----- Forwarded message -----

To:australiantransportnews@... australiantransportnews@...>
Sent: Thursday, 21 January 2021, 09:38:15 pm AEDT
Subject: Tues.13.10.20 daily digest

Roderick

 "190328Th-ABC-Flagstaff-busker.incident-a-ss.jpg"
 "190328Th-ABC-Flagstaff-busker.incident-b-ss.jpg"
 "190328Th-ABC-Flagstaff-busker.incident-c-ss.jpg" 
"190328Th-ABC-Flagstaff-busker.incident-d-ss.jpg"

 "190328Th-ABC-SouthYarra-Caulfield.delays-a-ss.jpg"
 "190328Th-ABC-SouthYarra-Caulfield.delays-b-ss.jpg"
 "190328Th-ABC-SouthYarra-Caulfield.delays-c-ss.jpg"

"190328Th-Melbourne'Age'-tram.derailment-a.jpg"
 "190328Th-Melbourne'Age'-tram.derailment-b.jpg"
 "190328Th-Melbourne'Age'-tram.derailment-c.jpg"

 "190328Th-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-tram.derailment-ss.jpg"

 "190328Th-MetroTwitter-Flagstaff.busker.incident-a.jpg"
 "190328Th-MetroTwitter-Flagstaff.busker.incident-b.jpg" 

 "201013Tu-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-SouthYarraArms-Toorak.Chapel-1984-ss.jpg" [vanished streetscape; the site has been redeveloped]

 "201013Tu-MetroTwitter-early.SouthernAurora.jpg" with ATN & v-n
 "201013Tu-MetroTwitter-first.sg.freight-ss.jpg" with ATN & v-n

 "201013Tu-'WAToday'-Melbourne-tram.tracks-a.jpg" 
"201013Tu-'WAToday'-Melbourne-tram.tracks-b.jpg"

Tues.13.10.20 Metro Twitter
Buses replace trains on sections of the Upfield line until the last train of Sun 15 Nov (level-crossing works at Coburg and Moreland).
First train travelling straight through between Sydney and Melbourne! This ribbon cutting ceremony on 3 January 1962 marked the opening of the North East standard gauge line.
Buses replace trains Newport - Werribee/Williamstown from 19.00 until the last train (works).
Hurstbridge line: Buses replace trains Clifton Hill - Macleod from 20.30 until the last (maintenance works).
Buses replace trains Epping - Mernda from 20.50 until the last train (works).
Buses replace trains Dandenong - Pakenham from 21.10 until the last train (works).

Railroads parading as metros: the long and short of Sydney rail maze March 9, 2019.
There’s a lot to be said for not making the perfect the enemy of the good. Criticism of the transport policies of Gladys Berejiklian’s government should grapple with the fact the government is doing a lot, and a lot of what it is doing will be of huge benefit to Sydney and NSW.
But sometimes the government does things that are weird, and it can be difficult not to quibble with the good.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance arrive at Westmead train station to announce an extra $3.4 billion on the Metro West if she wins this month's election. Credit:AAP
This column is about the government’s confused and the confusing use of the term “metro”.
It  is building – has pretty much built – a “metro” rail line from Epping to beyond Rouse Hill. It is building another "metro" under Sydney’s harbour and central business district, from Chatswood to Sydenham. It will extend that “metro” to Bankstown. This week it said it would start construction on a line between Westmead and the CBD next year. And it has committed to a “metro” running to the airport at Badgerys Creek.
Those scare quotes are meant to suggest there is something awry with the government’s use of the term. It seems to mean a couple of things by the term metro. Mostly it means a certain type of train – one that is more light-weight than the regular Sydney Trains double-deckers. It means a single-deck train which, in Sydney’s case, will be operated without drivers.
The government also uses the term metro as synonymous with fast. These new metro lines will be faster than the clunky old regular train services, it says.
But in other parts of the world, metro means more than just small train. Because metro trains are lighter than, well, heavier rail, they are quick to start and stop. This makes them well suited to inner-city areas where there are plenty of stations. And this is how they are most often used.
According to the International Association of Public Transport, the average gap between stations on a metro line is 1.2 kilometres. The average gap between metro stations in Europe is even smaller, at less than a kilometre.
As a consequence, metros tend to be less suited for longer trips. The frequency of stops makes lengthier journeys annoying. This is particularly so because metro trains often do not have many seats (less of a problem if you’re travelling shorter distances).
The station for Sydney Metro beneath Hunter Street in the city.
In this regard, metro rail is typically contrasted with suburban or commuter rail. There is no sharp line between the two types of rail system. But as a rough guide, commuter or suburban rail brings people into inner areas from the suburbs. Once in the inner city, depending on where you are in the world, you might be able to change from a commuter rail to a metro.
So you catch the Long Island Rail Road to Manhattan before transferring to the subway. You change to the Tube from one of the commuter rail lines that radiates from London. Or you hop from the Paris RER to the Métro.
Global commuter rail systems are said to have an average trip length of about 20 kilometres. This is about the length of the average trip on Sydney Trains. Sydney’s rail system is a commuter rail system.
Which gets to the meat of the issue. The government is spending tens of billions introducing metro trains to Sydney. But those trains are being set up to largely replicate Sydney’s commuter rail trips – long trips, with long gaps between stops.
The government is using metro trains to try to be all things to all people. But this can produce some weird results.
In 2024, Sydney is scheduled to have 31 metro stations and a 66km metro rail system.
This week Berejiklian announced the stop locations on the proposed West Metro line between Westmead and the CBD. In the inner west, her government proposes one stop at Five Dock and another at Rozelle. There’s a 5km gap in between – almost five times more than the global average between metro stops.
Similarly, on the metro line under construction between Chatswood and Sydenham, there is a gap of about 4km between stops at Waterloo and Sydenham. Gaps between inner-city Sydney Trains stations are much smaller.
So Sydney’s heavy trains, which are slow to stop and start, will continue to stop more frequently in the inner suburbs. But the metro trains, which are well-suited to more frequent stopping and starting, will travel longer without coming to a halt.
It didn’t have to be like this. A decade ago, the Herald held an exhaustive public inquiry into Sydney’s transport system. The inquiry focused heavily on understanding the benefits and attributes of different types of rail.
Based on this understanding, the experts running the inquiry recommended expanding and adding to Sydney’s existing commuter rail network, and then later complementing the commuter network with genuine stand-alone metro lines with frequent stops.
This Coalition government’s heavy funding of rail through Sydney is undoubtedly a break from the ordinary in NSW. But it’s another question about whether the benefits will be all they could have been.
In particular, there is a good chance that the large gaps between rail stations in inner Sydney will be seen, in  decades to come, as examples of muddled thinking leading to a missed opportunity to create a city more oriented to public transport.
Related Article NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said infrastructure investment would be the "mainstay of the economy". NSW's $90 billion infrastructure spend crucial for jobs boost, says government
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/railroads-parading-as-metros-the-long-and-short-of-sydney-rail-maze-20190307-p512h3.html>
* Could it be that the real aim of the so called metro system is not to enhance public transport but to close most of the existing rail network? After all much of it is going underground and there appears to be no desire to create a system which has many more stations closer together which surely would attract much more patronage. That additional patronage would love to avoid the mass of new expensive toll roads. Closing much of the existing above-ground network would leave masses of vacant land for lots more dog box home units. Also closing down the existing rolling stock and replacing it with automated trains would destroy the train drivers union. A much-desired goal of the Liberals (and a secret desire of the right wig of Labor I suppect ).
* As usual, that's a lovely lucid article by one of the Herald's best journalists. Thanks for explaining why the Sydney rail system is a dog's breakfast and why the extensions don't deserve the metro tag.
* The Liberals seem to have trouble connecting the dots. They announce these new train lines and than some time after that they announce the Lotto style winners where the stations will be. Surely it works the other way. The train lines should be designed to connect various destinations, preferably those that currently do not have public transport. The Westmead Parramatta City Metro sounds like it will simply be an alternative to the existing heavy rail. It is not clear how will it solve the overcrowding problems on the inner Western line at stations like Lidcombe.
* The problem the Govt has with the current double deckers is the dwell time at each station due to cumbersome loading and unloading caused by the 3+2 seating and the two decks. A simple and cost effective solution would be to remove all the 3 seaters and replace with a 2 seater and a central aisle twice as wide with ceiling mounted grab bars. This set up is estimated to save up to 30% of time at each stop as people can move about the carriage far more freely. This is the solution the Govt should be following rather than creating metro lines to run country distances.
* Another good article Jacob, The central fraud in the Metro West is that it is intended to do anything for western suburb commuters.
Of course it will do nothing for them as they already have overloaded express services to the city that only stop at Strathfield and Redfern and Metro West offers no improvements there. The objective of Metro West is simple. Allow Gladys to develop a series of new high density housing locations between the city and Parramatta.  Sardine Sydney is what Metro West is all about.
* At last a journalist who can see through the propaganda. It isn't just governments who are besotted by the term, without knowing what it means. The bureaucrats feeding them are just as lost. Quite apart from station spacing, there are issues of urban geography and travel patterns. Sydney's fake 'metro' was predicated on lies, and a complete ignoring of the world's most-relevant example: Paris RER line A. That has double-deck trains on 2 min headways. In a Sydney (or Melbourne) context: more passengers per hour per track. Boring Sydney's tunnels to the Bradfield profile would have cost no more, and would have provided for the future.
* This article surely highlights the discrepancies and the misguided thoughts of the transport planners and the politics involved. What we have seen is a lack of investment in transport in the Bob Carr era, which has left the current liberal government with a huge task, in the midst of growing population, and in the absence of any viable future population projection strategies, whereby Sydney has reached its current population target, which was supposed to be reached in 2034. The present ruling Party has certainly put an effort and the financial input into creating more lines, to ease congestion and to prepare for Sydney's future, albeit privatisation being its top priority and agenda for this massive investment.
What we are seeing now is a concept totally different from the rest of the world where a Metro system is replacing the heavy duty rail lines. As part of the heavy investment, Chatswood - Epping line has been handed over to the private operators and the next in line will be the Bankstown line, then the Airport line and Carlingford Line and the list goes on.
As any layman can see, the current lines are being replaced by these Metro lines and there is hardly any new line being built, except of course the Rouse Hill to Epping Line. Any investment on the current lines is being directed towards replacement and then handing over the new line to private consortiums. After 30-40 years of this disvestment, it will still place us in the same precarious position we currently are in, where lack of forethought and short term thinking rule the agenda.
Sydney is a growing City and needs more lines and the Government should have prioritised expansion over replacement. Like the Rouse Hill Line joining the Main Line at Epping could have gone South towards Olympic Park and then connected to Strathfield , Campsie and Kingsgrove, thereby creating 3 junction stations. If there are several options to change, people will use public transport as that will save time. Or, the same line after coming to the City could have gone to Randwick, thereby saving all the billions being spent on the light rail, which will be slower than buses and a bit faster than walking. Or, gone to the Northern Beaches from North Sydney.
By replacing the Line, the same issues still prevail which hamper any fast running, like the curves in the track, the topography, adverse weather conditions, vandalism, etc. Within 20 kms. of the City Centre, all new lines should be Underground and with minimum bends in the track, so that reasonable speed could be achieved and that is the concept of the Metro system. Once there are enough new underground lines, they can then surely replace the current Heavy Rail.
The ultimate test will be the future and only time will tell if the current investment has been good.
* As perplexing as it may be, we don't actually have to copy historical and overseas practice. Sydney is physically a large city and as such when we build a new rail line, call it metro or not, there are good reasons for longer stop spacings.
All else being equal, a single deck train will be lighter than a double deck. However the main reason why metros tend to have better performance than Sydney trains is that Sydney trains are limited in power due to the legacy 1500 Volt DC system.
Trains are in essence boxes with wheels and a motor. There's no mystery about this and there's no need to quibble about nomenclature. Sydney needs new train lines and these new train lines need to be designed around Sydney itself. Which means long distances and higher average speeds.
As for Sydney's legacy train lines with closer station spacings. The remedy for this is to incrementally upgrade the fleet to include batteries for peak power ( to overcome the limitation of the 1500 VCDC system) and regenerative braking, so that they too can perform like a metro.
Sydney's rail network as it stands is excessively physically complex with branches and loops that force complex and erratic timetables and often low frequency of service. This is what drives a lot of people towards using cars. The sheer complexity of the network and the interactions between lines means that as the system reaches its capacity limits it gets more fragile. Faults propagate quickly and across multiple lines.
A network that features a set of independent rail lines that intersect in a grid is far more robust and reliable. And thanks to the introduction of stand alone metro lines this is the path we are now headed down. The last thing we need is yet more branches tacked onto the old system, which is what the metro-detractors are really on about.
The public inquiry championed by the Herald years ago had a proposed rail network that was even more complex, with more loops and branches and even more interdependencies and fragility. Its fortunate we never went down that path. It would have been a disaster.
* At least we know where the Libs stand on the metro, Labor on the other hand say they will cancel the Sydenham to Bankstown metro project but are still silent on what they would do instead. My local member Jo Haylen also doesn't know what they would do instead, keeps saying the same Labor CHQ line "we will cancel it". This is a significant public transport matter, so saying you will "cancel it" doesn't cut it. You need to say what you will do instead - this is not roads, this is public transport!
As the SMH correctly reported on this issue November last year on Labor's plan to scrap the Sydenham to Bankstown metro conversion when Foley was still there:
"But this plan would create the eccentric and wasteful scenario of high-frequency and largely empty metro trains terminating and arriving at Sydenham Station, in addition to regular Sydney Trains services."
* As this article states, this isn’t a true metro rail system. Longer runs, longer distance between stations and large sections that are already covered by the existing heavy rail system.
Much of this new metro is cannibalised from the existing heavy rail network, when it should be complementing the existing heavy rail. Instead of doing this, they have crippled the existing network. The Epping-Chatswood line acted as backup it there were issues on the North Shore line or the North Main. The Bankstown line acts as backup to the East Hills line and South Line, if there is an issue on one, send it down the Bankstown line.
All the money for Rail has been poured into the Metro, there hasn’t been anything done to improve the heavy rail network. If anything the heavy rail network is being dismantled piece by piece, Epping-Chatswood, Carlingford line, Bankstown line, all have or going to be hived off for Gladys projects that lack integration with existing transportation infrastructure or duplicate it with no real purpose.
And as for Gladys claiming the Southwest Rail Link to Leppington was her project, that’s a big lie as it had been under construction 6 months prior to the Liberal’s being elected.
* Between Bondi Junction and Edgecliff there is a ghost station that never saw the light of day. (another story)
Here too though, on this Bondi Junction line, should be a higher frequency stand-alone light rail , extending further all the way to Bondi Beach, Bronte and Dover Heights, with light rail sets every 2 minutes.
It's ridiculous that Bondi Beach residents and visitors alike doesn't have a stand alone light rail transport node to the city- like it was back in 1960.
Think Glenelg in South Australia, or St Kilda beach in Melbourne.
But we have a Government that seems to focus on development nodes, rather than commuter nodes and appearing to be haphazard rather than a definite overall plan to get people to different parts of the city- without a car.
* The two main motivations behind the Metro concept are privatisation of rail services & high density property development around station sites. If it was just about improving rail services then the government would be developing & extending the existing network.
* Metro rail is also more likely to be underground, running at less than five minute intervals. Eastern European cities like Moscow and Budapest have several lines criss-crossing the city, and go nowhere near the suburbs.
This government is slightly confused about rail transport - but then again, the new light rail will have a different track to the existing one, making the rail cars non-interchangeable. Need I say more...
* I think the closest analogy is to Singapore’s MRT system. There are similarly long distances between Raffles Place and Woodlands or Pasir Ris (near Changi Airport). There are some large gaps between stops eg Yo Chu Kang and Khatib on the north-south line has a few Kms in between. Still the trains can operate every minute at peak hour. There are plans to create new stations in between some longer spans (eg the future Canberra stop between Sembawang and Yishun). Maybe a similar branding ie Mass Transit system rather than Metro System could/should apply?
* Couldn't agree more the metro lines proposed are a wasted opportunity. The trains wont make too many stops and basically are just replicated the existing rail lines. Most of the new stations are in suburbs already serviced by rail. What sense is it to replace an existing commuter line with a metro instead of actually making something new and worthwhile. Same could be said for the idiotic light rail project. Seems there is no end to wasting public money on white elephant projects.
* where is the real estate worth buying? lets put the metro there!
* As usual, the COALition doesn’t listen to the experts. They continue to waste taxpayer dollars on their dogmatic mission to deliver more valuable realestate corridors for their developer mates at the expense of public benefit. Just like the NBN, another utter waste of money, turning a good idea into a failure.
* If cost is an issue, perhaps construct station caverns now that can be fitted out in the future as "in-fill" stations. If speed to outer suburbs is a problem, then have express and local tracks, just like in NYC. It's odd that will all the outcry about overcrowding at Green Square that the metro goes thru the area, but without a stop. Crazy.
* The government's confabulation of commuter rail and metro rail can be explained as the government seeking to build desperately needed long distance commuter rail with its station spacings while implementing their anti-rail union ideology in the form of metro rail which has no drivers, guards or station staff.
Passengers may have to stand for the whole journey but an even worse result of the ideology is that the metro is dimensionally incompatible with existing heavy rail, preventing the use of metro lines in the event of a blockage elsewhere in the system and the North West Metro terminates one station short of linking into the heavy rail system at Vineyard as originally proposed.
* This idea that metros have to have close stops and be used for inner city work only is a complete furphy. There are dozens of examples across Europe and Asia where they are used differently, in a similar way to what will be done here. Are metros more suited to close stop spacing than double-deck trains? Undoubtedly. But this means we are using double deckers wrongly more than we are using metros wrongly
The false belief in metros not being suitable for the task stems from a misunderstanding of the routes that are being metroised. The piece Jacob completely misses is that “commuter rail”
Implies journeys almost wholly take place in one direction in morning peak, and the other in evening peak. This is not how the route in Metro NW (connecting up a number of commercial areas AS WELL AS residential suburbs) is likely to work, and the same goes for Metro West which will have 2 significant CBDs at each end with 2 future ones (SOP and bays) along it
Bankstown? That’s less suited but it needs to be separated from the city circle and that’s the main driver there
The Heralds report 10 years ago was useful but it wasn’t perfect either. Most importantly, it ignored both capex and opex funding. Government can’t ignore those things
* Quite right. Note that Chatswood to North Ryde and Epping to Cherrybrook both exceed 6km. There's a table of average inter-station distances on metro systems at http://fixnswtransport.com/sydneymetro/review.html#metrotable

Thurs.28.3.19 Metro twitter:
Buses replace trains Pakenham/Cranbourne - Westall until the last train of Thurs. 28 Mar (major project works).
- 6.16 Another bus stopping at all stations.  Where are express buses? The ground staff just told us after 15 min that there is an express bus after 20 min. You are a joke. You want people to sleep in the office after work?
- 6.13 Hallam station. Same crap like yesterday. One bus stopping at all stations to Westall and it was full. WHERE ARE EXPRESS BUSES TO WESTALL?  People have been waiting from the past 20 min.  Yesterday I had to stay back 30 mins to cover up late to work.
- 1 hour to get from Narre Warren to Dandenong, to wait for another bus to get to Westall. You have been doing this for over 100 days. Why the change of moving everyone to Dandenong?  Just run the express buses to Westall like you used to.
- There have been three buses come to Lynbrook, only for them to be empty and heading to Cranbourne. 30 min and still no bus to Westall.  Why do you do this during peak hour?
- Maybe post 'allow extra 2 hours'. It will be 2 years since these projects started and you think that Metro would learn from the past years , but na.. they still act like it's their first time.
- You should review the staff directing commuters at Berwick station. Stood first in the queue where directed to for an express bus only to see people running to a bus that double parked.  Asked the Hoban guy what is going on, he had no idea! Bring on the media.
- A bit better now. 10 minutes earlier than yesterday. 1 hour 15min from Pakenham to Dandenong station. Still need to pay the fare for the wasted time.
- You’re lucky. I had to waste 40 min on the way from Lynbrook to Dandenong.
- No bus through Cardinia station  towards Westall for almost 30 minutes.   And  no update
- Been waiting for a bus to Westall for 20mins. C'mon guys, get it together !
- 8.38 Pretty soon it will be 2 h in the freaking limited express bus and we are still on the way to Westall.
- 16.24 Not enough buses, waiting at Westall for over 20 min for a bus. I don’t mind inconveniences but please lift your game.
- 17.44 The buses are meant to come in 10 min intervals? I’ve been waiting 20 now.
8.32 Timetabled City loop services are currently running direct to Flinders Street (police).
- 8.35 Critical incident, police at Flagstaff. What’s going on?
- 8.42 Timetabled loop services continue to run direct to Flinders Street [which would have coped better if it hadn't had four platforms removed].
- 8.43 Police in riot gear swarm Flagstaff station 6 min ago [from a passenger, not from Metro].
- 8.44 Vic Park station: the citybound train isn't moving at all. [bizarre: all trains on this independent route are timetabled to run direct].
- 8.45 Trains may be held at available stations or be slowed approaching Flinders Street.
- Trains being stranded at Clifton Hill. No announcements. What is the issue?
- this is going to be fun. I am envisaging trains queued up at Flinders St to accommodate the City Loop services.... or being held at outer stations while congestion clears.
- And the metro notify application is down too.. what do you guys even do?
- Why did I have no notfication as it was happening, no one on platform 9 at sc to help people? I looked at this useless app and no info.. and you guys get a pay rise?
- We have checked our systems and appear are ok.
- That’s good because one of the staff was pretty adamant in saying ‘don’t trust the app, it’s wrong’
- Can you tell us which station? we are sending information directly from the Train Control Centre.
- You need to police the platforms at Flinders St, passengers getting crushed.
- We have more staff on the way to assist with crowd control.
- We are not running, standing still at Victoria Park.
- Staff at North Melbourne are telling passengers they can just catch a loop train from flinders street. Let them know they’re not giving out the correct info.
- We will update staff.
- stuck at Kensington on the 8.25 from Pascoe Vale to the city, how long will we be stuck here?  Your driver hasn’t even announced the reason for the delay, poor comms all around.
- We are awaiting direction from police;  we are now saying Major Delays.
- Can we have some airconditioning while we wait for half an hour with hundreds of people in here?
- Our driver was very good and announced the reason we are stopped at Alphington and she apologised for the inconvenience- well done young woman!
- What’s happened?
- 8.52 Police are responding to an incident at Flagstaff.  Police are currently moving passengers away from the area and ask everyone to avoid the station for now.
- 8.53 Platform 4 and 5 escalators offline.  Dangerous overcrowding as trains dump hundreds of pax every 5 min.
- 8.54: Timetabled loop services continue to run direct to Flinders Street.
- I cannot understand why its halting for such a long time now at Vic Park.
- some info as to why would be helpful. Carriages are packed with people and questions.
- 8.55 We are sending more staff to assist with crowd control.
- Any trains going from Flinders to Southern Cross?
- Listen for announcements or catch a tram along Flinders Street [and walk a block; or walk a block to Collins St; PTV removed trams which link the two stations.  It was possible to take some trains to MSC and reverse there, but Metro couldn't cope].
- Any chance that this type of info could be separate tweets for the impacted lines? Would avoid having to click though a number of links in browsers.
- Does anyone know what is happening
- There are reports of a person with a firearm on one of the trains.
- Where are these reports? Got a link?
- Critical incident police at Flagstaff.
- They responded like it is true.
- 8.58 Melbourne station evacuated after reports of armed passenger.
- 9.03 trains have resumed running via the loop.
- We must be the only city in the world which listens to a police state as to whether we can run a train?
- There was a gunman at Flagstaff as reported by ABC, you wouldn’t seriously expect trains to still run?
- Yes I would, but express through FGS, except on the actual platforms occupied by offender (if any).
- There was a suspect on a train I believe
- 9.49 Delays up to 30 minutes after an earlier issue caused delays.
- Don't blame the earlier issue, you can't run on time normally anyway.
- Why are there still issues? Why are we waiting for 5 min to get into Flinders then 10 min at the platform?
17.16  Because of a disruption in Flinders St at Spencer St:
- No route 12/109 trams run between Stop 1 Southern Cross station & St Kilda/Port Melbourne
- No Route 70/75 trams run between Stop 2 Melbourne Aquarium and Docklands
- Route 12, 96 and 109 trams run in sections,  with no trams between Southern Cross Station and Stop 124 Batman Park. 
- 17.44 - Passengers for MCG consider loop trains to Richmond or Jolimont, or route 48 trams via Collins Street and Wellington Parade.
- Please walk between stops to connect with trams to the suburbs.
- 19.44 all routes have resumed along their normal lines, with delays.

Melbourne Express, Thursday, March 28, 2019
9.03 Police at Flagstaff station on Thursday morning. Credit: Scott Hudson/Twitter
Flagstaff has been closed to commuters after reports of a person with a firearm in the station. Radio station 3AW says police have confirmed an abandoned rifle case has been found.
8.50 Abandoned rifle case found at station: report. Police have confirmed an abandoned rifle case was found at Flagstaff station, radio station 3AW reports.  Commuters told the station the train driver had announced someone was seen with a firearm at the station.
8.41 Police at Flagstaff station
8.39 City Loop disruptions
8.37 Police operations at Flinders, Flagstaff: reports. There's reports of police activity at Flinders Street and Flagstaff train stations.
7.58:
- A truck has hit a rail bridge over Racecourse Road in Flemington. Only one lane citybound is getting through.
- Toorak Road has only just reopened after an earlier crash between a tram and four cars.
6.56 They're on the buses on the long-suffering Cranbourne and Pakenham lines due to works. Trains are back tomorrow.
Android mykis launch today. Nick Neos trials Myki mobile on his Android.Credit:Joe Armao
Big day for commuters. Android users will be able to use their smartphones to pay for public transport fares from this morning.
How's it going out there? Is it causing delays or speeding things up at the gates? Are you trying the app for the first time?
5.45 They're still on the buses on Cranbourne and Pakenham.
<www.theage.com.au/melbourne-news/melbourne-express-thursday-march-28-2019-20190328-p518bh.html>
 
Melbourne's Flagstaff station evacuated after busker is mistaken for gunman on train 28 Mar 2019
Video: Flagstaff station in lockdown (ABC News)
A commuter has described scenes of mass panic at Melbourne's Flagstaff station, where terrified passengers were in tears and calling relatives to tell them they loved them after a busker was mistaken for a gunman on a train.
Key points:
•The busker was performing breathing exercises and a passenger thought his behaviour was suspicious
•Critical incident police evacuated the station and searched the train during the busy morning peak
•Witnesses said some passengers were in hysterics, fearing a terrorist attack
Police said a musician, carrying an instrument in a duffel bag, was doing breathing exercises to prepare for his performance.
Another passenger deemed his behaviour suspicious and wrongly thought his instrument bag was a rifle case.
"Look, obviously people ring us with a lot of jobs and things that happen," Inspector Jacob Bugeja said.
Police on the concourse of Flagstaff station under destination timetable screens.
 Photo: Police on the concourse of Flagstaff station after an incorrect report of a gunman sparked panic. (AAP: James Ross)
"They saw someone acting unusual on the train.
"They have seen a bag and were unsure what was in the bag and, coupled with the behaviour of the person, they were a bit worried and just wanted to let us know."
Later, police said in a statement that CCTV footage had been reviewed and, as no offence had been detected, there would be no further police action.
Student Sarsha Vadocz was on board the train when it was stopped at Flagstaff.
She said being stuck on a stationary train seemed strange at first, but did not feel dangerous until critical incident police boarded.
That sparked passenger panic, she said. Some dropped to the ground and others yelled there was a shooter on the train.
Sarsha Vadocz stands in front of the escalators at Flagstaff train station.
 Photo: Sarsha Vadocz praised the police response but said their initial actions caused some panic. (ABC News: James Hancock)
"After over five minutes of being stopped, there were special response units running around everywhere, they had fully automatic weapons and riot shields and they were yelling at people to get back in the train," she said.
"Everybody started panicking. There was a woman next to me in hysterics, she was calling her whole family, telling them that she loved them, that she wasn't sure what was going on. She thought it was a terrorist attack.
"It was just really scary.
"But the man [police officer] just calmly said for everyone to stand up, put their hands on their head and walk out of the train, and everyone walked in a single file line out of the station."
Video: Inspector Jacob Bugeja says a commuter thought the busker was behaving suspiciously (ABC News)
Ms Vadocz said there was a muffled announcement telling passengers to stay in the carriage because "there's reports of a gunman".
She was not sure if the announcement was made by the train driver or an announcement on the platform.
A Metro Trains spokesperson confirmed an announcement had been made, which was the subject of an investigation.
The spokesperson said during police incidents, drivers are encouraged to keep passengers updated.
"This morning's incident at Flagstaff Station was a dynamic situation and Metro apologises for distressing passengers," the company said in a statement.
Yelling police 'freak everyone out'
Ms Vadocz said she thought police handled the situation well, apart from yelling at people to get back on the train at the beginning.
"That could have been a little bit calmer, because it did freak everyone out, but as people were getting out of the train they handled it well and kept everyone calm and got out in an orderly fashion," the university student said.
Inspector Bugeja acknowledged the police response might have caused fear, but officers did not know what they were walking into.
"I think probably a little bit of the fear would have been created by police coming on the train in the first instance, as opposed to the actual incident," he said.
Police officers talk to a man with a skate board at Flagstaff train station entrance.
 Photo: Commuters at Flagstaff were diverted to Flinders Street while police investigated. (AAP: James Ross)
"But … obviously we want to make sure there is no risk, so we want to deal with imminent risk first — in this circumstance there was none."
City Loop trains were diverted through Flinders Street before returning to normal services after about half an hour, while police investigated.
"We managed to let people go fairly quickly and get about their day," Inspector Bugeja said.
Ms Vadocz said the incident had shaken her up.
Three police officers stand in a circle outside Flagstaff train station.
 Photo: Flagstaff station was evacuated for half an hour while police investigated. (AAP: James Ross)
"It was a very scary experience, especially with everyone around me.
"There were people crying and calling their families and telling them they weren't sure if they'd see them again."
Officers remain at station to quell fears
Another passenger, Siri Smith, also described heavily armed police evacuating the train.
"We didn't know what was going on but then we did see police enter onto the platform and there was also the gun squad there, so heavily armoured police officers wearing helmets and carrying huge protective guns, police with shields," she said.
"They ushered us off the train.
"We were all standing on the platform for about 10 minutes and that was when the police asked us to leave the platform."
Police on the scene at Flagstaff train station in Melbourne.
 Photo: The station was evacuated, but later declared safe. (ABC News: Karen Percy)
Ms Smith she said she thought the passengers on her carriage were relatively calm.
"There were a few panicked people, I myself was a little bit frightened, but I felt pretty safe with all the police surrounding the area," she said.
"A lot of people seemed pretty calm as well, but there were a few that did seem a bit panicked."
Ms Smith said there was no announcement on the train or the platform to suggest someone had a gun.
<www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-28/flagstaff-train-station-evacuated-melbourne/10947304>

'Delicate operation': Derailed tram cleared after peak-hour chaos March 28, 2019.
The derailed tram that sparked peak-hour public transport chaos in Melbourne's CBD on Thursday evening has been cleared, easing congestion at one of the city's busiest junctions.
The disruption blockaded traffic on Flinders Street as the peak-hour commute was coupled with the Richmond versus Collingwood match at the MCG, which kicked off at 7.20pm and is expected to draw a crowd over 80,000.
The tram was returned to the tracks about 7.40pm and normal service on tram routes 70 and 75, which service Richmond via Flinders Street, was restored shortly after.
The outage lasted about two hours and wreaked havoc at a junction of five tram lines.
A Yarra Trams spokesman said restoring the derailed tram was a "delicate operation" and the cause was being investigated.
Traffic attempting to head south down Spencer Street.Credit:Karl Quinn
"In this specific case, what’s happened is that the middle part of the tram has derailed, which required quite a delicate operation to get the tram back on the track without having the front or the back come off as well," he said.
Tram routes 12, 96 and 109 have also returned to normal service having been suspended between Southern Cross Station and Batman Park. Commuters were instructed to walk between the stops.
Southbound lanes on Spencer Street and eastbound lanes on Flinders Street are open, having been closed for about two hours.
Derailed tram on the intersection of Flinders and Spencer Streets. Credit:Paul Sakkal
Police were at the scene directing traffic during the outage while and a Yarra Trams recovery crews worked to resolve the problem.
A workers' truck at the scene.Credit:Karl Quinn
Number 19 trams heading northwards towards North Coburg resumed service about 7.20pm after an earlier cancellation due to an incident on Royal Parade.
Melbourne's day of public transport interruptions began when city loop trains were halted at Flagstaff station on Thursday morning following a report of a passenger with a firearm.
Nine Victorian train lines will close for three weeks starting on April 1 for works that will affect more than 1.5 million train commuters.
AFL fans have been urged to start preparing alternative transport arrangements for forthcoming weeks as the majority of affected lines service Richmond station.
Related Article Police seen at Flagstaff station. Was young didgeridoo player behind Melbourne's peak-hour gun scare?
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/derailed-tram-causes-peak-hour-chaos-as-over-80-000-try-to-pack-mcg-20190328-p518ol.html>

Was young didgeridoo player behind Melbourne's peak-hour gun scare?
March 28, 2019. 118 comments
Police at Flagstaff station on Thursday morning.Credit:Scott Hudson/Twitter
A young didgeridoo player may have been mistaken for a suspected gunman who sparked Melbourne's peak-hour train chaos on Thursday morning.
Trains in the CityLoop were brought to a halt and Flagstaff station evacuated after a passenger called police about a man acting suspiciously on a packed peak-hour train.
Police later said the suspected gunman was a busker with a duffel bag doing heavy breathing exercises.
Will Austin, 22, told The Age he was stopped outside Flagstaff station carrying a yidaki – an Indigenous term for a didgeridoo – in a large black bag.
Mr Austin said police searched his bag for "one or two minutes", but did not take his name or number and did not tell him he was the reason for the gun scare.
"There’s a mix-up because I exited the train station and crossed the road, and directly across from Flagstaff is where I was stopped by police officers requesting to search my bags and ask me what was in the case," he said.
"Obviously I let them, just to find it was my artefacts and my yidaki."
He later posted a photo of himself and his instrument on Facebook saying, "when you get swarmed by police at flagstaff station after reports of a gunman, looking suspicious on a mission and carrying a yidaki and a bag full of artefacts.
I’m not carrying no rifle or ammunition fellas".
But he later said he was not doing breathing exercises on the train, as per the police report, and was on his way to a cultural workshop.
It is now believed that "barefoot trumpeter" Phil Day, who regularly performs at Southern Cross, could have been the busker who became the unwitting suspect.
Mr Day refused to comment.
Terrified passengers were overheard calling their loved ones as police from the critical incident response team swarmed Flagstaff station at 8.30am and boarded the train, ordering passengers to put their hands on their heads.
But by 9am, police had declared the area safe.
"We’ve spoken to that person ... later on down in the CBD, and confirmed there was no risk. He was a busker there to play an instrument in town," Inspector Jacob Bugeja said.
"There was a bag the person was carrying, and he had his tools to do his busking in."
Inspector Bugeja said the person who made the call "saw someone acting unusual and they seemed unusual on an 8.30am commute into work".
"They were a bit worried and just wanted to let us know."
University student Sarsha Vadocz, 18, who was on a Mernda-line train when it stopped said passengers began "freaking out" when police arrived.
"No one was [initally] panicking, but then after five or 10 minutes the special response people were running all around outside the train, yelling at everyone to 'Get back in the carriage, don’t move,' " she said.
Flagstaff station was closed this morning after reports of a man with a gun.Credit:AAP
"They were fully armed, had fully-automatic weapons, riot shields, bullet-proof vests, it was quite scary.
"We didn’t know what was going on. Everyone was freaking out. There was a woman next to me bawling her eyes out, calling her whole family, saying, 'I’m not sure if I’m going to make it back home, just tell my family I love them.' Which was really freaking me out.
"The woman next to me was in hysterics telling everyone it's a terrorist attack ... that there's an active shooting. It was scary because we didn't know what was going on ... we were locked in the train for 15 minutes, it wasn't a good
environment.
University student Sarsha Vadocz, 18, from Lalor was on one of the trains which police swarmed after reports of a man behaving suspiciously. Credit:Simone Fox Koob
"People panicked, they got down in the ground. Then they were like, 'Everyone stand up ... walk out of the station in an orderly fashion with your hands on your head.' "
She said the swift response from police was impressive, but passengers could have been reassured slightly earlier.
Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton said police would talk to Metro Trains after reports one train driver told passengers there was a person with a gun.
"We don't want people to be reacting in a way that might put their safety at risk ... it could [create panic]," said Mr Ashton told radio station 3AW.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/city-loop-trains-disrupted-due-to-police-operation-20190328-p518ck.html>

Derailed tram sparks peak-hour pain in Melbourne CBD
Herald Sun March 28, 2019
A derailed tram has caused peak hour chaos in Melbourne for the second time today. Picture: Alice Clarke
Melbourne has once again suffered through peak-hour pain after a tram derailed at the intersection of Flinders and Spencer streets, capping off a day of public transport woe for commuters.
The disruption caused traffic to stall on Flinders St as commuters battled to get home and to the MCG for the Richmond v Collingwood blockbuster.
Many commuters were leaving affected trams and walking to Southern Cross train station.
Several tram routes across the CBD were affected, leaving commuters stranded or stuck on stationary trams.
70a tram derailed on corner Flinders and Spencer streets. Traffic is massively backed up on Spencer Street and 96, 109 and 12 trams are being diverted. Police and ambos on scene. pic.twitter.com/g1iQ3GsHgG — Alice Clarke March 28, 2019
Trams along Spencer St are running in patches, with route 96 suspended between Southern Cross Station and Batman Park.
Routes 12 and 109 have been suspended between Southern Cross Station and St Kilda/Port Melbourne.
Flinders St trams were also suspended, but Yarra Trams says route 70 and 75 trams had resumed at about 7.45pm.
Traffic has also been impacted by the derailment, with all southbound lanes closed on Spencer St, and eastbound lanes closed on Flinders St.
A tram has derailed at the corner of Flinders St and Spencer St. Traffic on Spencer St southbound is detouring onto Flinders St eastbound. Those heading east on Flinders St from Wurundjeri Way will be directed onto Spencer St. pic.twitter.com/nZ4Sf3kbhp — 7NEWS Melbourne March 28, 2019
A Yarra Trams spokesman said that recovery crews are on site, working to resolve the issue.
Footy fans are encouraged to catch a City Loop train to Richmond or Jolimont stations, or jump on a route 48 tram via Collins St and Wellington Pde.
The incident caps off a day of public transport pain for commuters, after Melbourne’s train lines shut down during the morning peak hour rush due to a suspected firearms incident.
MAN WITH DIDGERIDOO SPARKS FLAGSTAFF LOCKDOWN
<www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/derailed-tram-sparks-peakhour-pain-in-melbourne-cbd/news-story/ec9ce44696cd865e4ff7799726b06992>

Old king coal has surrendered to solar, says global power report. Nick O'Malley October 13, 2020. 229 comments
<www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/old-king-coal-has-surrendered-to-solar-says-global-power-report-20201013-p564q4.html>

As it happened: Victoria records 12 new COVID-19 cases as NSW flags easing of restrictions on outdoor venues; Trump tests negative as Australian death toll jumps to 899. Simone Fox Koob and Erin Pearson October 13, 2020
* 15.23 A decade of deficits as spending outpaces revenue for years Shane Wright. The federal budget will remain mired in deficit for the rest of the decade without spending cuts or higher taxes as low wages growth, non-existent inflation and a collapse in migration undermine the nation's recovery from the coronavirus recession.
Even to get close to overseeing a return to surplus, Josh Frydenberg would have to become the most experienced federal treasurer in Australian history while Scott Morrison would need to overtake John Howard as the country's second-longest-served prime minister.
To read more click here.
* 13.20 Infectious disease expert backs select travel bubbles. James Massola. Australia will become a "hermit nation" unless it accepts the additional COVID-19 risks with setting up travel bubbles with Singapore, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand, a leading infectious disease experts warns.
The Japanese government on Tuesday welcomed a mooted opening of the borders with Australia, expressing hope that travel will resume soon as both countries were in a "relatively good position" in suppressing COVID-19.
The Australian National University's Professor Peter Collignon said the travel bubbles should start with New Zealand followed by Asia-Pacific countries that have managed to contain the spread of COVID-19.
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350-900 taxies on the runway at Changi Airport in Singapore.CREDIT:AP
* 10.48 School holiday impact not yet known, but restrictions could ease further, NSW Premier says. Rachel Clun. Outdoor concerts and performances with up to 500 people can go ahead from today in NSW, and twice as many people will be able to eat and drink outdoors from Friday.
NSW Premier Premier Gladys Berejiklian said there were even more changes on the cards, but those changes won’t happen if local case numbers continue to rise. Outdoor concerts of up to 500 people are now allowed in NSW. CREDIT:EDWINA PICKLES
“There are other restrictions we want to ease and we won't be able to do that if we find in the next few days the cases are going up,” she said.
School holidays have just finished, with families returning from holidays across the state on the weekend. The impact of that movement on the spread of COVID-19 is as-yet unknown.
“We still haven't seen the impact of the school holidays, so they've just finished and the next two weeks we will be watching very closely to see whether the virus has been contained and not spread through other parts of the state,” Ms Berejiklian said.
* 10.25 Queensland's exclusion from travel bubble 'a matter for their government'. Mary Ward. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is "a matter for the Queensland government" as to whether it is ever included in the trans-Tasman travel bubble.
"If Queensland doesn't want to apply two weeks quarantine on Kiwis coming into Queensland they'd be able to benefit from it," the Prime Minister told reporters in Brendale, north of Brisbane.
After previously expressing his support for NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in light of her recent ICAC appearance, the Prime Minister said he wanted to thank Ms Berejiklian "again" for her willingness to participate in the bubble.
"It is freeing up spaces in the NSW hotel quarantine for Australians who want to be coming home," he said.
New Zealanders will be able to fly into Darwin and Sydney with no quarantine requirement from Friday, under the long-awaited travel arrangement between Australia and New Zealand.
* 9.50 NSW Health Minister welcomes eased restrictions, but says caution is still needed Rachel Clun. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says it will be great to be able to have more people gathering outdoors over summer, but it must be done in a safe way as the state recorded seven new cases of local transmission.
“How fantastic is it that we can now have up to 500 people outside enjoying their music,” he said.
“[This] will make a huge difference to the economy an a huge difference to the ambience of NSW.”
* 9.40 Some restrictions relaxed in NSW from Friday Rachel Clun. From Friday NSW venues will be allowed to double the number of patrons sitting outside as the government relaxes some restrictions. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said outdoor venues will be able to have two square metres of space per person outside as long as the business has an electronic QR code. The four-square-metre rule will stay for indoor spaces.
Double the number of patrons will be allowed to sit outside at NSW venues from Friday.CREDIT:GETTY IMAGES
* 6.53 Sumeyya Ilanbey. Victorian opposition leader Michael O’Brien says the Andrews government “is falling apart at the seams”, as he urged Labor MPs to cross the floor and vote in support of their ‘no confidence’ motion.
But Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll and the Green’s Melbourne MP Ellen Sandell labelled it a “stunt” and declared they would not be supporting the Opposition’s motion.
* 6.50 Tasmania will open its border to all Australian states and territories, except Victoria and NSW, on October 26. Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein said on Tuesday they will continue to monitor the case numbers in NSW over the next week and make another announcement on October 19.
"I'm certainly not ruling out easing restrictions with NSW at this stage, as I've said it's important, as we have done right through this, to sensibly, responsibly, cautiously consider the best pathway forward," he said.
* 5.02 The coal industry is bracing for another hit to exports to China after state-owned energy providers and steel mills reportedly received verbal notice to stop importing Australian coal.
* 4.05 England keeps restaurants, schools and shops open under local lockdown plan Latika Bourke
<www.watoday.com.au/national/as-it-happened-victoria-records-12-new-covid-19-cases-as-nsw-flags-easing-of-restrictions-on-outdoor-venues-trump-tests-negative-as-australian-death-toll-jumps-to-899-20201013-p564hg.html>