Melbourne Trains

[#Metro]

It's amazing how much negative spin  The Age et al. have been spewing up on METRO:

Train services late !!!
Interchange !!!
City Loop not run !!!
Ancient Hitachis !!!

Waaahhh Waaaah Waaaaaaahhhhhhh !!! 

METRO is making improvements to the system. So the Hitachis are back.
Well, do you want extra services or wait at the platform for 10 or 20 minutes longer?

Good on METRO for pulling out all stops to get increased services and frequency.

Here in Brisbane we have trains run on time very well, new state of the art trains, etc and yet the service is just awful and low frequency.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro changes on track

Metro changes on track

    Ashley Gardiner
    From: Herald Sun
    May 10, 2011 12:00AM

METRO has made bold predictions of dramatic improvements for commuters with its new timetable.

Disruptions saw commuters delayed during yesterday morning's crucial first test for the new schedule.

But the late trains were caused by track and train failures and two ill passengers.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala, who was at Richmond station during the morning peak, said the new timetable would bring improvements.

"When it's all bedded down and working properly, we could expect two to three percentage points improvement in performance," Mr Lezala said.

A Metro briefing for the State Government shows the operator expects improvement to be as high as 20 per cent, during the afternoon peak on the Frankston line.

Metro has managed to run only 75.8 per cent of trains on time in the past four weeks.

Greens MP Colleen Hartland led a protest from Altona, the station from where commuters will be most inconvenienced.

From yesterday, passengers from Altona, Seaholme and Westona stations need to change trains at Newport during the day between the peak periods.

Newport trains run direct to Flinders St, which means commuters must change again at North Melbourne for the City Loop.

It took Ms Hartland 80 minutes to get into the city.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said things should improve as commuters get used to the changes.

"It wasn't complete chaos, but it was not perfect either," Mr Bowen said.

"There are problems which unfairly disadvantage some stations with the new timetables, which hopefully will be fixed in the next change."

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

New rail schedule not on track

New rail schedule not on track
May 10, 2011

FAULTS with trains and track equipment cast a shadow over the first day of Melbourne's new suburban rail timetable, but the chief of Metro last night claimed passengers were ''relatively content'' with the schedule.

''The passengers seemed to be relatively content with what was going on,'' said Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala, who was at Richmond station yesterday.

The new schedule is the biggest rewrite of Melbourne's rail timetables in a decade, and has entailed adding 127 services to the timetable each weekday.
Advertisement: Story continues below

It also forced many passengers for the first time to change at either Richmond or North Melbourne if they wanted a City Loop train.

While there were heavy delays yesterday morning due to late running, it was little worse than Metro has achieved in recent months (in April, one in four suburban trains ran more than five minutes late).

Many passengers questioned yesterday said the new timetable would make little difference.

CLAY LUCAS

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-rail-schedule-not-on-track-20110509-1efsd.html#ixzz1LsbdI7M5

[colinw]

Hastings Leader -> click here

Looks like plans are afoot to extend the electrification from Frankston to Baxter (on the Stony Point line).

LONG-awaited plan to extend Frankston's metropolitan train service to Baxter has received a kickstart in the State Budget.

And a campaign backed by the Leader for a pedestrian crossing on the Esplanade at Mt Martha will get $100,000 funding.

Mornington state Liberal MP David Morris said $80,000 had been allocated for a pre-feasibility study into extending the rail line.

Mr Morris said the study would "get the ball rolling" to improve public transport on the peninsula. At present commuters have to change at Frankston to reach the Stony Point line. By extending the service to Baxter, it would bring Melbourne's train network much closer to peninsula residents and ease congestion and parking problems around Frankston station.

Mornington Peninsula Ratepayers' and Residents' Association president Eunice Cain praised the move and said she hoped authorities would ultimately extend train services from Baxter to Mornington. "We have to get more cars off the road. Fuel is a finite resource," Mrs Cain said.

Mr Morris said $100,000 had been earmarked for a pedestrian crossing across the Esplanade near Mt Martha Lifesaving Club.

Resident Liz Turnbull, who campaigned for the crossing, described the funding as great news. "It's very exciting they have been able to achieve that," Ms Turnbull said.

Mr Morris said the lack of a crossing on the Esplanade between the shops and Mt Martha Lifesaving Club had been an issue for years.

It was essential for families and children, including lifesaving club nippers, to have safe access to the beach, he said.

[somebody]

Seems a bit like a project which would be done in Qld.  Only a 2 station extension to the electrification.  I'm not sure why it is worthwhile if it is to be so short.

[ozbob]

Massive residential development, and will encourage more on to the sparks.  The railcars are cool but not everyone's cup of tea ...

[somebody]

Well, it is certainly more developed than what I expected from looking at it in Google Earth.

[ozbob]

And big issues with parking etc. at Frankston ... so not surprised it is moving forward.

[colinw]

Looking at the area in Nearmap, extension of sparks to Baxter, or even Somerville or Hastings, looks like a no-brainer to me.  It is a pity the closed line to Mornington is so circuitous 'though.

[ozbob]

Channel 7 --> http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/-/watch/25166798/commuters-struggle-with-new-timetable/

[ozbob]

Channel 10 --> http://media.theage.com.au/news/national-news/metros-timetable-gets-mixed-reaction-2352898.html

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Peak-hour trains still a horror trip

Peak-hour trains still a horror trip
Clay Lucas
May 17, 2011

SEVERE overcrowding on Melbourne's busiest morning rush-hour trains continued last year despite Metro introducing extra services, a government survey shows.

But the latest passenger count, compiled in October on the eve of the state election, shows the number of severely packed services fell in 2010 from the previous year after Metro scheduled 19 new daily peak-hour services.

The Metro Trains Load Standards Survey also indicated a huge increase in late trains compared with results from previous operator Connex.

The survey is compiled by six workers with clipboards standing on platforms and counting travellers at three city cordon stations: Richmond, Jolimont and North Melbourne.

The latest survey - from October 4 to 21 - showed that while there was a fall in the number of severely overcrowded trains, many morning services were still bursting with passengers.

According to Victorian government standards, a six-carriage train is considered ''full'' if more than 798 passengers are aboard.

Melbourne's silver Comeng trains seat 570 people, and another 228 passengers can be standing before the service is considered overcrowded.

The survey shows scores of morning services carrying more than 1000 passengers.

It also shows that trains on the Epping and Hurstbridge line are now consistently the most overcrowded during both the morning and afternoon peak hours.

The survey was released to Greens MP Greg Barber under freedom of information.

''More than a quarter of trains in the morning peak-hour now carry more than 800 people,'' Mr Barber said. ''And 5 per cent of trains carry more than 1000 passengers. Metro's performance on cancellations and delays makes the problem even worse.''

He said the former state government had been ''caught napping'' when public transport patronage started surging in 2006.

''Back then the trains, trams and buses were a lot emptier than they are now. The government needs to be investing in significant expansion, every year, for a long time to come.''

■The Baillieu government has cancelled a $48.5 million Labor plan to build a ''bus way'' along an old rail reservation from South Morang to Mernda.

Planners and resident groups said a train line should be extended to Mernda instead.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/peakhour-trains-still-a-horror-trip-20110516-1epv3.html

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Record number of commuters squeezed into peak-hour trains

Record number of commuters squeezed into peak-hour trains

    Stephen McMahon
    From: Herald Sun
    May 17, 2011 12:00AM

COMMUTERS are being squashed in like sardines on overcrowded morning peak-hour trains.

New data from the Department of Transport shows almost one-in-three morning peak-hour trains are overcrowded with more than 1000 passengers on some journeys along the busier lines.

And the problem is only going to get worse, with the Victorian Government forecasting massive growth in public-transport patronage over the next 12 months.

The latest Metro Trains survey obtained under Freedom of Information and seen by the Herald Sun shows passenger numbers are up on all lines except Werribee.

The survey shows more than 25 per cent of trains in morning peak hour now carry more than 800 people.

And the sharp rise in delays and cancellations means that 5 per cent of morning rush-hour trains - often those in the key 8.30-9am period - end up carrying more than 1000 passengers.

Passenger numbers in the morning peak rose 4.5 per cent to 135,458 but the evening rush hour remains the busiest time with 141,629 commuters taking trains.

And the 2011-12 Budget papers show the squeeze on passengers will worsen as there are no new trains but patronage will jump with an expected 18.8 million trips to be taken.

Transport Minister Terry Mulder blames years of neglect under Labor for the overcrowding. "We have inherited a public-transport system with significant and long-standing problems, which will not be easily fixed," he said.

After a lengthy review, the Coalition Government is pressing ahead with the $4.3 billion Regional Rail Link project to separate country and suburban trains in the west aimed at improving travel times.

The new Public Transport Development Authority is also establishing an audit of the state of Victoria's rail assets.

Metro claims recent timetable changes and the rollout of new X'Trapolis trains will help ease the overcrowding.

But Greens MP Greg Barber said the Government and Metro needed to start coming up with solutions and investing for the long term.

"They may think the problem's gone away but these numbers show different," he said. "Eight lines showed an increase in overcrowding from already high levels."

Opposition transport spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said patronage was going up but the Coalition had done absolutely nothing to tackle the overcrowding problem.

"Every commuter who travels on a train, tram or bus would agree that the Liberal minister's decision not to invest in any additional train services, trams or bus services will become an astronomical disaster," she said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Drivers say Metro can't provide extra footy services

Drivers say Metro can't provide extra footy services

    Ashley Gardiner
    From: Herald Sun
    May 18, 2011 12:00AM

COMMUTERS endured major disruptions last Friday when Metro cancelled services, saying an "unprecedented" number of drivers had called in sick.

Metro says 57 drivers called in sick, including 33 during the evening, when it was running special footy trains.

But the train drivers' union dismissed this as "absolute rubbish", saying the absentee rate was about normal.

Metro cancelled 73 of its regular services, plus seven of the 17 scheduled footy specials.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said the service for footy fans last Friday had not been good enough.

"We sincerely apologise to everyone whose travel was disrupted," he said.

"Unfortunately we had a high number of staff, including drivers, call in sick on the day," he said.

"It's unprecedented to have so many of our workforce off sick at one time, and we certainly hope this was a once-off occurrence," Mr Whitefield said.

He said Metro normally had enough trains and drivers to run the new timetable, plus extra footy services for games at the MCG and Etihad Stadium.

But Rail, Tram and Bus Union locomotive division secretary Marc Marotta disputed Metro's claim that there had been a higher than usual absentee rate.

Mr Marotta said 37 drivers had been absent, which was "roughly average" for a normal day.

He said Metro was unable to cope with the extra football services that it had promised to deliver.

"What's not average was the number of extra services," Mr Marotta said.

"It's about 20 per cent short. The added services took a lot of manpower."

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said he was disappointed that commuters had been inconvenienced.

"I'm waiting to get some advice in terms of what the story was behind that," Mr Mulder said.

"I understand there was a problem with drivers.

"Illness, I understand, was the reason behind it.

"I'm not in a position to judge each and every one of those persons' health conditions," Mr Mulder said.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Transport Minister Terry Mulder full of praise for new Metro timetable

Transport Minister Terry Mulder full of praise for new Metro timetable

   Ashley Gardiner
   From: Herald Sun
   May 20, 2011 12:00AM

THE first week of the new Metro timetable has been declared a success by Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder.

Punctuality on the Frankston line improved from 56 to 73 per cent.

"After just a week, the news is good. The trend is in the right direction," Mr Mulder said.

"Commuters in both the morning and afternoon peaks are experiencing more punctual trains."

Last week, 77.2 per cent of Frankston line trains were on time in the morning peak, almost 13 points up on April's figures. In the afternoon, punctuality was up by more than 15 points to 58.9 per cent.

But trip times were lengthened by three minutes, making the schedule easier to achieve.

The results were in line with Metro's predictions of improvements of 13 points during the morning peak and 20 points in the afternoon.

Metro declined to release figures for other lines with new timetables. But its latest network punctuality figure is 80.3 per cent - up on the 75.7 it reported on May 2, a week before the new timetabling began.

Metro's Geraldine Mitchell said the timetable functioned as expected. "It's still early days," she said.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said it was brave to acclaim the new timetable as a success.

"My own experience on the Frankston line is that late running is still a problem, particularly in peak," he said.

"Overall, the first fortnight of the new timetable has been so plagued by disruptions, due to infrastructure faults and vandalism, that it's very hard to tell if it's been an improvement or not.

"While on some lines passengers report less crowding thanks to the extra services, Altona passengers continue to express their anger over having to change trains outside peak hour."

Mr Bowen said Metro needed to improve its handling of disruptions, especially in having accurate information for passengers.

Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/new-metro-timetable-declared-a-success/story-fn7x8me2-1226059241071

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro in row over rail safety

Metro in row over rail safety
Clay Lucas
May 20, 2011

METRO is trying to relax safety requirements for the operation of Melbourne's trains in a bid to reduce the number being forced out of service for minor repairs.

In a move that drivers and their unions claim will put passengers at risk, the train operator wants to rewrite the rules to enable trains with minor defects to be kept in service longer.

Metro also wants to take away from drivers the power to remove trains from service.

Metro says the moves are designed to increase the number of trains in operation and to improve efficiency. And it argues the public will not face any increased danger as a result.

The train operator tried to introduce the policy earlier this month but was stopped after an intervention from WorkSafe.

Metro managers spent almost a year working on the new Train Operating Standard. The report, a copy of which has been obtained by The Age, proposes that many defects previously regarded as ''critical'' be downgraded to ''maintenance'' faults.

The new policy would mean trains could continue running:

■With broken emergency intercoms, provided there is still one working in each carriage.

■With broken headlights, including at night, provided the speed stays below 50km/h and two ''parking'' lights are on.

■With broken air conditioning if the outside temperature is below 30 degrees. Currently the threshold is 25 degrees.

■With emergency braking systems not working at full capacity.

The plans are part of a wider battle Metro is pursuing with its drivers. Chief executive Andrew Lezala last month said a small number of drivers were on a ''go-slow'' campaign to deliberately hamper operations.

Former operator Connex also complained in 2009 of drivers making spurious safety claims to remove trains from service.

Metro spokesman Chris Whitefield said yesterday that the proposed changes were commonsense, and that passenger safety would not be compromised. ''We no longer want to remove a train from service during busy peak times with only a minor fault such as if one light globe needs changing,'' he said.

Under the proposed rules, trains would be removed from service during peak times only ''when there is a risk to the safe or reliable operation of the train ... Ultimately it's our customers who will benefit from safe and more reliable trains.''

Many train drivers are furious about the changes, and their union argues they will endanger passengers and leave drivers exposed to blame when serious accidents occur.

''What they are suggesting is to leave crippled trains on the rails until someone gets killed,'' said Marc Marotta, divisional secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union's locomotive division.

He said drivers never took trains out of service for broken light globes, but they did for dangerous faults.

''One day we are going to end up with something horrific happening because of what they are proposing here, and all of these characters who are saying it's safe are going to be nowhere to be seen,'' Mr Marotta said.

He said that when Transport Minister Terry Mulder ''finds out he has been saddled with this, these people at Metro will run for cover''.

Mr Mulder said last night the changes were a matter between Metro and its employees. ''I have every confidence that, as with all Victoria's public transport operators, safety is always of paramount concern to Metro,'' Mr Mulder said.

Metro attempted to introduce the new system of monitoring faults on trains on May 8 - the same day that its new suburban timetable began. But four days

earlier, WorkSafe was called in by the union and asked to decide if the new system was safe.

A WorkSafe inspector last Friday directed Metro not to introduce the system, after finding it could have endangered the safety of drivers.

Metro must now work through a large number of changes it had planned to make with the train drivers' health and safety representatives. It is unclear how long this will take.

■Transport Minister Terry Mulder said yesterday that early results on the Frankston line after the introduction of Metro's new suburban timetable were encouraging.

He said that since the revised schedule began on Monday last week, 73 per cent of trains had run on time, up from a shocking 56 per cent in April. Mr Mulder said it was early days, but the trend was in the right direction.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/metro-in-row-over-rail-safety-20110519-1ev0c.html

[#Metro]

Good work Metro. Things are moving... finally.

[SurfRail]

Metro in row over rail safety

They are only really fighting with the unions, not compromising important safety standards - hope they steamroller the bastards into submission.  Melbourne traincrews get shirty when you change the locations of stickers inside the carriages...

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro gets refund

Metro gets refund
Clay Lucas
May 25, 2011

METRO has been given a windfall of $1.6 million by the Baillieu government, after it recalculated the way the rail operator was penalised for poor performance.

The government reviewed Metro's fines and reduced them from $2.6 million to $1 million after it had been fined for ''temporary'' inconveniences.

Under Melbourne's privatised train and tram system, operators are given bonuses if they can reduce delays and cancellations, and penalised if they fail to meet standards. ''Analysis of the renewal work completed by Metro shows [it] is considerably more efficient than the previous contractor,'' Transport Minister Terry Mulder said.

CLAY LUCAS

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/metro-gets-refund-20110524-1f2if.html#ixzz1NJ4azkal

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro trains back up to speed

Metro trains back up to speed

    John Masanauskas
    From: Herald Sun
    May 28, 2011 12:00AM

RAIL passengers can expect quicker trip times from Monday, when speed restrictions on problem trains will begin to be lifted.

A braking fault has meant that Metro's Siemens trains have effectively been running up to three minutes late before they even begin service.

Speed restrictions of 30km/h at 61 locations on nine lines have had a knock-on effect on the network, leading to significant delays.

Metro is spending $13 million to install special sanding machines on Siemens trains so that wheels adhere properly to tracks to stop overshoots at stations.

The fix is expected to save an average of three minutes a trip on lines including Frankston, Pakenham/Cranbourne, Werribee, Craigieburn and Upfield.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala said yesterday that removing the speed restrictions should improve punctuality.

"We identified this issue as a priority when we took over the franchise in late 2009 and since then we've dedicated our resources and drawn on technical expertise from Hong Kong to solve this problem," he said.

"We're pleased to be implementing this solution from Monday. Once complete it will be three months earlier than planned."

The problem was first identified in 2007 when Connex ran the system.

Sanders have been installed on 50 three-car trains, and are to be fitted to the remaining 22 trains, at a rate of five a week, finishing by the end of June.

The fully automated sanding system detects wheel slippage and starts applying sand to improve track adhesion. About 800 drivers have been trained for the new system.

The braking problem, blamed for mishaps by the train drivers' union, has been a festering industrial issue.

But Siemens spokesman Belinda White said "two recent incidents that caused serious concerns" were due to "excessive" speed, not brake failure.


NUMBER OF EXTRA TRAINS EXPECTED TO RUN ON TIME DAILY

Frankston: 14

Werribee: 8

Sandringham: 7

Craigieburn: 6

Pakenham: 6

Sydneham: 5

Cranbourne: 4

Upfield: 4

Williamstown: 4

[colinw]

This is an odd one.  Motorist apparently fell asleep in a car that was parked across a level crossing.  

The Age -> click here

Major delays and cancellations affected rail services into Melbourne during this morning's peak hour after a car became stuck across rail tracks in the city's south-east.

Emergency services were called to Clayton on the Pakenham-Cranbourne line just after 5am where a motorist had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel and his vehicle was blocking the railway line.

Police were unable to immediately confirm whether the man had parked on the tracks and fallen asleep, or if he had crashed.

It took emergency services about an hour to clear the car from the tracks, causing major delays to commuters.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said the vehicle was cleared just after 6am, however commuters on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines experienced delays of up to 30 minutes during peak hour.

At least 10 other individual train services were also cancelled across seven different lines, including the Frankston line, because of the backlog of services that were unable to get through.

Ambulance Victoria spokesman Paul Bentley said paramedics were not required at the scene.

Service had returned to normal by 10am.

[#Metro]

Maybe the person had a medical condition.

[somebody]

I don't understand why it took so long to fix.  Should be just a matter of putting in neutral and pushing the car off the tracks.

[colinw]

Does Metro have Zero Harm?

[colinw]

The Age -> Level crossing on track for disaster

A derailed tram sits astride the railway line at the level crossing on Burke Road, Glen Iris.

A BUSY level crossing in Glen Iris where trains and trams intersect is a ''disaster waiting to happen'', a transport union has warned, with three trams derailing there in the past 10 weeks.

In the most serious incident, two weeks ago, a derailed tram ground to a halt in the middle of train tracks on the Glen Waverley railway line.

In the past decade, 30 trams have derailed at locations where trams cross train lines.

In recent months, however, there has been a jump in the number and severity of derailments at these four crossings: at or near Gardiner, Kooyong, Glenhuntly and Riversdale railway stations.

On May 27 at the Burke Road level crossing, a signalling failure by Metro's train controllers at Gardiner station led to a tram being sent off its tracks. The tram careered across Burke Road, bouncing off a light pole and hitting a ''railway crossing'' sign, before coming to rest on the train tracks.

...

[ozbob]

Twitter
ptua
May @MetroTrains results out: 98.8% of services ran (pass) but punctuality at 82.2% (fail). Compo claimable http://j.mp/mdStLw
12 minutes ago

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Changes leave commuters out of the loop

Changes leave commuters out of the loop
Clay Lucas
June 16, 2011

IT'S a symbol of their transport woes: to travel from home in Altona to a protest rally at Parliament House today, protesters will need to take three trains.

Transport Minister Terry Mulder last month oversaw changes to Melbourne's train timetables in an attempt to improve Metro's operations and reduce its financial penalties.

The changes removed direct city services for Altona residents at off-peak times. Now they must change at Newport, and again at North Melbourne, if they want to access City Loop stations.

Despite promises from Mr Mulder that rail services would co-ordinate so well Altona commuters would face only seven-minute waits at Newport, cancellations and late-running trains are causing far longer delays.

Buses that also used to sometimes connect with trains, no longer do.

The Altona Loop Residents Group, which organised today's rally, says disabled and elderly people and schoolchildren who rely on trains are now waiting longer, or finding other means of transport. The changes had already driven many away from using the train, the group's Sandra Wilson said yesterday.

''A lot of us in this community believe we may ultimately have to fight for this train line's survival again,'' she said.

A previous Liberal government, in 1981, announced it would close several suburban rail lines, including Altona, but backed away from some closures after savage public protests.

Ms Wilson said hundreds of students at Altona's Mount St Joseph Girls' College have had a 15-minute commute home turned into between 40 and 60 minutes because they now had to catch two trains.

Mr Mulder had previously met with the group and promised to ''have another look'' at the timetable before the timetable change in May, Ms Wilson said. ''I don't think he had another look at all,'' she said.

The minister has been invited to a 1pm meeting with the group at Parliament today. ''We will have an empty chair with Terry Mulder's name on it,'' said Greens MP Colleen Hartland, who has been working with the group.

Thus far, the only other MP attending the meeting is Labor's Jill Hennessy, the member for the Altona district.

Mr Mulder said he would not attend the meeting. He argued the new timetable had succeeded in reducing the number of trains Metro was diverting away from Altona at the last minute. ''This means that Seaholme, Altona and Westona residents have more certainty with their trains,'' he said.

Mr Mulder said Ms Hartland had previously skipped a meeting he had held with Altona residents, instead ''only attending a media stunt'' held to coincide with it.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/changes-leave-commuters-out-of-the-loop-20110615-1g3uj.html

[O_128]

This is basically the same welfare routing problem in brisbane, Also half of the problem with the Victorian set up is that metro writes the timetables yet people are taking it up with the government.

When I was in london to get anywhere it takes 3 or 4 trains yet I saw no one in tears, no disabled people were having a problem nor the school kids, get over yourselves

[somebody]

This is basically the same welfare routing problem in brisbane, Also half of the problem with the Victorian set up is that metro writes the timetables yet people are taking it up with the government.

When I was in london to get anywhere it takes 3 or 4 trains yet I saw no one in tears, no disabled people were having a problem nor the school kids, get over yourselves

Govt has to approve the timetable AIUI.

Besides, it's not really a welfare routing, just the opposite.  It would be possible for a number of Werribee trains to go via Altona, but they just don't as it would be slower.  The issue is that the interchange at Newport isn't as convenient as it should be.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Baillieu Government makes $93m seven-train order to cope with transport crush

Baillieu Government makes $93m seven-train order to cope with transport crush

   Ashley Gardiner
   From: Herald Sun
   June 23, 2011 11:51AM

THE State Government has ordered another seven trains to cope with growing public transport patronage.

Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder announced the $92 million deal this morning at Flinders St station.

The trains will start operating on the system in 2013, while another 15 previously ordered are still on the way.

"(This is) good news for metropolitan commuters," Mr Mulder said.

"It will help cater for future patronage growth in Melbourne. We're currently running at about seven per cent," Mr Mulder said.

"We have to make sure we continue to provide the operator with the rolling stock."

The seven trains are the first of the 40 new trains promised by the Baillieu Government.

Mr Mulder said the Government had bought them $4 million per train cheaper than the previous deal, making them worth $13 million each.

The Alstom trains will be built overseas and fitted out in Ballarat, and will contain 30 per cent local content.

The trains will run on the Epping-Hurstbridge, Belgrave-Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines.

Mr Mulder said the new trains would operate on those lines because that is where the storage and maintenance facilities are located.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

More trains on their way for Melbourne

More trains on their way for Melbourne
June 23, 2011 - 2:00PM

The Victorian government says it has saved about $28 million on the cost of seven new trains for the state rail network.

The X'Trapolis trains will go on to the Epping and Hurstbridge lines in Melbourne's east in 2013 to cater for future growth in rail patronage.

The contract signed with Ballarat-based train manufacturer Alstom Australia for the six-carriage trains was added to a previous government order for 38 trains.

Transport Minister Terry Mulder said there was a cost saving of about $4 million per train compared with previously, because the deal came on the back of the earlier contract with Alstom and the strong Australian dollar.

"There was a considerable saving if we were prepared to commit to keep the (Alstom) production line running and commit to these seven trains. The remainder came out of the movement of the Australian dollar," Mr Mulder said today.

A spokeswoman for the minister said the whole package for the seven trains was worth $210.4 million, including supporting infrastructure.

Another 15 trains are in production, the last of the 38 ordered by the previous Labor government.

The coalition government has also committed to buying a further 33 trains.

"We said that we would commit to the seven within our first term. We'll be making further announcements in relation to the tendering and contracts to the other 33 trains," Mr Mulder said.

He said the X'Trapolis trains had proven to be the most reliable on the Victorian network and said braking problems with the Siemens fleet appeared to have been overcome.

Alstom Australian president Chris Raine said the new contract would secure the continuation of 100 jobs in Victoria, with the X'Trapolis trains to be assembled in Ballarat.

Mr Mulder said the government had pushed up the requirement for local production on the trains to 30 per cent in the new contract, from 25 per cent.

"We'd like to see if we can achieve that or even more as we go forward," he said.

That was despite a draft report from the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission which recommended winding back government assistance of manufacturing.

AAP

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/more-trains-on-their-way-for-melbourne-20110623-1ggp8.html#ixzz1Q4JOEVNN

[frereOP]

This is basically the same welfare routing problem in brisbane, Also half of the problem with the Victorian set up is that metro writes the timetables yet people are taking it up with the government.

When I was in london to get anywhere it takes 3 or 4 trains yet I saw no one in tears, no disabled people were having a problem nor the school kids, get over yourselves

The difference is that the London underground is a network with trains running end to end on dedicated lines with lots of interchange stations.  Trains run every 2 -6 minutes and interchanging is not an issue.  A typical metro-style operation.

Here, it is a radial system (more like the London overground) which spans out in all directions from the city with the only interchange stations being in the city and with trains running up to an hour apart, if you miss one you are stuck.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro's on track for punctuality

Metro's on track for punctuality

    Staff writer
    From: Herald Sun
    June 29, 2011 12:00AM

METRO recorded a dramatic improvement to its punctuality during May, the latest official figures show.

The operator has turned around poor performances on lines in the southeastern and western suburbs.

It has run 88 per cent of trains on time during the past four weeks, which means it is likely to meet its performance target for June.

The biggest improvement was on the Frankston line, where services went from 56 per cent on time in April to 72 per cent in May.

Cranbourne rose from 69 to 77 per cent and Pakenham from 57 to 72 per cent.

The Sandringham line improved from 79 to 91 per cent and Werribee from 68 to 80 per cent.

[ozbob]

http://twitpic.com/5mcqcz

Metro train with advertisement.

[Golliwog]

http://twitpic.com/5mcqcz

Metro train with advertisement.

I suppose its another revenue stream to be looked at, but I can't say I'm a big fan.

[ozbob]

Media release

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/media-centre/media-releases/1372-melbournes-train-punctuality-markedly-improves-on-12-rail-lines.html

Melbourne's train punctuality markedly improves on 12 rail lines

Thursday, 07 July 2011
From the Minister for Public Transport

Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said today that while it remained early days following Melbourne rail operator Metro's 8 May 2011 introduction of a new train timetable, June 2011's dramatic improvement in metropolitan train punctuality compared with the same month a year ago was heartening.

"The Coalition Government and Metro have more work ahead to consistently improve Melbourne's trains for commuters making 740,000 weekday trips, but the trend has moved in the right direction since April 2011," Mr Mulder said.

Mr Mulder said that in June 2011, 12 of Metro's 16 lines had more punctual trains than a year ago in June 2010 despite overall passenger numbers continuing to rise at about eight per cent a year.

"The Coalition Government is particularly pleased that trains are operating more punctually to Melbourne's growth areas southeast and west of the CBD. Overall on Melbourne's rail network, 88.2 per cent of trains were officially on time in June 2011 compared with 82.2 per cent in May 2011, 76.2 per cent in April 2011 and 82.9 per cent in June 2010. This is a marked 12 per cent improvement in the last two months," Mr Mulder said.

"In June 2011, train punctuality on the Frankston line rose to 87.2 per cent of trains arriving at their destination officially on time compared with 65.5 per cent in June 2010, a 21.7 per cent increase.

"On Melbourne's longest suburban rail line to Pakenham, there was a 17.6 per cent rise in train punctuality to 85.4 per cent. On the Cranbourne line, trains that met their timekeeping target increased to 87.2 per cent in June 2011 compared with 76.8 per cent in June 2010. The shorter Sandringham line's train punctuality rose from 88.2 per cent in June 2010 to 94 per cent in June 2011. Metro's only line operated by diesel railcars, the Frankston to Hastings and Stony Point improved by 7 per cent to 96.9 per cent train punctuality in June 2011."

Mr Mulder said that trains were also more punctual on the Werribee line (including the Altona Loop), up markedly by 15.6 per cent to 88.2 per cent while the Craigieburn line rose by 3.7 per cent to 87.6 per cent, the Sydenham line by 2.2 per cent to 87.7 per cent and the Williamstown line by 3 per cent to 92.2 per cent.

"The Glen Waverley line to Melbourne's east improved by 0.7 per cent to 92.6 per cent, the second best performance of any line after Stony Point. While neither the Hurstbridge or Epping lines' timetables changed in May 2011, they both improved with train punctuality rising respectively by 5.2 per cent to 86.8 per cent and by 0.9 per cent to 89.8 per cent in June 2011."

Mr Mulder said that while the Belgrave, Lilydale and Upfield lines showed improved punctuality in June 2011 compared with May and April 2011, they were marginally below their timekeeping of June 2010 with 83.6 per cent, 85.4 and 86.6 per cent of trains officially on time in June 2011.

"On the Alamein line, 87.3 per cent of trains were officially on time in June 2011, a 1.5 per cent rise compared with April 2011, but below the punctuality of June 2010. More work remains to be done", Mr Mulder said.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Upgrade for train radios sends a costly signal

Upgrade for train radios sends a costly signal
Clay Lucas
July 14, 2011

ANOTHER crucial project to improve Melbourne's faltering train system has blown out by tens of millions of dollars.

The Bracks government in 2006 granted $135 million to the Department of Transport, to oversee installation of a new digital radio system on the train fleet.

Now, internal departmental briefing papers show the project will eventually cost taxpayers $166 million.

And, more than five years after the government committed to replacing the badly outdated radios on Melbourne's trains, work installing a new system is only due to begin next month.

Transport Minister Terry Mulder acknowledged the blowout, and blamed the increased cost of the project on his predecessors.

''Labor poorly managed the project from inception to its election loss in November 2010,'' he said. It came on top of the $1 billion blowout on the $5.3 billion Regional Rail Link project, and the $350 million extra the former government committed to spending on myki, Mr Mulder said.

The Age asked Labor for comment on Mr Mulder's claims, but had not received a response by deadline.

The same Department of Transport officers who were in charge of the project under Labor remain in place.

Melbourne's existing train radio system regularly drops out on drivers in ''black spots'' across the network.

This is recognised as a serious safety issue, as train controllers do not know the location of rail services.

It also stops Metro from providing real-time information about when its trains will arrive - as Yarra Trams does with its tramTRACKER service.

Replacing the old train radio system with a digital one will also allow passengers to use 3G mobile devices at all times when travelling through the City Loop.

Problems with the existing radio system have forced operator Metro (and Connex before) to issue all train drivers with a back-up mobile phone for emergencies.

The Department of Transport awarded the lucrative contract to replace the radio system to Nokia Siemens Networks.

Along with the new radios on trains, 72 radio towers have been erected across Melbourne in the last two years as part of the system.

These towers, up to 11 storeys tall, have angered some nearby residents because no planning permission was required before they were built.

The new radio system will dramatically improve the ability for drivers and the train control centre to communicate. More trains should run on time, the system will be safer and it will be easier to cope with medical emergencies.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/upgrade-for-train-radios-sends-a-costly-signal-20110713-1hdyd.html

[ozbob]

External advertising on Siemens trains --> http://www.flickr.com/photos/ptua/5935861922/

[ozbob]

http://yfrog.com/kftzoshj

Metro train with advertisement in fog ...

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro has super idea to make more money

Metro has super idea to make more money
Clay Lucas
July 19, 2011

METRO is testing a new revenue stream, selling advertisements on the side of Melbourne's trains in a trial that state Transport Minister Terry Mulder has approved

Since July 1, the rail operator has been running advertisements on the outside of three trains, for superannuation fund VicSuper.

A Metro spokeswoman would not say how much the operator was being paid to run the ads, which are only on trains made by Siemens.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Metro is carrying out the three-month trial to see if there is a market. Advertisements already cover about 40 of the city's 470 trams, and run on the sides and backs of many buses.

In the early years of its contract with the government, former operator Connex sold advertising space on the sides of trains, but found the cost of installing and removing the advertisements wiped out most profits.

Taxpayers own Melbourne's fleet of 193 six-carriage trains, but under the eight-year financial agreement with Metro in 2009 the operator leases them.

A Department of Transport spokeswoman said that, under its contract, Metro could sell advertising space on any state-owned asset it managed, as long as the advertisements complied with all laws and were not offensive.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union said advertisements on trains were fine, so long as the money generated was ultimately put back into the system. ''There are much bigger issues Metro needs to focus on,'' said Grant Wainwright, spokesman for the union's rail division.

Metro spokeswoman Geraldine Mitchell said the operator would keep all revenue generated by the advertisements, but that it was reinvesting other money it earned from running Melbourne's trains back into the system. ''Such advertising provides an opportunity to generate non-fare revenue and has proven to be effective for trams, buses and for other railways throughout the world,'' she said.

Mr Mulder said the advertisements at this point were not intrusive, and did not cover windows. ''Whether or not Metro places advertising on its trains is a business decision for it,'' he said.

But the opposition said Mr Mulder had failed to insist that at least some of the money from selling advertisements on publicly owned trains was put back into the rail system.

''Has Terry Mulder sought to ensure that any of the revenue raised through advertising will go back into improving services, or will it just add to Metro's bottom line?'' spokeswoman Fiona Richardson said.

The Public Transport Users Association said the simple advertisements that had appeared so far were not going to cause problems.

''If they start blocking the windows as they do on trams, that would cause issues,'' said president Daniel Bowen.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/metro-has-super-idea-to-make-more-money-20110718-1hlpc.html