Here’s another of my posts of old photos from ten years ago – this time from November 2009. Let’s start with some art. …and now some art on the train. (I think a few of us with an interest in railways know the Bromage family.) Flinders Street Station’s Elizabeth Street entrance used to close at ... [More]
Month: November 2019
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SRL will be an independent line
One of the things people have been wondering is whether the Suburban Rail Loop will be an integral part of the existing suburban Metro network, or a standalone line. Melbourne’s existing rail network has its origins in the 1854 line from Port Melbourne to Flinders Street (since converted to trams), but also particularly in the ... [More]
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An early morning flight
3:30am alarm. 3:40am shower. 4:00am Left the house for a 4:30am rendezvous. By 4:45 we were in a minibus headed for our embarkation point. Time for a Sunday morning balloon flight – a Christmas present from last year from M. Hot air balloons are very much at the mercy of the weather. Our flight had ... [More]
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Why are pedestrian crossings so narrow?
Why is it that at most traffic lights, the crossings for pedestrians are so narrow? Even in Melbourne’s CBD, where heavy pedestrian numbers are expected, most crossings are far too narrow for the number of people. It appears that technically, anybody crossing outside the lines is in breach of Road Safety Rule regulation 234 (a) ... [More]
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Train punctuality – WWJD?
Last week the government announced timetable changes, including adjustments to the Cranbourne/Pakenham line. (I’ll just call it the Dandenong line for short. Almost everybody else does.) Of the roughly 265 services per weekday, 93 will be adjusted. A few will be quicker by a minute or two, but most of the 93 will be slower ... [More]
Update – see below At busy times, queues can form at station fare gates, especially when large numbers of people arrive from multiple trains at once. Investment in more gates and faster (Vix) readers has helped – 950 new readers are being installed in 141 stations. But it’s noticeable than some people wait for the ... [More]