With the Metro Tunnel likely opening, 2025 is the year that the wheel finally hits the rail.
So 2025 will be critical. I would urge people not to take no for an answer when asking for (sensible) stuff in transport. Government expectations of DTP management, in my view, have been too low for a while. Not all opportunities to maximise revenue and/or seek efficiencies have necessarily been taken. With DTP having only a limited record at getting transport service into the centre of policy discussion or winning funding for its budget business cases, Jeroen Weimar has a big job ahead in reversing recent stagnation as incoming DTP Secretary.
What you read most in 2024
Melbourne on Transit enjoyed a strong year with 285 000 views and 169 comments during 2024.
What did you most like to read about during the year? Here's the top 10, with the most read first.
1. Sydney versus Melbourne - who really has the better transport?
It's more than a cliche that Melburnians like to compare their city with Sydney. Transport's obviously a major comparison point with my item on this taking top spot with nearly 5000 views in 2024. Reasons for this could include envy at how Sydney has massively slashed maximum waits all week while Melbourne endures per-capita service declines with 20, 30, 40 and even 60 minute gaps still common at popular times on key lines.
2. How will the Metro Tunnel benefit your line?
My items on trains usually get more reads than those about buses. Especially if they are about high-profile mega-projects, which for 2025 means the Metro Tunnel. Official sources proudly show construction milestones but they've been silent on the ensuing all-day network service levels so critical to the project's success. Thus it's no surprise that any item, no matter how speculative, that tries to shed light on service gets such high readership.
3. Who runs transport? A look at DTP's leadership team
Despite only having half the year to get its views, this look at the executives who run DTP makes the top three. People love reading about other people, especially those with power. And it would seem that many readers were 'insiders', enjoying the little vignettes about their bosses or even themselves. You won't see it in the published comments but I got a lot of private feedback on this item. 99% positive except for one (not even in the department) who thought it was poor taste! I ignored that and wrote more about transport management (again with strong readership - scroll down).
Returning to Metro Tunnel timetable talk but this time weighting by patronage. About half of suburban Melbourne's busiest stations will directly benefit from the Metro Tunnel, with the gains magnified if popular lines that feed the Metro Tunnel also get service increases. Like with item 2 above, this item was written with little information on proposed service levels so I'll do a recap when more details come to hand.
5. The state capital with the worst public transport?
You didn't just like reading about Sydney (item 1 above). Comparisons with other capitals were also popular. This item compared public transport across the larger Australian capitals back in 2021. It's had huge staying power since, with it attracting eyeballs through 2024. It has another role too; if you want a pick-me-up after seeing how far Melbourne lags Sydney on service, you can gain solace from Brisbane's even further backwardness in starving service, underusing infrastructure and avoiding multimodal thinking.
6. The '40 minute city': A look at Melbourne's new Metro Tunnel timetables
Yet another Metro Tunnel timetable item, this was actually last year's April Fools gag. And you seemed to like it, judging on viewer numbers.
7. Introducing Melbourne's 2022 updated frequent network maps
This is the landing website link for the set of network frequency maps that I maintain for the current network. I often refer people to them if they want a quick look at haves and have nots in public transport service provision in Melbourne. Despite the title they are regularly updated to reflect service upgrades.
8. The Future Frequent Network Melbourne needs?
Another landing page for maps but this time for what I think the major routes for future public transport network should look like. It's basically a refinement of the official Principal Public Transport Network (PPTN) from the early 2000s. It's the sort of concept that government strategies like Victoria's Bus Plan and the more recent housing activity centres need to embrace much more energetically to build the sort of multimodal, multidirectional all day frequent network a growing Melbourne needs.
9. Younis quits: Five challenges for the new DTP Secretary
News emerged of Paul Younis departure from DTP last September. Building on the popularity of my item on DTP executives (3 above) I listed five challenges for the incoming Secretary (who by then was not known). The popularity of this item again showed how much people like to read about our leaders in transport.
10. Jeroen Weimar new DTP Secretary (and my suggested top 5 PT priorities)
Written only 3 weeks ago, when the new Secretary was announced, this item squeaks into the top ten with just over 1000 views. It builds on the previous items on DTP's executives (3) and the incumbent Secretary leaving (9). Mr Weimar will take over on January 27.
Summary
Three of the ten items you most read are about the executives who manage transport in Victoria (3, 9 and 10). Another three (2, 4 and 6) were about all day rail frequencies under the Metro Tunnel and related timetables. That demonstrates your thirst for knowledge in the face of scarce information so far.
You also enjoyed intercity comparisons across Australian capitals (1 and 5). And, rounding off the top ten, were maps, both showing the existing frequent network and what could/should guide service planning priorities in the future.
Thanks all for your readership, comments and support in 2024 and I look forward to many more Melbourne on Transit posts in 2025!
