Sunbury gets upgraded evening trains

From today Sunbury gets a major lift in evening train services. Instead of every second of the half-hourly service terminating at Watergardens, all trains will extend to Sunbury. This provides Diggers Rest and Sunbury with a 30 minute evening train service - similar to the rest of the Melbourne rail network. Off-peak daytime services will remain at every 40 min. 

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/more-80-extra-train-services-sunbury-every-week

Note: This item was added retrospectively for historical purposes. 

Real time information for all Melbourne bus routes (PTV announcement)

Today PTV announced that all metropolitan bus routes were returning real time information due to the installation of a bus tracking system. This was available via PTV's website and mobile app. 

https://web.archive.org/web/20170301030103/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/all-metropolitan-melbourne-bus-routes-now-returning-real-time-information/

The announcement proved premature as a decade later, in 2025, the reliability of this data is poor. 

Note: This item was added retrospectively for posterity.

Melbourne's Frankston line road-rail grade separations: Part 2

Progress on the level crossing removals at Ormond, McKinnon and Bentleigh Stations. Shot about 5 weeks after Part 1 from a moving train.

Melbourne's Frankston line road-rail grade separations: Part 1

A video showing work done to grade separate road and rail at Ormond, McKinnon and Bentleigh on the Frankston line.

New Sunbury line train timetable starts today

A minor timetable adjustment that extends one morning peak and one afternoon peak train to start or finish at Sunbury instead of Watergardens. This provides additional frequency for Sunbury and Diggers Rest.  

More: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20170218235213/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/extended-train-services-on-the-sunbury-line/

Note: This item was added retrospectively for posterity.

Details of all night weekend public transport trial released

Delivers on a Labor election promise from 2014. Announcement of start date being 1 Jan 2016 and what the service will look like. The item notes a significant security presence with 109 additional PSOs and 62 extra Transit Police being deployed.  

https://web.archive.org/web/20170218235229/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/trial-of-all-night-public-transport-on-weekends/

Note: This item was written retrospectively for posterity.

Regional Rail Link Tarneit and Wyndham Vale Station Open Days 2015

Pictures of the Tarneit Station Open Day (13 June 2015) and Wyndham Vale Station Open Day (20 June 2015). The stations, part of the rerouted Geelong line, opened for regular service on Sunday 21 July, 2015.

Metro timetable 'bungle' (Age article)

Article on Metro timetable 'bungle'. The plan was to deliver a major Metro timetable upgrade in 2015 but it didn't happen. Sticking point was political opposition to removing Frankston peak services from City Loop (which eventually happened, though Frankston - City Loop operation will resume after the Metro Tunnel opens). Mentions that the capacity freed up by the Regional Rail Link was largely unused due to the unwillingness to reform Metro timetables.   

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/train-delays-as-government-bungles-biggest-metro-timetable-boost-in-years-20150721-gih8cb.html

Daniel Bowen commentary on this here: https://danielbowen.com/2015/07/22/the-2015-timetable/ 

Unlike what was hoped it did not happen soon as the government had lost interest in rail service planning (as opposed to building infrastructure, which was much accelerated).

Note: This item has been retrospectively added for historical research purposes. 

First day of Regional Rail Link and new bus networks

PTV archived page on service changes occurring due to Regional Rail Link that opened on 21 June 2015.  

https://web.archive.org/web/20150624115923/https://ptv.vic.gov.au/june21timetablechanges/

This comprised a rerouted Geelong line with weekday interpeak service improved from every 60 to every 20 min (though weekends stayed at every 60 min) and new 'greenfield' bus network for Geelong and Wyndham.

There were also some service improvements on the Ballarat line and timetable adjustments on routes in Melbourne's west run by Sita (details at https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2015-06-21-sita-updates/ ) and Tullamarine Bus (details at https://bcsv.org.au/vm/2015-06-21-tullamarine-bus-lines-updates/ ). 

A major rationale of the Regional Rail Link was increased capacity on the Werribee line. There was to be a new 'greenfields' metropolitan train timetable change coinciding with RRL's opening but this did not proceed. Instead a token 2 peak trains per weekday were added to the Werribee timetable so the government could claim that services were added. Mention of those here: 

https://web.archive.org/web/20150624114951/https://ptv.vic.gov.au/june21timetablechanges/metropolitan-train-network/

Also see Metro Trains item: 
https://web.archive.org/web/20150624114951/https://ptv.vic.gov.au/june21timetablechanges/metropolitan-train-network/

PTUA item on this here https://www.ptua.org.au/2016/07/12/where-is-the-new-timetable/

There was also to be a new Transdev 'greenfield' bus network and timetable but this had too many problems and was too controversial so it did not proceed. 

Note: This item has been added retrospectively to aid historical research. 

Voices of the Railways: Part 2 - Flinders Street Station

Under the curves: Sights and Sounds of Southern Cross Station