Yes, it’s that time again – the January 2012 instalment in my photos from ten years ago series.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year came early in 2012 thanks to the wonders of the lunar calendar, and Melbourne’s Chinatown was the place to be.
Pedestrians taking over Little Bourke Street.
And the odd little gravel car park off Corrs Lane.
Real estate agents hunting for Asian investors were well represented at the market stalls.
As was Metro Trains Melbourne and Hong Kong parent MTR – at their stall you could spin the wheel and win a trinket.
There were also the traditional lion dances.
And the main event – the Dai Loong Dragon procession.
Followed by firecrackers being set off everywhere.
Including at Chinese restaurants along Swanston Street.
Leaving a trail of exploded crackers.
And phone calls to the fire brigade.
Parking their trucks as close as they could, then walking to site.
To confirm that it was really just a false alarm.
Myer Melbourne
Since I was also in the CBD, I swung past the Myer Melbourne redevelopment.
The former Lonsdale Street store on the way down.
Leaving a big hole behind.
And a web of scaffolding holding the up the facade.
The Emporium Melbourne shopping complex was then constructed inside the shell, opening in 2014.
New trains
Brand new X’Trapolis trains were rolling out of the Alstom workshops at Ballarat.
Where I found this train completed except for the front fairing.
New stations
A new railway station on the Cranbourne line at Lynbrook was well underway.
It opened to passengers a few months later in April 2012.
But out on the Ballarat line things were moving much more slowly at the site of Caroline Springs station – work being abandoned once the access road was completed.
Work was eventually restarted in 2015, with Caroline Springs station finally opening in 2017.
And the new Regional Rail Link
Footscray station was about to be transformed for the Regional Rail Link project.
A new plaza on Irving Street had just been completed, but needed to be demolished for the new pair of platforms.
While over at North Melbourne work was much more advanced.
Little used tracks in the former freight yard being ripped up to make for the new Regional Rail Link tracks.
But no platforms were provided.
And west of Werribee the standard gauge freight track had been slewed away from the V/Line tracks, to make room for a massive overpass at the future Manor Junction.
Scenes that have changed
I found this X’Trapolis train out at Lilydale, an otherwise unremarkable sight.
But today the scene has been completely transformed – a new elevated station occupying the site, constructed as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.
A handful of ageing Hitachi trains were also still in service.
Providing a convenient view into the City Loop tunnels.
Until they were finally withdrawn from service in December 2013.
And another everyday scene – parked cars at Laverton station almost stretching as far as neighbouring Aircraft station.
Back then it was a money saving trick – Aircraft was the first station in zone 2, so by using Laverton station passengers could half their ticket costs – a situation which remained until fares were capped at zone 1 prices in 2015.
Trams go ding
Out at Footscray station a new platform stop was built at the route 82 terminus.
But a decade later it is yet to see a low floor tram.
However route 57 got lucky for a few days – air-conditioned B2 class trams were assigned to the route while track work was underway on Mt Alexander Road.
But some passengers missed out – these extra services terminated at the Maribyrnong River crossover.
And finally – ‘safety’ zones. This time around it wasn’t the one in Ascot Vale that’s been hit 14 times, but a much busier tram stop on William Street at Bourke Street.
Southern Cross Station
I’ve written about passenger congestion at Southern Cross Station before, and in 2012 the problem was the exit towards Collins Street and Docklands.
The ticket gates were overcrowded in morning peak.
And of an evening passengers spilled off the tram stop, trying to find a gap in traffic.
Only to find no kerb cut on the other side.
A situation that wasn’t fixed until 2014, when a proper pedestrian crossing was installed between station and tram stop.
Also at the south end of Southern Cross Station was these abandoned concrete deck above platforms 13 through 16.
Originally intended to be the base of an office tower, the space sat empty for a decade.
Until the 699 Bourke Street and 664 Collins Street office towers were built on the deck between 2013 and 2018.
On the road
A decade ago electric cars were a new fangled mode of transport, when I found a car belonging to the Victorian Government’s ‘Electric Vehicle Trial’.
The $5 million initiative was launched in October 2010 and ran until mid-2014.
More money for roads was the $759 million Peninsula Link freeway being built between Frankston and Moorooduc.
It opened to motorists in 2013.
While the poor cousin for transport on the Mornington Peninsula is the route 788 bus from Frankston to Portsea.
After being neglected for years, in 2021 route 788 received an increase in frequency, and in 2022 connecting bus routes were revamped.
And by the water
Down at Webb Dock I found the ‘Tasman Achiever’ ro-ro cargo ship being loaded for another trip across Bass Strait.
It was replaced in 2019 by the creatively named ‘Tasman Achiever II’.
Over the 2011-12 Christmas and New Year period Searoad Ferries was running a three vessel service between Queenscliff and Sorrento, so I headed down the peninsula for a ride on their original ferry – MV Peninsula Princess.
Today moored at Queenscliff, MV Peninsula Princess is still available for revenue service when the later ferries are in dry dock.
Footnote
Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.
