----- Forwarded Message -----
 
To: Tdu Transportdownunder transportdownunder@...>
Sent: Monday, 20 May 2019, 11:58
Subject: Thurs.9.5.19 daily digest

Roderick.

190509Th Metro Twitter:- delays & crowding.- Patterson stuck truck.- (electric?) motorscooter.
190509Th Melbourne 'Herald Sun':- letters (road, rail, water).- train-staffing.- Exhibition St.
Melbourne 'Age':- energy [with tdu]- letters (road, rail).

Thurs.9.5.19 Metro Twitter.
6.25 Because of trespassers in the loop, all trains will be altered to run direct to/from Flinders Street until further notice. 
- Who was in the tunnel and what were they doing in there?
- Police did catch two persons and removed them.  Then we could resume running loop trains safely [the magic word].
- Is the 6.48 Cranbourne - Flinders scheduled to run?
- What century are we living in? Surely you do employ security people to stop this sort of thing happening in the loop.  It's time to look look at all your security measures.
- Police arrived very quickly after security systems alerted of intruder/s in the loop. Police removed two persons from the area.
- 6.43 Train services now resume via the city loop, with delays of up to 15 min.
6.30 Major delays: Belgrave/Lilydale lines (a track fault at Box Hill).
- Sure wish I'd read this tweet before leaving the house.
- Our notify app sends info about alterations/cancellations direct from the Train Control Centre.  Our team can't stop delays/cancellations, but we aim to send info as quickly as we can.
- Fail on all levels this morning. But still bet you’ll claim 99.3% on time this month. Bullshit stats.
- Sort it out.
- No warning by staff or signs when boarding the trains this morning.
- 6.49 Any updates?
- 6.58 We're being told the next one is cancelled. You got anything on that? Why cancel trains after delays?
- 7.26 The fault has been fixed. Delays up to 15 minutes, but starting to reduce.
- Can we have a realistic update and/or a station announcement?
- We have just updated our metroNotify app and website with latest available info.
- A train just arrived.
- Why are no non-express trains stopping at Chatham?
- Incorrect! Still waiting to get onto a train. Delays are longer than 30 min.
- 47 mins and finally...
- Starting to reduce? You obviously are snuggled up nice and warm in at Flinders St and not standing here on a packed platform attempting to get on to a packed train!
- 32 minutes standing on the Laburnum platform as expresses passed.
- No one can get on.
- Definitely not starting to reduce, an express has been sitting here for 20 minutes not leaving. People are passing out, kids are freezing in their school uniforms, and everyone is late for work. I have been here for 45 minutes with only two trains arriving, both packed.
- trains go straight by.
- There's a half full train coming from Lilydale. But quite a few people just got on at Nunawading. And it's stop all stations.
- No wonder my train came late.
- Do you even know what is happening? Metro has cancelled the last five services out of Mont Albert and the backup that creates.
- You are a joke. No trains at Surrey Hills.
- Loudspeaker says major delays and cancellations. Which is correct?
- No train has stopped at Laburnum in 40 minutes; five express trains have gone through. Is this a joke? They would all have been held up at Box Hill anyway so why can’t they stop and at least pick up some of the passengers at Laburnum?
- Make that six trains gone through! Nothing in 45 minutes.
- Edging on an hour at Laburnum with no train. How does this happen?
- Meanwhile Metro lies through its teeth and calls it ‘minor delays’ with no cancellations.
- 15 minute delays were said to be “reducing” 27 minutes ago. Funny that, I’m just getting on a train now after waiting here since before 7.00. Can anyone explain to me how 15 minute delays equate to over an hour of waiting? Sure are lying through their teeth!
- You are useless Metro!
8.08 The fault has been fixed. Delays up to 20 min. Some passengers may experience longer delays between Ringwood - Camberwell with services having heavy passenger loads.
- What’s happening on Glen Waverley line?
- With earlier issues this morning we have trains/drivers out of position, causing delays/cancellations.
- That doesn’t explain why the service that are running into the city are so slow, if there’s been cancellations the trains should be moving between stations faster, not slower
- Because of the delays, we are experiencing congestion in the inner-city area. This holds up trains from arriving/departing Flinders Street.
- 20 min, what a joke! My commute from Boronia to Southern Cross as taken almost 2 hours, and I had to change trains twice! Update your posts with the correct expectations!
Is taking a scooter onto a train allowed? Especially when it’s 7am and parked in an area for people in need.
- Is it an electric or petrol scooter?
- Not 100% sure possibly electric. What’s the policy?
- You can have an electric scooter on board. The scooter would required to be moved if requested by a special needs passenger (the scooter's owner may be a special needs passenger).
13.58 Delays up to 20 minutes (a track fault in the Dandenong area). Trains may be held.
- 14.07 Buses to replace trains Dandenong - Westall.  Buses have been ordered but may take over 1 hour, consider alternative transport.
- Oh no, not again.
- 14.16 Trains have resumed, but will travel at slower than normal speed in the Dandenong area, and so with minor delays.
- Another one? Not good enough.
- Will they run slowly for rest of the day?
- Our maintenance staff are on-site and working to fix the issue, please check our website.
15.18 Frankston line: Major delays (a motor vehicle striking Patterson Rd underline bridge.  Trains will be held.
- 15.25 clearing.
- 15.34 You are saying that the delays are clearing; the notify app just upgraded the delays from 15 min to 30 min. What's really happening?
- Notify is showing delays of 15 min and clearing. The last update was at 15.24.
17.26 Craigieburn line: Minor delays clearing after an earlier [unannounced] train fault at Strathmore.
17.38 Mernda/Hurstbridge lines: Minor delays police near North Richmond.
- You reckon your drivers could tell passengers what the issue is and that trains will terminate at Macleod? Or is this too hard?
- 17.52  clearing.
Buses replace trains Newport - Williamstown from 21.00 (maintenance works).
Melbourne Express, Thursday, May 9, 2019
9.05 It's been an eventful morning on the trains, but looks like the rail lines have mostly settled down now.
There are still major delays on the Alamein line, but all other lines have reduced to either minor delays or individual cancelled trains.
And one commuter has issued a plea for help after leaving a black canvas Lorna Jane bag on a city-bound train this morning.
8.31 Minor delays still plaguing train network. Trains were forced to stop running through the City Loop early this morning after trespassers were reported inside the loop. Police eventually caught up with them near Parliament and trains resumed 40 minutes later. However, minor delays plagued the network through the morning.  A track fault at Box Hill also caused major delays during the morning.
There are still minor delays and cancelled trains on many lines.
7.39 Some commuters on the Box Hill line have also had a long morning, but sounds like delays may soon be starting to ease.
6.57 All loop trains were halted early this morning after a driver first reported a trespasser at 5.56am. Trains were sent direct to Flinders St while police investigated.
Officers found the trespassers near Parliament station at 6.36, and trains have now resumed, albeit slowly.
While the major delays have cleared, there may still be some delays heading into the morning peak.
Metro said that, while trains were commonly delayed by trespassers, it was less usual for them to get into the loop.
6.41 Metro's site is 'a sea of red'.
6.33 All City Loop trains will run direct to Flinders St "until further notice".  Trespassers in the loop are to blame.
5.39 The city's main arterials and train lines are looking problem-free right now.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-express-thursday-may-9-2019-20190508-p51lgm.html>

<www.theage.com.au/federal-election-2019/they-think-everyone-wants-to-stop-adani-anthony-albanese-slams-left-wing-groupthink-20190509-p51lkn.html>
<www.theage.com.au/business/companies/coal-not-essential-to-human-progress-but-steel-is-says-rio-chairman-20190509-p51lob.html>
May 9 2019 Harry Mitsidis, the world's most-travelled person, aims to go beyond visiting every country [I've joined, and am still entering my data]. 
<www.traveller.com.au/harry-mitsidis-the-worlds-mosttravelled-person-aims-to-go-beyond-visiting-every-country-h1e6e9>

May 9 2019 New school buses added to Canberra public transport network after outcry
The ACT government has made changes to some school bus schedules, a week and a half into a new public transport timetable which has sparked outrage and confusion among commuters.
Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said more buses would take children to and from St Francis Xavier's College in Florey and Burgmann Anglican School's two campuses. Extra bus stops have also been added at St Edmund's College and St Clare's College.
ACT Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong
The changes were made after passenger data and feedback was collected.
"There have been changes, but in terms of the network as a whole it hasn't changed," Ms Fitzharris said. "We have responded to customer feedback and that includes capacity."
Parents and schools have been upset about the loss of dedicated school buses and the channelling of children through public interchanges to catch public buses.
Ms Fitzharris said more children were using the buses.
"Where we've seen additional capacity we've been able to respond by adding more services or larger buses. Some services have been busier than anticipated," she said.
More trams will also operate, with peak hour timetables extended from 6pm to 6.30pm.
Canberra's city bus interchange. The government has now made changes to school bus timetables after community outcry. Picture: Jamila Toderas
Ms Fitzharris said use of the light rail had also exceeded expectations.
"More kids are catching the light rail home from school, and on some services, more students are using the light rail than dedicated bus routes," she said.
St Edmund's College principal Joe Zavone welcomed the changes. But he said more consultation before the changes came into effect would have prevented the need for tweaks.
"To give them credit, they have listened and they have rethought some of the original plan and are trying to suit the needs of school communities," Mr Zavone said.
"There have been some cases where student travel times have increased by 45 minutes for each trip, so that's a good 90 minutes added onto the day for a young child."
While St Edmund's and nearby St Clare's College already have dedicated school bus stops, Mr Zavone said the number of bus stops servicing regular commuter buses near the St Edmund's campus was limited.
"There's not a lot of bus stops around the two schools for regular commuter services; it's not something that's in great numbers around the schools," he said.
"In an ideal situation, all students should feel safe travelling to and from school."
Also on Thursday, the government confirmed that ambulances and other emergency vehicles can use the light rail tracks to get around traffic. It also released footage of a taxi almost being hit by a tram during light rail testing on April 11, and urged drivers to take care.
The footage came after a car was photographed on the light rail tracks during peak hour on Wednesday night at the Gungahlin Place station. The driver of the car managed to reverse off the tracks before the tram pulled into the station.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6115859/extra-school-buses-added-after-outcry>
May 9 2019 Car seen driving on Canberra light rail tracks during peak hour
A car has been photographed driving on Canberra's light rail tracks during peak hour on Wednesday night.
The car was seen on the tracks just before 6pm at the Gunghahlin Place station.
Commuter Steve Ward was waiting on the platform for a Civic-bound tram and said station staff tried to get the driver to move off the tracks before the next tram arrived.
"I was waiting for the 6pm tram when I noticed a vehicle coming down the tracks towards the station," Mr Ward said.
"I informed [the station staff] of what was happening and they started chasing the vehicle, which had started reversing.
A car was spotted driving on the light rail tracks in Gungahlin. Picture: Steve Ward
"It seemed the station staff wanted the vehicle to stop but it didn't."
The driver of the car managed to reverse the car off the tracks before the tram pulled into the station.
"It reversed out incident free and the 6pm tram left on time," Mr Ward said..
The incident did not lead to any delays on the light rail network.
Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said it was fortunate the traffic incident was minor.
"It's not safe or the right thing to do. We will see these minor incidents, and luckily they are minor," Ms Fitzharris said.
"Whoever responsible was probably horrified once they had realised what they had done."
The minister said light rail drivers were trained to handle situations such as cars making their way onto the tracks.
It's not the first near miss involving cars near Canberra's light rail.
In April a tram almost collided with a taxi that was crossing Northbourne Avenue.
A taxi almost getting hit by the light rail on Northbourne Avenue during testing. Picture: Supplied
The incident happened on April 11 during testing of the light rail before it opened to the public.
An Uber driver also had a near miss at an intersection after a tram ran a red light during testing, leading the tram driver's temporary suspension.
A pedestrian crossing the tracks on Northbourne Avenue was hospitalised in March after being struck by the tram.
Road Safety Minister Shane Rattenbury said it was important for Canberra drivers to be aware of where the light rail tracks were when driving.
"Incidents like these should remind all Canberrans to be safe around light rail," Mr Rattenbury said.
"The vehicles are big and red - the tracks are fixed in the ground - so there''s no excuse for getting in the way of light rail."
ACT police can fine drivers up to $464 for unsafe conduct around the light rail route.
Ambulances and emergency services vehicles are allowed to drive along light rail tracks.
Transport Canberra has been contacted for comment.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6114492/car-photographed-driving-on-light-rail-tracks>
May 9 2019 $3.5 million has been set aside to redesign the Woden interchange
Budget funds have been set aside to redesign the Woden interchange in readiness for the next stage of light rail.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the June budget would set aside $3.5 million for "detailed design work" even though a final decision has not yet been reached on the chosen corridor for the light rail's second stage.
Passengers alight a light rail vehicle at the Alinga Street stop on the Canberra light rail's official opening day. Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong
"While planning and approvals continue, we are doing what we can now to deliver this project as soon as possible," Mr Barr said.
<www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6113906/woden-gets-interchange-redesign>