When trains aren’t running V/Line passengers are used to being packed onboard replacement buses, but there is an even more expensive mode of substitute transport that V/Line makes regular use of – taxis! I first became aware of it years ago when a mate who uses a mobility scooter tried to travel to Seymour on […]
With works all over the rail network, train replacement buses have been a familiar sight around Melbourne. But in recent times something new has appeared alongside them – train replacement accessible taxis. Thankfully inaccessible high floor buses are becoming a thing of the past – on paper the bulk of buses are now accessible to […]
You might have noticed something about Melbourne’s railway station footbridges – they are bloody high, with long ramps and stairs leading up to them. So why do they need to be so high above the tracks?
Last week I detailed the accident of history that saw ramps being favoured over stairs on Melbourne’s railway network, despite the absence of any requirement to provide easy access for people with disabilities. So how has the network developed since then, and why have a combination of lifts and ramps become the current standard? Entering […]
In your travels by train around Melbourne, you might have noticed something – the vast majority of stations are accessed via ramps, not stairs. This is reinforced by the current version of the Public Transport Victoria network map, which states – “Step free access at all stations except Heyington”. This sounds like quite a win for accessibility, and the result of years of hard and diligent work – but in reality it is just an accident of history based on the way that Melbourne’s rail network was built.
