Change of operators in Melbourne - articles and discussion

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

New train, tram operators ride in

New train, tram operators ride in
CLAY LUCAS
November 30, 2009


MELBOURNE has new train and tram operators, with the staff behind the Connex and Yarra Trams brands having handed over the system to new management at 3.01am this morning.

Connex bowed out with a whimper on Friday, announcing its failure to run the city's trains on time in the past month meant yearly and monthly ticket holders could claim two free tickets as compensation.

In its final days, the operator was also forced to impound another of the city's Siemens trains because it had overshot a train platform last week.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the new French operator of Melbourne's tram system, Keolis, will have to run fewer trams on time than the previous operator managed to do.

For the past five months the consortium that operated Yarra Trams from April 2004, Metrolink, ran 82.4 per cent of its trams ''on time'' - within five minutes of their schedule.

Metrolink was dumped in June in favour of Keolis, which will be required to run only 82 per cent of trams ''on time''.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky, who will this morning ride on the first rebadged trains and trams, said 82 per cent of services ''on time'' was the standard expected of the new tram operator.

''Any performance above that is a benefit for commuters,'' spokesman Stephen Moynihan said.

Yarra Trams has embarked on a $10 million rebadging exercise, with the first of its refurbished trams hitting the streets this morning.

The brand name Yarra Trams is owned by the Government and will be retained, whereas the Connex brand name, owned by French transport giant Veolia, will go.

The first of the city's 164 trains was rebadged as a Metro Trains vehicle on Friday.

Removing Connex's name from the entire fleet will happen quickly as temporary stickers are applied over the next two weeks. Full rebadging of the whole train fleet will cost $25 million by its completion in mid-2010.

Metro Trains has had 28 senior staff working with Connex in recent weeks in a bid to begin devising ways to improve Melbourne's train system.

The new operator has a big challenge ahead of it, judging by the latest train platform ''overshoot''. On Friday, Connex confirmed that a train had failed to stop when the driver hit the brakes at Springvale railway station on November 21.

Due to continued problems with brakes on the Government's 36 trains made by Siemens, these trains have 30km/h speed limits on them as they pull into stations.

The driver had been going at 31km/h, but could not stop the train before it slid into the level crossing at Springvale station. The boom gates were down.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Cuts to tram services

Cuts to tram services

    * Ashley Gardiner
    * From: Herald Sun
    * November 29, 2009 9:50PM

UNDER-USED tram routes could be cut back and timetables abandoned in favour of more frequent trams in busy areas.

The radical plan to boost capacity on the busiest services is being considered by KDR, which at 3am today took over from Yarra Trams.

At the same time, Connex handed over our train services to Metro.

Tell us about your first-day experience with Metro Trains Melbourne below

The Herald Sun believes KDR Melbourne has plans to reduce services at the ends of some routes and redirect trams towards overcrowded services in the inner city.

KDR spokesman Sasha Grebe said: "We will be seeking to match our services with the usage patterns and needs of commuters."

It may also remove set timetables in favour of a system that promises, for example, a tram every seven minutes.

"These arrangements have been rolled out in cities in Europe. These sorts of considerations are an example of our approach to think like a passenger," he said.

Mr Grebe said tram passengers would notice a difference from today. "People will start to see changes to improve the quality and standard of trams," he said.

More money is to be spent on older trams, to improve their appearance and comfort.

Seats will be fitted with graffiti-resistant fabric, windows will be coated to protect against scratching and older trams will get a new vinyl coating.

"Every tram will receive a heavy-duty industrial clean, including removing light fixtures and grills," he said.

A new set of maps will be made available to passengers from today to make it easier to navigate the system.

The latest train crowding surveys conducted by the State Government reveal that the problem has eased over the past 12 months.

The figures show that commuters are still enduring packed carriages, just not as often as a year ago. Initial findings of Department of Transport research obtained by the Herald Sun show the number of overcrowded trains during the peaks have fallen.

Overcrowding is measured by hourly average load, and in October there were eight hours where trains were above the desired load, down from 14.

During afternoon peak, the number of overcrowded hours was 17, down from 26 the previous year.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Platform enforcers to herd commuters on to Melbourne trains to try to speed up services

Platform enforcers to herd commuters on to Melbourne trains to try to speed up services

    * Peter Rolfe
    * From: Sunday Herald Sun
    * November 29, 2009 12:00AM

NO-NONSENSE platform enforcers will herd commuters on and off Melbourne trains in a bid to speed up services.

More than 60 attendants will force passengers up and down platforms and stop people forcing open doors, dawdling or blocking exits in a Tokyo-style crackdown starting tomorrow.

Melbourne's trams also are set for an overhaul, with 400 receiving a $20 million revamp, including graffiti-resistant windows and panels and a push for priority at all traffic lights.

With new transport operators taking over Melbourne's train and tram networks from tomorrow, big changes are expected.

Metro Trains Melbourne, which will replace Connex at 3.01am, has hired 13 "station attendants" to staff city and "high volume" stations this week. Another 50 will be employed in coming weeks.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Leah Waymark said the staff would manage the flow of passengers and order them to stand back from doors to allow passengers off first. It was hoped the move would take up to a minute off train departure times.

"With the introduction of new platform attendants, we will get more efficient and safe boarding and exiting of trains," she said.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder condemned the move, saying it smacked of Tokyo's infamous "white mice" who push commuters on to crammed trains.

"I just don't think Melbourne people are going to take to being pushed around," he said.

"I think people know how to get on and off a train."

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen warned against the platform police screaming at commuters in a bid to speed up train service.

"You would never want to see staff barking orders at passengers," he said.

Mr Mulder said the new operator faced the same challenges that brought the network to its knees last summer.

"Come Monday nothing will change the problems of our trains being too few and too infrequent," he said.

KDR, the new company running the city's tram network, will instruct ticket inspectors to be nice to customers and aid commuters instead of concentrating on collaring them.

Three new-look trams, decked out with new badging, interiors and easier-to-read route maps and badging, will run free of charge on routes 112 and 67 all day tomorrow.

They will form the prototype for hundreds of revamped older trams to be rolled out in the next few months after undergoing a "deep clean", KDR spokesman Sasa Grebe said.

"We think that it's the best allocation of taxpayer finances to close the gap in standards between the old fleet and the newer fleet so that passengers will notice an improvement in their travel experience," he said.

Metro Trains has ruled out implementing a first class service, which it runs overseas with better seats and more comfort, on its Melbourne fleet.

A new metropolitan customer information centre at Flinders Street Station will open tomorrow after a weekend make-over.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said next year would be an "exciting time for public transport" with construction to start on four new train stations and 50 new trams to be ordered.

Outgoing Connex chairman Jonathan Metcalfe pinpointed the infamous Oaks Day fiasco and last summer's rail meltdown as issues which killed any chance of Connex continuing on as operator

[ozbob]

I am heading down to Melbourne early January, should be fun checking out the new operator and the myki ....

[rob2144]

Thats if Myki is actually operating then  I have heard rumours that it may not be operating until March 

[ozbob]

If the myki is not rolled out widely as planned I will head off to a pilot area ...  Geelong for example.

Meanwhile, here is a real fare structure -->  http://www.myki.com.au/Fares/default.aspx

Fares

If you have a myki and touch on and off correctly, you will always pay less than using short term tickets.

For example, a Daily Zone 1 Full Fare Metcard costs $6.80, but with myki money you only pay $5.88. That is a saving of 92 cents for each day of travel.

Note: Fares do not include the one off price for the myki card  ($10 for an adult myki,  $7 for a concession myki).

myki money fares

   * 2 hour (unlimited train, tram and bus travel for 2 hours)
   * Daily (unlimited train, tram and bus travel for the day)
   * City Saver (within the designated City Saver area)
   * Sunday Saver (travel in Zone 1 and 2 on Sunday for $3.00). This has been extended to Saturdays, so the maximum a full fare and concession myki holder will pay on a Saturday or Sunday is $3.00.
   * Early Bird Travel ? free travel on electrified Melbourne train services when you touch on and off before 7.00 am on business days.
   * Seniors Daily ? Seniors myki holders will pay no more than $3.30 per day for travel within zones 1 and 2.

myki money fares are based on the Value Metcard (bulk) rates, rather than individual ticket rates. For example, a Zone 1, 2 hour fare is $2.94 (1/10 of $29.40) rather than the individual ticket cost of $3.70.

myki money fares table

myki pass fares

myki pass is based on the current periodical ticket pricing.  You can select between 7 consecutive days or between 28 and 365 days. When you choose 365 day pass you only pay for 325 days. You can even use your myki money to buy a myki pass.

myki pass fares table

Short term ticket fares

Short term ticket prices are priced the same as 2 hour and Daily Metcards (full fare and concession).

Using myki money is always cheaper than buying short term tickets ? as long as you always touch on and touch off.

Short term tickets may suit travellers who are in Victoria for a brief time only.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro takes over Connex trains, and Keolis takes over Yarra Trams

Metro takes over Connex trains, and Keolis takes over Yarra Trams

    * AAP
    * From: AAP
    * November 30, 2009 6:44AM


MELBOURNE commuters awoke today to new private operators for the city's troubled train and tram networks.

French-owned Connex Trains and Yarra Trams handed over their operations to Hong Kong-based consortium MTR and a new French tram operator, Keolis, at 3.01am this morning.

Connex ended its troubled eight-year run early today with a cancelled train to Werribee, which it replaced with a bus.

Did you notice a difference on your train? Was it on time? Let us know what you think in comments below.

Both companies were plagued with timetable and reliability problems that earned the ire of commuters.

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky will ride trains and trams in the livery of the new operators today.

The Yarra Trams name, which is owned by the government, will remain.

Metro Trains has had 28 senior staff working with Connex in recent weeks in a bid to begin devising ways to improve Melbourne's train system.

[ozbob]

From Nine News click here!

New operator starts by cancelling trains

New operator starts by cancelling trains

Melbourne's new train operator has cancelled more than a dozen services in its first morning in the job.

Hong Kong-based consortium Metro Trains Melbourne took over the troubled network from French-owned Connex Trains and Yarra Trams has been taken over by French-owned Keolis (KDR) at 3.01am (AEDT) on Monday.

Metro's chief executive Andrew Lezala admitted it was not a great start.

"We've had too many cancellations this morning," he told reporters.

"They are liability faults with rolling stock, so clearly we've got a lot of work to do to address those and put some long-term fixes in place."

Premier John Brumby said both operators would deliver continuous improvements to the metropolitan public transport network.

"You're not going to see changes overnight, KDR and Metro took over the system at 3.01 this morning," he told reporters.

"You're not going to see changes in days, you're going to see changes in weeks and changes in months, they understand the challenge, will meet the challenge and I am confident you will see improvements in public transport over the course of the year."

[ozbob]

Media Release 30 November 2009

SEQ:  Lessons from Melbourne

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org) a web based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport commuters has said the change over of operators in Melbourne is unlikely to address the fundamental issue of lack of trains and a poor service frequency.

Robert Dow, Spokesman for RAIL Back On Track said:

"At 3.01am DST today the new operators in Melbourne, Metro Trains and KDR for the trams have assumed their respective operator responsibilities.  We wish them well."

"The fundamental problem in Melbourne with the previous operators was the failing infrastructure and lack of proper resourcing in terms of rolling stock.  A lack of staff on stations and trains also contributed to a lot of further flow on issues related to security, fare evasion and delays."

"Despite the hype with the new operators in Melbourne the fundamental issues remain. In south-east Queensland the operator of the trains QR Passenger has made great strides in the last couple of years, despite the interference of the TTA.  Franchise operations are not the answer as evidenced in Melbourne.  What is needed is a responsive operator properly supported in terms of infrastructure and rolling stock investment, and the flexibility to implement progressive staff policies and train services."

"The experiment in Melbourne will no doubt be watched closely by all.  At least Melbourne has the fare structure correct on its smart card, the myki card.  Capping and periodical ticketing options will ensure an eager and high uptake.  The go card in south-east Queensland has a fare structure straight-jacket on it ..."

Contact:

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org

[stephenk]

Metro Trains Melbourne, which will replace Connex at 3.01am, has hired 13 "station attendants" to staff city and "high volume" stations this week. Another 50 will be employed in coming weeks.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Leah Waymark said the staff would manage the flow of passengers and order them to stand back from doors to allow passengers off first. It was hoped the move would take up to a minute off train departure times.

"With the introduction of new platform attendants, we will get more efficient and safe boarding and exiting of trains," she said.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder condemned the move, saying it smacked of Tokyo's infamous "white mice" who push commuters on to crammed trains.

"I just don't think Melbourne people are going to take to being pushed around," he said.

"I think people know how to get on and off a train."

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen warned against the platform police screaming at commuters in a bid to speed up train service.

"You would never want to see staff barking orders at passengers," he said.

Seems like a bit of negativity towards platform attendants in this article.

The addition of platform attendants on London Underground reduced dwell times from over 50secs to around 35secs at one particular station - a significant time saving just through talking on the mic and raising a dispatch batton.

On Hong Kong's MTR they have attendants who block the path of commuters trying to enter the train with a batton once the door closing procedure is initiated - this prevents passengers from obstructing closing doors.

Japan's white gloved platform attendants rarely push people onto trains. They usually just make sure that no limbs or clothing get in the way of the closing doors to allow a timely dispatch.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

New operator Metro starts by cancelling trains

New operator Metro starts by cancelling trains
CLAY LUCAS
November 30, 2009 - 5:46PM

A train bound for Pakenham broke down at 4.30pm this afternoon at Berwick, blocking peak-hour services on Metro Trains? first day of operating the Melbourne rail system.

The breakdown has forced the new operator to run buses between Dandenong and Pakenham in both directions. It has advised patrons to expect major delays.

In all, there have been 18 trains cancelled since Metro Trains took over from Connex at 3.01am today.

It has been a day of transition for the city's transport, with Hong Kong-based consortium Metro Trains Melbourne taking over the troubled network from French-owned Connex Trains and Yarra Trams passing to French-owned Keolis (KDR).

Trains on the Lilydale, Belgrave, Hurstbridge and Werribee lines either faced delays or cancellations this morning, with the chief executive of Metro Trains Melbourne Andrew Lezala admitting it was not a great start.

"We've had too many cancellations this morning," he told reporters.

"They are liability faults with rolling stock, so clearly we've got a lot of work to do to address those and put some long-term fixes in place."

Meanwhile, dozens of staff wearing the new MTM uniforms were greeting passengers and distributing information at Flinders Street Station.

According to Leah Waymark, MTM's general manager corporate relations, it's the first step in a "de-branding and re-branding" exercise expected to take up to 11 months to finish and includes everything from the uniforms of drivers and platform staff to the trains and stations.

"Today being the first day, it's about getting the basics right," Ms Waymark said.

"What Melburnians want is a safe and efficient rail system, getting customers where they need to go safely and comfortably. That's Metro's number one priority."

Indeed, one of the first changes commuters have noticed is the platform announcements.

MTM will not only inform travellers of the length of delay, it will announce what caused it.

"That's something that a lot of people have communicated - they want a better understanding of why their journey has been interrupted," Ms Waymark said.

"There are so many things that happen on the network every day, whether it's a tree falling on a track or a signal fault, it's important we show that we're on top of the issue."

Today also marks the first time Melbourne's train users have 'platform attendants' to help them get on and off trains.

"The platform attendants will be at stations specifically on the city loop from this afternoon," Ms Waymark said.

"Their role is to assist customers getting on and off trains safely to ensure they are better able to keep to timetables and leave the station at the scheduled time, particularly during peak hour.

"They will also help to spread customers evenly across the platforms to ease congestion."

Premier John Brumby said both operators would deliver continuous improvements to the metropolitan public transport network.

"You're not going to see changes overnight, KDR and Metro took over the system at 3.01 this morning," he told reporters.

"You're not going to see changes in days, you're going to see changes in weeks and changes in months, they understand the challenge, will meet the challenge and I am confident you will see improvements in public transport over the course of the year."

Daniel Bowen, president of the Public Transport Users' Association, said the problems facing Melbourne's train network needed more than superficial solutions.

"We'll obviously see some minor changes with the new uniforms and so on, but the problems with the lack of trains and the rail infrastructure are going to remain," he said.

"The challenge for Metro and the Government is to boost services across the week ... and more reliability.

"Connex were given a bad hand to play with, but we welcome the new operator."

with Thomas Hunter and AAP.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Brumby kept waiting for tram

Brumby kept waiting for tram

    * Matthew Schulz
    * From: Herald Sun
    * December 01, 2009 12:00AM

JOHN Brumby was among hundreds of commuters stung by public transport delays as Metro and KDR took over our trains and trams.

In what some would consider a bad omen for the new system, the Premier's specially chartered tram arrived at his scheduled morning media conference to spruik the new system 20 minutes late.

But the irony of the situation appeared lost on Mr Brumby, who led a large group of Metro and government officials on a whistlestop tour of Flinders St station, after arriving on the freshly rebadged Yarra Tram.

About 50 officials, reporters and government minders trailed Mr Brumby around the station to the bemusement of commuters as he visited the new Metro customer centre and to see the system's only Metro-branded train.

As he addressed the media, Mr Brumby was quick to talk up the new owners, but was less impressed to be asked about his own late arrival:

"I was running late? Oh, I think you can blame the Tullamarine Freeway for that.

"I didn't catch the train in this morning, I came by car and there was a fair bit of traffic on the road."

Mr Brumby quickly switched the subject back to future improvements to cleanliness, punctuality and reliability - while acknowledging there could be a delay.

"You're not going to see changes overnight. KDR and Metro took over the system at 3.01am this morning. You're not going to see changes in days, you're going to see changes in weeks and changes in months.

"I'm very confident you're going to see improvements in public transport over the year."

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro plans to stand and deliver

Metro plans to stand and deliver
CLAY LUCAS
December 1, 2009

THOUSANDS of seats will be removed from Melbourne's existing trains over the next two years by new operator Metro to squeeze in more passengers.

And the trouble-plagued air-conditioning units on the city's 92 Comeng trains - which failed dramatically in last summer's heat - will not need to be completely overhauled for another six years.

Contracts worth about $9 billion signed in August by the Government with Metro and Yarra Trams' new operator Keolis were posted on the Department of Transport's website yesterday.

Financial details are deleted, but the details of key projects were included.

They show that the number of much-loved W-class trams will be reduced to just 38 (about 50 were supposed to run under the old contracts).

Among train projects detailed is a plan to remove about 12 seats per carriage from the city's 29 six-carriage Alstom trains, bought in 2002. Seats will also be removed from 13 of the older Comeng trains.

Connex tested removing 12 seats per carriage on a trial train earlier this year and reported positive feedback. A spokeswoman for Metro confirmed the plan last night.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen backed the move, saying it made sense to change the layout of the trains ''to more efficiently distribute people''.

The contract signed with the Government specifies the target completion date for the seat removal project as June 2011.

Almost 1200 air-conditioning units on the Comeng trains could also be replaced, although this is dependent on a trial overhaul being carried out now and to be assessed by February.

Metro Trains chief executive Andrew Lezala, who was at the control centre at 3.01am yesterday to take the reins from Connex, said the operator was ''getting immediate work on the air-conditioning''. They would be upgraded so all units on the Comeng trains ran in heat of up to 45 degrees, he said.

The contracts show the Government does not require the upgrade of air-conditioning to be complete until 2015.

Metro Trains has also flown in 20 key staff from the its main shareholder, Hong Kong's metro operator MTR, to help devise a radical new timetable for Melbourne. The contracts show that Metro must provide the Government with a ''two-tier'' timetable, which would ultimately enable far more services to run within the city's overcrowded inner core - without reducing services in the outer suburbs.

If this ''two-tier system is not economically or operationally feasible'', the contracts say, a new timetable will be developed within 18 months.

The Age has been told Metro's senior management believes the company will be able to fit far more services on to Melbourne's network, something Connex argued was difficult.

On its first day operating the city's trains, Metro had some difficulties, including a disabled train on the Pakenham line.

The first rebranded Metro train was hit by rock throwers, who smashed a window as it passed through Watsonia station. By last night, 20 trains had been cancelled.

Metro Trains has also flown in 20 key staff from the its main shareholder, Hong Kong's metro operator MTR, to help devise a radical new timetable for Melbourne. The contracts show that Metro must provide the Government with a ''two-tier'' timetable, which would ultimately enable far more services to run within the city's overcrowded inner core - without reducing services in the outer suburbs.

Interesting ...

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Overhead power line fault stops trains on the Glen Waverley train line

Overhead power line fault stops trains on the Glen Waverley train line

    * From: Herald Sun
    * December 01, 2009 7:48AM

UPDATE 8.08am: PASSENGERS have been left stranded on the Glen Waverley line, while traffic on the Monash is at a standstill.

Chaos has erupted on the Glen Waverley train line, with overhead power issues causing the cancellations of six trains.

No trains are running between Darling and Burnley stations, with services replaced by buses.

Have you been left waiting for a train or stuck in traffic? Leave your comments below or email pictures to online@heraldsun.com.au

Metro spokeswoman Lanie Harris said initial investigations suggested one train just outside Darling, had been brought to a stop with a broken pantograph - the connection between the train and powerlines.

Ms Harris said they hoped to be able to shunt the train to a siding later today, but until then no other trains can use the section of line.

She also said rail workers weren't yet sure if the damage was limited to the individual train or if the lines had also been damaged.

Trains are running from Glen Waverley to Darling, where people are being taken by bus to the nearby Alamein line.

Extra trains are running on the Alamein line to deal with the extra demand.

Passengers on the 7.09 Werribee line train also contacted the Herald Sun to say they were crammed in like sardines after an early train was cancelled without reason.

Temperatures climbed to uncomfortable levels while passengers pushed closer together.

''It's like nothing has changed at all,'' one passenger complained.

''It's not only bad, I think it's actually worse,'' another said. ''They've got a lot of work to do.''

Outbound traffic on the Monash Freeway is also at a standstill this morning.

Overnight roadworks between Toorak and Bourke Roads were meant to be finished by 6am and all lanes reopened, but a fatality on the Monash last night delayed the start of resurfacing work.

The Freeway is still down to one lane at Glenferrie Rd.

Metro trains only took control of the rail network from Connex yesterday.

Last night's peak hour service was also disrupted with a faulty train near Hallam station on the Pakenham line causing the problem, and delays over 15 minutes for citybound trains and more than 20 minutes for outbound trains.

There were also cancellations on the Belgrave and Glen Waverley lines yesterday afternoon.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Melbourne's new rail operator Metro hit by major delays

Melbourne's new rail operator Metro hit by major delays
THOMAS HUNTER
December 1, 2009 - 8:40AM

Melbourne's new train operator Metro has been hit by cancellations for the second day running, with commuters on the Glen Waverley line facing major delays after a power failure.

Peak-hour drivers also felt the pain as roadworks caused traffic mayhem on the Monash Freeway.

Metro spokeswoman Lanie Harris said a damaged pantograph - the mechanical linkage between the train and overhead power lines - forced a city-bound service on the Glen Waverley to a standstill shortly after 7am.

"We're investigating the cause of the damage," Ms Harris said.

"But we're focused on getting commuters where they need to be this morning.

Ms Harris said train users could expect "major delays" on the Glen Waverley line, which "won't be cleared during the morning peak".

To make matters worse for the new operator, vandals smashed the windows of a newly branded Metro train last night.

??They targeted a number of trains passing through Watsonia station,?? Ms Harris said.

??But most disappointingly for us, the newly branded Metro train suffered smashed windows as a result of the attack.

??We need every train we can get and this kind of vandalism means it?s the public who suffers. We?ve got one less train run our timetabled services.??

One commuter reported his daily journey to work from South Yarra Station to Darling Station, which usually takes 30 minutes took 90 minutes.

??Myself and many other passengers got off at Alamein to find a deserted station and no buses. We then had to travel back to Ashburton station to catch a bus. Even the bus driver did not have any instructions about what was happening,?? he told The Age.

Another reported: ??Wasn?t just the Glen Waverley line ... trains from Belgrave to the city were delayed due to a breakdown around 6.15am ... and the following City Loop trains had to be diverted to Flinders Street, so all the usual commuters trying to get to work by 7am were stacked up at Richmond waiting for a City Loop service ? didn?t arrive until 7.01am so we were all late.??

A VicRoads spokeswoman said all out-bound lanes on the Monash Freeway were re-opened just before 8am, but traffic was stretching back through the Burnley tunnel onto the Westgate Freeway.

Although all lanes were now open, she said the traffic problems would affect outbound traffic throughout the morning peak.

Compounding the problem, boom gates near the Monash Freeway are stuck. Police are at the site on Malvern's Tooronga Road and VicRoads has told drivers to expect long waits.

[ozbob]

From Herald Sun click here!

Metro pleads for time to improve infrastructure as overhead power line fault stops trains on the Glen Waverley line

Metro pleads for time to improve infrastructure as overhead power line fault stops trains on the Glen Waverley line

    * Stephen McMahon, Kate Rose
    * From: Herald Sun
    * December 01, 2009 7:48AM

UPDATE 4.09pm: METRO chief executive Andrew Lezala has pleaded with commuters for patience after a horror start for the new rail operator.

Metro took over the running of Melbourne's train network yesterday and passengers have experienced several delays and line cancellations since - the same issues that plagued former operator Connex.

Today's disruptions were on the Glen Waverley line, with all trains on the line cancelled during the morning peak and buses replacing trains between Darling and Burnley stations.

The line did not reopen until just after midday.

Mr Lezala blamed the bad start on a broken pantograph - the connection between the train and powerlines - and some missing carbon, which short circuited the train.

Mr Lezala pleaded for time to improve the infrastructure.

"There is a lot of work to do... it will not happen overnight,'' he admitted.

"There are some big reliability issues to tackle. The long-term fixes of this railway line have not been put in place by the various people that have maintained this railway and now it needs to be done.''

But Mr Lezala was not able to give commuters a guarantee that it wouldn't be a long, hot, sweaty summer of delays and cancellations.

"These will not be band-aid fixes - we have expert staff who are undertaking thorough examination of the issues and we'll move as fast as we can to implement long-term solutions.''

Last night's peak-hour service was also disrupted with a faulty train near Hallam station on the Pakenham line causing the problem, and delays over 15 minutes for city-bound trains and more than 20 minutes for outbound trains.

There were also cancellations on the Belgrave and Glen Waverley lines yesterday afternoon ...

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Melbourne's new rail operator Metro hit by major delays

Melbourne's new rail operator Metro hit by major delays
MEX COOPER AND THOMAS HUNTER
December 1, 2009 - 5:21PM

The horror start for new train operator Metro continues this afternoon with a faulty train at Southern Cross station causing delays on four lines.

Passengers on the Belgrave, Alamein, Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines face delays of up to 15 minutes and service changes.

Some services on the Glen Waverley and Lilydale lines are also not running through the city loop.

The afternoon peak-hour woes follow a morning of chaos across the network when a faulty train left hundreds of angry commuters stranded at Darling railway station in Melbourne?s east ...

[ozbob]

Blog comment:

Private operators should not be running our public transport. That they are shows the failure of government to take responsibility for providing basic services for the common good.
Paul | Melbourne - December 01, 2009, 11:28AM

[ozbob]

To be fair MTR have to cope with years of neglect.   The Victorian Government should be hanging its head in shame ..

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

New operator, same old chaos

New operator, same old chaos

    * Stephen McMahon
    * From: Herald Sun
    * December 02, 2009 12:00AM

THE wheels have already fallen off the new Metro operator's promises to improve the service with hundreds of passengers stranded by cancellations and late trains.

Three months ago Premier John Brumby promised: "Passengers will notice changes from day one," but it has been business as usual for Melbourne commuters.

Thousands were stranded on the Glen Waverley line in morning rush hour when the train system's antiquated infrastructure failed again.

It took almost five hours to reopen the line, forcing frustrated commuters on to relief buses at Darling station.

Metro chief Andrew Lezala blamed the bad start on a broken pantograph (a rod that transfers electricity to the train) and missing carbon for a short-circuit.

He pleaded for patience: "There is a lot of work to do ... it will not happen overnight," he said. "There are some big reliability issues to tackle. The long-term fixes of this railway line have not been put in place by the various people that have maintained this railway and now it needs to be done."

Train users slammed Metro.

Sue Withoos, 37, of Mt Waverley said: "I'm not impressed so far. You get the same old spiel just like Connex used to do."

Jacqui Carroll, 36, of Camberwell said: "At least with Connex you knew the train would come eventually."

Mt Waverley commuter Brendan Shannon, 45, said if he'd been warned about the disruption ahead, he wouldn't have got on the train.

Mr Brumby admitted it was an "average start" for Metro, but said he expected "progressive improvements" in the months ahead.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said: "A coat of paint, some new uniforms and a new name will change nothing."

The $1.4 billion spent on myki should have been spent on new trains and tracks.

- with Anne Wright

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Rail woes mount for Metro

Rail woes mount for Metro
CLAY LUCAS
December 2, 2009

MELBOURNE'S new rail operator, Metro, says a poorly maintained train caused a fault that brought an entire suburban line to a halt yesterday, disrupting the morning commute of thousands.

In only its second day running the city's trains, Metro had another bad day of cancellations, with 38 trains not running, most due to the Glen Waverley line breakdown. Many more services were badly delayed across the network.

The State Opposition said the incident proved it hadn't been Connex's fault that Melbourne's trains were unreliable, but a lack of investment by the Government in better trains for the city.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder demanded that Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky step down. ''Lynne Kosky simply doesn't have the empathy to run public transport and the community is suffering as a result,'' he said.

He also pointed to Premier John Brumby's pledge to Parliament on September 1 that ''passengers will notice changes from day one''. Mr Brumby said on Monday that train travellers were ''not going to see changes overnight''.

Ms Kosky's office did not respond when questioned about whether the latest breakdown was proof she was failing in her job.

Instead, her spokesman, Stephen Moynihan, pointed to the $500 million investment the Government was making to improve Melbourne's railways over the next eight years.

Yesterday's shutdown on the Glen Waverley line happened after a damaged pantograph - the part of the train that channels power from overhead lines to the train - caused a major short circuit. The fault caused damage to five kilometres of overhead power lines between Gardiner and Burnley stations.

The train was one of seven Hitachi models, the oldest trains on the system. The Government spent $2 million refurbishing the trains last year. All of the city's Hitachi trains were yesterday inspected to check for the same fault.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said the company had great experience in fixing faulty pantographs.

Mr Lezala highlighted $100 million in extra funding provided to Metro by the Government to maintain Melbourne's train fleet that would mean such faults would become less common.

He said Metro was working hard to improve services. ''The solutions that we'll be bringing to Melbourne ? will take some time,'' he said.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Logo is on the wrong tram

Logo is on the wrong tram
CHRIS GRANNELL
December 2, 2009

THIS week, Yarra Trams lost its licence and handed the business over to, err, Yarra Trams. The fact that both licensees are using the same name is actually very sensible. But ''new'' Yarra Trams' early adoption of a new logo is worrying.

People generally don't like change. Except, it would appear, in the case of company logos, about which change seems to be almost irresistibly alluring. Irresistible, that is, to senior management. No one else seems especially keen on it.

Graphic design isn't the primary issue. Design critics will always take a potshot at any new identity. Many blog posts and column inches will be spent analysing the visual qualities of the new Yarra Trams logo, in much the same way as Melburnians whiled away the winter comparing the city's new logo to a Big M carton. This may be amusing, but it misses the strategic point. Is a new logo required? What is it supposed to achieve?

The Yarra Trams name (and for that matter the old logo) are owned by the state. This is prudent, since it removes the obligation for a new operator to change things over. So is this just change for change's sake? Everyone accepts that the new organisation wants to signal its involvement and make its mark; just as a new mayor of Melbourne wants to make his or hers.

But there are better ways of doing it. KDR - the new operator - will have many touchpoints with passengers and the community at its disposal, and there are other ways of making a point without changing the logo on its website or down the side of a tram.

Major alterations to logos and identities work for customers when they signal comprehensive changes with the brands they represent - and ideally when they happen after the other changes have started.

To change the brand for the better in the eyes of its customers, these changes must be significant and present some kind of enhanced benefit or service offer.

Yet, when KDR took over the Yarra Trams franchise on Monday, most of the staff and almost all the infrastructure remained the same. Even if KDR was ultimately to bring about wonderful things in the world of Melbourne's transport (unlikely since serious stuff like monorails and underground track are outside its remit), the logo has come too early to highlight change.

To be fair, KDR appears to have grasped that identity and brand are different things and that tweaking a logo does not a new brand make.

Under the ''brand'' heading on its website, the organisation talks about other aspects of customer experience. KDR also says that it won't be changing all its signs immediately, which is financially responsible but brings the whole exercise further into question since it reduces the ability to signal change in the first place.

Of course, the experience of trams in Melbourne is important. Passengers have a right to feel good about their transport, staff are entitled to feel proud of where they work, and in this particular case, the behaviour and personality of the tram network is a big part of what makes this city unique.

I don't doubt there are areas where improvements can be made, and perceptions of the brand may change for the better as a result. But is there scope for a revolution? The old tram operator (unlike rail operator Connex) hasn't been banished in disgrace. It's not as if Melburnians grit their teeth when they see Yarra Trams livery. If the public isn't demanding change of this sort and the legislation doesn't require it, then why is it happening? Whatever the reason, it isn't market-based, and it doesn't appear to make commercial sense.

KDR's stated intent to implement service improvements is commendable, its wish to signal these changes is natural, and its desire to ensure that it gains credit is fair enough. But a new identity - particularly preceding any other change - looks like a waste of money.

Chris Grannell is consulting director at market-based strategists Ellis Foster McVeigh.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Changing drivers

Changing drivers
CLAY LUCAS
December 5, 2009

ANDREAS Dannert can't understand why Melbourne finds public transport so hard to get right. The 41-year-old German technology consultant moved here from his home town, Berlin, in 2000. When he got the train in Berlin, Dannert says with the precision of his profession, the trains came ''every seven to 10 minutes''.

Recently, he says, Berlin's trains started running every five minutes at night. In his adopted home town, Melbourne, however, Dannert is lucky if his train arrives every 20 minutes.

Dannert lives on the Upfield line. Sometimes on a Sunday, the wait for a train can be 40 minutes. ''I've travelled around the globe and seen public transport systems that work and that do not work. This one clearly does not,'' he says.

Now, however, the Government hopes the views of Melburnians such as Dannert might start to swing the other way, with a new operator having taken over the train system.

Last Monday, at 3.01am, Metro Trains took the controls from Connex, which had been in Melbourne in one form or another since the train system was privatised in 1999.

The Government, under siege for months over the poor performance of the city's trains, is desperate for things to improve. It has already promised an extra $100 million to maintain the existing fleet. This money will be spent over the next eight years, but most will go in the first two to three years on urgent train maintenance projects.

Metro Trains is led by Hong Kong operator MTR, recognised as one of the world's best railways, moving almost 4 million passengers a day with a staggering 99 per cent of trains on time.

This week, however, MTR has found out how hard it is to move just 600,000 passengers in a day in Melbourne. On day one, there were 20 cancellations. On Tuesday, a major short-out shut down the Glen Waverley line for almost four hours, stranding thousands of workers on their morning commute.

It was not the start Premier John Brumby had been looking for, especially after promising, back in September, that ''passengers [would] notice changes from day one''.

After that short-out, Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala presented to the media the broken pantograph - the part of the train that channels power from overhead lines to the train - that had caused the short circuit.

''These types of faults are further evidence of why the Government's additional $100 million investment in fleet maintenance is so vital,'' he said.

The state's Transport Department this week released the contracts that govern the rail and track maintenance work Metro will do. Metro has pledged a range of projects to upgrade the city's trains, including major brake and motor repairs, and work over the next six years to improve struggling air-conditioning units on the older Comeng trains, many of which failed last year, adding to mass cancellations caused by industrial problems.

The contracts also commit Metro to repairing damaged carriage interiors, putting up more customer information signs, and beginning to remove seats from older trains to fit more passengers on board.

Metro chief Lezala at no stage blamed Connex for this week's difficulties, but there was a strong implication that Metro had inherited deep-rooted problems from its predecessor.

What Lezala did not mention was that the same company, United Group, that serviced the city's trains for Connex is part of the Metro Trains consortium.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder says he expects the Government and Metro to use Connex as a scapegoat for some time to come. ''But the new contracts provide millions of dollars extra for maintenance. Why wasn't that provided to Connex?''

Mulder also says that, no matter how long it takes Metro ''to realise how bad the state of the system is'', it is crucial it does not let itself become a scapegoat. ''They want to make sure they don't become the shield between the commuters and the Government.''

Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky counters that this is an extraordinary response, ''coming from the party which closed train lines and sacked staff''.

''[Metro] have just taken control of their system and they now have the time to put their own stamp on it,'' she says. ''Metro have some very exciting plans, some of which can be rolled out immediately and others which will take longer to be put in place.''

Veolia, the French owners of the Connex brand, declined to comment on Metro's performance this week. But, in an irony that cannot have escaped Connex, the company's problems, prior to departure, were due in part to a dramatic rise in rail use in Victoria in recent years.

Last week, as he handed over the levers to Metro, Connex's executive chairman, Jonathan Metcalfe, went on ABC Radio to sing the praises of this resurgence. ''People will look back at this period as a rail renaissance,'' he told morning host Jon Faine.

Indeed, people are turning to Melbourne's train system in numbers not seen in decades. In part it is thanks to gridlock on the roads, high petrol prices and surging population growth. Also influential have been jobs growth in Melbourne's CBD and concerns about the environment.

As a result, in the past five years, public transport has moved from a low Government priority to one of the first named by Brumby every time he is questioned about issues confronting Melbourne.

In 2007, there were 189 million trips taken on Melbourne's trains. A year later, this had grown to 212 million. The most recent figures show about 215 million trips have been made on Melbourne's trains in the past 12 months. This sort of growth has not been seen since the mid 20th century, when mass adoption of the car drew commuters off the rails and on to the roads.

And while it is in many ways a good problem for a rail company to have, the speed of the growth was a key factor in Connex's undoing. Trains were delayed by having to wait longer at stations as people got on and off. More people fainted or got sick from overcrowding, leading to further long delays. Difficult relationships between Connex and its union meant the system failed spectacularly in the heat last summer.

At the time of the last budget, Kosky announced that annual maintenance spending on the city's trains would receive a massive boost of $60 million a year, to about $150 million, to fix tracks and dilapidated overhead power lines, and to improve signalling.

Timber sleepers are going to be replaced with concrete at a faster rate to reduce maintenance costs and the heat-related track buckling that caused so many problems last year, and to minimise wear on trains by giving them a smoother ride.

Ballast - the crushed stone used to steady tracks, help water drain from around them and to keep down vegetation growth - will be replaced more often, and broken rail lines that have recently caused many delays and cancellations will be replaced more quickly.

Lezala said this week that the $100 million in extra government funding provided to Metro to maintain Melbourne's trains would mean faults would become less common. All this sounds good, but raises a question: if all this work guarantees a more reliable train system, why wasn't it being done before?

The same can be said of a key project identified in the contract between Metro and the Government, a new timetable to be developed in the next 18 months that will enable more trains to run on the existing system. This ''two-tiered'' system will allow just as many express trains to run from outer Melbourne, and a big increase in the number of inner-city stopping-all-stations trains as well.

If it cannot be done, Metro has agreed to rewrite the timetable from scratch to fit more services in.

Connex for many months had argued Melbourne's system was ''at or nearing capacity''. Last year, chief executive Bruce Hughes warned that the Sydenham line could fit virtually no more trains in. The same would be the case for the Caulfield line and some other western suburbs lines by 2013, he said.

Metro's job is to prove Connex wrong and fit far more trains on the network, to reduce overcrowding and increase service levels. Thirty-eight new trains the Government has bought from European manufacturer Alstom - the first of which Kosky says will start appearing on the network this month - will help.

The operator is also now embarking on a huge hiring drive, seeking more than 200 new staff as it begins to improve customer services and information, and the rail network itself. It has started taking on new apprentices and has hired more platform staff to encourage better passenger flows on busy city stations.

All these improvements will help, but some experts do not believe they go anywhere near far enough to achieve the sort of shift to public transport needed to avoid traffic gridlock on the city's roads.

Dr John Stone, a researcher at Melbourne University's transport research centre, has followed Connex closely, particularly its industrial relations issues earlier this year. He says the problems that beset the train system this week ''might be in Metro's interest''.

''It underscores that 'this is what we arrived with'. It's either that, or Connex leaving them a few grenades to go out with,'' says Stone.

While he says it is promising that Metro hopes to run more services, he is unconvinced that simply changing rail operators will come close to solving the city's transport woes. The problem, he argues, is that no one within the Government is making sure the buses, trams and trains work together. ''That's the long criticism of privatisation we have had; it has increased the fragmentation of the system.''

For former Berliner Andreas Dannert, this rings true. Nor is he particularly hopeful that things will get better now Connex has gone. ''The Government has planned the whole system badly,'' he laments.

With a state election now just 51 Saturdays away, the Government is hoping not too many commuters agree.

Clay Lucas is transport reporter.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Parting mystery as Connex talks down its record

Parting mystery as Connex talks down its record
REID SEXTON
December 13, 2009

LATE last month, as train operator Connex came to the tail-end of its contract to run Melbourne's train network, it made a curious announcement.

After years trumpeting its performance record on a decaying network, it said it had not met its October punctuality target and would follow the standard practice of compensating monthly and yearly ticket holders with free daily tickets.

Connex said October punctuality had ''[dropped] below the minimum 92 per cent threshold'' - a claim that has since been reported on new operator MTM's website, displayed on posters at rail stations and reported in newspapers.

There was only one problem - it wasn't true.

In an online statement posted on its website in early November, since removed along with all other material, Connex reported accurately that its punctuality rate was 92.1 per cent - 0.2 per above the amount when compensation is payable. The report said the result showed the corporation's ''ongoing ability to deliver''.

So why would Connex, on its last days, suddenly talk itself down?

''[The reversal] is either a mystery or a bit fishy depending on how cynical you are,'' said RMIT transport advocate Paul Mees. ''I can't say this for sure, but I think it's possible that the Government and Metro are attempting to set themselves up so that they'll be able to claim things have improved even if they haven't.

''It's in MTM and the Government's interest to make [Connex] look as bad as possible to make it as easy as possible for them to claim things have gotten better.''

A spokesman for Connex parent company Veolia, which reportedly had to wait until after the transition to get back a bond believed to be worth more than $100 million, conceded it had passed its October punctuality target but denied it had been pressured by the Government to say otherwise.

Spokesman Mark Patterson said the compensation was a goodwill gesture to farewell Melbourne because Connex ran some replacement buses during the month and the performance threshold was nearly missed.

But he said the goodwill gesture, which would cost Connex ''tens of thousands'', was not revealed because it would not be reported as such.

He said Connex had meant to say that its performance in October and November - which also allegedly failed but for which figures are not available - was ''below par'' rather than a failure to meet targets.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said it was bizarre to make a goodwill gesture but not tell the public about it. He said it was even stranger that Connex had spent much of this year boasting of its achievements only to now claim it had adopted a strategy that made its performance look worse than it was.

''The public have a right to know exactly how well the train system is performing,'' he said. ''How are we meant to know if Metro is better or worse than Connex with this sort of spin?''

Dr Mees said that if the figures had been misrepresented it would be the latest example of Victorians being lied to about public transport. In September, the Government said new tram operators KDR would improve punctuality from 78 per cent to 82 per cent. But the old punctuality level was actually 83 per cent for the past year, with the Government later admitting it had used a new measure of determining lateness to reach the figure of 78 per cent.

The Transport Department denied asking Connex to say it had failed in October.

But Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said plummeting public confidence in the rail network and past performance meant the Government could not be trusted.