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Railways in Melbourne
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The Melbourne rail network is operated by Connex Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria.
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Encyclopedia
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Connex Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network operates on broad gauge track, and is based on a commuter rail model centred on Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on services at peak periods. Melbourne's suburban railway network consists of 16 electrified lines, the central City Loop subway, and 200 stations, with a total length of 372 km of the electrified lines. The suburban network operates between 5.00 am and midnight. The network is primarily at ground level, with a number of level crossings, and shared trackage with freight trains and V/Line regional services. The suburban network uses power catenary-style overhead wiring at 1500 volts DC.
In the 2006-2007 financial year, the Melbourne rail network recorded 201.2 million passenger trips, the highest in its history.
History
The first railway line opened in 1854, when only 20 years earlier Melbourne itself did not exist. The network was extended with lines being built to the suburbs, reaching a peak by the 1900s. Electrification of the system commenced from 1919, with electric multiple unit operation commencing at the same time.
In 1839 the Government Surveyor Robert Hoddle provided for a railway linking Melbourne and Hobsons Bay.
On 7 September 1851 a public meeting called for a railway linking Melbourne to Port Melbourne (then called Sandridge) which led to the establishment on 20 January 1853 of the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company. On 8 February 1853 the Government also approved the establishment of the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company and the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company.
In 1855 the Government conducted enquiries and carried out surveys into country railways. On 1 April 1856, the Railway Department was established as part of the Board of Land and Works with George Christian Darbyshire being appointed Engineer in Chief. On 23 May of that year the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company was taken over by the Government.
The first train
The first steam train to travel in Australia took its maiden trip on 12 September 1854. The railway line stretched 4 km from the Melbourne (or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day Flinders Street Station) to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). As with many of Australia's early railways, it was owned and operated by a private company - the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company, which was formed in 1853.
Work began on laying the railway in March 1853, and trains were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company of the United Kingdom. The first train was locally built by Robertson, Martin and Smith, however, owing to delays in shipping. Australia's first steam locomotive was built in ten weeks and cost £2,700.
The opening of the line occurred during the period of the Victorian gold rush - a time when both Melbourne and Victoria undertook massive capital works, each with its own gala opening. The inaugural journey on the Sandridge line was no exception. According to the Argus newspaper's report of the next day: "Long before the hour appointed ... a great crowd assembled round the station at the Melbourne terminus, lining the whole of Flinders Street". Lieutenant-Governor Sir Charles Hotham and Lady Hotham were aboard the train - which consisted of two first class carriages and one second class - and were presented with satin copies of the railway's timetable and bylaws.
The trip took 10 minutes, none of the later stations along the line having been built. On arriving at Station Pier (onto which the tracks extended), it was hailed with gun-salutes by the warships HMS Electra and HMS Fantome.
By March 1855, the four engines ordered from the UK were all in service, with trains running every half-hour. They were named Melbourne, Sandridge, Victoria, and Yarra (after the Yarra River over which the line crossed).
Early privateers
Melbourne's second railway line opened 13 May 1857, when the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company opened their 4.5km line from the Melbourne (or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day Flinders Street Station) to St Kilda. This line was later extended by the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company, which opened a line from St Kilda to Brighton in 1857.
Country lines were also built in 1857, with the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company opening a line from Geelong to Newport. In 1859 the Williamstown railway line opened, connecting Williamstown and Geelong to Spencer Street Station.
More country lines followed in 1859 when Victorian Railways opened a line from the Williamstown line at Footscray, to Sunbury, taking over from the Melbourne, Mount Alexander and Murray River Railway Company that was established in 1853 to build a railway to Echuca, but failed to make any progress.
The first line to Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs was opened in 1859 by the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company, which ran from Princes Bridge railway station to Punt Road (Richmond), South Yarra, and Prahran. This line was extended to Windsor in 1860, connecting with the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company line from St Kilda. The new line replaced the indirect St Kilda and Windsor line to the city, which was closed in 1867.
Another suburban line was built by the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company in 1860, with their line running from North Melbourne to Essendon, with a branch line from Newmarket to Flemington Racecourse opening in 1861. On the eastern side of town, the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company opened a branch line from Richmond to Burnley and Hawthorn in 1861.
By this point, the railways of Melbourne was a disjointed group of city centric lines, with various companies operating from three separate city terminals - Princes Bridge, Flinders Street, and Spencer Street stations.
Some of the smaller companies were encountered financial problems. The St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company and Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company were absorbed by the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company in 1865, forming the Melbourne and Hobsons Bay United Railway Company. The Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company was taken over by the Victorian Government in 1867. The Melbourne and Hobsons Bay United Railway Company was not taken over by the Victorian Government until 1878.
The terminals themselves were linked in 1879, when track was built along the southern side of Flinders Street at street level to connect with Spencer Street Station, although this was only used for freight traffic at night. It was not until 1889 that the two track Flinders Street Viaduct was built between the two city terminus stations.
Outwards expansion also continued, with major trunk lines being opened into rural Victoria. Victorian Railways extended their line to Broadmeadows in 1872 as part of the line to Seymour and Albury-Wodonga. In 1879 the Gippsland line was opened from South Yarra to Caulfield, Pakenham and Bairnsdale.
Land boom lines
The 1870s and 1880s were a time of great growth and prosperity in Melbourne. Land speculation companies were formed, to buy up outer suburban land cheaply, and to agitate for suburban railways to be built or extended to serve these land holdings and increase land values. By 1880 the "Land Boom" was in full swing in Victoria, with the passing of the Railway Construction Act 1884, later known as the Octopus Act for the 66 lines across the state that were authorised in it.
New suburban railways were opened, the Frankston line begun with the opening of a line from Caulfield to Mordialloc in 1881, reaching the terminus in 1882. A second new suburban railway line was opened from Spencer Street Station to Coburg in 1884, and extended to Somerton in 1889, meeting the main line from Spencer Street to Wodonga. Land developers opened a private railway from Newport to Altona in 1888, but it was closed in 1890, due to lack of demand.
The line from Hawthorn was extended, to Camberwell in 1882, Lilydale in 1883, and Healesville in 1889. In addition, a branch line (now known as the Belgrave line) was opened from Ringwood to Upper Ferntree Gully in 1889. A short branch two station was also opened from Hawthorn to Kew in 1887. The Brighton Beach line was also extended to Sandringham in 1887.
In 1888, railways came to the north eastern suburbs with the opening of the Inner Circle line from Spencer Street Station via Royal Park station to what is now Victoria Park station, and then on to Heidelberg. A branch was also opened off the Inner Circle in Fitzroy North, to Epping and Whittlesea in 1888 and 1889. Trains between Spencer Street and Heidelberg reversed at Victoria Park until a link was opened between Victoria Park and Princes Bridge in 1901.
The Outer Circle line opened in 1890, linking Oakleigh (on the Pakenham line) to Riversdale (with a branch to Camberwell on the Lilydale line) and Fairfield (on the Hurstbridge line). Originally envisigaed to link the Gippsland line with Spencer Street Station in the 1870s, this reason disappeared with the building of a direct link via South Yarra before the line had even opened. The line saw little traffic as it traversed empty paddocks, and with no though traffic, the Outer Circle was closed in sections between 1893 and 1897. The Camberwell to Ashburton stretch of the Outer Circle re-opened as the Ashburton line in 1899, and in 1900, part of the northern section of the Outer Circle reopened as a shuttle service between East Camberwell and Deepdene station. This line closed in 1927.
At the same time as the Outer Circle, a railway was opened from Burnley to Darling and a junction with the Outer Circle at Waverley Road (near the modern East Malvern). A stub of the future Glen Waverley line, it was cut back to Darling in 1895.
The land boom railway building hit a peak with the construction of the Rosstown Railway between Elstenwick and Oakleigh. Built by William Murry Ross, the line was planned from the 1870s to serve a sugar beet mill near Caufield. Construction commenced in 1883, followed by rebuilding in 1888. Ross's debt grew, and he attempted to sell the line many times without success. The line never opened to traffic and was later dismantled.
The stock market crash of 1891 lead to an extended period of economic depression, and put an end to railway construction until the next decade.
By the 1900s, the driving force for new railway lines was the farmers in what is now Melbourne's outer suburbs. In the Dandenong Ranges a narrow gauge 762 mm line was opened from Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave and Gembrook in 1900 to serve the local farming and timber community. In the Yarra Valley a branch was opened from Lilydale to Yarra Junction and Warburton in 1901.
On the other side of the valley, the Hurstbridge line was extended to Eltham in 1902 and Hurstbridge in 1912. The freight only Mont Park line was also opened in 1911, branching from Macleod. Finally on the Mornington Peninsula, a branch was built from Bittern to Red Hill in 1921.
Electrification
Planning for electrification was started by Victorian Railways chairman Thomas James Tait, who engaged engineer Englishman Charles Hesterman Merz to deliver a report on the electrification of the Melbourne suburban network. His first report in 1908 recommended a three stage plan over 2 years, covering 200 route km of existing lines and almost 500 suburban carriages (approximately 80 trains). The report was considered by the Government and the Railway Commissioners, and Merz was engaged to deliver a second report based on their feedback.
Delivered in 1912, this second report recommended an expanded system of electrification to 240 route km of existing lines (463 track km), and almost 800 suburban carriages (approximately 130 trains). The works were approved by the State Government in December 1912. It was envisaged that the first electric trains would be running by 1915, and the project was completed by 1917. World War I restrictions prevented electrical equipment being imported from the United Kingdom, and progress soon fell behind.
Rolling stock construction continued, with a number of older suburban carriages were converted for electric use as the Swing Door trains, and the first of the Tait trains were introduced as steam hauled carriages. Track expansion was also carried out, with four tracks being provided between South Yarra and Caufield, as well as grade separation from roads.
The first trials did not occur until October 1918 on the Flemington Racecourse line. Driver training continued on this line until the night of Sunday 18 May 1919, when the first electric train ran between Sandringham and Essendon, simulating revenue services. Electric services were inaugurated on May 28, 1919 with the first train running to Essendon, then to Sandringham. Full services started the next day.
The Burnley - Darling section of the Glen Waverley line, the Upfield line to Fawkner, the branch to Altona, and the entire Williamstown line followed in 1920.
The Craigieburn line to Broadmeadows, the Epping line to Reservoir, the Sydenham line to St Albans, and the inner sections of the Hurstbridge line were electrified in 1921.
The Pakenham line to Dandenong, and the Frankston line were electrified in 1922, as was the inner sections of the Lilydale line due to regrading works.
1923 was the completion of the original electrification scheme, but over the next three years a number of short extensions were carried out. The Ashburton line was electrified in 1924, final works on the Lilydale line were completed in 1925, as was electrification on the Belgrave line to Upper Ferntree Gully station. Electrification on the outer ends of the Hurstbridge line were completed by 1926, the Epping line to Thomastown was electrified in 1929, and the Burnley - Darling line was extended to Glen Waverley in 1930 to become the Glen Waverley line.
Post war rebuilding
Railways experienced increased patronage into the 1940s, but railway improvements recommended in the Ashworth Improvement Plan were delayed until after World War II. It was not until 1950 that the Victorian Railways were able to put their Operation Phoenix rebuilding plan into action. The Harris trains were delivered, being the first steel suburban trains on the network. This enabled the oldest of the Swing Door trains to be retired. A number of extensions to lines were also carried out, in order to serve the growing suburbs. A great deal of track amplification was completed, with a number of single line sections being eliminated.
The Ashburton line was extended along the old Outer Circle track formation to Alamein station in 1948 to become the Alamein line The Upfield line to Upfield, and the Epping line to Lalor were both electrified in 1959; the Epping line reaching its current terminus in 1964.
The Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave section of the Gembrook narrow gauge line was converted to broad gauge and electrified in 1962. The remainder of the line was closed in 1954, but has been progressively reopened by the Puffing Billy Railway. The Pakenham line was electrified in 1954 as part of the works being carried out on the Gippsland railway line, but suburban services did not start until 1975.
During this rebuilding, a number of little used lines were closed on the edges of Melbourne. The Bittern to Red Hill lines closed in 1953, the line between Epping and Whittlesea closed in 1959, and the Lilydale to Yarra Junction and Warburton line closed in 1964. The final stages of the rebuilding stretched into the 1970s, with track amplification carried out to Footscray, and Box Hill, and the first deliveries of the stainless steel Hitachi trains.
Detailed planning for the Doncaster line also commenced in this period, and by 1972 the route was decided upon. Despite rising costs, the state governments of the period continued to make assurances that the line would be built, but by 1984 land for the line had been sold.
Modernisation
By the 1980s, the railways of Melbourne had entered a run down state. 60 year old Tait trains were still in operation, and inner city congestion at Flinders Street led to peak hour delays. The Victorian Railways were also going through a period of change, being rebranded as VicRail and reorganised along corporate lines. The Lonie Report, delivered in 1980, recommended the closure of the Port Melbourne, St. Kilda, Altona, Williamstown, Alamein and Sandringham lines, and their replacement with buses, but these cuts were not made.
Instead the first of the new Comeng trains were delivered, providing a new level of comfort for suburban commuters with air conditioning, panoramic windows, and a high standard of interior furnishings. The older Tait trains were scrapped, and the older Harris trains underwent a failed refurbishment to Comeng standards of passenger comfort.
Between 1981 and 1985 the underground City Loop line was opened around central Melbourne to improve the capacity of Flinders and Spencer Street's to handle suburban trains and to offer a better choice of stations to users. In addition the Metrol train control centre was opened in 1980 to coordinate trains throughout the network. Public transport in Melbourne was also reorganised, with the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) formed in 1983 to coordinate all train, tram and bus services in the city.
In 1983 the Werribee line was electrified, and the Altona line was extended to Laverton in 1985 to become part of the line. The Port Melbourne and St Kilda lines were converted to standard gauge light rail in 1987, becoming tram routes 111 (now route 109) and 96.
The 1980s was also a time of the closure of many uneconomic branch lines throughout the state. The line between Lilydale and Healesville was closed in 1980, now used by the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway. The branch from Baxter to Mornington was closed in 1981, but the line south of Moorooduc is now operated by the Mornington Railway as a tourist railway.
No new major metropolitan railway lines have been constructed in Melbourne since the Glen Waverley line was completed in 1930, with all extensions of suburban services being on existing non-electrified lines.
A plan to add a third rail line between Caulfield and Dandenong to expand the capacity of, and relieve congestion on, the Pakenham railway line, was announced in 2006 as part of a major public transport policy statement called Meeting Our Transport Challenges, and is estimated to cost as much as $1 billion.
The triplication project was a major part of a $2 billion investment in rail infrastructure announced in Meeting Our Transport Challenges, which the document described as “the biggest investment in the rail network since the construction of the City Loop, to deliver a substantial boost in the capacity of Melbourne’s rail network”.
Privatisation
The early 1990s saw further changes, with the MTA reborn as the Public Transport Corporation, trading as "The Met".
State Governments of both sides of politics begun to push for reform of the railway network, proposing conversion of the Upfield, Williamstown, and Alamein lines to light rail. These proposals failed, with the Upfield line instead receiving a series of upgrades to replace labour intensive manual signalling systems. Federal government funding was made available for the electrification of the Cranbourne line in 1995. Rationalisation of the Jolimont Railyards commenced, allowing the creation of Melbourne Park and the later Federation Square.
The Kennett Government also initiated a number of reforms to the operation of the railway system, with guards being abolished from suburban trains and train drivers taking over the task of door operation. Stations were de-manned, and the Metcard ticketing system was introduced to cut the need for staff even further.
The biggest change was the privatisation. In 1997 'The Met' was split into two operating units - 'Hillside Trains' and 'Bayside Trains', each to be franchised to a different private operator. In 1999 the process was complete, with Connex Melbourne and M>Train each operating half of the network. By 2004 the parent company of M>Train (National Express) withdrawn from operating public transport in Victoria, and their half of the suburban network was passed to Connex as part of a renegotiated contract.
The franchising contracts contained provisions for the new operators to refurbish the Comeng trains, and to replace the older Hitachi trains - Connex chose the Alstom X'Trapolis while M>Train chose the Siemens. Since privatisation the Victorian Government has funded expansions to the suburban network - the electrification of the St Albans line was extended to Watergardens (near the former Sydenham station) in 2002, and the Broadmeadows line was extended to Craigieburn in 2007.
Singapore's SMRT Transit and Hong Kong's MTR Corporation have expressed interest in taking control of Melbourne's suburban rail network from Connex in November 2009, when their contract will be reviewed.
Patronage increases since 2005
During 2005 to 2006 patronage of Melbourne's trains increased over 18 per cent, which caught the Victorian Government by surprise. This increase was partly attributed to increased petrol prices prompting commuters to travel by train rather than by car. As early as 2003 there were union calls to restaff all stations by 2006, primarily for safety reasons. Transport Minister Lynne Kosky said the Government's $10.5 billion 10-year major transport plan announced in May 2006 had significantly underestimated the usage of public transport.
In response to this the State Government undertook to purchase new trains and introduced a new ticketing option where commuters could pay a reduced fare if they completed their journey by 7 am.
This was followed by an announcement of the introduction of more than 200 new weekly train services, described as the biggest overhaul of Melbourne's rail timetable since the City Loop opened in 1981. The new services will be introduced to tackle overcrowding on the city's busiest train lines, attributed to a lack of trains and falling reliability. In a period of three years, from 2005-2008, rail patronage grew by 35 per cent.
Future expansion
Brumby Government
December 2008, the Brumby Government announced a $14.1 billion plan to augment Melbourne’s rail network. The plan includes:
• A Regional rail link, at a cost of more than $4 billion - new tracks to separate regional trains from Metro trains, which will deliver "extra capacity on the network";
• A metro rail tunnel, costing more than $4.5 billion, from Dynon to Domain, to "relieve overcrowding on the busy suburban lines from Melbourne’s west";
• Rolling stock, $2.65 billion for up to 70 new trains, including 32 "new generation" trains which will carry 30 per cent more passengers;
• Rail extensions to Cranbourne East, South Morang and electrification to Sunbury and Melton, more than $2.4 billion;
• Improvements to train operations, at a cost of $200 million;
• Upgrades to metro stations, costing $50 million, and new stations in growth areas at a cost of $220 million; and
• A Park & Ride expansion package costing $60 million.
Operations
Melbourne's suburban electrified railway system comprises 16 interdependent lines all feeding into Flinders Street station. Some of these lines share track with regional lines, and also carry diesel-hauled passenger and goods trains to locations beyond the suburban network. Melbourne railways are built to Irish broad gauge. (Interstate lines and the tram system (including former railway lines converted to light rail) are standard gauge.)
Power is supplied by catenary-style overhead wiring at 1500 volts DC.
Infrastructure
All but a handful of the lines include at least one single-track section, and except for flyovers at North Melbourne, Burnley, and Camberwell, all junctions are flat junctions. These restrictions hinder the performance of the system, as delays tend to "knock on" to other services. Two lines have three-track sections (the centre line being signalled for two-way operation and used for up trains in the morning peak period and down trains at other times). Where two or more lines come together in the inner area, there are four or more tracks.
Operationally, the 16 lines are divided into four groups of lines. The Clifton Hill Group comprises the two lines that branch at Clifton Hill station. The Burnley Group comprises the four lines that go through Burnley station. The Caulfield Group comprises the three lines that go through Caulfield station, plus the Sandringham line. The Northern Group comprises the remaining lines, which all go through North Melbourne station.
The City Loop consists of four single-track underground lines, one for each group, allowing trains arriving in the city from each group to circle the central business district then head out again to a destination on the same group. Trains generally operate within one of the four groups, although there is some interworking between the Burnley and Clifton Hill groups and between the Caulfield and Northern Groups.
Safeworking
Most lines in Melbourne operate under an automatic block system of safeworking with three-position power signalling. This permits signals to operate automatically with the passage of trains, enforcing the distance between them. At junctions signals are manually controlled from signal boxes, with interlockings used to ensure conflicting paths are not set. The Flemington Racecourse line has two-position automatic signalling, a variant of the three-position system.
The outer end of the Hurstbridge line is operated with token based systems and two-position manual signalling, where access to the line is based upon possession of a token.
Train stops are used to enforce stop indications on signals - should a train pass a signal, the train's brakes will automatically be applied. Trains are also fitted with pilot valves, a form of dead man's switch that applies the brakes should the driver fail to maintain a foot or hand pilot valve in a set position. The "VICERS" vigilance control and event recorder system is also being currently fitted to suburban trains to provide an additional level of safety.
Train control
The main control room for the rail network is Metrol. Located in the Melbourne CBD, it controls signals in the inner suburbs, tracking the location of all trains, as well as the handling the distribution of real time passenger information, and manages disruptions to the timetable. Additional signal boxes are located throughout the network, and in direct communication with Metrol.
Suburban services
Fleet
All trains on the Melbourne suburban network are electric and are driver-only operated. Guards on suburban trains were discontinued between 1993 and 1995.
All trains are fitted with power-operated sliding doors which are closed by the driver, but opened by passengers. The doors of newer model X'Trapolis 100 and Siemens trains are opened by a button, but the Hitachi and Comeng trains are opened using handles. Stiff doors, sometimes found on the older Hitachi models, are often difficult to open by hand for some.
Trains also have inter-car doors to enable passengers to change carriages while in transit. All trains except the older Hitachi trains are fitted with air conditioning, closed-circuit cameras, and emergency intercom systems. Trains are fixed into three car units, and may operate alone or in pairs.
There are four types of trains in operation, each type being unable to operate coupled to another train type. The rolling stock currently consists of (numbers are number of 3-carriage units):
The Hitachi trains, the oldest in the fleet, and the Comeng trains can operate throughout the network, but the X'Trapolis trains can only operate on the Burnley and Clifton Hill Groups of lines, and the Siemens trains can only operate on the Caulfield and Northern Groups of lines.
Classification and configuration
Since the introduction of suburban electric trains in Melbourne, their carriages have been classified as follows. All fleet types have used these classifications, with different fleet types using different number ranges for the carriages.
- M indicates a motorised carriage, with a driving compartment.
- T indicates a trailer carriage.
- D indicated a trailer carriage with a driving compartment. Only Swing-door, Tait, and Hitachi trains had these.
- G indicated a trailer carriage fitted with both gas and electric lighting, for use on country services. Only Tait trains had these.
- BT indicated a particular type of trailer carriage. Prior to the abolition of first class suburban travel in 1958, motorised carriage were generally second class and trailer carriages were generally first class. BT indicated a second class trailer carriage.
An exception to the above classifications was the trial double-deck train, which used T to indicate a trailer carriage with a driving compartment, and M to indicate a motorised carriage without a driving compartment.
Currently, all trains are assembled into a symmetrical M-T-M arrangement. Trains comprise either one or two such units. All peak period services and some off-peak services comprise two units. The few remaining Hitachi trains operate in fixed two-unit sets.
Service patterns
Melbourne uses "clock-face" timetables in off-peak periods, but generally not in peak periods, due to operating near to the capacity of the infrastructure and having to accommodate single-line sections, flat junctions, and regional diesel-hauled trains. Even in off-peak periods, however, frequencies vary according to time of day and day of week, and by line. In some places, services on two lines combine to provide more frequent services on common sections of tracks. Saturday and Sunday services are identical during the day, but differ during the evening on some lines. Sunday morning services however start later than on Saturdays, and run less frequently until around 10am.
Melbourne, along with other Australian railways, uses the British terminology of "up" and "down", with "up" being defined as toward Flinders Street Station.
Burnley Group
All trains run via the City Loop (in one direction depending on time of day and day of week), with the exception of Alamein and Blackburn services. With minor exceptions, Lilydale and Belgrave trains do not stop at East Richmond station, which is served by Glen Waverley trains.
During peak hours express trains operate from the outer ends of the Lilydale and Belgrave lines in the direction of peak travel, utilising the third track from Box Hill and the City Loop. Alamein trains run direct to Flinders Street, in addition to stopping all stations trains from the intermediate terminus of Blackburn.
All off-peak trains run via the City Loop in one direction, with the exception of Alamein services which are shuttles to and from the junction at Camberwell.
Caulfield Group
All trains on the Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Frankston lines operate via the City Loop (in one direction depending on time of day and day of week), with the exception of a small number of peak hour services. Sandringham trains also operate via the underground loop on weekends, but not weekdays.
The Frankston line has a number of peak hour express services in the direction of peak travel, utilising the third track from Moorabbin. The Pakenham and Cranbourne lines have a smaller number of peak expresses, and all Sandringham trains stop at all stations.
Clifton Hill Group
From 9 November 2008, all trains operate via the City Loop (in one clockwise direction from Jolimont station on weekdays and the other direction depending on time of day and day of week). At many times, Hurstbridge line trains operate express between Jolimont and Clifton Hill, with the Epping trains serving the intermediate stations.
Northern Group
All trains operate via the City Loop (in one direction depending on the time of day and day of week), except for the Williamstown services. All off-peak Williamstown services are shuttles to and from the junction at Newport, while in peak they run direct from Flinders Street. Since 9 November 2008, Werribee trains do not run through the Loop during morning and afternoon peaks.
Greater metropolitan lines
Stony Point line services operate as shuttles from Frankston station with advertised connections between trains. Melton and Sunbury services operate from Southern Cross Station.
Special services
There are no regularly-scheduled services on the Flemington Racecourse line, but services are run to the Racecourse whenever race meetings are held at the racecourse. Services are also operated to the Showgrounds platform during the Royal Melbourne Show every September.
Fares and Tickets
Melbourne's railway network is part of the integrated fare and ticketing system, known as Metcard, which covers all public transport services in Melbourne.
Fares are charged on the basis of zones and are time-based. There are two concentric zones (which was reduced from three on March 4, 2007), with fares applicable to one or two zones. Tickets are valid for two hours, all day and for longer periods, such as weekly and monthly. Within the time periods, tickets can be used on an unlimited number of services and all modes (train, tram, and bus). There is no extra fee for transfers. Various discounts are also available, such as for off-peak travel and buying tickets in bulk.
Tickets are credit-card in size with a magnetic stripe, and must be inserted in a validator before each use. Only the busier stations have ticket-operated barrier gates. At other stations, enforcement is based on honesty with random checks. Tickets are available from machines at all stations and on trams, from station ticket offices at manned stations, from bus drivers, from various retail outlets such as newsagents and convenience stores, and via the Internet. As the tickets have to be validated before use (except when bought on trams, which are sold pre-validated), they may be bought in advance and used when required.
The Metcard ticket system was meant to be replaced in 2008 with a new system of smartcards, known as Myki, which have become more expensive than expected and are running late.
Passenger information
The PRIDE II system is used to distribute timetable information to passengers at stations. An electronic timetable and announcement system, PRIDE stands for Passenger Real-time Information Dissemination Equipment. The system consists of:
- The control system, situated at Metrol.
- Control stations, at which staff update information, and announcements and CCTV recordings are dealt with for nearby stations.
- Public address systems at each station on the network. The PRIDE system automatically announces when a train is due soon, delayed, or cancelled; this is done via the rail telephone network.
- PRIDE "talking boxes" installed on each platform of all stations.
- Electronic information displays.
Control data comes from two locations: Metrol, and control stations. Next train data and times are automatically updated by the train control systems, with manual overrides also possible.
All stations are provided with "talking boxes" which have two buttons and a small speaker.
The green button, when pressed, contacts the PRIDE controller over the rail telephone network, identifying itself by the DTMF tones that correspond to the ID number assigned to the box. The system then reads out times and destinations for the next two services to depart that platform (or, in the case of stations with a single island platform with departures either side, both platforms). The red button when pressed, gives the user two way communication with the closest control station.
More busy stations are provided with electronic LED s, which indicate the destination, time, stopping pattern summary, and minutes to departure for the next train on the platform.
Finally stations on the City Loop, in addition to North Melbourne, Richmond, and Box Hill stations, have CRT screen s, although some of these have recently been replaced by widescreen LCD screens. These displays show in detail the destination, scheduled and actual departure time, and all stations the next train stops at. Also shown is the destination and time of the following train, and the system is capable of providing suggested connections and warn of service interruptions.
Evaluation of current suburban rail
"Our railway system is currently a complex network", according to Transport Minister Lynne Kosky. "Four tunnels in our City Loop have to cope with trains from 10 inbound lines" and "one delayed train can affect the whole system."
Punctuality
Statistics indicate that since 2004, when Connex took sole responsibility of the network under a franchise agreement, punctuality has worsened.
Cancellations
Statistics indicate an increase in the percentage of cancellations since privatisation.
In January 2009, Connex was fined after hundreds of cancellations.
Regional passenger services
V/Line regional services share trackage with suburban trains on their way from the outskirts of Melbourne to their central terminus at Southern Cross Station. The Pakenham line has the longest shared line section, used by V/Line services to the Latrobe Valley. The Werribee, Sydenham and Craigieburn lines also share trackage.
Freight services
Melbourne also has an extensive network of railway lines and yards to serve freight traffic. The lines are of two gauges - broad gauge and standard gauge, and are unelectrified. In the inner western suburbs of the city, freight trains have their own lines to operate upon, but in other areas trains are required to share the tracks with Connex and V/Line passenger services. The majority of freight terminals are located in the inner suburbs around Port of Melbourne, others are located between the Melbourne CBD and Footscray.
Until the 1980s a number of suburban stations had their own goods yards, with freight trains running over the suburban network, often with the E or L class electric locomotives.
See also
External links
- - official website of Melbourne's public transport
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- - Victorian railways enthusiast website
- - enthusiast website
- - Comprehensive V/Line carriage information & enthusiast website
- – producer of the PRIDE "talking boxes".
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