There were a lot of families on the trains last week. Many off to the Show, or the Fed Square Pixar exhibit, or the Thomas Live shows at the Tennis Centre.

There’s something that’s pleasing about seeing a bustling busy city railway station (provided there’s plenty of space and it’s not too packed). Be it Flinders Street, Sydney Central, London Victoria, Rome Termini or Amsterdam Centraal, they’re a place to see the diversity of a city’s population, some rushing, some taking it slow.

It’s somehow nice to know that such a station is a focal point and that hundreds, thousands of people have collectively chosen to travel in about the most efficient way (space-wise, cost-wise, and clean) — even if sometimes the providers/operators/government let the side down with train services being inadequate.

(The flipside might be airports, which tend to look squeaky-clean in comparison, while in terms of emissions, the aircraft serving them are utterly filthy.)

The shiny new Craigieburn station opened on Sunday, to the applause of the locals, and contingents of media and gunzels (rail enthusiasts). Alas, like the trains, provisions at the sausage sizzle were sadly lacking. It does have an impressive, mini-Jeff’s Shed-like roof though.

What a shame that in these days of ever-increasing petrol prices and awareness of CO2 emissions, the next rail extension isn’t scheduled to open until about 2021…

(Now, if I can just get Metlink to update the map on their web site…)