Waking up in Geelong

Another instalment in my photos from ten years ago series – this time it is June 2011.

New trains

Brand new X’Trapolis trains were still being built – and I found some of the body shells waiting on the wharf at Appleton Dock after being imported from Poland.

Production of these trains ended a few years ago, future orders being High Capacity Metro Trains for the Pakenham, Cranbourne and Sunbury lines, and the upcoming X’Trapolis 2.0 for the rest of the network.

V/Line was also buying shiny new trains, with VLocity set VL49 having just entered service.

These trains continue to roll off the production line at Bombardier Dandenong, with 18 more still on order.

Meanwhile for the residents of North East Victoria, they finally got their rail service back after two and a half years.

With the first V/Line standard gauge train to Albury running, after the completion of the North East Rail Revitalisation Project.

But the end result left much to be desired – the service is as unreliable as ever, with spare trains needing to be thrown at the service, more money needing to be sunk into the track , and the promise of brand new VLocity trains dangled as a silver bullet.

Replacement buses

Out at Albion station I found a temporary footbridge that had been erected between platform and car park.

At Flemington Racecourse a “temporary” bus interchange was taking shape in the car park.

And between the two, a bus lane along Ballarat Road.

The reason – train replacement buses on the Sunbury line to allow works on the Regional Rail Link project to take place.

Unfortunately the lessons from this project like dedicated interchange bridges and bus lanes have been rejected on many projects since – buses getting stuck in traffic instead.

A level crossing

Meanwhile, level crossing removals were happening before the Level Crossing Removal Authority existed – Kororoit Creek Road in Altona North was getting a road over rail bridge.

The level crossing removal was part of a $48.5 million road duplication project, unlike some subsequent projects that built new level crossings.

A not so random clock

I paid a visit to Scienceworks, and found a clock outside the museum.

Built in 1882 for the original Flinders Street Station, in 2014 found a new home – Southern Cross Station, where it was placed atop a new stand then covered in advertising.

And away from the tracks

And we end the month down at Phillip Island on the Summerland Peninsula.

Once the site of Summerlands Estate.

But after a 25 year government buyback program, the last remaining houses were being demolished.

Allowing the land to be returned to nature as penguin habitat.

Footnote

Here you can find the rest of my ‘photos from ten years ago‘ series.

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