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Subject: Tues.7.5.19 daily digest

Roderick
190423Tu 'Canberra Times' - light rail failure.
190505Su Melbourne 'Age' - Wellington (NZ) funicular.
190505Su Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - Wellington (NZ) funicular.
190507Tu Melbourne 'Age':- train fix.
190507Tu Melbourne 'Herald Sun':- letters (rail, road).- cbd electronic advertising.- Jewell.- level crossing.
Tues.7.5.19 Metro Twitter.
8.52 Frankston/Pakenham/Cranbourne lines: Minor delays (heavy rail congestion within the inner-city area). Flinders Street pfm 6 is unavailable for loop arrivals (equipment faults not repaired overnight). Some trains may be altered to run direct from Richmond.
- 9.10 The problem is now fixed. Delays are starting to clear quickly.
- 9.43 An hour wait for a train at Cranbourne heading to the city isn't a minor delay.
- For individual services we use our metroNotify app and website;  we sent a 'major delays' message for the 9.21 & 9.41.
- ‘Heavy rail congestion in the inner city area’ Really?
8.54  Sandringham line: Minor delays because of heavy rail congestion within the inner-city area.
- Doesn’t Sandy run independently of other services?
- Correct, but with some services altered to a different platform, it did affect one train with delay of 12 min,  and three others with delays to 5 minutes.
- 9.10 The problem is now fixed. Delays are starting to clear quickly.
15.40 Werribee/Williamstown lines: Major delays Footscray - Newport (a truck has struck Napier St underline bridge).  Trains will be held.
- 15.47 Trains are now moving again, with delays up to 8 minutes.
19.22 Frankston line: Minor delays clearing after police attended to a trespasser near Mentone.
- 20.13 There are still substantial delays on the Frankston line
Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Upfield from 20.20 (maintenance works).
20.25 Sunbury line: Major delays outbound while we attend to an ill passenger requiring medical attention.
- 20.25 Just get them off the train and treat it.
Buses replace trains Newport - Williamstown from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: All trains will run direct to/from Flinders St from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Sunbury line: Buses replace trains North Melbourne - Sunshine from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Melbourne Express, Tuesday, May 7, 2019
'She was distraught' Another train passenger has told of witnessing a mother getting separated from her baby as she boarded a train on Friday night.
The mother was halfway on the train when the doors closed on her arms. Passengers managed to get the pram on board but the mother was left on the platform.
"The mother was quite distraught," a witness told 3AW.
Rail staff collected her baby at the next station and mother and baby were reunited. DO you know more? Get in touch via  email or Twitter.
Train doors separate mother, baby. A mother has been separated from her baby after getting stuck in the doors of a city train.
A passenger said that the mother was boarding the train on Friday night when the doors closed on her arms. Passengers managed to pull the pram on board but the frantic mother was left stranded on the platform.
Passengers alerted railway staff, who collected the pram and baby and reunited them with the mother at the next station.
Search for missing 95 year old. A 95-year-old Toorak man has been missing since Saturday. Ronald McMaster was last seen at a service station at Nar Nar Goon about 9am on Saturday where he refuelled his 1965 Austin sedan.
It's believed Mr McMaster may have been sighted driving through Rosedale about midday on Saturday. He's thought to be travelling to Bermagui in NSW.
He was last seen wearing a red jumper over a blue shirt and grey trousers.
A 300-year-old red gum, the height of a seven-storey building and pre-dating white settlement of Victoria, will be cut down for the North East Link toll road. An irretrievable mistake or the price of progress?
The magnificent river red gum stands proud in front of a Caltex service station in Bulleen. Credit: Joe Armao
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-express-tuesday-may-7-2019-20190507-p51kph.html>
Removing More Crossings In The Booming South East
Minister for Transport Infrastructure 7 May 2019
Construction to remove two dangerous and congested level crossings on the Pakenham line will begin within a year at Clyde Road, Berwick and Cardinia Road, Pakenham.
Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan was at Clyde Road in Berwick today to announce timings for the two projects and encourage locals to attend an upcoming information session.
Boom gates at both crossings are down for around a third of the two-hour morning peak, disrupting the flow of the combined 45,000 vehicles that pass through each day.
Works at Clyde Road will start in 2020, meaning it will be for good in 2022.. The level crossing is the source of frustrating delays for ambulances travelling to Casey Hospital along with thousands of people making their way to local schools and tertiary institutions each weekday.
The crossing – located on a key arterial road – also causes congestion on the Princes and Monash freeways. Meanwhile, level crossing removal works at Cardinia Road in booming Pakenham have been fast-tracked, with construction set to begin in late 2019 and wrap up by the end of 2021. Delivering on a Labor Government commitment from late 2018, a road bridge will be built over the rail line.
This choice of design has been backed up by detailed geotechnical and land surveys, which show that raising the road will limit impacts to major underground gas, electricity, communications and sewerage services. Because construction can take place within the road reserve, a road-over-rail design will also minimise disruption for rail and road users. The protection of nearby wetlands was also a key consideration.
Nine level crossings have already been removed on the Pakenham line – with the removal of three more already in the planning or design stage. Now, four more have been prioritised for removal, which would leave only five remaining between Pakenham and the CBD.
Locals are urged to provide feedback and stay informed by coming along to a drop-in information session or signing up for email updates at www.levelcrossings.vic.gov.au
Quote attributable to Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan
“One by one, we’re getting rid of every single level crossing in Pakenham – freeing up space to run more trains and helping people get home safer and sooner.”
Quote attributable to Member for Bass Jordan Crugnale                                                                    
“Like every other motorist in this area I dread the sound of those boom gates. They’ve got no place in these growing communities and they’ve got to go.”
Quote attributable to Member for Narre Warren South Gary Maas                                                           
“These crossings clog up local roads and cause traffic chaos around schools, universities, hospitals – it’s time for them to go.”
7 May 2019 Level Crossing Blitz To See 8 Gone In Melbourne’s North
3 May 2019  Federal Labor Shows Leadership On Victorian Infrastructure
30 April 2019  Metro Tunnel’s Town Hall Station Taking Shape
Removing More Crossings In The Booming South East
Minister for Transport Infrastructure
<www.premier.vic.gov.au/removing-more-crossings-in-the-booming-south-east>
Reopening the Spencer Street underpass is still just a pipe dream May 7, 2019. 52 comments
It’s been a common suggestion for solving the overcrowding at Southern Cross station: why not open up the subway under Spencer Street that was closed off more than a decade ago?
A broken escalator on platforms nine and 10 has thrown the spotlight on congestion at one of Melbourne’s busiest train stations – however one way of easing the bottleneck appears unlikely to be used.
The underpass beneath Spencer Street was closed in 2005.Credit:Nick Kocher
The underpass from Little Collins Street to Southern Cross will remain closed in the near future due to large pipes, added since the station’s redevelopment, that have made it unsuitable for public use.
The subway has been closed since 2005 but a dramatic spike in passenger numbers at Southern Cross has led to congestion on the station's platforms and at surrounding road intersections. An estimated 280,000 passengers use the station each day.
The broken-down escalator to platforms nine and 10 has compounded the problem, causing peak-hour delays for commuters on the busy Hurstbridge/Mernda and Belgrave/Lilydale/Alamein/Glen Waverley lines for almost a month.
The escalator is expected to remain out of action for several more weeks while a part is ordered from overseas.
Commuters slowly making their way up the escalators at Southern Cross Station on Tuesday morning. One escalator is broken and may not be fixed for months. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui
With public frustration growing, the hunt is on for solutions. Last month a $300 million proposal to build an elevated footbridge was rejected by the Andrews government.
When The Age reported on the congestion plaguing the station recently, a number of readers suggested the idea of reopening the subway:
John wrote: "Re-establish the old subways connecting the platforms with the eastern side of Spencer Street. The old Spencer Street station may not have been pretty but it was efficient in allowing a flow of foot traffic between the platforms and the street. The escalators are a bottleneck."
Mike wrote: "Reopen the now unused pedestrian subway which has access to all platforms except 15 & 16. This will ease the congestion at the concourse (Collins Street) end of the station."
David wrote: "Use the existing tunnel network that runs beneath all of the platforms (currently only for back of house services). As an everyday commuter I have seen the exponential growth and it’s only a matter of time until someone falls onto the track due to the severe overcrowding of platforms in peak hours."
The stairway entrance to the tunnel can be seen outside the Savoy Hotel on Little Collins Street, although it has been fenced off and boarded up to prevent people from entering.
The closed off entrance to the underpass on Little Collins Street.Credit:Joe Armao
The thoroughfare runs directly to the middle of the station's platforms, which still have ramps that connect with the underpass. They have also been closed off to the public.
In 2016, the City of Melbourne allocated $750,000 towards reopening the subway. A council spokesperson said an investigation found that "significant" underground services had been installed in the tunnel along the west side of Spencer Street.
"These large pipes prevent access through the tunnel," the spokesperson said.
David Davis, shadow minister for public transport, said those services could be relocated and the tunnel reopened to help reduce the congestion choking Southern Cross.
"While there is currently some service usage of this tunnel, it would provide the opportunity for additional access and take the load off current facilities that are stretched to the limit," he said.
Illustration: Matt Golding Credit:
The utilities housed in the subway include water, power, data, cleaning, station maintenance, gas, fire systems, meal preparation and rail baggage handling. It is also an emergency access point.
"Unfortunately it would not be safe to open the subway for passengers," a PTV spokesperson said.
A spokesperson from Civic Nexus, the group that manages the station, declined to comment on the status of the tunnel or any reopening but confirmed that the repair of the broken escalator "could still be several weeks away".
"As it stands today the situation is that there has been no change. The part that has broken down is a rare part, it’s not common for that part to break down," they said.
"It’s a bespoke part that’s been ordered from overseas. That’s the reason for delay. We don't have a time frame on the repair as yet, but we hope to have an update soon."
Commuters at the old Spencer Street station.Credit:Neil Newitt
A Public Transport Victoria spokeswoman said the government body was "disappointed the issue with the escalators has not been resolved quickly".
"Civic Nexus have an obligation to keep passengers moving throughout the station, through the contract they have with the state," she said.
The PTV spokeswoman said that extra staff are assisting passengers and managing crowds to ensure trains are boarded safely, with no changes to train services on platforms nine and 10.
By 2031, Southern Cross operators expect passenger numbers to grow to an extra 100,000 a day, with the long-awaited airport rail link potentially delivering even more passengers.
The underpass was in heavy use until it was decommissioned.Credit:John Donegan
If passenger numbers reach 30,000 people an hour – a number that may have already been surpassed – and the government refuses to fund upgrades, Civic Nexus has a contractual right to lower key performance indicators relating to cleaning and maintenance of the station.
Related Article Peak hour at Southern Cross Station. Crowd crush at Southern Cross but station revamp faces long delays
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/reopening-the-spencer-street-underpass-is-still-just-a-pipe-dream-20190507-p51krp.html>
* Who makes the escalators? Why is there no Service Level Agreement for fixing these escalators in a timely fashion? Clearly they are a critical piece of infrastructure. Would be no surprise if they are not manufactured in Australia, and now we’re waiting for overseas parts?
* They closed the subway to stop people bypassing the shops. They will keep it closed for the same reason. They know who the station is there to serve..
* You have read that they needed the underpass for critical infrastructure? You have proof otherwise?
* I ordered clothing from Europe. It took a week to get to me in Australia. How is the escalator part 'several weeks away'. Are they sending it by sea? Incidentally it cost $750,000 to discover that the old subway has pipes blocking it, so I'm sure a few extra dollars could be found for air freight, even if it's a big part. Doubtless there's a few travellers who would be happy to chip in.
* "Bespoke" means it is not an off the shelf part. It has to be machined and built from scratch. And there may be other work at the head of the queue. That would be the reason for the long delay. But if they're smart, they'll order spares to keep on hand for any future eventuality.
* There are a lot of pipes and services down there, but there's commercial space. Why would a shortcut past the shops be approved?
If you're not walking past and spending cash in rented tenancies then you're simply wasting the building operators time.
* The whole PPP deal involved in the redevelopment of Spencer Street station resulted in a poor outcome. You have to wonder too why the transport minister at the time, Lyn Kosky, buried the papers in relation to it for decades into the future.
* I just can't understand why a government simply can't say- 'thats a good idea. We'll get it done." I understand that the tunnels can't be used at the moment. But the infrastructure is there, it doesn't need to built. Just commit to tidying it up and open it...
* If the subway is closed, it means more foot traffic for the businesses surrounding Southern Cross and in the station itself. They don't want to limit their tenants' income because it affects the revenue of the station if they do.
The tunnel was one of the first things rebuilt. Why is it "allegedly" sitting filled with pipes??
It smells like BS.
* From memory, the Spencer Street subway was very wide. They must be big pipes and services. Who was responsible for this decision? Can a PTV employee forward on a current photo of the subway? Platforms 9 and 10 are dangerous!
* Obviously there is severe under planning with Southern Cross. First there should be sufficient parts in the country to repair an escalator. Second, you can get any part in days when you fly them in so forget the cost. Done it.
In the meantime the underpass which I have used extensively should never have been closed nor used to run pipes.....
Round up the operators of Southern Cross and explain to them s..l..o..w..l...y why their contract has been torn up......
* Because it's a kill box that would have been recommended closing due to the terrorist risk posed. This is the world we live in - guess you'll just have to have a packed commute like any place with four million people living there.
* Garbage excuse. The whole city and its entire PT system is exposed to a terrorist risk. We may as well shut down every train and tram along with the pedestrian tunnels. Spend a moment in any subway system in any other city in the world and you will find yourself walking through kilometres of pedestrian tunnels packed with commuters.
* That risk is triaged so those operations you outlined mitigate risk where necessary. Having spent many moments in many systems across the globe in and out of uniform; some risk as present greater threats than others.
Choke points with limited ingress/egress and poor vision will generally pose too much of an operational challenge to defend or manage long term. Long tunnels with alternative entrances, enhanced monitoring like the ones you mentioned are tactically sound.
Short boxes with compressed entrances and few exit alternatives can simply not be worth the risk. Thank you for your insight.
I've seen tunnels so terror is a garbage excuse. Good one.
* As one of those who worked there through the nightmare of the station's redevelopment, I can tell you that most of us were mystified by the decision to close the underpass. Quite myopic.
Choke-points may serve as more efficient controls for ticket verification and passenger counts, but not only are they an inconvenience to the public....but also a dangerous complication in the event of a severe emergency...as has been demonstrated in historical scenarios overseas.
* What exactly are these pipes that have been put in the underpass? Can they be temporarily removed or boarded up to make the passage usable again?
* Can we have a photo of the mystery part please ? We still have some pretty good machine shops in this country with C&C machines. Did they have to send the faulty part overseas so it could be copied at a lower cost. Which country is this part being made ? Why do these elevators even use bespoke parts ?
* Various levels of government view subways as a security risk. They are also wheelchair unfriendly, as such there are always demands for lifts to be installed.
* Would be nice to extend the Bourke St pedestrian skyway across Spencer St directly to the Bourke St tram stop and branching down towards Collins.
Adding a third escalator to the north end of the platforms would also be good.
* Let's see if Steve Bracks can explain why he permitted this pedestrian tunnel to be usurped by developers as a cheap way to install pipes for some unknown service? When they rebuilt the station they should have been adding pedestrian tunnels, not deleting them.
* The re-development of the station has been a massive failure. It's overcrowded, dark and dingy. The lack of foresight in not planning for increased commuter numbers is astonishing.
* Bureaucracy.....never a shortage of reasons for not doing something seemingly logical.
* You Cannot Be Serious!
* A band aid on a not so old, very flawed design. Our stations, Airports public transport are an international embarrassment. I’ll tell you what though, big talking Bill is going to fix everything!
* The remedy is to cut immigration by 50% and close down the international student racket.
* I would love to see the subway open again, as well as the great food shops that were down there.
The closest thing you could get to sushi in those days was the a perfectly cooked spring roll.. yum!
* All of the crossing around major city stations are dangerous to pedestrians, there's simply not enough real estate for people to stand. Opening the subways would be a good start. Also why not get a quick fix and set up diagonal crossings. It saves foot traffic at each corner and people can get about faster. I beggers belief that we still have ancient crossings when all major cities in the world have diagonal crossings as common practice and not to mention longer crossing times (usually providing a count down clock). In front of Flinders you can't even get halfway across before the red man is blinking and the cars are reeving.
* Time and again government is won and lost in Victoria in issues surrounding rail and broader public transport. Inaction on this bring a significant voting bloc against the Andrew’s government. And I write this as a strong Andrew’s government supporter of their rail infrastructure improvements over the past few years.
* Billions of dollars worth of desperately needed rail upgrades and improvements being completed by the Andrews government are not going to be undone because one station is a little over crowded at peak times.
Please give Victorian voters a little more respect than that.
The big question is how on earth can an escalator be out of action for so long? Custom parts? What on earth for? It's just an escalator...
* How about successive State Labor governments stop getting rent-seekers to deliver road, rail and water projects in this state? That way we can be in control of OUR infrastructure and make changes as we see fit and for nothing more than cost. The added bonus is that we're not paying billions to private companies over the next couple of decades, all so they can get the cheap debt off the books for political reasons via rent seekers who finance at higher rates and wish to make a profit on top of that!
* It would make sense if it actually worked but we've been there, done that, and the number of strikes was ridiculous. In particular at election time they would hold the government to ransom, with a private company that is not trying to get elected they have to play by more normal rules.
* So you're happy for paying three times the buying price for infrastructure?
* I guess it beats successive Liberal governments doing absolutely nothing.
* Why can't they put someone on a plane to bring that much needed escalator part from overseas. Slow boat from China?
* Looks like they have to make it first.
* Nobody in Australia can make an escalator part? Not even in the age of 3D printing?  It's a complete joke. Heads need to roll, maintenance contracts should be ripped up and fines dished out for not meeting service targets.
* The old way was much better and safer. Anything that separates pedestrians and cars is a good thing.
* Yes. Whilst road and rail are being separated more and more rail users are spilling on to roads as pedestrians.
* Southern Cross Station after the football at Marvel is not just a squeeze, but is downright dangerous.
* Agree, but gives me a reason to stay for a drink after the game while the crowd thins.
* I've been saying it over and over. Do up the subways under the station and reopen it, if not across Spencer Street, at least just between platform to platform. The underpasses under Flinders Street Station are not pretty, but at least they're useful.
* The Flinders St Station underpass is also surprisingly under utilised considering the people-jam going on above. People are like lemmings and generally don't appear to be able to think for themselves any longer.
* Its all there- laying to waste.
* It's a chronic lack of foresight that allows facilities like pedestrian tunnels to be closed, and then jammed with junk. Reopening them would be a good part solution.
Eventually though, the reality will be that the footpaths along Spencer St will have to be widened, and traffic movements reduced. Crossing times for pedestrians to and from the Station will have to be lengthened considerably to disperse crowding.
This is a fairly urgent safety issue. There are thousands more people crossing the street than driving along it.
* You tend to get that when the government allow rent seekers get their claws in public assets.
* To make it even more attractive, as far as I can see they extended the pedestrian underpass under Wurundjeri Way so there's access to and from the station directly into the Docklands area behind the BoM building. But, yes, it's full of big stormwater pipes to drain away the enormous amount of water collected on the huge roof.
* There must be a lot of pipes down there......oh wait I see PTV or Maintenance team ride on buggies able to get down the ramps all the time from the platforms. They must be moving along some sort of passageway - surely pipes can just be fenced off with access hatches for maintenance.
* There is another tunnel at the North Melbourne end of the platforms that used to be for service and catering vehicles.
That one, while of similar dimensions to the old pedestrian tunnel - only runs between platforms 1 and 8.
* Not when the station owners are pushing the government for a windfall, upgrade spend on the station. As always just follow the money trail.
* You'd think that, at least they could do it temporarily- but I guess its felt that if someone tripped, they'd be sued....

Andrews Government locks in elevated rail plans to remove level crossings on Upfield, Mernda lines
Herald Sun May 7, 2019
video: Reservoir station demolition
Two sky rail bridges will be built through Melbourne’s north as part of a $1 billion project to remove eight level crossings.
The state government has locked in plans to upgrade the Upfield and Mernda lines, which also includes new stations being built at Coburg, Moreland, Preston and Bell.
Motorists in Preston are currently trapped by boom gates which can be down for up to 40 per cent of the morning peak hour period — a problem that will only get worse as more trains are scheduled to run on the Mernda line.
The Bell St level crossing is slated for removal. Picture: George Salpigtidis
But the new rail bridge through the area will see level crossings removed at Murray Rd, Bell St, Cramer St and Oakover Rd.
Major works will start next year and be completed by 2021, with the government saying that lowering the railway line under the road would have taken another 18 months to build.
The Upfield line rail bridge will be completed by next year, removing crossings at Bell St, Reynard St and Munro St in Coburg, as well as Moreland Rd in Brunswick.
About 150,000 vehicles pass through the eight level crossings every day.
Coburg station will be rebuilt, but the heritage-listed building will be preserved. Picture: Ellen Smith
There have been more than 50 near misses at the crossings since 2005, along with one death and two seriously injured.
Information sessions will be held with locals soon, which will also given them the opportunity to provide ideas on how to use the new open space created under the rail bridges.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the government was “getting on with the job of removing these dangerous crossings” — which are part of Labor’s pledge to remove 75 level crossings by 2025.
“This is part of a huge investment in the inner north creating jobs and better connections for those living and working in these communities,” she said.
STATION PLANS UNVEILED FOR FRANKSTON LINE
MOST DANGEROUS CROSSING FOR KIDS REVEALED
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/andrews-government-locks-in-elevated-rail-plans-to-remove-level-crossings-on-upfield-mernda-lines/news-story/fa0e617f1cff5c7a5f70c9021be1841d>
* For the northern suburbs along the Craigieburn line from Pascoe Vale,... boom gates down for 25 minutes Monday morning... grid lock through the northern suburbs... when that happens, Bell Street to Camp Road, 3 crossings Gaffney Street, Devon and Glenroy Roads well you can't get across ...with it being a labour stronghold ... it's not on the agenda.... why would you vote Labour....
* All good news for motorists but will they run any extra trains? No.
* Right through Green territory - bring out the NIMBYs.
* I’m lucky enough to live in Melbourne’s leafy Eastern suburbs where the line went under the roads - Blackburn for example and even as far out as Bayswater. These massive over the road train bridges are just awful. They ruin the surrounding areas and if I lived along these lines, I’d be up in arms too. Stop ruining our suburbs and run the lines under the roads! We get one chance to get this right for us and the generations ahead. Don’t ruin our beautiful city with these monstrosities!
* Please do Hoppers Crossing.
* A 1 Billion dollar project?  For eight level crossings?
Didn't Denial Andrews tell us that the whole project of removing 50 level crossings was only going to cost 5 Billion?
Do we really know the total cost of these removals or is this once again Labor economics 101?
I suppose we won't know the real cost until the budget comes out after the Federal Election and we learn all the new taxes that we will be hit with to help pay for all this union membership payments!
* Why wouldn't you take out Brunswick Rd and Park St at the same time and build sky rail the whole length
* No give em Skyrail, good enough for us in Carnegie.
* The best option - sky rail - is good enough, and that's what they're getting.
* I don't know why Dandenong/Frankston line people feel they have been singled out "Skyrail" has been used for the last century in the inner city.  It's not new.
* Maybe you should actually read the article. We are getting the elevated rail and we’re not bleating on about it like you.
* Could you imagine the carry-on if the Liberals had tried to put in Skyrail. Over on the ABC Jonny Faine would have been howling from the rooftops.
* So if it can take 12 to 18 months to build new railway along existing train line to remove crossings (which is great), why does it take 20 years to build what could be an elevated railway all the way to the airport? I cannot understand why it takes so long for this....come look in China and in 20 years they built an extensive underground rail system for the complete city of Guangzhou! What is wrong with us?
* There is a steady rise in the Mernda line all the way from Clarke St Northcote - wouldn't it have been easier to just dig a culvert and go under the roads?
* Then whether it be the road or rail, what if it floods badly..? Then what..
* since when did easy or sensible ever go with this current or any previous labor government?
* No, that would be far too logical.   The ambiance must be shattered.
* Good to hear that this is happening. I live in the area and it’ll make a great difference to travel times.
Distraught mother left behind as train departs Southern Cross station with baby on board Tues.7.5.19
A woman stands in a Metro train as the doors close.
Photo: Metro staff alerted the driver and the mother was reunited with her child at Flagstaff. (ABC News: Danielle Bonica)
A distraught mother spent a "frightening" four minutes separated from her child when a peak-hour train departed Southern Cross station without her.
Key points:
•Metro said the mother and child were reunited after about four minutes
•Passengers and platform staff reported the incident and the train stopped past the end of the platform
•Incidents of parent-child separations happen every fortnight, Metro said
The mother and her child made a mad dash to catch the 5:30pm Lilydale train at Southern Cross station on Friday.
With the doors about to close, the woman put the pram on the train, then the doors closed before she could get on.
It is understood the mother's arms were stuck in the doors for a brief period but she got them out before the train left without her.
Help was called when passengers and Metro staff alerted the driver.
Metro staff picked up the child at Flagstaff and waited for the mother to arrive.
The general manager of security for Metro, Anthony Fewster, said it would have been a scary experience.
"This was a frightening ordeal for the mother and child involved, with Metro employees acting quickly to reunite them as soon as possible," he said.
Separation incidents 'not uncommon'
Metro says the plan would not compromise passenger safety.
Photo: Incidents like this are fairly common at Flinders St, Richmond and Southern Cross, Mr Frewster said. (ABC News: Peter Giafis)
Although the train stopped a short distance from the platform, the woman was not allowed to get the child because Melbourne's trains cannot reverse and due to safety protocols, the doors cannot be opened after the train has left the platform.
"The feedback from station staff and from the mother is that she was extremely relieved, especially with how quickly the situation was resolved," Mr Fewster said.
This type of incident is surprisingly common, Mr Frewster said, and often happened during peak hour at Flinders Street and Southern Cross, and at Richmond station after blockbuster football matches.
"We have parent-child separations possibly every fortnight and they are usually managed in a very similar way," he said.
"It's definitely too many, we want to see people as safe as possible.
"We have seen the trend [go] down over the last six months but a range of behaviours or issues or distractions can result in the separations.
"In my experience [the children have] all been safe … it's just a really stressful time for parents," he said.
Metro is now looking at ways to reduce the number of incidents.
"We're looking at a range of things like platform upgrades, we're improving mirrors and screens for drivers so they can see the whole platform," he said.
"There is an upcoming campaign we're keen to launch around passenger safety.."
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<www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-07/distraught-mother-left-behind-as-train-departs-southern-cross/11088210>