Pre-election Metro, V/Line and bus changes start today

Metro Trains

A small timetable change adding three trips to/from Cheltenham on the Frankston line from today. Frankston line seats were critical to the government winning office. There were also minor adjustments to timetables on the Pakenham and Werribee lines. 

Metro website item: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20141010043417/http://www.metrotrains.com.au/timetable-information-from-sunday-12-october/

PTV website item: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20150906194136/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/new-timetables-for-frankston-pakenham-and-werribee-lines-from-sunday-12-october-2014/

V/Line

A substantial change including the opening of new stations at Waurn Ponds and Epsom. Epsom's opening also coincided with extra services to Eaglehawk. Shepparton also gained. Some Geelong bus routes received extensions. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195321/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/new-stations-and-more-services-for-regional-victoria-from-12-october/

Eastern suburbs buses

Not everyone liked the removal of the peak-only express bus route 303 that happened as part of the 27 July 2014 Transdev bus network changes. So, in a pre-election sweetener, they reinstated it. There was also a rerouting of Route 271 along part of the former Route 286. 

More: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20150906201912/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/eastern-suburbs-bus-improvements-to-commence-monday-13-october-2014/

The state election was held in November 2014. The incumbent and by that time disunited one-term Coalition government lost to Labor, led by Daniel Andrews. 

Note: Item added retrospectively for posterity.

27 July 2014 train, tram and bus service upgrades start

The biggest service reforms and upgrades across the whole public transport network for many years started today. There were not to be upgrades of a similar magnitude for more than a decade as government interest switched from service planning and reform to building infrastructure. 

Learn more about what got done in this 10 year retrospective here: 
https://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/2024/07/big-service-upgrades-turn-10.html

An item focusing on the reformed Brimbank bus network that started is here: 
https://melbourneontransit.blogspot.com/2019/07/5th-anniversary-of-reformed-brimbank.html

To the south-west were these network upgrades in Wyndham: https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2014-07-27-wyndham-enhancements/ Some of these were to harmonise with trains operating at the unfortunate 11 minute peak headway. 

Transdev's first (and as it turned out only successful) Greenfields bus network is described here: 
https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2014-07-27-transdev-greenfields-changes-stage-1/

Pakenham and Cranbourne trains went from every 30 to 20 minutes interpeak on this day. Helping Dandenong too with it going from a 15 to a 10 minute service. That matched weekends that got a ten minute service two years previously. This 10 minute train frequency boost was supported by adjustments to buses in the south-east with more information here: https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2014-07-27-south-east-melbourne-updates/ Its main error was the downgrading of the popular Route 767 from every 30 to every 40 minutes (later reversed). 

Buses to Melbourne Airport also improved on that date with details here: 
https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2014-07-27-improved-local-buses-to-melbourne-airport/

Note: This item was posted retrospectively for historical research purposes. 

Fare changes: Two hours means two hours (and not more)

Advice that the benefit of ticket validity period starting two hours after the next whole hour would be withdrawn from August 2014. In other words if you touched on at 1:01pm then your ticket would be valid for 2 hours from 2pm, or a total of nearly 3 hours to 4pm. The new rules make it strictly two hours after your first touch on, that is the ticket would expire at 3:01pm instead.

The effect of this would be to double the fare applying for many short distance return trips affecting mainly off-peak shoppers. Details below:

https://web.archive.org/web/20150919130515/https://ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/changes-to-fares-in-august-2014/

Note: Item added retrospectively for posterity. 

Entire public transport network now smoke free from today

Previously people could smoke in open areas of station platforms etc. That's banned from today. More: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195533/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/breathe-easy-now-all-train-stations-tram-shelters-and-platforms-and-bus-shelters-are-smoke-free/

Note: Item added retrospectively for posterity. 

Major bus network changes across Victoria start today

27 and 28 of January 2014 were busy times for bus network reforms and service upgrades. 

The 27th saw substantial reforms and new coverage for networks in Craigieburn and Pakenham. Gisborne and Warrnambool followed the next day. A summary of these below: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906195108/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/new-bus-networks-for-craigieburn-pakenham-and-gisborne-to-begin-27-28-january-2014/

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906233033/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/bus-boost-for-warrnambool-and-greater-area-to-begin-in-january/

The Pakenham changes reflect the opening of Cardinia Rd station in 2012. But not fully - bus route 925 had to wait a decade (until March 2025) until it got extended.  

Apart from Craigieburn and Pakenham, PTV did dozens individual route and timetable changes across both Melbourne and regional Victoria. Victoria has lost the art of doing these sorts of tweaks, with the result being that the bus reform backlog is bigger than ever. Here is a (long) summary. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906233001/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/new-timetables-and-route-changes-for-metropolitan-and-regional-bus-routes-from-27-28-january-2014/

Note: This item was written retrospectively for posterity. 

Tram extensions and service upgrades for Docklands start today

Trams 11, 48 and 31 began using the Collins St extension today. Route 75 was extended to serve Harbour Esplanade (removing it from Spencer St). Timetable changes to routes 11, 24, 31, 48, 75, 95, 109 and 112. More here: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150906201424/http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/new-timetable-delivers-more-than-1-200-extra-trams-to-docklands-effective-from-sunday-26-january/

Note: This item was added retrospectively for posterity.