A Quick Update

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Tom Freeman

Just a quick update. I apologize unreservedly for lack of any formatting or real content. As some of you may be aware, I had my laptop (along with iPad, both UK and Aus passports, rail pass, and various other items stolen from me at Bruxelles-Midi train station in Belgium a number of weeks ago.

This has severely impacted upon my ability to write any blog posts, and means I lost almost all the photos I took in London. I was planning to make some posts about the transport in the places I have visited, but sadly it now appears that anything about London will now be unillustrated.

All posts currently must be written on my iPhone. As such, this is the last post you’ll be getting until I can buy a new computer!

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Skip Stop Expresses

Posted on December 4, 2010 by Tom Freeman

As per request, this article is going to deal with my opinion of skip stop express trains.

Firstly, what is a “skip stop” express? In short, it’s a stopping pattern whereby the train more or less only stops at every second station, then the following train stops at every other station. At strategic stations both stopping patterns would be scheduled to stop. Continue reading →

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Why Ted Ballieu must get the PTDA right.

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Julian Wearne

Introducing Julian Wearne, a guest blogger!

Melbourne, for the first time ever might soon have a coordinated public transport timetable. This could mean when you get off your train a bus will either be waiting for you, or should be a matter of a few minutes away. This as most Melbourne based public transport users will contest would be a long overdue and very welcome change to the glaring disconnect that currently operates between modes.

Continue reading →

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VicVotes for Transport (Part 4) – Labor

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Tom Freeman

Labor are the incumbent Government going into this election, and as such have the advantage of being able to make their transport plans and promises using the resources of the Department of Transport. It also means that they can use their current Victorian Transport Plan as part of the package. I won’t be discussing issues unique to the VTP however I will refer to them as necessary as Labor’s election policies build on the the VTP. The press release to which I will be referring is available at this link. Once you get past the heavy political propaganda there is some information about actual policies that some staffer obviously carelessly forgot to remove.

Continue reading →

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Reader Requests

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Tom Freeman

Due to unpopular demand, I’m going to open up an opportunity for reader requests. If you have any transport (or other) issues you want to discuss, or just plain want to find out why trains on your line run late just leave it in the comments.

I will simultaneously be working on the Labor transport plan post.

Aaaaaaaaaand GO!

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VicVotes for Transport (Part 3) – Greens

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Tom Freeman

Of much interest this election cycle have been the vocal Victorian Greens Party. We have been presented with transport plans and projects they plan to work towards achieving. So far my overall impression has been that they don’t really understand what is required to run an efficient system and have gone for a “Oh this looks nice, lets do that!” approach. This is not an out-and-out attack on the Greens; they haven’t had the resources of the Department of Transport to use when making plans, unlike the current Government. The main press release can be found at the Victorian Green’s website. This press release is pretty big on ideas and light on details. I might have to qualify my verdicts with some “if” and “providing” clauses.

Infrastructure Upgrades

LED light-type home signals on the Flinders Street Viaduct at Southern Cross

The Greens have identified that Melbourne’s tracks, signalling, overhead power, and rollingstock need some attention, and have promised to address these issues. No further details are given.

Many delays on the metropolitan network are due to track or signalling failure. While the system fails safe preventing danger, it is terribly inconvenient to the long-suffering travelling public. The signalling system is designed to keep trains a safe distance from each other, as the stopping distances for a train can often be further than the driver can see. As such, if the system fails everything changes to “stop” and trains must be individually authorised through sections travelling at a much reduced speed. Continue reading →

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VicVotes for Transport (Part 2) – Liberal

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Tom Freeman

Edit: Since publishing this article the Liberal Party have released further plans. I will be posting a follow-up post.

The Liberal Party’s Transport Promises

Security and Safety

So far, the Liberal Party have not released much by way of transport. One of the earlier policies presented revolved around security across the public transport network. From the media release available on their website, we are told that they will take a zero tolerance stance on crime across the public transport network. Ted Baillieu has announced Stopping Crime in its Tracks, a $200 million plan to stamp out the alleged “violent culture” on our public transport system.

Basically, it’s 940 extra Victoria Police Protective Services Officers, and 100 extra Victoria Police officers deployed across the metropolitan train, tram and bus systems, with some presence on the V/Line country train network. The plan would have every metropolitan train station (and some country stations) protected by armed VPPSOs every night after 6pm.

South Yarra station by night

Firstly, I think this is a waste of resources. More accurately, I don’t think that every station needs full time security. If you have two or three officers for every three or four stations you can have them patrolling those neighbouring stations giving security presence both on the stations and on the trains. Do we really need security at Wattle Glen
Continue reading →

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VicVotes for Transport

Posted on November 13, 2010 by Tom Freeman

As the Victorians among us will be well aware, we will be going to the polls in just over a fortnight to decide who we want to represent us in the State Parliament of Victoria. Transport has become a very contentious issue this time around with a great number of major train network failures occurring during the last three years. This will also be the first state election since Metro Trains Melbourne took control of the railway franchise from the operator Melburnians loved to hate, Connex.

X'Trapolis 11M crossing the Merri Creek bridge at Clifton Hill

X'Trapolis 11M crossing the Merri Creek bridge at Clifton Hill

With an election come promises and plans shooting from every available orifice.  The problem is that these media releases are on glossy paper (or slick Flash websites as the case may be) with a lot of spin and shine with very little substance to discuss why these policies are being presented. As a result, voters go into the election without the opportunity to really make an informed decision.

Over the next few posts I’m going to write about these plans and discuss the benefits and problems associated with some of the proposals and plans issued by the three major parties. I will attempt to avoid the politics around the issues and discuss the proposals on their own merits.

Continue onto Part 2 – Liberal

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