Categories
transport

The State Coalition pledge for 10 minute trains

On Sunday the Coalition pledged to upgrade more lines to trains every ten minutes off-peak. Here’s the Channel 9 story – have a watch: FIRST ON 9: The Coalition will go to next year’s state election with a policy to increase Melbourne’s train frequency. @andrew_lund #9News pic.twitter.com/kTsnGTvILQ — Nine News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) March 26, 2017  ... [More]

Categories
music Retrospectives Toxic Custard newsletter

So darling share this wine with me, we’ll be together on the eve of World War 3

Friday night concert! I was sold on Things Of Stone And Wood – though my compradres were really going for the support act, Club Hoy. It might be cruel to call TOSAW a one-hit wonder, though none of their efforts charted as well as Happy Birthday Helen. But the song was on an album called  ... [More]

Categories
transport

A quick look at Caroline Springs station

On Tuesday I headed out to the new Caroline Springs station for a look around. It opened at the end of January. I caught the 17:59 train from Southern Cross. It was heading to Bacchus Marsh, and it was full — at least by V/Line’s standards, which means every seat was taken — reflected in  ... [More]

Categories
Politics and activism transport

Whinging with credibility

Following a little jaunt out to Caroline Springs on Tuesday (more on this in the next post), with some tweets along the way, I had an interesting Twitter conversation with a disgruntled Geelong line user. One of my tweets noted that a huge crowd waiting at the platform for a Geelong train had in fact  ... [More]

Categories
driving Toxic Custard newsletter

Learning to drive

Masters Hardware couldn’t launch a viable business against Bunnings, and only a couple of years after launching, have closed up all their outlets. As this photo shows, they also couldn’t construct a functioning pedestrian crossing: No wonder Masters is in trouble – they couldn't even design a pedestrian crossing that goes anywhere. pic.twitter.com/CN8JFL9yHk — Daniel  ... [More]

Categories
Photos from ten years ago Toxic Custard newsletter transport

Old photos from March 2007

Another in my series of ten year old photos: March 2007. Smartbus advertising at Caulfield station. It was nice to see them promoting the frequent service, but there was only one problem: it wasn’t true. The Smartbus serving Caulfield (route 900) has never been better than every 15 minutes in peak. (And really, the frequency/radio  ... [More]

Categories
transport

Comeng train fleet to be upgraded

Recently I got to have a look at proposed upgrades to the Comeng train fleet. Skip the introduction A short history of the Comeng trains Comeng trains are named after the Comeng (“Commonwealth Engineering”) factory where they were built, with the carriages being brought into service between 1982 and 1989. The factory in Dandenong is  ... [More]

Categories
transport

SoFrank: southern end of the Frankston line level crossing designs announced

The state government announced over the weekend that Edithvale and Bonbeach grade separations on the Frankston line would get rail under road — a little surprising given apparently challenging engineering so close to the beach. No doubt this is politically expedient. For better or worse, that’s how democracy works sometimes, but you have to wonder how  ... [More]