-----Original Message-----
From: Roderick Smith [mailto:rodsmith@werple.net.au]
Sent: Saturday, 17 February 2018 12:08 AM
To: 'transportdownunder@yahoogroups.com'
Subject: Daily Digest, Fri.16.2.18

I'm out of time. Balance and photos on Sunday.

Links:
Just before a train is about to pull up at Milan metro station in Italy, an 18-year-old rescues a two-year-old who falls onto the tracks.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/video/video-news/video-world-news/teen-rescues-toddler-from-train-tracks-20180215-52laa.html>

Roderick.

Metro Twitter, Fri.16.2.18
5.44 Alamein/Belgrave/Lilydale lines: Delays over 20 minutes (equipment faults in the Camberwell area).
- 5.55 We've been sitting at East Camberwell for about 20 minutes now, with no update. Any more info for commuters, as the website has nothing?
- 6.02 As nice as apologies are they don't help me getting to work. How long will this delay be? Over 20 minutes could mean 6 hours.
- 6.06 maintenance are on site at Camberwell and a repair time is currently unknown, it appears to be an external power fault (yet to be confirmed) has knocked all our signals out.
- 6.09 repair time unknown, maintenance is on the ground at Camberwell.
- 6.11 Now it is saying delays over 40 minutes. Your customers on the stuck trains shouldn't have to read this on the website. Some announcements would be advised.
- 6.14 we are checking why no announcements, the line is now suspended.
- 6.16 Service are Suspended between Box Hill & Burnley (equipment fault at Camberwell).
- Buses to replace trains Box Hill - Burnley. Buses have been ordered but may take over 60 minutes arrive, consider alternate transport. [the usual smug copout].
- 6.21 Unbelievable! I'm supposed to start work in about 30 mins. and I'm still stuck here at Flinders St.
- 6.25 because metro drivers don't believe in communications.
- This is why I drive.
- When you're already on the train that left the station, finding alternative transport is a bit hard don't ya think?
- over 60 minutes is now a minor delay?
- Over 60 minutes.
- 6.31 Buses to replace trains Box Hill - Burnley due to external power fault affecting trackside equipment. Buses have been ordered but may take over 60 minutes arrive, consider alternate transport. Tram route 109. [as if it has the capacity].
- 6.33 Buses to replace trains Riversdale - Burnley. Buses have been ordered but may take over 60 minutes arrive, consider alternate transport. Tram route 70. [does it have the capacity?].
- 6.33 Can you tell me how this is only a minor delay according to your website? It will have taken me over 2 hours to get to the city by the time I eventually arrive. If that is minor, Jesus!
- 6.58 Services are suspended Box Hill - Burnley. Because of limited bus availability, passengers are advised to defer travel plans or seek alternate transport.
- 7.04 According to the staff the bus may or may not run...maybe not for another half an hour!
- 7.08 How can you possibly be advising media that this is a “20min delay”? 3AW was reporting 20min delays even after 7.00.
- 7.09 How many people on a train, time 5 min frequency. How many on a tram with what frequency (plus usual passengers)? Do the maths.
- YOU ARE A JOKE.
- Are there any buses running between Hawthorn station and richmond?
- Any buses at all?
- 7.17 Delays over 90 minutes expected to last until 10.00.
- 7.24 And wait 1 day whilst I am right there on the ground? The field staff could have been directed to direct the mass who were lost promptly or put notices about the locations n schedules of the buses.
- 7.25 Are the buses coming?
- 7.29 Trains are running.
- 7.31 Trains have resumed, with Major delays.
- 7.32 Route 48, 70, 75 & 109 trams are experiencing higher than usual (disruption on the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale lines).
- 7.32 temporary repairs have been made. Trains will operate at lower than normal speed through the area and may take an addition 20 minutes for the journey.
- can you please do something about the low volume in your speakers?? I can't understand what the guy is saying! Heathmont station, the 6.42 up. It is very hard ti understand because is an open place but the volume is low.
- 7.34 might be worth getting 712 from Belgrave. I dare you to make announcement...last we heard at Belgrave is bus replacement.
- 7.35 how come now we see the bus replacement from BH to Ringwood?
- 7.48 Services may have resumed but they are infrequent, delayed and full.
- 7.52 Stuck in Camberwell from the last 25 minutes.
- 8.36 driver has now made 2 announcements.
- 8.40Full repairs are likely to take until at least 10am, possibly up to midday.
- 8.41 An additional 20 minutes for the journey...An hour and counting.
- 8.41 An hour to get from Chatham to somewhere just past Canterbury. Stuck between stations still. Barely audible announcements from the driver. What's the latest?
- 8.43 Cannot hear a thing the driver is saying.
- 8.43 Stuck on the train for ~20 min already. Between stations and no useful updates. First world problems!
- 8.54 Route 48, 70, 75 & 109 trams continue to experience higher than usual demand this morning. Trains on the Alamein line are operating with buses replacing trains between Riversdale and Camberwell stations.
- 9.38 Try 2 hours. 7.20 from Blackburn arrived at Melbourne Central at 9.15.
- 10.07 we checked back website/app was showing minor delays for a very short time when should have shown Suspended.
- 10.29 20 min delays? It was a 3 hour trip for what should of been 57 minutes!
7.03 Craigieburn Line: Major Delays (vandalism in the Pascoe Vale area).
- vandalism...every three weeks? This is the fourth time since December the boom gates at Pascoe Vale have failed...fix the problem!
- Issue has been caused by vandals stealing trackside rail equipment.
- Information we could have used BACK AT 6.30.
- Major Delays - Due to someone playing bad music in the Glenroy area. Any excuse will do.
- I am going to be late.
- Will this be resolved today? Planning my afternoon travels.
- Absolute joke of a company .. garbage. Three cancellations and delays in 5 days.. something should be done about this stinking service costing taxpayers work reputations and dollars.
- “Vandalism”.
22.40 Route 3 trams are delayed (a vehicle across the tracks in Derby Rd). 22.40 Route 3 trams have resumed after an earlier disruption.

Melbourne Express: Friday, February 16, 2018
8.39 Boom gates down on Union Road and four trains banked up. One Age reporter has seen the trains banked up and is giving up. She's going to work from home today.
A Metro spokesman said there is not a problem with the boom gates - they are in the lowered position at the moment because of the train congestion earlier, which has had a knock-on effect on train placement throughout the line.
7.51 Trains have resumed on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, but the Alamein branch is still suspended from Camberwell down.
The replacement buses Metro has ordered are now ferrying passengers to and from Burley and Box Hill.
There was some uncertainty earlier about whether those buses would also be for those on the Alamein branch, but I'm told Alamein passengers also get replacement buses.
Tom rides the Skyrail
Skyrail opened yesterday, and most of the blog was taken up with reporter Tom Cowie's impressions of the new line.
Here's his description of what the ride is like:
The suspension of the Alamein/Lilydale and Belgrave lines earlier (slower speed trains have since resumed along those lines) has had a knock-on effect with the tram network:
Route 48, 70, 75 & 109 trams are experiencing higher than usual demand because of disruption on the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale lines.
7.32 Expect crammed trams this morning
The suspension of the Alamein/Lilydale and Belgrave lines earlier (slower speed trains have since resumed along those lines) has had a knock-on effect with the tram network:
On this day in 1983, Victoria and South Australia were devastated by some of the biggest bushfires in their history.
In the February 17 edition of the age that year, we reported that 34 people had died and about 600 homes were destroyed.
Here's the article that appeared in the paper that day.
People on the balcony of Lorne Hotel watch as fire rolls over the Otway Ranges towards Lorne. Photo: Fairfax Archives
7.33 Trains have resumed between Box Hill and Burnley, but because the equipment fault fix is a temporary one, trains are running at reduced speeds.
The slower speeds could add up to 20 minutes to your journey.
7.29 Metro has just issued this statement about the Alamein/Lilydale/Belgrave line suspension:
Metro is advising passengers on the Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale lines to defer travel or consider other means of transport if possible due to an external power fault.
Witness appeal for Northcote tram crash
At about this time yesterday morning, a female cyclist was stuck by a tram in Northcote, around the intersection of St Georges Road and Beavers Road.
I reported the crash in the blog yesterday, and when I last checked in with Ambulance Victoria, the woman had been taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition with head injuries.
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the crash to contact them:
7.18 Metro: 90 minute delays on key lines.
I'm being told by a contact stuck out at Box Hill that the signal fault has been fixed, but that buses are still about half an hour away.
Trains have been suspended on the Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein lines because of an equipment fault in the Camberwell area.
7.10 Are oBikes being replenished?
Have more oBikes arrived in Melbourne?
Dan Bowen of the Public Transport Users Association noted earlier this week that the once-ubiquitious oBikes were a lot more scarce than they used to be, and perhaps in answer to his prayers, a shiny new rack of the bikes appeared near Parliament Station yesterday morning.
Let me know if you've seen more oBikes spring up in your area.
Box Hill: 6.40 Not a nice start to your Friday morning. Photo: Supplied
This pic was taken 15 minutes ago at Box Hill, shortly after the equipment fault knocked out the Almein/Belgrave and Lilydale lines.
6.49 Alamein/Belgrave/Lilydale lines suspended
With trains out between Box Hill and Burnley, that means the the Alamein line, which branches off near Camberwell is also knocked out all the way to Alamein Station.
While replacement buses are being arranged to travel between Box Hill and Burnley, it is unclear whether alternate transport is being arranged for the Alamein branch as well.
There's estimate yet on how long the faults will take to fix, so it looks like it's going to be a miserable morning for anyone hoping to commute into the city by public transport from Melbourne's east.
6.36 Trains suspended between Box Hill and Burnley
Lines suspended Photo: Craig Butt
Trains have been suspended on the Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein lines between Box Hill and Burnley because of an equipment fault in the Camberwell area.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-express-friday-february-16-2018-20180216-h0w68u.html>

Tradies and residents blamed for clogging up train station carparking in Glen Eira.
Caulfield Glen Eira Leader February 16, 2018
•Carnegie residents overshadowed by sky rail track beam
•Documents reveal sky rail advisory panel told not to get feedback
•Sky rail noise driving neighbours mad
•Shop owners say tradies hogging carparks
FED-UP residents are demanding more action to deter law-breaking tradies and neighbours clogging up commuter parking in Glen Eira.
People travelling to the city from Carnegie, Ormond, Glen Huntly and McKinnon have contacted Leader, saying it has become almost impossible to find a park after 7.20am.
They’re putting the blame on residents living in nearby apartments and tradies working nearby, who use the spaces but not the train.
Carnegie woman Belinda Poole says it’s “ridiculous” how many people have been parking in her street recently. Picture: Penny Stephens
They’re now calling for more warning signs, increased patrols at peak times, or boom gates leading to the park that would open only when you show your myki.
McKinnon mum Trish Scally said a surge in development near train stations was creating a daily headache for her and many other commuters.
She’s given up on parking at the station after witnessing three people parking their utes and sedans there before walking to nearby building sites with their tools.
But she was laughed at when she approached one and told him he could not park there.
“I wouldn’t mind if it was commuters there but it’s infuriating when it’s residents from the apartments and tradies,” Ms Scally said.
“Most of these apartments are built with reduced parking and it’s going to make on-street parking even harder to get.
“Better signage would help and the boom gates would solve it.”
A boom in apartments, like these in Carnegie, is being blamed for commuter carparking problems in Glen Eira. Picture: Valeriu Campan
Morning commuting woes are escalated in Carnegie with no commuter parking at all due to sky rail works.
Carnegie resident Belinda Poole lives beside Carnegie trsain station and said it was ridiculous how many cars had been parking on her street recently.
“Neighbours are nearly hitting each other when driving on the street,” Ms Poole said.
“There’s two-hour parking on one side but the council don’t enforce it so we just have to deal with it.”
Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen agreed it was a problem and suggested more signage, warnings and fines, and better connecting buses and infrastructure to ensure people could reach the station without a car.
He said boom gates, used in some major cities including Perth, were costly and should only be used as a last resort.
Public Transport Victoria has been contacted for comment.
get 25 comments http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-south/tradies-and-residents-blamed-for-clogging-up-train-station-carparking-in-glen-eira/news-story/3cbce3a982274cbac2f53ec7bcc6ce4d

Trains are back on schedule after three major trains lines suspended
Herald Sun February 16, 2018.
6.21 TRAIN commuters’ woes have finally come to a halt after major delays plagued three of Melbourne’s busiest train routes because of an equipment fault which suspended parts of the lines.
Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein train lines have resumed normal service after delays of up to 90 minutes sent the network into chaos from the early morning.
Trains had been suspended between Riversdale and Camberwell stations on the Alamein line after a part suspension due to damaged trackside equipment earlier this morning.
Replacement buses were ordered to get commuters to work but Metro has warned passengers to seek alternate routes to avoid delays.
Commuters were told to use route 70 and 75 trams to get to Flinders St Station.
One passenger on the Lilydale line told the Herald Sun his service took more than half an hour to get from Box Hill to Camberwell, travelling very slowly through all stations and stopping at each signal.
Uber drivers cashed in on this morning’s public transport nightmare...
Prices have surged, costing between $92 and $121 to get from Surrey Hills to Flinders St as people spilled off packed trains.
The same journey usually costs about $38.
The Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein train lines were shut down due to an external power fault affecting trackside equipment near Camberwell.
Passengers at Mitcham were warned of the disruptions between Box Hill and Burnley, and told to find alternative transport. Picture: Nathaniel Bane.
Camberwell station. Picture: Ian Currie
Mark, commuting from Box Hill station to the city, told 3AW there were many people waiting at the station.
“They are expecting replacement buses to arrive in 45 minutes,” he said.
Another person, Esme Weinstein, tweeted to Metro that people were sitting on the floor after a train had not moved for 40 minutes.
Anthony Edge told the Herald Sun he had boarded a train about 7.40am at Box Hill and had not made it to Chatham station, three stations away, within the hour.
“Stuck between stations. Metro says trains are moving. They are not,” he said.
Phil Alan said he caught the 7.42am train from Croydon Station before arriving in the CBD at 10am.
The Stony Point line is also running to schedule after it was suspended between Frankston and Stony Point because of a train fault.
There are delays of up to 15 minutes on the Cranbourne line.​
6.51 No trains between Box Hill and Burnley. Accept this happens. Catch a tram & get abused by the tram driver for making him run late!! He says I'm already 5mins late. Not sure how's that my fault. #yarratram
6.33 Buses to replace trains Riversdale - Burnley due to external power fault affecting trackside equipment . Buses have been ordered but may take over 60 minutes arrive, consider alternate transport. Tram route 70.
bits missing, and all photos.
NEW DATA SHOWS MELBOURNE’S WORST TRAIN LINES
PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVICES COMPLAINTS DOUBLE: PUBLIC TRANSPORT OMBUDSMAN
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/commuter-chaos-expected-as-three-major-trains-lines-suspended/news-story/a9e8c99e47d219f5d71c36af61058ba6>