Summer has started, so Metro Trains have started to remind passengers to keep hydrated.
☀️ Temperatures are heating up today, so passengers are reminded to stay hydrated. We have first aid members at Flinders St, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central, Parliament, Clifton Hill, Jolimont, Footscray, North Melbourne & Richmond during the morning peak if you need any assistance. pic.twitter.com/PR5uj2nq2D
— Metro Trains (@metrotrains) November 20, 2019
But one problem – nowhere to get a drink.
WHY DONT YOU HAVE WATER FOUNTAINS ON EVERY PLATFORM OF EVERY STATION?????
Unbelievable.— Prince Stieg (@CrustyStig) November 20, 2019
If you’re happy to drop a fiver for a plastic bottle of water, you’re in luck.
Tomorrow (Wed 18th) is forecast to see temperatures upwards of 40 degrees. If you’re planning to travel tomorrow please ensure you prepare yourself by carrying plenty of loose change to buy overpriced cold drinks from our many conveniently located vending machines. #MetroTrains
— Fake Metro Trains (@fakemetrotrains) December 17, 2019
Vending machines are everywhere.
Even at stations without staff.
And for a period – tram stops in the CBD!
With vending machine operators raking in the cash.
But it wasn’t always this way – drinking fountains could once be found on station platforms, like this one still at Caulfield.
If you’re a dog, then Metro Trains has you covered on the hydration front.
Drinking fountains having been provided at Footscray, Parliament, Caulfield, Showgrounds and Flemington Racecourse as part of new ‘Assistance Animal Relief Areas‘.
But the recent Mernda rail extension is a hopeful sign – each new station on the line has a drinking fountain on the platform.
As have some recently rebuilt stations, like Frankston.
And Reservoir.
Great that Reservoir Station is getting a new drinking fountain. A great feature for all stations. pic.twitter.com/L0g65R6aYj
— MelbourneOnTransit (@MelbOnTransit) December 21, 2019
Meanwhile with V/Line
Country trains have had water fountains onboard for decades, and V/Line continues the tradition today.
Originally VLocity trains were delivered without them (dead link) but after some bad publicity, they were retrofitted.
Meanwhile on the Gold Coast
The Gold Coast light rail system is flashy and new.
And it has drinking fountains at each light rail stop.
Just the thing for a trip back from the beach.
And in the ‘Old Country’
Australian railway operators are stacked with managers imported from the United Kingdom – pity they didn’t bring Network Rail’s enthusiasm for water bottle refilling points over with them.
Earlier this year we opened a third water bottle refilling point at @LondonWaterloo. All three have been used more than 50,000 times. Make sure to check them out, they’re free to use! #StationsDay @SW_Help pic.twitter.com/xiGsOoQcIT
— Network Rail Wessex (@NetworkRailWssx) October 15, 2019
March 2021 update
Now City West Water and Metro Trains have gotten together, and installed ‘Be Smart. Choose Tap’ water fountains at railway stations, including Sunshine.
Further reading
City of Melbourne drinking fountain map – south-east corner of Spencer and Collins Street is the closet one to Southern Cross Station.
In 2016 VicHealth published Provision of drinking water fountains in public areas – a local government action guide.
No first aid at SCS?
Good pickup – I suspect that it’s due to the private station management?
https://wongm.com/2014/09/first-aid-melbourne-railway-stations/
That’s interesting. No Sydney station has drinking fountains. They were also removed from all long distance trains a few years ago amidst fears that the water was often contaminated. Most drinking fountains were also removed from public locations and parks amidst fears of contamination and law suits. Similarly they were removed from schools. An extremely limited number of new drinking fountains have appeared in tourist areas but none on any railway property. I’m always fascinated how different states view things.
It seems that my wife & I were lucky to have got some drinking water at the beginning of the RNP trail near Bundeena.
15 years ago when I travelled on the Melbourne to Sydney XPT I was astonished to find that the buffet car sold hot water for 60 cents per cup. Providing complimentary hot water is probably the most common courtesy at most venues in China, including bank branches, mobile phone offices, long distance trains and stations, airports. Metro stations also have them although not always in publically accessible areas, but staff are happy to get you some.
Russian trains also have hot water boilers onboard all long distance trains – perfect for cups of tea, and cooking instant noodles.
https://www.eurogunzel.com/2016/03/steam-power-and-trains-in-modern-russia/
Sutherland and Waterfall stations, south of Sydney, certainly have drinking fountains.
They might avoid them due to coronavirus now. Any ploy to get your to buy some plastic you’ll discard 5 mins later.
Before the pandemic the Department of Health has been trying to get more water fountains installed around Victoria.
https://www2.health.vic.gov.au/about/publications/data/Increase-Access-to-Water-and-Water-Fountains
And government coronavirus advice says drinking fountains are okay, it’s everyone touching them which is the problem.
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-12/Frequently%20asked%20questions%20-%20How%20to%20safely%20use%20and%20clean%20cutlery%2C%20crockery%20and%20miscellaneous%20items.docx
Marcus! Your blog made it into my google news feed – that’s the big time.
Southern Cross coach terminal is the worst for this. Something about the air in there always makes me thirsty, and it seems that I’m not the only one – there is at least one vending machine there which is filled exclusively with Mount Franklin bottled water. Not a drinking fountain in sight.
Luckily there is a City of Melbourne drinking fountain on Lonsdale St just across Spencer St. It’s easy to nip out the top end of the coach terminal for a drink while you wait if you know where to go.
They have a list of drink fountains here:
https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/community/safety-emergency/emergency-management/Pages/water-fountains.aspx
A few years ago I was waiting for a train at Southern Cross and wanted to refill my drink bottle – walked over to the corner of Spencer and Collins Street, but the City of Melbourne drinking fountain was broken!
We lobbied hard (PTV Case#2019/281354) to get at least one water fountain included in the ‘floorplan’ for every new Train Station build. This has now been achieved.
Case No: 2019/281354 also requested that:
1. ‘Choose Tap’ app info and links be added to the relevant PTV and Metro websites that discuss hot-weather hydration, and
2. Call Centre and Station staff also be made aware of the app so they can advise commuters.
The app is endorsed by the Victorian State Government – https://www.vic.gov.au/mobile-apps-list
3. MTM consider adding “Drinking Water ->” directional signs to stations where the location of the closest hydration point is not clear.
I also reminded them that the tap/basin designs in the new stations do not allow enough clearance to refill a water bottle, so separate hydration points are necessary.
Separately, I have asked South East Water to explain why they are not a ChooseTap Partner when so many other water utilities in Melbourne & Victoria are already on board.
Their participation would significantly add to the number of public hydration points in the app for the South Eastern suburbs.
The need for Melbourne to have three separate government owned water retailers is a whole other question – another thing we can thank Jeff Kennett for!
https://www.afr.com/politics/user-pays-in-kennetts-1-3bn-water-reform-19971010-k7q8t
I need to update my previous post.. stuff I’ve learned in the past few days..
1. South East Water is now a Choose Tap partner.
2. The Choose Tap mobile phone app is discontinued, even tho it’s still listed on the Vic Govt website I mentioned earlier. I’ve escalated to Yarra Water to rectify as they are owners of Choose Tap.
3. Choose Tap service is now website-only and quite comprehensive.
Worth bookmarking this free service on your mobile device: https://choosetap.com.au/tap-finder
Hope this info is useful.
The app is in dire need of updating to support the screen resolution of iPhone X, 11 and 12 and I assume that’s why it’s been taken down until such tie as it can be updated.
The website it terrible for use on a mobile phone – very poor contrast and the map is extremely fiddly to navigate.