Melbourne Public Transport

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The route 903 bus is great if you want to go to Doncaster or Chadstone shopping centres and live in the Western or Northern suburbs. I catch it from Coburg to Chadstone and it takes about two hours which is better than catching the train to Huntingdale Station and getting on the 903 bus there anyway.
I was heading to Tafe last Thursday and a couple of people with suitcases hopped on the 901 at Dandenong bound for the airport. I think the bus driver in all his good conscience told them to hop on the train go to Broadmeadows and get the 901 from there to save the 3 hour bus ride.

Just read about free tram travel around the CBD from next year. Also, people who travel zone 1 + 2 will only be charged the zone 1 price ($5 saving for full fare ddaily).

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I do wonder how our already overcrowded trams are going to cope with the added demand. Lunchtime can be bad and even worse with the single car trams(The A and Z classes)

One thing I would like to of seen done is extra W class trams on the City Circle. The crowding on some of them really do give tourists a peak our experience.

The 903 is the Altona to Mordialloc. I wonder if anyone's ever been silly enough to take it from one end to the other.
I've done the 902(Chelsea to Airport West) From Springvale Station to Airport West. Needless to say you get sick of the words "The next stop is" coming out of the PA.
 

crownie

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its ok at best but most places i've been to overseas seem to do it better, even in LA they can get the trains to run on time and you don't have to wait as long as well.
 

craigos

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Why we still have level crossings in this day and age in the inner city is pretty daft, yes it's expensive but if you don't do it now it will never be possible. Elizabeth street should follow Swanston Street and be tram only too.
 

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I think I read somewhere that suburban Melbourne still has 165 level crossings, compared to Sydney having a measly five.

On some roads this is nothing short of a disaster. Union Road in Surrey Hills, for example, which is the first level crossing heading out of the city on the Belgrave/Lilydale line. There are express trains through Surrey Hills in the peak direction every 4-5 minutes during peak hour, and an all stopper every 10-13 minutes. And then you have trains travelling in the counter peak direction too.

Are those gates ever even up in peak hour?
 

DrVanNostrand

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Says a lot about city planning in this country if a system so much maligned as Melbourne's is still probably the best in the country. Although a lot of tourists I've met overseas who've visited Australia usually have pretty good things to say about the train network in Perth. Only found out yesterday via Google Maps that Adelaide has trams :eek:

Seoul and Singapore leave the rest of the world for dead. Although, I reckon the actual buses in Australia and New Zealand are probably the most modern of anywhere I've been.
 
Last edited:
Sep 22, 2011
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I think I read somewhere that suburban Melbourne still has 165 level crossings, compared to Sydney having a measly five.

On some roads this is nothing short of a disaster. Union Road in Surrey Hills, for example, which is the first level crossing heading out of the city on the Belgrave/Lilydale line. There are express trains through Surrey Hills in the peak direction every 4-5 minutes during peak hour, and an all stopper every 10-13 minutes. And then you have trains travelling in the counter peak direction too.

Are those gates ever even up in peak hour?

They've got to go. Hope to God Labor are serious about it.
 
May 5, 2006
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Says a lot about city planning in this country if a system so much maligned as Melbourne's is still probably the best in the country. Although a lot of tourists I've met overseas who've visited Australia usually have pretty good things to say about the train network in Perth.

Melbourne's train network is excellent, the infrastructure is just a bit dated. I've never once been in Melbourne and been unable to get to where I wanted, and that's including using your stupid Myki system which is not nearly as complicated as you make out but still unnecessarily so.

Perth's train system is modern and reliable, but the network misses most of the population. The city is so spread out that it's hard to get services to the population that don't run at a massive loss. Smartrider is brilliant, and it's very easy for a newbie to navigate from the city along any of the lines - the problem is once you get to the other end and there is an hour long wait for a bus or no connection at all.
 

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Lyttelton Ranger

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If you live outside zone 1, then a flat rate (no off-peak option) of 6 bucks for a 2 hour full-fare is ludicrously expensive. You don't even get a discount by paying a daily fare (unless you plan on doing 3 or more trips over separate periods of the day)

I live in Adelaide now (having also lived in Melbourne a few years ago) and a 2 hour full fare is $3.40 during peak times and $1.80 off peak. Melbourne has a better transport system and shorter wait times as you'd expect with a bigger city, but holy Jaysus I think you guys are getting reamed.

You pay cheaper fares in even bigger cities like London, Paris, Berlin etc which all have better transport networks than Melbourne.
 
What about the Cranbourne/Pakenham Line, level crossings everywhere. But the Frankston line also has many too. Hopefully, they are gotten rid of.
On another note, Rowville is still waiting for a train. Not that it will get established any time soon.
Upfield line- you can count the number of bridges under or over roads it has on one hand after North Melbourne; Racecourse Road, Flemington Road, the 55 tram line and the Ring Road. Most of them aren't hideously busy roads, but the Bell Street one has got to go badly. The bus integration at Coburg, considering it's the main station on the line, is appalling and disjointed. Get rid of the level crossing, rebuild the station in a cutting and put a bus terminus over the top.

And also, four or five level crossings along the line were closed when they converted the line to proper auto signalling in the late 1990s.

Anyone remember the archaic signalling they had in place between Greensborough and Hurstbridge until very recently? The old train staff and ticket combined with hideously long single line sections...
 

Simple Jack

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Dont bother with our public transport system it's a joke and overpriced

I will just catch a taxi or book a car service
Amen. I have absolutely no idea how people wake up every day and pile onto packed, unreliable trains. Especially if it's a bit hot or wet and the whole thing totally craps itself.

That would be soul destroying for me.
 
Went out to the city for a work party on Saturday night, what I thought was an early night and a safe time to catch the train turned into a campaigner of a night. Last train home is 1230am. On a Saturday night? What the * is that s**t?
 

Stratton_Gun

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Went out to the city for a work party on Saturday night, what I thought was an early night and a safe time to catch the train turned into a campaigner of a night. Last train home is 1230am. On a Saturday night? What the **** is that s**t?
Try coming home on a Sunday after a night in the city when you need a few connecting buses and trains.
BRB leaving at 11am
BRB getting home at like 2.30pm

Ridiculous considering my house is only about a 20-25 min drive from the city
 
Nov 28, 2011
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Amen. I have absolutely no idea how people wake up every day and pile onto packed, unreliable trains. Especially if it's a bit hot or wet and the whole thing totally craps itself.

That would be soul destroying for me.

I reckon being stuck in a car on a freeway would be soul-destroying, personally -

Public transport is for poor people.

You make it sound as if there is a problem with being poor -

Plus, it's pretty expensive so unless you plan on fare evading every now and then when you can, it's not exactly cheap
 

Simple Jack

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I reckon being stuck in a car on a freeway would be soul-destroying, personally -
Sure, it's pretty shitty. But say it's one of those 10-15 days over winter where we have the rail system completely grind to a halt.
Option 1:
Stand at Flinders Street squashed in with all the other commuters in the cold, wind and rain for an hour. Then when you eventually get crammed onto the train you possibly have to stand around with a massive heard of stinky, wet people in an either cold or humid environment for however long after which you get off the train and might have to drive anyway.

Option 2:
The exact second you want to leave your car is ready to depart. Guaranteed not only a seat, but a very comfortable seat. It's either quiet, or the music you want is all you hear. Temperature is exactly as you like and then you get delivered to your door.

No contest for me. But hey, the more people that suffer through it the less traffic for me so knock yourself out!

P.s. It's been over 5 years since I used PT aside from one night trip into the city so it may well have improved since then but I seriously doubt it.
 
Nov 28, 2011
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rags on public transport - but never uses it..


sounds logical


You can make all sorts of worst case scenarios sound bad if you want - I could make one about a flat tyre in the pouring rain and your phone has gone dead so you can't phone for help..

whatever... I actually think drivers who can easily catch PT to work but choose to drive are incredibly selfish.. I understand that PT isn't easy for everyone as the service isn't great the further out you get, but for those with earshot of a train/tram or bus service that goes in the vicinity of you work or destination... yeah you're selfish no matter which way you look at it
 

willba_victory

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Public transport in Melbourne is fine imo. Convenient for me though as i live a 5 minute walk from a train station, a 15 minute walk from the 75 tram, and a 15 minute walk from the 903 bus. Can pretty much get anywhere in good time. Of course, it would be worse for someone living in the outer suburbs where the options aren't so great. I think its scandalous that government persists with urban sprawl whilst not providing any public transport options.
 
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