TT 196: The one time that Melbourne had good night time PT

Griping about after 7pm public transport is a very Melbourne thing. We have the population of a big city but provincial-style train timetables that concentrate service in peak times with 30 minute gaps following after dark. Sydney has around twice our evening service levels while taking public transport at night is less mainstream amongst the residents of our less populous capitals. 

But there was one brief time nearly two decades ago when we actually had quite good evening public transport. Not for our regular travel needs, mind you, but to save Melbourne the ignominy of stranding visitors and car-driving Joe Average from Middle Melbourne with infrequent trains feeding buses home that finished hours ago. That event was, in case you haven't twigged, was the 2006 Commonwealth Games (15-26 March, 2006). 

Table Talk April 2006 from the Australian Timetables Association describes the changes in detail. 

Metropolitan trains

Evening trains, then ran by Connex, operated every 20 minutes until 0100. Even excluding the later finish, that's a 50% uplift in service compared with the 30 minute evening frequency all lines then (and most today) operated. 

In addition Sunday services ran to Saturday timetables. This meant that those making an 'early' start (being defined as needing to get anywhere much before 10am) were freed from the then late starts or the still widespread in 2024 morning 40 minute frequencies. 

Capacity was built up to 6 car sets, something that is now done today as standard. Media was quoted as saying the rail network performed well during the games. 

What has happened since? Most notable is Night Network being extended from the bus-only NightRider to 24 hour Metro trains on weekends. Though only hourly they helped Sunday morning travel since previously the service started later than other capitals. Lines to Werribee, Williamstown and Frankston got Sunday morning frequency upgraded from 30-40 to 20 minutes. Evenings were also upgraded to a 20 min maximum waits. But on the rest of the network the 30 minute frequency prevails after 7pm, particularly on Saturday night which is the busiest night of the week. Hence Melbourne has evening frequencies inferior to those that ran in the mid-1970s (when we were half the current population) and even more inferior on the core section of the network in 1939.  

Metropolitan buses

Melbourne's bus network was a ramshackle affair in early 2006. Passenger information was starting to be improved under Metlink but buses still wore operator liveries and their timetables rarely connected with trains. Service levels were also sparse. A minority of routes ran Sundays and even Saturday afternoon service was limited. Very rarely could one catch a bus much after 7pm. The MOTC plan, which would significantly improve many bus routes in the next four years to 7 day minimum service standards, was still two months away. 

However the Commonwealth Games provided a short-term uplift which delivered evening frequencies and operating hours on over 50 bus routes not seen since. In addition NightRider buses were doubled from every hour to every 30 minutes. 

Below are the routes that got upgraded for the duration of the games with my comments in italics. 

• 200 City - Bulleen - Doncaster Shoppingtown Remains a long-hours route but shortened

• 216 Caroline Springs - City - Brighton Beach Split and then reformed

• 220 Sunshine - City - Gardenvale Remains a frequent long-hours route

• 232 Altona North - Queen Victoria Market Did not get minimum standards with early finish

• 246 Elsternwick - Clifton Hill - La Trobe University Remains a frequent long-hours route

• 250 Garden City / Port Melbourne - City - La Trobe University Remains a long-hours route

• 279 Box Hill - Templestowe Village Shops Upgraded in 2021

• 286 Box Hill - The Pines Shopping Centre Deleted in subsequent reform

• 291 Box Hill - Heidelberg Incorporated into 903 orbital with long hours and frequent service

• 301 The Pines Shopping Centre - City Incorporated into DART SmartBus network

• 304 City - Warrandyte Incorporated into DART SmartBus network

• 307 City - Mitcham Incorporated into DART SmartBus network

• 408 St Albans - Highpoint City Upgraded to minimum standards

• 410 Sunshine - Footscray Upgraded to minimum standards

• 411 Laverton - Altona Meadows - Altona - Footscray Upgraded but still below minimum standards

• 413 Laverton - Werribee Plaza Upgraded and then deleted in Williams Landing revamp

• 419 St Albans - Watergardens Railway Station Upgraded to minimum standards and reformed

• 425 St Albans - Watergardens Railway Station Upgraded to minimum standards and reformed

• 440 Werribee - Hoppers Crossing Upgraded and then deleted in Wyndham revamp

• 444 Hoppers Crossing - Tarneit Upgraded and then deleted in Wyndham revamp

• 508 Alphington - Moonee Ponds Upgraded to minimum standards

• 510 Essendon - Ivanhoe Upgraded to minimum standards

• 513 Eltham - Glenroy Upgraded to minimum standards and then split (with halves below minimum standards) 

• 536 Gowrie - Glenroy Missed out on minimum standards upgrade - no Sunday service & short hours

• 556 Epping Plaza - Northland Upgraded to minimum standards but remains a complex route

• 566 Northland - Lalor Northland - Lalor Upgraded to minimum standards but remains a complex route

• 567 Northcote - Regent Upgraded to minimum standards but remains a complex route

• 571 South Morang - Epping Railway Station - Campbellfield Replaced by 901 SmartBus orbital

• 580 Diamond Creek - Eltham Upgraded to minimum standards

• 600 St Kilda Light Rail Station - Southland Shopping Centre No reform, remains complex

• 605 Gardenvale - City Some reforms with Sunday upgrades in 2024 but not minimum standards

• 630 Elwood - Monash University Upgraded to almost minimum standards

• 664 Chirnside Park - Knox City Upgraded to minimum standards but remains complex

• 665 Ringwood - Dandenong Incorporated into 901 orbital SmartBus

• 670 Ringwood - Lilydale Upgraded to minimum standards

• 688 Croydon - Olinda Upgraded to minimum standards

• 691 Bayswater - Waverley Gardens Upgraded to almost minimum standards

• 700 Box Hill - Mordialloc Incorporated into 903 orbital SmartBus

• 703 Middle Brighton - Blackburn Upgraded to run 7 days on whole route

• 708 Carrum - Hampton Upgraded to minimum standards

• 733 Oakleigh - Box Hill Upgraded to minimum standards with further recent improvements

• 742 Eastland - Chadstone Upgraded to minimum standards

• 754 Stud Park - Glen Waverley Upgraded to minimum standards

• 775 Frankston - Lakewood Upgraded to minimum standards

• 781 Frankston - Mount Martha Upgraded to minimum standards

• 791 Frankston - Cranbourne Upgraded to minimum standards with frequency upgrade in 2016 Cranbourne network

• 828 Hampton - Berwick Railway Station Upgraded to minimum standards

• 831 Frankston - Dandenong Part became 901 orbital, other parts 832 and 833 in reformed network

• 840 Berwick - Narre Warren Circle Reformed and upgraded to minimum standards

• 850 Dandenong - Glen Waverley Upgraded to minimum standards

• 889 Nunawading - Chelsea Incorporated in 902 orbital SmartBus

• 896 Cranbourne Railway Station - Cranbourne East Reformed as part of 2016 Cranbourne network

These routes were the top 50 or so considered to be used by the most games patrons. 

Some routes got abolished as part of network reforms. Most others though remain with many upgraded either to minimum standards (ie 7 day service finishing at 9pm) or SmartBus (night service every 30 min until approx midnight). 

Possibly of interest was that, despite being in the top 50 out of then 300 or so routes to get service until late at night, a small group of routes have not made it to minimum standards nearly 20 years on. Most notable of this ilk is the 536 from Glenroy to Gowrie (which gets pretty good usage and serves a working-class catchment). The popular 630 on North Rd is almost minimum standards but just misses out. Many others not on the list did get upgrades. However most of these were only to about 9pm, with service at that time remaining sparse, as you can see on my network frequency maps. 

Conclusion

The Commonwealth Games period proved that Melbourne could have relatively good evening public transport. 

We've added 1.5 million people (ie more than Adelaide's current population) in the 18 years since. In that period we've added Night Network for after midnight weekend trips but train and tram service per capita has declined with timetables, especially for evenings, essentially stagnant. Whereas had service risen with population Melbourne could have made the Commonwealth Games timetable (including better evening and Sunday services) permanent. 

Buses have held up better per capita. The gains have been a mix of main route (SmartBus) roll-outs, minimum standards implementation and new growth area coverage. However there too growth in service provision has tailed off after about 2011. 

The games has shown that we just need to choose service to have it. Other cities, notably Sydney, have with a result that their evening PT far outpaces ours, with most of the difference happening after their 2017 timetable upgrade. There is no reason why we can't learn from them and catch up.  

Index to other Timetable Tuesday items