----- Forwarded message -----
To:australiantransportnews@... australiantransportnews@...>
Sent: Tuesday, 11 January 2022, 12:33:46 am AEDT
Subject: Sat.2.10.21 daily digest
Roderick
"211002Sa-Melbourne'Age'-electric.buses-ss.jpg" with ATN
"211002Sa-Melbourne'HeraldSun'-Glendenning-Nexport.factory-electric.bus-ss.jpg" with ATN
Sat.2.10.21 Metro Twitter
Aircraft: No ramp access to platforms until late 2021 (pedestrian-underpass works).
Flinders St: still with a lane closed for tunnel works.
Mooroolbark: Station closed until late 2021 (level-crossing removal). A shuttle bus will operate Croydon - Mooroolbark - Lilydale, connecting with trains. There will be no access to station platforms or facilities during this time.
Edithvale/Chelsea/Bonbeach: Stations closed until late 2021 (level-crossing removal). A shuttle bus will operate Mordialloc - Carrum, connecting with trains. There will be no access to station platforms or facilities during this time.
The level crossings at Argyle Avenue, Bondi Road and Edithvale Road are closed until early-October. Chelsea Road is closed permanently. See http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/projects/chelsea-road-chelsea
Buses replace trains on sections of the Frankston/Stony Point lines until the last train of Sun 31 Oct (level-crossing works).
Buses replace trains between Newport and Williamstown until the last train of Friday 12 November (level-crossing removal).
Maroondah Highway, Lilydale closed in both directions at the train line for one month, as level-crossing work ramps up on Friday night. John Street will also be closed at this time. See http://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/disruptions/maroondah-highway-and-john-street-lilydale-road-closure. ; Buses will replace trains for 6 weeks.
Buses replace trains Ringwood - Lilydale until the last train of Sun 24 Oct (level-crossing works). Opening the new Mooroolbark and Lilydale stations on Monday 25 October
Night Network buses are changing on Fri 24 Sep. Some routes will expand to a 24-hour weekend service and new routes will run after midnight on weekends.
Night Network will not run 1am - 5am on Saturdays and 1am - 6am on Sundays to support the curfew.
Hurstbridge line: Buses replace trains Parliament - Macleod from 8:30pm Fri 1 Oct to last train Sun 3 Oct, while maintenance works take place.
Cranbourne/Pakenham lines: Buses replace trains on sections of the Cranbourne/Pakenham lines from first train Sat 2 Oct to last train Sun 3 Oct, while project works take place. Take Belgrave/Lilydale/G Wav train to Burnley for Express buses.
Hurstbridge line: Buses replace trains Parliament - Macleod from 8:30pm Fri 1 Oct to last train Sun 3 Oct, while maintenance works take place.
Buses replace trains on sections of the Mernda line until the last train of Sun 3 Oct (maintenance works).
Frankston line: Buses replace trains City - Caulfield from first train Sat 2 Oct to last train Sun 3 Oct, while project works take place. For stations Mordialloc - Frankston/Stony Point, take Sandringham train to Sandringham for Express bus.
6.56 Buses to replace trains between Riversdale and Alamein (a large tree branch entangled in overhead power lines at Burwood). Replacement buses have been ordered, however will take over 60 minutes to arrive
- 7.33 buses will take over 20 minutes to arrive.
- 7.37 Picture of the branch.
- 7.47 Bus replacements in operation.
- 10.30 Trains commence. First services: 10.48 ex Alamein; 10.49 ex Camberwell.
12.38 Werribee/Williamstown/Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield lines: Major delays (police at North Melbourne).
- 12.58 clearing.
13.29 Werribee line: Major delays for services through Newport (an equipment fault near Newport).
- 13.40 clearing.
Ultimo’s Powerhouse Museum set for $500 million makeover Linda Morris June 14, 2021. 72 comments
<www.theage.com.au/culture/art-and-design/ultimo-s-powerhouse-museum-set-for-500-million-makeover-20210612-p580hm.html>
Thirty-six new electric buses by 2025 as Melbourne company awarded $2.3b contract. Cassandra Morgan October 2, 2021
The Victorian government will pay a Melbourne-based public transport company $2.3 billion over about nine years to operate a fleet of buses and introduce hundreds of electric and hybrid vehicles into the city’s system.
Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll announced on Saturday the large contract had been awarded to Kinetic, which currently operates SkyBus and other local routes across Australia and New Zealand.
Kinetic, the Melbourne-based operator of SkyBus, has been awarded the $2.3 billion contract. CREDIT:JOE ARMAO
The contract for the Metropolitan Bus Franchise, which operates about a third of the city’s public bus services, will run from January 21, 2022 until June 2031.
Kinetic will introduce five fully electric buses into the city’s network by June next year and by mid-2025 will have introduced 36.
“It’s a win for jobs, it’s a win for passengers, and it’s also a win for sustainability,” Mr Carroll said.
“This also really jump-starts our transition to zero-emissions buses.”
Roads minister Ben Carroll said hundreds of electric and hybrid buses are on the way.CREDIT:DARRIAN TRAYNOR
By the end of the contract in 2031, Mr Carroll said more than half of the franchise fleet - 341 out of 537 buses - would be replaced with low or zero-emissions vehicles.
The new buses would be made at coachbuilder Volgren’s manufacturing facility at Dandenong South, where Mr Carroll said the company had several hundred employees.
“[Buses] have been the most resilient form of public transport coming out of COVID,” Mr Carroll said.
“In Victoria, we want buses no longer to be the third choice for public transport, we want them to be a first choice.
“Every bus has the opportunity to take essentially 50 cars off the road.”
The Metropolitan Bus Franchise is currently run by Transdev, and the Victorian government said the Kinetic takeover would see “an uplift in operational performance, driving greater reliability and a strong focus on customer outcomes and increased cleaning”.
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/thirty-six-new-electric-buses-by-2025-as-melbourne-company-awarded-2-3b-contract-20211002-p58wmu.html>
Pfizer no better than AstraZeneca long term, UK study finds. Sue Dunlevy October 2, 2021 News Corp Australia Network with ATN
<www.heraldsun.com.au/coronavirus/pfizer-no-better-than-astrazeneca-long-term-uk-study-finds/news-story/6ebf2509db2b7a40151f5116425adc68>
Sat.2.10.21 Melbourne 'Herald Sun'. Electric buses. GLEN NORRIS
AUSTRALIAN company Nexport has partnered with a French firm to make zero-emission electric vehicles.
French-based Gaussin, which makes electric prime movers, airport transporters, buses and refuellers, said that it had chosen Nexport because of its established electric vehicle manufacturing capability.
Sydney-based Nexport's electric bus fleet is operating and contracted to the Queensland and NSW governments and several local councils.
It is participating in EV tenders with the remaining states and territories.
Nexport chief executive Michel van Maanen said discussions with state and federal governments regarding the transition to zero-emission vehicles had been favourable.
"This agreement will create a large number of jobs in Australia and helps to establish a local manufacturing base", he said.
Nexport said it planned to boost its current workforce of 60 by hiring an additional 100 employees to deal with expected demand.
It also was looking to move into a new l5 000 sq m factory in Sydney.
Nexport head of global partnerships Sid Rallapalli said the company would be targeting mining companies that were looking to move their fleets to zero emissions.
"Governments are sending very strong signals in relation to zero emissions", Mr Rallapalli said.
"This will lead to a resurgence in local manufacturing."
Nexport is backed by Australian billionaire Trevor St Baker.
The St Baker Energy Innovation Fund in May made a $20m investment in Sydney-based TrueGreen Mobility, the parent company of Nexport.
Mr St Baker said the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund was doing all it could to increase the uptake of both passenger and commercial electric vehicles.