Melbourne Trains

[SurfRail]

    all Cranbourne trains will stop at Lynbrook with all offpeak and some peak hour Pakenham trains stopping at Cardinia Road, the latter due to Labor's failure to provide sufficient electrical substation capacity for peak hour trains accelerating from a stop at Cardinia Road, and

I smell bollocks.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I smell bollocks.

Different overhead power systems in Melbourne compared to up here remember. 1500DC vs 25kVAC. I heard that they could have operated them but there was the probability that some trains could trip their own fail safe system relating to available power or trip the overheads into going into their own fail safe mode to prevent damage to relays/transformers etc.

[ozbob]

Twitter

PTUA ‏ @ptua

Photos from today's opening of the new @metrotrains Lynbrook station http://www.flickr.com/photos/ptua/sets/72157629507821484/show/

[ozbob]

Twitter

PTUA ‏ @ptua

3 new railway stations opened. Ch7: http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/vic/watch/29040816/three-new-train-stations-open/ Ch9: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/video.aspx?uuid=c8cccc6f-cf91-478d-8268-2856e6b7ccfa

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

South Morang finally gets its line

South Morang finally gets its line
Adam Carey
April 23, 2012

THE last time South Morang had a functioning railway station it was called Rail Motor Stopping Place 39 - a bush signpost where passengers jumped on and off the line to Whittlesea.

That line was shut down from Epping in 1959 and ripped up, but trains returned to South Morang yesterday, at a cost of $498 million to build three kilometres of track from Epping and duplicate the line from Keon Park.

Now a booming suburb in Melbourne's northern growth corridor, South Morang has a new terminus for what was previously the Epping line.

But residents who have fought for years to get rail to South Morang say urban growth is happening so rapidly the line now needs to be extended further north to Mernda to relieve chronic congestion on the roads. ''It takes me 40 minutes to drive from Doreen to Mill Park - that's eight kilometres,'' said primary school teacher Darren Peters, who is also spokesman for the South Morang and Mernda Rail Alliance.

''This is not a project that we can afford to wait on, it needs to happen now and the government needs to implement planning immediately.''

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder offered frustrated residents no assurances yesterday, but dangled some hope when he said the South Morang line had been ''designed ... for a future extension through to Mernda''. ''We see public transport going forward as doing the heavy lifting in terms of moving people around the state,'' Mr Mulder said.

But Labor MP for Yan Yean Danielle Green, who gatecrashed Mr Mulder's celebration, said the Baillieu government was ''very good at cutting ribbons on Labor projects on the one hand and cutting services on the other''.

Two other new zone 2 railway stations in Melbourne's south-east also opened for the first time yesterday - Lynbrook on the Cranbourne line and Cardinia Road on the Pakenham line.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/south-morang-finally-gets-its-line-20120422-1xf4u.html

The old Whittlesea rail motor that I had a few trips on in my younger days ..  I can remember it well!  The 5' 3" has returned ...


http://www.victorianrailways.net/motive%20power/rmpics/rm09fawkner.jpg

[somebody]

    all Cranbourne trains will stop at Lynbrook with all offpeak and some peak hour Pakenham trains stopping at Cardinia Road, the latter due to Labor's failure to provide sufficient electrical substation capacity for peak hour trains accelerating from a stop at Cardinia Road, and

I smell bollocks.

I think it's plausible (doesn't mean true).  In addition to what HTG said, When Cityrail brought in the Millenium train they needed to implement new substations across the network.

[SurfRail]

It might just be from an abundance of caution then when the draw on the overhead is higher.

I struggle with why this would be the case only at Cardinia Road and not anywhere else south of Dandenong.  Is it gradient related?

[ozbob]

Daniel Bowen Blog --> Frequent services and realtime information. Time to throw away the timetable? 

[ozbob]

... ''We see public transport going forward as doing the heavy lifting in terms of moving people around the state,'' Mr Mulder said ...

The conversion of the blue Victorian Government is complete!  A miracle before our very eyes ...  next step will be muffins and bottled water for all!  All praise the 5'3"!!

   

[Gazza]

Indeed.
That said, I dunno where it comes from that Blue is necessarily 'bad' for PT, they aren't like those Republican teabaggers in the US who are opposed to PT....
Fed level yeah they didn't do much, but at the state level both sides of politics have pushed through good projects.

[somebody]

Libs are bad for PT generally.  E.g. John Howard removing petrol excise indexation.

SYD & MEL PT have such high market penetrations that attacking PT in direct ways becomes political suicide.  However, there are still indirect ways, and neglect.

[Gazza]

and neglect.

Can't even do that anymore.
Plus neglect was more of a Red thing in NSW and VIC, and SA until a few years ago.

[colinw]

I really don't understand why people think there is any meaningful distinction between teams Blue & Red when it comes to public transport. 

[Jonas Jade]

It might just be from an abundance of caution then when the draw on the overhead is higher.

I struggle with why this would be the case only at Cardinia Road and not anywhere else south of Dandenong.  Is it gradient related?

It's not the case specifically at Cardinia Road, but the solution is to not stop all trains in peak hour there since its the newest station. Otherwise it would be cutting service to already established stations.

The basic idea aiui is that if every train south of Dandenong accelerated from stop at the same time, the draw from the power system would be too great and would trip the failsafe, and Cardinia Road is adding that extra 'stop' that would be a problem.

[Gazza]

I really don't understand why people think there is any meaningful distinction between teams Blue & Red when it comes to public transport.

I guess that's what I meant, even though I perhaps didn't say it directly enough.

[SurfRail]

It might just be from an abundance of caution then when the draw on the overhead is higher.

I struggle with why this would be the case only at Cardinia Road and not anywhere else south of Dandenong.  Is it gradient related?

It's not the case specifically at Cardinia Road, but the solution is to not stop all trains in peak hour there since its the newest station. Otherwise it would be cutting service to already established stations.

The basic idea aiui is that if every train south of Dandenong accelerated from stop at the same time, the draw from the power system would be too great and would trip the failsafe, and Cardinia Road is adding that extra 'stop' that would be a problem.

Seems we aren't the only ones who half-bake then!

At least traction power supply isn't that hard to fix.  The complete absence of the required tracks and platforms is a bit more of a stumbling block...

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Metro moves to plug leaks in City Loop tunnels

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Metro claims fare evasion led to rail injury

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Two days down the track, South Morang is still a missing link

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Fall-off tipped in train passengers

Fall-off tipped in train passengers
Jason Dowling
May 4, 2012

THE number of passengers on Melbourne's trains is expected to fall this financial year after years of massive patronage growth.

The decline is being blamed on Victoria's deteriorating rate of employment, increased ticket prices and inconvenient timetables. The last time metropolitan train patronage declined in a financial year was during 1993-94.

At the same time as the decline, government payments to train operator Metro will go up by $58 million this financial year.

The fall in train passengers comes in the same year public transport fares rose on average by more than 8 per cent and big timetable changes were introduced.

The state budget papers show train use this financial year has not lived up to expectations.

Originally predicted to have 256.8 million passengers, the government now expects only 221.5 million train passengers, well below the 228.9 million carried last year.

This is despite Melbourne's population continuing to grow by more than 1000 people a week.

Train passenger growth is expected to increase only slightly next financial year to 226 million, still below the 2010-11 figure.

RMIT University public transport expert Paul Mees said it had been a hard year for train travellers.

''I think the main cause [of the passenger decline] is the timetable changes of the past 12 to 18 months, which have inconvenienced large numbers of passengers by taking their trains out of the loop, removing their express services or requiring extra changes to complete trips. The above-inflation fare rise and problems with the ticketing system won't have helped either,'' he said.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the risk with the budget projections ''is that they will again underestimate patronage growth as the city continues to grow and petrol prices rise, and fail to provide extra services, leading to more rampant overcrowding''.

Metro boss Andrew Lezala said the budget figures were ''old patronage figures''.

''We're looking forward to seeing the next patronage numbers, because it certainly doesn't feel like the growth has slowed down,'' he said.

He said the extra payments from the government were linked to the number of additional services Metro now provided.

David Stockman, spokesman for Public Transport Victoria, said ''stagnant patronage'' could in part be attributed to declining employment.

Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder declined to comment on why the number of commuters was expected to fall.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/falloff-tipped-in-train-passengers-20120503-1y1uc.html

Got to agree with Daniel B. on this.  This is just budget spin to justify their non expenditure increase on Metro ..

[somebody]

Interesting comments by Paul Mees.

I would have thought taking the peak Glen Waverley trains out of the loop was a positive move.  I'll accept removing express services, myki problems and increasing fares though.

With DB's comments, this is mostly a concern with respect to rolling stock orders.

[SurfRail]

It isn't just that myki is recording train travel more accurately?  Metcard required validation (as opposed to our thermal paper products), but there were still massive holes and people with weeklies or higher tend not to bother validating Metcards unless they go through a fare gate.  Much less so on a tram.

[ozbob]

The state government is under fire for spending big on train station toilets.

[ozbob]

http://www.amicusrecruit.com.au/amc_metro_ad.htm

Metro Trainee Train Driver

Metro Trainee Train Driver

    Be one of 800 train drivers for Metro Trains Melbourne
    Metro delivers more than 2000 services a day
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If you're looking to make a change and can see yourself in the driver's seat of one of our trains, now is the time to speak to us. We know that men can drive, but we believe women also make smart, safe and considerate drivers. That's why we're looking to even up the numbers.

We'll even provide fully paid training to show you the ropes.

We're interested to hear from males and females of all ages (over 18 years) who share a passion for people, travel and Melbourne. You'll be enthusiastic, well organised and have excellent communication skills and leadership aspirations.

So, if you're looking for a rewarding, flexible, secure and exciting career, with a company that is really going places, we'd love to hear from you.

We are looking for applicants who:

• are safety conscious
• have excellent customer service skills
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• have leadership skills and aspirations
• are team players but can also work independently.

Applications close 5 pm 25th May

Enquiries can be made to Denis Flores: 97442299
Job Ref :    AU2541LO000005
Submitted :    14-05-2012 09:43 AM

[ozbob]

PTUA --> Single track bottlenecks must be fixed

[ozbob]

From News.com.au click here!

Rail bottlenecks delay commuters

Rail bottlenecks delay commuters
May 21, 2012 04:44PM

THOUSANDS of commuters are suffering delays of up to 41 minutes between peak hour services because of 19th century flaws in the train network.

Analysis by the Public Transport Users Association has revealed single track bottlenecks are slowing down train frequency, adding to the frustration of long suffering passengers.

The PTUA has called for the urgent duplication of sections of single track it says play havoc with punctuality, severely limiting the number of trains that can run.

The group has drawn up a hit list of choke points it alleges are strangling the system, including:

WAITS of up to 41 minutes for trains during the evening peak at some stations on the Hurstbridge line.

COMMUTERS forced to cool their heels for up to 22 minutes between train arrivals on the notorious Altona Loop section of the Werribee line.

GAPS up to 37 minutes during the morning peak for a train on the (V/Line) Melton line.

The delays come as changes to the timetable in April delivered trains arriving up to every eight minutes during periods on some lines, helping to cut crowding.

PTUA president Daniel Bown said congestion was not just confined to busy roads, but could have a dramatic impact on rail travel.

"When traffic shares a single lane for both directions during road works, it causes long delays,'' he said.

"This is what passengers put up with every day on suburban single-track railway lines; it's time these were fixed.''

Mr Bowen said it was ludicrous that in the 21st century with surging passenger numbers, there are still sections of single track on the metropolitan network.

"Single track might be fine for Puffing Billy, but it has no place on a modern mass transit system,'' he said.

The notorious single track Altona Loop had the least frequent peak-hour services anywhere in zone 1, with a train arriving only every 22 minutes.

"Single tracks mean any little delay quickly snowballs to affect trains in both directions, which in peak hour can easily mean thousands of people have their travel disrupted,'' Mr Bowen said.

Public Transport Victoria spokesman Matt Phelan said the duplication of the 3.8km single track section between Keon Park and Epping as part of the $640 million South Morang rail extension had allowed a big increase in services to the northern suburbs.

"PTV is also developing medium and long term plans for further network upgrades including removal of junctions and single line track sections to improve the reliability of the rail network,'' he said.

- Greg Thom

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Trains skip stations to evade fines

Trains skip stations to evade fines
Adam Carey
May 25, 2012

METRO has resorted to skipping stations and running unscheduled short services since its new timetable was introduced last month, stranding passengers so its trains will run on time. It has happened at least four times a day on average.

Drivers say the rate at which they have been ordered to alter a service mid-journey suddenly became ''prolific'' when a new train timetable was introduced on April 22.

Metro has succeeded in running its trains to the new timetable, which has boosted services on many lines, but the rail operator has been accused of reaching its targets by running ''half-services''.

The Age has seen 129 drivers' incident reports from mid-April to May, recording services that have been altered either from stopping-all-stations to express or terminated before the end of the line. The reports have been logged by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, which claims many more services are being altered without being reported because train controllers are issuing orders over the radio rather than putting them in writing.

''It's only got prolific over the last month,'' said union sub-branch secretary Paris Jolly. ''It's even happening on weekends now, which is unheard of, just to get back on time or in front of time.'' He said many trains were running express to Richmond station to get ahead of the timetable, then sitting idle for several minutes between Richmond and Flinders Street Station.

The practice is generating anger among affected travellers.

In one instance a driver reported being physically threatened over the emergency intercom by passengers who had been told that the train would bypass their stop. In another report people ran alongside a train and attempted to force open the doors as it passed by the platform at low speed.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said the decision to alter a service from stopping-all-stations to express was only made ''in extreme circumstances'', and occurred approximately once for every 600 services. ''These changes are kept to a minimum and are only considered if we can see a larger problem looming on a particular line or across the network,'' Ms Mitchell said.

In April, Metro ran 92 per cent of its trains on time, and so far this month it has been on schedule almost 91 per cent of the time, a rate comfortably above the 88 per cent threshold that determines whether it is financially rewarded or penalised by the government.

Last year it received $4.21 million in bonus payments, and $3.08 million in penalties. But the company has been warned that the practice is potentially in breach of the Disability Discrimination Act, and could expose it to lawsuits.

Drivers have been instructed to disable the electronic displays that run above the doors of each carriage, and switch off automatic announcements when a service is altered, because the communication system is unable to switch with the altered service.

Kamal Farouque, principal for Maurice Blackburn, which represents the union, said Metro was thereby failing to alert any hearing-impaired passengers to the changed service.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/trains-skip-stations-to-evade-fines-20120524-1z7yi.html

[ozbob]

Off the rails

Channel 10 News -->

Metro has come under fire for leaving passengers stranded, as services "skip" stations they were supposed to stop at.

[ozbob]

From News.com.au click here!

Our trains up to speed at last

Our trains up to speed at last
May 28, 2012 12:00AM

MORE trains are running on time since Metro introduced a major overhaul of its timetable.

The biggest improvements have been on the poor-performing lines.

The largest turnaround has been on the Frankston line, where punctuality has shot up from 68 to 87 per cent.

But critics say this is due to padding in the timetable that has left trains sitting at stations for minutes.

Anger is also mounting about the practice of unplanned station skipping, which Premier Ted Baillieu has described as a rare event.

Figures obtained by the Herald Sun show there has been an overall 3.7 per cent improvement to punctuality.

They are based on the year since the new timetable was introduced last May compared with the previous 12-months.

In addition to Frankston, other big improvements were recorded on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Werribee lines.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said last year's timetable change was the first step towards untangling the train network.

"We've been able to minimise the effects of disruptions by isolating each line to help avoid any flow-on effect of delays on other lines," Ms Mitchell said.

"The May timetable was designed to move more people and, at the same time, improve on-time performance through some simple changes to train stopping patterns."

But unplanned changes to stopping patterns and skipping stations when trains are running late has fuelled commuter frustration.

Mr Baillieu said the Government would speak to Metro about the issue.

"This is a provision in the contract that was signed by the previous government," Mr Baillieu said.

"As I am aware, it is a very rare event."

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said the practice was highly inconvenient.

"It appears to be putting profits before passengers," Mr Bowen said.

- Ashley Gardiner

Full list --> here!

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro plans big boost in peak-hour services

Metro plans big boost in peak-hour services
Adam Carey
May 29, 2012

METRO will seek to deliver a huge boost to peak-hour train services in the next five years by splitting Melbourne's criss-crossing rail network into five separate groups.

But the peak-hour plan, obtained by The Age, is being resisted by many drivers, who stand to be evicted from their hub at Flinders Street Station and divided into five camps. They argue it will effectively deskill them by forcing them to run trains up and down the same lines every day.

If the plan is successful, by 2017 commuters will benefit from previously unseen levels of service frequency on some suburban lines, with waits of five minutes or less between trains in some cases. But the plan makes no reference to whether the extra trains would worsen congestion on the roads, particularly at level crossings.

The Upfield line, for example, is slated to get six peak-hour trains instead of the current three, even though it has 23 level crossings. And 18 trains will run along the Dandenong corridor, which has some of Melbourne's most severely jammed level crossings. Nor does the plan detail how conflict with V/Line or freight trains that share the lines might be overcome.

The Frankston, Sydenham and Craigieburn lines will get 12 peak-hour trains under the plan, or one every five minutes. There will be nine trains an hour to Werribee, South Morang, Eltham, Glen Waverley, Pakenham and Sandringham.

But a handful of commuters will lose out. Trains will no longer run all the way to Hurstbridge, instead shuttling between Eltham and Hurstbridge stations. And Altona loop travellers, rated the network's most dissatisfied, stand to see no improvement to the current three hourly trains shuttling between Newport and Laverton stations.

Central to the plan is a proposal to ''decentralise drivers'' by removing them from their current city hub and basing them at five separate suburban locations. The new hubs would serve as the network's changeover points.

Drivers have warned the Baillieu government that the plan mimics the failed break-up of the network into two operators - Connex and Bayside - when Melbourne rail was privatised in 1999.

''The initial privatisation of the system which saw it split into two separate operating companies was an absolute disaster, with drivers unqualified to run trains on both sides of the system,'' one driver wrote to Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder.

''Metro now intends to go even further down this ridiculous path by dividing the system into five separate divisions. Drivers will be locked into one group ... This will lead to constraints on available qualified staff to run the system.''

But Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen backed the proposal to decentralise drivers, saying it would help keep trains moving.

''Removing changeovers from Flinders Street would be an improvement, given the delays there,'' Mr Bowen said.

Last night Metro continued its practice of altering services from stopping-all-stations to express, with at least two peak-hour services switched mid-journey.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/metro-plans-big-boost-in-peakhour-services-20120528-1zfeu.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro brushes off blind woman

Metro brushes off blind woman
Reid Sexton
May 30, 2012

METRO has refused to attend a human rights commission hearing with a blind woman hindered by substandard station announcements, because she would not sign a confidentiality agreement.

Annmarie Kelly was due to meet the rail operator at the commission's headquarters yesterday to discuss her claim that poor announcements unlawfully discriminate against her, causing her to regularly catch the wrong train.

But at the scheduled meeting, Metro representatives refused to meet her until Ms Kelly signed a legally enforceable undertaking that would have prevented her from discussing the conciliation hearing.
Advertisement: Story continues below

''I didn't want to be unable to talk about the poor announcements ... and how they are very important for me,'' she said.

''If I spoke to my family and friends and it gets around I've breached the confidentiality agreement ... I could be in trouble.

''And I didn't want to get in trouble for standing up for my rights.''

As The Age revealed last month, Ms Kelly launched the action in a bid to make Metro improve its announcements and ensure it complied with disability laws.

Haphazard and inaudible announcements at stations and by drivers, combined with malfunctioning information consoles at stations, meant she relied on strangers for help.

But Metro's refusal to meet with her and the commission's subsequent inability to resolve the matter means Ms Kelly will now take the case to VCAT in the hope of obtaining a ruling that Metro has breached anti-discrimination laws and must improve announcements. ''I'm very angry ... all they had to do is say we will try and fix the problem and I would have been happy, but they wouldn't even come to meet me.''

An Age online poll conducted last month showed 87 per cent of about 4500 respondents could not understand Metro announcements.

Labor MP Jill Hennessy, who acted as Ms Kelly's advocate through the commission process and confirmed Metro would not meet her, said it had not even bothered to make an offer before demanding the confidentiality agreement.

Ms Hennessy said thousands of train passengers relied on announcements but Metro had put its public relations before trying to make services more accessible. ''They've refused to even look at the simple fix,'' she said.

A spokeswoman for Metro last night said it attended the commission to better understand the situation and suggest options for improved announcements. She did not deny representatives had refused to meet Ms Kelly but said she had not acted in good faith.

''The complaint was dismissed by the commission as the other parties did not agree to the terms of the conciliation process, nor attend in good faith,'' she said.

A commission spokeswoman said it was the parties' responsibility to negotiate whether there was a confidentiality agreement or not.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/metro-brushes-off-blind-woman-20120529-1zhek.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Soaked commuters endure overcrowded city stations

Soaked commuters endure overcrowded city stations
Benjamin Millar
June 5, 2012

PEAK-hour commuters were forced through another evening of transport chaos last night following the latest wet-weather Metro Trains track fault.

Sydenham, Craigieburn and Upfield line services began skipping the City Loop just after 5pm following a track fault near Parliament station.

A Metro spokeswoman said the fault was forcing the services to run direct from Flinders Street and Southern Cross and bypass the City Loop.

Almost the entire network experienced significant flow-on problems with Hurstbridge, Sandringham, South Morang and Stony Point the only lines not suffering lengthy delays.

The delays caused serious crowding at city stations and forced many soaking commuters to battle the foul weather and take their chances to reach Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations.

One commuter, Rob, said there were disturbing scenes at Parliament station once travellers were warned no trains would be passing through platform three.

He said the hundreds of passengers who had been waiting on the platform were squeezed into a crush as they spilt off the first set of escalators.

''It was appallingly managed. The platform had been backing up for the best part of 25 minutes before they finally announced there would be no trains running through,'' he said.

''The two escalators ran up from platform three and filtered into one escalator, so there were a significant number of people being forced up into those stuck in front of them, to the verge of people being crushed. It was a real public health and safety issue.''

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said he wasn't surprised to hear about the Parliament incident.

''When you get major disruptions like this in peak hour you get these kinds of things happening.

''It cements the need to fix the system.'' He said the disruptions once again emphasise the need for the government and Metro Trains to work together to improve reliability.

''There has been a flow-on effect on almost every other line because of these delays getting into the system. Metro is running the trains but the government is responsible for the system.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/soaked-commuters-endure-overcrowded-city-stations-20120604-1zs85.html

[SurfRail]

There is a good article in this month's railway digest about the journey of a pm peak Hurstbridge service, written by a driver - contains some good commentary on the state of the track, operational issues (going from CBD underground to staff and ticket working and semaphores in the suburbs...).  Going by the pressure on the brake cylinders, he estimated it was carrying around 1,380 at its busiest, which is only 14 passengers below the notional maximum crsh load.

The author also comments that most Metro drivers can't understand why Sydney still has guards when they cope perfectly well with DOO and prefer it that way.  Case in point is when he assists a wheelchair passenger to detrain during the trip with a minimum of fuss (except for crowding around the doors in peak, which does not change even with a guard).

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Dozens of trains diverted each day

Dozens of trains diverted each day
Adam Carey
June 8, 2012

COLLISIONS at level crossings, fatalities on the tracks, sick passengers and police emergencies all contributed to a horror May on Melbourne's trains, in which more than 20 per cent of services were disrupted.

The events contributed to a sharp spike last month in the number of trains that were terminated short of their last stop or suddenly diverted from the city loop, upsetting thousands of passengers' trips.

Rail operator Metro ran 730 ''short services'' last month, about 23 a day on average, and unexpectedly bypassed the city loop 275 times, diverting trains direct between Flinders Street Station and Richmond, Jolimont or North Melbourne. It also ran on average about four unplanned express trains a day, skipping stations to make time.

For these disruptions and cancellations, Metro was penalised $759,000.

The rate of service disruptions compares unfavourably with the same month last year, when 385 trains ran short and 162 trains diverted from the loop. Metro spokesman Daniel Hoare said there were an incredibly high number of incidents on the network that were beyond Metro's control last month, with more than 7800 services affected. Yet less than 10 per cent of those trains were altered to make up time, he said.

''In May we saw unusually high numbers of trespassers, police operations, vehicles struck on level crossings, vandalism and very ill customers, some requiring ambulance care,'' Mr Hoare said.

He said services sometimes had to be altered at these times, and affected passengers inconvenienced, in order to get the network back on schedule.

''It is only a last resort that we alter a service,'' he said.

Yet Metro also managed to run more than 90 per cent of its trains on schedule in May, the first full month since a timetable change boosted service frequency on some lines, including running trains every 10 minutes on weekends. The rail operator has added more than 3000 train services to the timetable in the past year as it attempts to progressively reduce waiting times across the network.

It has also improved its punctuality record in that time, hitting 90.7 per cent last month, up 8.6 per cent on May last year.

Melbourne's trains have a six-minute window in which they are rated on-time according to government benchmarks; they must reach their destination less than five minutes behind schedule and no more than 59 seconds early.

Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said Metro was performing well overall but that there was ''more work to be done''. He said the operator had to contend with sections of single track on many lines and also shared the tracks with regional operator V/Line.

''The new April 22 timetable increased the frequency of weekend trains on the Dandenong, Frankston and Ringwood lines,'' Mr Mulder said. ''Metro's reliability and timekeeping on May weekends was particularly good despite more trains being on the tracks.''

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/dozens-of-trains-diverted-each-day-20120607-1zyze.html

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/4114-metro-and-yarra-trams-improve-punctuality-in-may-2012.html

Metro and Yarra Trams improve punctuality in May 2012

Thursday, 07 June 2012
From the Minister for Public Transport

Melbourne's train and tram operators Metro and Yarra Trams improved their punctuality in May 2012 even though each operated more trips than in May 2011, Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said today.

"The benefits of the Coalition Government's sustained investment in maintenance are starting to show. During May and June, Metro is spending more than $11 million on specific infrastructure renewal works," Mr Mulder said.

Mr Mulder said that Metro's performance was good despite it timetabling 3,458 more trains in May 2012, 5.6 per cent more scheduled trains than in May 2011, with network-wide punctuality increasing from 82.1 per cent in May 2011 to 90.7 per cent in May 2012, an 8.6 per cent rise.

"For the second consecutive month, Metro's timekeeping improved on all of its 15 electrified lines and one non-electrified line despite the number of timetabled Metro train trips increasing from 60,731 in May 2011 to 64,189 in May 2012. Metro's performance on the operationally challenging Hurstbridge and Werribee lines was particularly pleasing," Mr Mulder said.

"The Hurstbridge line is single track with train passing loops beyond Greensborough, while the Werribee line includes the Altona Loop, has a junction with the Williamstown line that is extremely busy during weekday peak periods and shares the tracks with V/Line's Geelong and Warrnambool trains.

"On the Hurstbridge line, Metro's punctuality increased from 83.2 per cent of train arriving at their destination less than five minutes late in May 2011 to 93 per cent in May 2012. On the Werribee line, the rise was from 80.8 per cent of trains officially on time to 91 per cent."

Mr Mulder said that on longer metropolitan rail lines such as Frankston (72 per cent punctuality in May 2011 to 89.3 per cent in May 2012, Pakenham (71.8 to 88.4 per cent), Belgrave (79.7 to 86.9 per cent), Cranbourne (76.9 to 88.3 per cent), Glen Waverley (91.7 to 94.2 per cent) and Sydenham (81.4 to 86.6 per cent), the increase in train timekeeping was consistently good.

"On shorter routes such as Upfield, Metro's punctuality rose markedly from 77.3 to 89.9 per cent despite the labyrinth of tracks that these trains must thread their way over between North Melbourne and Southern Cross. The two most punctual were Frankston to Hastings and Stony Point (97.7 per cent, up from 93.7 per cent) and Sandringham (91.6 to 96.1 per cent)," Mr Mulder said.

Mr Mulder said Yarra Trams had improved its punctuality over the length of its routes from 80.3 per cent in May 2011 to 81 per cent in May 2012 despite timetabling 2793 more trips.

"Route 57 along Elizabeth Street to West Maribyrnong rose in punctuality by 2.9 per cent to 86.9 per cent while Route 75 along Flinders and Spencer Streets from Vermont South, Burwood East and Camberwell improved by 1.8 per cent to 80.1 per cent,", Mr Mulder said.

[ozbob]

ABC Radio PM --> Ministers worried over betting on late trains

[SurfRail]

^ An associate has shown me a RailCorp internal memo dealing with this, he said it was easily the funniest thing he'd ever received from them.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/sportsbetcomau/status/212355200739061760/photo/1/large

[ozbob]

From Crikey click here!

Sportsbet derails betting on trains, after Metro demands cancellation

Sportsbet derails betting on trains, after Metro demands cancellation
by Tom Cowie

Online betting agency Sportsbet.com.au has stopped offering odds and refunded all bets on the punctuality of Melbourne's trains, after operator Metro demanded the market be removed "in the interests of public safety".

In a letter sent to Sportsbet, Metro Trains CEO Andrew Lezala said there were concerns the bets could provide a lure to gamblers looking to rort the market for financial gain at the expense of commuters.

Sportsbet drew public attention earlier this week for offering the novelty bets, which allowed punters to wager on whether the oft-maligned company would meet monthly timeliness and service requirements.

"We are concerned that the new betting market could provide a financial incentive for members of the public to interfere with the safe and timely running of train services," said Lezala in the letter.

The NT-based Sportsbet informed Crikey this afternoon that it had removed the market from its website today after receiving the request.

Spokesperson Haydn Lane told Crikey that just $71 had been staked on its service delivery market, with $692 bet on whether the trains would run on time — a vast majority of which was being held for Metro beating its 88% requirement.

"What needs to be understood is the markets were on the overall delivery and punctuality of the Metro network over a calendar month, not whether an individual train would or would not arrive on time," Lane said.

"Given the volume of train services per month someone would need to repeatedly cause widespread disruption to affect the statistics in the slightest. Given the low amounts wagered on these markets it's laughable to suggest there's a financial incentive for anyone to do this."

Comment is being sought from Metro Trains.

LOL

[ozbob]

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/4181-new-trains-on-track-for-completion-in-ballarat.html

New trains on track for completion in Ballarat

Friday, 15 June 2012
From the Premier, From the Minister for Public Transport

New trains being built in Ballarat are on track to be delivered months ahead of schedule, helping build capacity on the metropolitan rail network.

Premier Ted Baillieu and Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder visited Alstom's Ballarat Maintenance Centre today where the first of seven new X'Trapolis trains are under construction and are expected to be delivered before the end of this year.

This will be less than 18 months after the signing of the contract and well ahead of the planned February completion date.

Mr Baillieu said Victoria would reap huge gains from the production of the new X'Trapolis trains in Ballarat.

"These will be the most competitively priced of Melbourne's X'Trapolis trains and will include the highest levels of local content," Mr Baillieu said.

The seven X'Trapolis trains under construction are also helping to boost employment opportunities in regional Victoria.

In total 65 direct jobs and 70 indirect jobs will be secured as a result of this contract.

"This reinforces the Government's commitment to significant local content in major contracts and is a sign of the great work being performed in Victorian manufacturing," Mr Baillieu said.

Mr Mulder said the new trains would add capacity to the network and allow for planning further improvements to the network.

"Nearly 1000 new weekly services have been added in the last year and these trains will give Metro greater flexibility to run the network," Mr Mulder said.

In April this year, Alstom completed an order for 38 X'Trapolis trains delivered on-time and on budget.

The company now plans to invest $8 million to develop the Ballarat site, creating high-skilled jobs for regional Victoria.

This order of seven trains is the first stage of the Coalition Government's commitment to delivering 40 new trains for Melbourne.

Preliminary work has already begun to investigate the best options for delivering 33 high-capacity trains.

Last week the Premier and Transport Minister joined the Prime Minister Julia Gillard to announce the awarding of the final contract for the Regional Rail Link project.

Victoria's three largest regional cities, Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat, will soon have their own dedicated tracks through the metropolitan system, improving the capacity and on time performance for metro and regional services.

Separating the regional and metropolitan lines will increase capacity for regional and metropolitan commuters.

Approximately 5600 people will be employed either directly or indirectly on the RRL project.

Upon completion there will be enough capacity for extra train services to move up to 9000 extra passengers across the network during peak times.

The project will see the first new railway line being constructed in Melbourne for 80 years.