As Melbourne grows so has congestion, as public transport infrastructure struggles to keep up. But it isn’t just trains becoming overcrowded – the platforms they stop at are also bursting at the seams – but with much more serious consequences if someone falls onto the tracks. As a result, Metro Trains Melbourne has tried various tactics to keep passengers moving.
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station platform 4 and 5 get incredibly crowded in peak times, with every passenger bound for Sunbury, Craigieburn and Upfield lines trying to squeeze onto it, along with a handful of passengers wanting to make their way out to Blackburn on a stopping-all-stations trains.
As a result, in 2012 the entire eastern end of the platform was cleared out – vending machines, seats and timetables.
But that wasn’t enough – Authorised Officers are sometimes deployed on crowd control duty, telling clueless passengers to keep on walking down the platform.
North Melbourne Station
North Melbourne platform 1 is another pinch point in morning peak, as passengers wanting to access the City Loop try to squeeze onboard already crush loaded Craigieburn line services.
Authorised officers are deployed to get passengers to wait away from the escalators.
But sometimes crowds of passengers still get left behind.
Congestion also occurs at North Melbourne platform 5, so ‘For safety reasons please keep hatched area clear at all times’ signs have been added beneath the escalator.
But congestion also occurs in the reverse direction – exiting passengers in morning peak swap the single escalator towards the overhead concourse.
So authorised offices have been posted on the platform with portable fences, directing waiting passengers away from the busiest doors.
At least the number of escalator failures seems to have dropped since their 2015 peak!
Footscray Station
A different problem occurs at Footscray platform 1, where passengers run at the closing doors.
The reason – V/Line passengers changing for the City Loop have to exit the station then enter again to find their citybound train.
Metro’s solution – post authorised officers to the platform to tell people not to force the train doors.
Southern Cross Station
Southern Cross Station is the prime example of platform congestion.
Platform 13 and 14 is ‘bad’ – when in morning peak an entire train load of Werribee line passengers will swamp the pair of ‘up’ escalators at the Collins Street end in no time.
But the morning queues on platform 9 and 10 are worse – waiting passengers block the train driver’s view down the curved platform, meaning trains are delayed in departing.
The queues for the escalator often outlast the train that deposited the passengers.
So Metro often posts Authorised Officers on crowd control duty to keep the edge of the platform clear.
Platform 10 also has a different problem in evening peak – passengers crowding the first door of trains, thanks to the staggered platform layout at the Bourke Street end.
In February 2018 Metro tried roping off the Bourke Street end to distribute passengers along the platform, as well as prevent last minute arrivals from running for the train, but it didn’t seem to go anywhere.
But the armageddon of platform congestion happened in April, when two of the three escalator failed at the same time.
Metro had to post a platoon of customer service staff to direct passengers up the sole remaining escalator.
Extra staff at the Bourke Street end, to encourage passengers to use the other exit.
Along with staff to provide extra ‘incentive’.
As well as a supervisor on the Collins Street configure to keep an eye on the entire operation.
Footnote
Over at Melbourne on Transit is a post on the escalator saga – Southern Cross Station: How it works (or doesn’t)
And a sidenote from Hong Kong
Metro Trains’ parent company in Hong Kong deploys plenty of platform staff to keep passengers clear of the doors.
Holding up ‘STOP’ signs to passengers while the doors close.
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Could the Southern Cross escalator saga happen at suburban stations with only elevators and stairs?
Laverton station comes to mind – it only has stairs and lifts, so when they break down anyone unable with wheels is stuck on the platform:
https://www.starweekly.com.au/news/1800288-broken-laverton-railway-station-lifts-a-discrimination/
Would increasing the frequency of trains have any impact on overcrowding?
If the number of passengers stays constant, running more frequent trains would mean fewer passengers per train, and less ‘bursty’ traffic hitting the platform – but why would more trains be running if they’re empty?
It’s more likely that if each train is packed to the rafters, then more trains means more passengers.
I think you’ve made a strong case in the past, Marcus, for reopening the underpass. It’d surely be the cheapest option. Oh, but that wouldn’t force people through the retail areas, would it?
The old subway also forced passengers to go past shops – note the coffee stall and newsagent.
As a politician said, we welcome a big Australia, yet we don’t seem to able to deal with it. Even in the middle of the day, stations are overwhelmed with numbers of people arriving by train, as I experienced today at Flinders Street Station. I can’t imagine what it is like in peak time, but at least they will be experienced train users and know what to do.
In the USA they also complain about failing infrastructure – a common problem with politicans and neoliberalism rather than population growth?
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-infrastructure-congress-trump-20181202-story.html
Congestion at Flinders St and Southern Cross is clear enhanced by Melbourne’s moronic system of not announcing or displaying where trains are going to go, when they arrive there, forcing people to get off just to find out where the train is going next.
The fact that trains are transposed on a regular basis means it’s a hard problem to solve.
I recall a few years ago, waiting for a train at southern cross which left while passengers were still alighting from the train. It’s high time we had timetables and dwell times which were passenger centered instead of attempting to stick doggedly to performance targets.
The default response to congestion often seems to be cause more congestion but also ramp up the sheep herding.
I’d prefer more ramping up from platforms!
I wonder what it would take to change the attitude to egress from the North end of the North-soon-to-be-called-West Melbourne station. (Not to be confused with the future North Melbourne station – I expect it will be confused but perhaps then signs and perhaps staff will be deployed ordering people to call the existing station ‘West Melbourne ;~| )
When hundreds disembark there to catch replacement services they not only have to walk to the South end and then past the North end again, they are queing up to use the few toilets down south and not even told about the facilities at the apparently embarassingly more competently designed North end.
Tram stops have also been moving towards sheep herding.
https://wongm.com/2015/11/bourke-spencer-street-tram-stop-overcrowding/
The ‘good’ form of sheep herding would be to keep entry and exit streams of passengers separated, but I can’t think of any Melbourne examples – it’s a free for all headed through the ticket gates.