Good news! We now have an airport train. At least, that’s what the sign says.

Wed 1 August 2012 7:22am by
Filed under: transport 

That’s definitely a train icon on that sign, right?

This way to the Airport Express train

(Southern Cross station, Bourke Street bridge)

PS. Reminds me a bit of Metro’s “emergency” gate.

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Comments

15 comments on Good news! We now have an airport train. At least, that’s what the sign says.

  1. theodore on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 7:41 am

    2. Except that it’s in a train station, I would have said it was a picture of a 1950′s TV.

  2. Roger on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 8:12 am

    3. Well spotted. What are tourists to make of this sign? Confusing to say the least.

  3. PaulK on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 9:44 am

    4. Well that just makes it like a lot of other V/Line train services – where the train is really a bus…

  4. Andrew S on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 10:30 am

    5. Looks like it was made in the overly-optimistic spirit of the old Comeng and Hitachi destination rollers with Melton, East Doncaster, Baxter, Coldstream, etc on them!

  5. Philip on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 1:37 pm

    6. Is that a new sign? Now that Metlink no longer exists?

  6. Daniel on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 1:45 pm

    7. @Philip, the sign is a year or two old, I think. Metlink and Viclink have been subsumed by PTV since April.

  7. Sandra on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 3:24 pm

    8. So, as a tourist coming to Melbourne in November, what *is* the best way to get to the city centre and vice versa?
    Thank you!

  8. Chris on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 5:29 pm

    9. As non-Victorian I would follow that sign expecting a train that goes to the airport, yes.

  9. Jackaroo on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 7:42 pm

    10. And here I thought an “Airport Express” was an Apple Wi-Fi Router! lol!

    Or, maybe the sign is supposed to direct a person to the train for Lara so that one can get to Avalon?

    For Sandra … The Skybus will be the best way. Check out http://www.skybus.com.au for info and current ticket options.

    This is wishful thinking, but … if Myki does become available to use on SkyBus by November 2012, you could have the option to:

    - Purchase a Myki Visitor Pack at the Airport (if the product gets released to tourists by November – it was supposed to be released in July) see http://www.myki.com.au/About-myki/myki-visitor-pack;

    - Top up your Myki {you’ll need enough credit to cover a Skybus Fare} at the Airport (subject to a Myki Top-Up Machine becoming available at the Airport) see http://www.myki.com.au/How-to-use/Topping-up

    - Catch a SkyBus to Southern Cross Station and use your new Myki to “Touch On” see http://www.myki.com.au/How-to-use/Touching-on—Touching-off

    If that all seems complicated – I thought this video would help you, but, it seems more inclined to show you what a great tourist destination Melbourne is instead … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9SzhUIxZvI

  10. Daniel on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 10:01 pm

    11. @Sandra, the easiest/quickest way is Skybus (though it’s more expensive than regular public transport). http://www.skybus.com.au/

    If you’re on a tight budget, regular bus 500 or 901 from the airport (but you’ll have to hunt around to find the stop) to Broadmeadows station, then suburban train.

    If you’ve got a group of 3+ people, a taxi may be cheaper than Skybus. Taxi fare estimator: http://www.transport.vic.gov.au/taxis/customers/taxi-fare-estimator

  11. Tim on Wed, 1st Aug 2012 11:15 pm

    12. How much further would the Airport West tram need to be extended to reach the airport?

  12. enno on Thu, 2nd Aug 2012 12:07 pm

    13. The airport west tram is west of essendon airport, not tullamarine airport. The motorway goes right past the tram terminus. I think it is about 6 km.

  13. enno on Thu, 2nd Aug 2012 12:09 pm

    14. More like 7 km

  14. Sandra on Fri, 3rd Aug 2012 4:05 pm

    15. Thank you Jackaroo and Daniel, Skybus it is then :)

  15. AndrewB on Tue, 14th Aug 2012 1:23 pm

    16. Southern Cross Station has a vew examples of poor singage. One is their monitors directing vline punters to “TRAIN VL32 PAST THE BRIDGE” (for example) – when the trains do not have VL32 written on them anywhere… it is pure gunzel-speak for the set of three cars numbered something like 3211, 3212 and 3212. They are not very customer focussed down there.

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