Archive for November, 2014

Melbourne Central’s missing myki machine

At the tram stop outside Melbourne Central Station, there is a black and yellow striped plywood box sitting where the myki machine used to be. So how long has it been missing for?

Regional Rail Link to skip Sunshine station?

As part of the Regional Rail Link project, platforms were built on the new tracks at just two stations: Footscray and Sunshine. With an inconvenient interchange at Footscray and no platforms at North Melbourne, Sunshine is the stand out station for passenger convenience. But will trains actually stop there?

Refreshing Melbourne’s ‘Bumblebee’ trams

Back in 2008 Melbourne’s tram network was overflowing with passengers, so Yarra Trams turned to a different tactic to address it – they imported five secondhand trams from France to expand their fleet. So how have they fared when exposed to Australian scrotes?

C2.5103 'Bumblebee 3' on route 96 westbound on Bourke Street at Swanston

Change at Footscray for the City Loop?

With no platforms for the Regional Rail Link tracks at North Melbourne, V/Line trains no longer stop at the station, forcing passengers for the City Loop to change trains at Footscray instead. So how much harder is this transfer for commuters?

Melway still beats Google Maps?

The other day the publishers of Melbourne’s Melway street directory boasted that their maps were more up to date than Google Maps, which reminded me of an experience I had the other month when trying to find my way in Footscray.

Footscray's Fordham Reserve on a Melway map