall with the Central Pass Office and Myki Discovery Centre at Southern Cross Station.
Flinders Street Viaduct
Tuesday 19 September 2023
The Flinders Street Viaduct is made up of six tracks of varying ages, linking Flinders Street Station to Southern Cross Station and forming the main link between the eastern and western parts of the Victorian rail network.
Metro Trains Melbourne first aiders
Friday 18 August 2023
In June 2010 Metro Trains Melbourne commenced placing 3rd party first aid staff at major stations during morning peak, to assist ill passengers while keeping trains moving.
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.
Bayswater Workshops
Saturday 12 August 2023
Bayswater Workshops is the only maintenance facility on the Burnley Group, and serves the fleet of X'Trapolis trains deployed to that corridor.
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.
Hurstbridge Line Duplication
Sunday 30 July 2023
The Hurstbridge Line Duplication is building new stations at Greensborough and Montmorency; and duplicating the rail track between Greensborough and Montmorency and between Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen.
Metcard
Monday 10 July 2023
Equipment and infrastructure for the Metcard automated ticketing system used throughout Melbourne until December 2012.
Melmax Bus Lines
Sunday 28 May 2023
Melmax is a bus and coach operator based on the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn.
Surrey Hills level crossing removal replacement buses
Saturday 27 May 2023
During 2022 the Lilydale and Belgrave lines have been closed between Camberwell and Box Hill, buses replacing trains while the level crossings at Mont Albert Road, Mont Albert and Union Road, Surrey Hills are being removed by lowering the tracks, along with the two stations being replaced by the new 'Union Station' in the middle.
Hurstbridge Line Duplication replacement buses
Friday 7 April 2023
Works on the Hurstbridge Line Duplication project have required rail replacement buses from Macleod to Hurstbridge.
Box Hill Miniature Steam Railway
Friday 7 April 2023
The Box Hill Miniature Steam Railway is situated in Elgar Park in Mont Albert North, with the dual-gauge 5 inch and 7.25 inch mainline covering 1.2 kilometres, as well as extensive sidings.
Melbourne transport murals
Friday 7 April 2023
Murals featuring public transport, found at Melbourne railway stations and tram stops
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.
Crumbling station building at Armadale
Friday 24 March 2023
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.
Epping Workshops
Thursday 9 March 2023
Epping Workshops is the only maintenance facility on the Clifton Hill Group, and serves the fleet of X'Trapolis trains deployed to that corridor.
Southbank Depot
Friday 24 February 2023
Southbank Tram Depot located on the Port Melbourne light rail line supplies trams to route 12, 30, 35 and 96.
Damaged level crossing at Brooklyn
Monday 13 February 2023
Clueless truck drivers have a history of destroying the level crossing lights located at the corner of Somerville and McDonald Road in Brooklyn.
High Capacity Corridor Upgrade rail replacement buses
Saturday 28 January 2023
The High Capacity Corridor Upgrade project is upgrading the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines to support the new High Capacity Metro Train (HCMT) fleet. As a result Metro Trains and V/Line rail services have needed to be replaced by buses.
Arbory Bar at Flinders Street Station
Sunday 22 January 2023
Arbory Bar operated in 2015 on the site of Flinders Street Station platform 11 after Metro Trains leased out the land, and has been taking over the adjacent platform 10 ever since.
Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility
Friday 23 December 2022
Located past Craigieburn station, Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility serves the fleet of Comeng trains deployed to the Northern Group.
Metro Tunnel tram replacement buses
Saturday 3 December 2022
Works on the Metro Tunnel at Anzac station have required Yarra Trams services on St Kilda Road to be replaced by buses, while the tram tracks are slewed around the work site.
Bombardier Dandenong
Friday 11 November 2022
The Bombardier plant at Dandenong, Victoria was opened by Commonwealth Engineering in the 1950s, and is still operation today, building VLocity trains for V/Line and E class trams for Yarra Trams.
Melbourne freight terminals
Friday 28 October 2022
Freight terminals in Melbourne include the Melbourne Steel Terminal, Creek Sidings, and the remains of Melbourne Yard west of Moonee Ponds Creek; as well as North and South Dynon on the western side. Further afield are SCT Laverton and CRT Altona, and Austrak Somerton
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.
Melbourne tram and train passenger counting
Wednesday 14 September 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.
Newport Railway Museum
Saturday 3 September 2022
Located off Champion Road in North Williamstown, the Newport Railway Museum hosts an open air collection of steam, diesel and electric trains from the railways of Victoria, alongside other railway exhibits. The ARHS operated railway museum was established in 1962, and was closed to public access 2010-2014 due to visitor safety concerns, but has since reopened and seen upgrades to place exhibits undercover.
Preston level crossing removal replacement buses
Thursday 11 August 2022
During 2022 passengers for Bell and Preston had to catch buses while the stations were closed, due to the level crossings at Oakover Road, Bell Street, Cramer Street and Murray Road in Preston being removed by raising the Mernda line onto an elevated viaduct.
Melton Highway level crossing removal project
Friday 17 June 2022
A road over rail bridge is building built in two stages over the Sunbury line at Sydenham
Macaulay Light Repair Centre
Monday 16 May 2022
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.
Crumbling station building at Newmarket
Sunday 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.
IEV100 track evaluation vehicle
Thursday 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.
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.
Cranbourne Line Upgrade project
Friday 25 February 2022
The Cranbourne Line Upgrade project is removing level crossings at Evans Road, Lyndhurst and Greens Road, Dandenong South, duplicating 8 kilometres of single track between Dandenong and Cranbourne, and rebuilding the station at Merinda Park.
Westall Train Maintenance Facility
Tuesday 15 February 2022
The Westall Train Maintenance Facility is located on the Caulfield Group, and serves the fleet of Comeng trains deployed to that corridor.